to take hold of hsi gracious Covenant and thereby fortifie us against turning from the Holy Commandment This is plainly set forth as the Way and Method in which he first Works upon us and enables us to Work 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit c. The Promise of God's being a Father to us which is mention'd in the last verse of the foregoing Chapter is a stronger Inducement to purifie our selves and be Followers of him than any threatening of God's being a Revenger So 2 Pet. 1.4 Exceeding great and precious Promises are given unto us that by these you might be Partakers of the Dikvine Nature c. As the chief Thing communicated from God is the Divine Nature whereby we are made to resemble him so the Promises of God set home upon the Soul are the means of Communication they are to Milk and Honey of the Scripture which do not cherish the Old Man but support the New they are not Pillows for sinful Sloth but spurs to Holy Diligence The Promises of Grace animate the Soul to Duty and when we thus see the goodness of the Lord it encourages our Subjection to his Government 4. A Sense of the Love of God will create in us a more perfect hatred of Sin Divine Reconciliation to our Persons breeds the most implacable Enmity against our Lusts when we know that God is pacified towards us it makes us loath and abhor our selves the more in remembrance of the Evils we have done If he passes by Transgression the pardoned Transgressor sixes his Eye upon it with greater Indignation as David's Sin was ever before him though Nathan had told him from God that his Sin was put away Psalm 51.3 compar'd with 2 Sam. 12.13 For the Title of that Psalm informs us that it was penn'd after Nathan the Prophet had come to David A Sinner is never so odious in his own sight as when he is persuaded of his being precious in the sight of God How does Paul repeat and aggravate the foul Abominations of his natural Pharisaical State when he knew himself to be belov'd of God and establi shed in Christ he speaks of his persecuting and wasting the Church of God beyond measure Gal. 1.13 So with Holy Confusikon he bewails what he once was after he had obtained Mercy and after the Grace of our Lord Jesus had exceedingly abounded towards him 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Though God had made him whiter than Snow in the Lamb's Blood yet he still sets out himself in his own black and filthy Colours We do not lose the Prospect of our own vileness by having the Kindness and Love of God before our Fyes but we see it the better His gracious Absolution kindles the most flaming Zeal and Revenge in us against the Sins from which we are absolved consequently is a mighty furtherance of our Obedience 5. A Sense of the Love of God is most apt to beget an awful fear of Falling under his displeasure That I may not be mistaken let it be consider'd 1. That this awful Fear is not only distinct from dreadful Horrour but opposite unto it The trembling of a Devil and the trembling of a Child are real Contraries Godly jealousie of our selves and sinful Distrust of God are two things of most different Kinds The fear of Caution which I would recommend keeps us walking closely with God the fear of Desperation which I would warn against hurries us violently away from God 2. That this displeasure of God which Believers are lyable to fall under is exercis'd only in this World and not in the next That Wrath which God occasionally lets out against his own is not the same with that which comes upon the Children of disobedience Eph. 5.6 We must not confound the temporary hidings of God's Face with Everlasting Destruction from God's Presence He that believes is secur'd from sinal Condemnation but nevertheless he is still incident to sad Desertion Now for the Soul to be kept under the awe of this is a great help to our Obedience and where the Love of God is perceived by the Soul this awe will certainly prevail God's sanctified ones can say it from Experience Psalm 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Not only a readiness to forgive but actual forgiveness is with God and as our Fear of God is the end of his granting it so 't is the effect and issue of our receiving it Two Things will make this more evident 1. This joyful Sense of the Love of God supposes a sorrowful Sense of his displeasure going before it Ordinarily God does not thus set Men up on high till he hath first brought them into the Depths the does not make them glad with his Countenance till he had laid them more or less in the lowest Pit Psalm 88.6 How few are admitted to take the Cup of Salvation without Drinking for some time of the Cup of God's Fury How few are call'd into this pleasant Light without passing through a scorching Fire Sore Conflicts prepare the way for the most part to ravishing Comforts and the Heart knows a great deal of bitterness before it comes to taste how good the Lord is 2. They that have been sensible of God's displeasure and are sensible of his Love will take Care to avoid the one and continue in the other Who so likely to be afraid of receiving a Spirit of Bondage again as they that have felt it Who so far from provoking God to carry them back into an howling Wilderness as they who have been there before Who so cautious of interrupting their sweet Communion with God as they that have enjoy'd it Who so capable of rightly valuing that Priviledge as they that are possest of it and therefore who so ready to endeavour the preserving of it by a circumspect Walk Souls that are thus favoured of God are most seriously convinc't That in his Favour is Life Psalm 30.5 Therefore when the Spirit of God hath carried them up to this Pinnacle this heighth of Consolation they are the more afraid of doing any Thing to occasion their casting down 6. The commonest and strongest Temptations to departing from God are best overcome by a Sense of his Love viz. The Temptations which arise both from the flatteries and frowns of the World the Love of Life and Fears of Death He that hath the Loving Kindness of God before his Eyes is most able to make a resolute and successful Resistance to all these As particularly 1. The Flatteries of the World do too often allure Men from their Obedience to God but they that have a Sense of God's Love upon their Hearts are best armed against this Temptation Hereby the World with all its gaudy Vanities is Crucified to us and we unto the World hereby all these Things are stript of their seeming Glory as the Sun puts out the lesser Lights and as the Works of
Tit. 2.11 12. This is the prevailing Antidote against practical Atheism and all manner of licentiousness and sensuality Hereby we serve God acceptably Heb. 12.28 And hereby we have our Conversation in the World towards other Men so as to gain the rejoycing Testimony of a good Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 Such Fruits of Righteousness does the Root of the Righteous always yield II. Wherein does this Grace appear to he given Ans Two ways 1. If we consider the Matter in general it must needs be given because the Creature is in no Capacity to claim it as a debt For 1. The Man that hath no Grace can do nothing to deserve it Nothing that 's done by the strength of Nature can Merit the infusing of a supernatural Power Nature and Grace differ in kind and Grace is of a kind more Superiour to Nature than Heaven is to Earth There is no Affinity or Comparison between Flesh and Spirit and consequently none between that which is born of the Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit John 3.6 What we bring forth in a State of Sin is all after our own likeness and can this qualifie us for being Created again after the likeness of God All antecedent Dispositions and Preparations rise no higher than the carnal Standard they are still but dead Works which fall infinitely short of a Divine quickening If Glory is not to be procur'd by the most vigorous Exercises of Grace much less Grace by the utmost endeavours of Nature 2. We are so far from deserving Grace that naturally we do not desire it Wheresoever Grace is sincerely desir'd the good Work is begun To will is not present with us till God hath wrought it Whoever covets to partake of God's Holiness does in some Degree partake of it already There is an Enmity and Opposition in corrupt Nature to the Work of saving Grace instead of asking and seeking after it we refuse and reject the offers of it and rise up in Arms against it before God hath subdued us to himself How can we suppose that the Old Man should ever crave to be crucifi'd and reigning Sin affect to be depos'd We may as well think that the Devil should wish the Subversion of his own Kingdom as that unrenewed Nature and sinful Flesh should desire the Destruction of it self 3. We are so far from naturally desiring Grace that we are not deeply sensible of our want of it till God hath made us so By a deep Sense I mean a feeling Apprehension both of our being destitute of Grace and being undone without it Now this is imprest by the Spirit of God where-ever it is Graceless Persons either do not know their Condition to be so sinful or not so miserable as it is they think themselves to have what they have not or else they are Content to want it as if there were no need of having it How then can he deserve a Cure who fancies himself so whole that he hath no occasion for a Physician Or who thinks himself bound to bestow an Alms upon one that is too Proud to beg and will not own his Necessity but says he is Rich enough This is our Case with Respect to God 2. If we examine the Matter more particularly there are several express Instances in Scripture which make it out to us As 1. The Spirit of God who is the immediate Operator of all Grace in us and therefore call'd the Spirit of Grace Zech. 12.10 Is said to be given us Rom. 5.5 1 John 3.24 Or else 't is impossible that ever we should receive him Receiving implies a giving A Man can receive nothing unless it be given him from Heaven John 3.27 And therefore the World cannot receive the Spirit because he was never promised nor is he given to the World Chap. 14.17 Jesus Christ is not more the Gift of God to poor Sinners than the Spirit is they are both equally glorious Persons and unspeakable inestimable Gifts The Communication of the Holy Ghost is as great an Act of Bounty in God as the Exhibition of his Son 2. The New Nature which is inclusive of all Grace is represented in Scripture as a Gift Ezek. 36.26 A new Heart will I give you c. I will give you an Heart of Flesh This new Heart and Heart of Flesh does vertually comprehend in it every Grace for all the habits of Grace are infus'd at once not successively one after another they are all really inherent when we are first made new Creatures though not all on a sudden eminently visible Now this new Heart which constitutes a new Creature is absolutely given so the Covenant runs God does not say I will give it you upon such and such Terms if you do thus and thus but I will give you c. If it were a suspended conditional Promise it might never be performed 3. Saving Knowledge which is coupled with Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 And is indeed it self a Grace is given So God says I will give them an Heart to know me Jer. 24.7 And Christ tells his Disciples Vnto you ic is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom c. Mat. 13.11 'T is rich Love and Mercy which makes the difference in this Case between some and others between those who remain blind as they are Born and those whose Eyes are open'd and that have the Veil upon their Hearts taken away They to whom this Knowledge is given and they to whom it is not given are alike unworthy of it and alike uncapable of attaining it themselves He that gives us natural Light for the guidance of our Bodies does as truly give spiritual Light for the Conduct of our Souls 4. Faith is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 As 't is stiled his Work to intimate that his Power is the Cause so 't is call'd his Gift to intimate that his goodness is the Motive Vnto you it is given to believe Phil. 1.29 The Grace of Faith is communicated to us with the same freeness as the Object of it is and if it were not so we should live and dye in our Infidelity Our Lord positively says John 6.65 No Man can come to me except it be given to him of my Father We may as well undertake a perfect fulfilling of the whole Covenant of Works as pretend to an Ability of receiving Christ as tender'd in the Gospel He is set up as the brazen Serpent in the Wilderness and God gives us an Eye to look to him or else we should be nothing the better 5. Repentance is God's Gift also There is no Repentance to Salvation but what is wrought by the God of Salvation We may as well imagine that Light should of it self Spring out of Darkness and sweet Waters issue from a bitter Fountain as that any such Grace should be the natural Product of our Impenitent Hearts There is no hope of an Heart desperately Wicked as the Heart of every Man by Nature is Jer. 17.9 unless God is
he had been instructed Luke 1.4 This Effect the Spirit of God hath by his enlightning Operation beyond all humane Instructions whatsoever we are made to know the certainty of things and more fully persuaded of the great reality of what is spiritual They are no longer doubtful disputable Opinions with us but we come to such a firm Conclusion about them that we can venture our Eternity upon them The Scripture hints this in many Places John 17.8 They have known surely that I came out from thee So the Apostle speaks of the Rich and full Assurance of Vnderstanding in the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God c. Col. 2.2 And again Our Gospel came not unto you in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance so that there is no haesitation or wavering concerning it 1 Thess 1.5 2. That Knowledge which proceeds from such a Cause is more affecting than any other The Heart is influenced to greater Love and Joy and Admiration by what it believes and knows As the mind receives more solid Satisfaction with respect to those Truths so those Truths are more sweet and delightful more ravishing and transporting to the Soul Paul speaks like a Man in an Extasie with more than ordinary Zeal and Fervour Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. His magnifying of the Excellency of this Knowledge sprung from his deep Sense of the Excellency of the Object He saw so much worth in Christ that he would part with ten Thousand Worlds if he had them for his sake The Doctrine of Christ's God-head Incarnation Satisfaction c. when they are only taken into the Head as common Notions are but dry Meat but when they are imprest by the Holy Ghost we can feed upon them with Pleasure The Things of God being so reveal'd that we taste the savour of them 3. That Knowledge which is communicated by the Spirit is always joyn'd with Experience The Apprehensions which other Men have by common reasoning of spiritual Things are like those of a blind Man when he hears a Discourse concerning Light which are very dark and imperfect in Comparison of his that hath Eyes to see the Sun There is a vast difference between a Knowledge of Christ by Report and Hearsay as one calls it and a Knowledge of Acquaintance which is gotten and improv'd by Communion with him As the Queen of Sheba was not told one half in her own Land of the greatness of Solomons Wisdom which she afterwards saw and yet what she was told seem'd incredible to her 2 Chron. 9.6 So Believers find so much in Christ when they come to him as does not only justifie the Report which Ministers gave to be very true but abundantly exceed it We cannot tell you what they feel whom Christ is formed in and who live every Day by the Faith of him Where there is no spiritual Sense the Mind is yet carnal 4. That Knowledge which the Spirit produces does always issue in Obedience The Knowledge which Men attain unto by any other Ways is barren and unprofitable as it does not reach the Heart so it is of no use in the ordering of the Conversation But saving Knowledge governs the Life and regulates the Practice so as clearly to exemplifie that Connection which God hath made between the Truths to be believed and to be performed When Paul prays for his Colossians That they might be filled with the Knowledge of God's Will in all Wisdom and spiritual Vnderstanding he does not stop there but shews whither this tends That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing c. Col. 1.9 10. He that is truly nourisht up in the words of Faith and good Doctrine will evidence it by fruitfulness in good Works 1 John 2.3 Hereby we do know that we know him Jesus Christ if we keep his Commandments They have not learned Christ as they ought that do not live to him for if we be acquainted with his Person we shall submit to his Rule SERMON II. May 7. 1695. MATTHEW XVI xvii And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona For Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven IV. WHerein lies the Blessedness which is annexed to this kind of Knowledge Some bless themselves without Reason too many against Scripture bless themselves when they hear the Words of God's Curse though yet without Christ who can only redeem them from that Curse thousands of presuming Sinners call themselves happy when they are almost in the very depths of Misery having but a short step the thin Partition of an earthly House betwixt them and Hell they think their Condition to be safe and good and applaud and please themselves in it as such when it is as dangerous and as bad as it can be on this side of Everlasting Destruction But however mistaken and deceived such Men are we know that Christ is true and what says he here Blessed art thou Simon c. for my Father hath revealed this unto thee which Flesh and Blood hath not q. d. Thou art infallibly blessed upon this account this is an undoubted Evidence and means of thy being so Where then is the blessedness which the Text speaks of What does it consist in and how does it appear 1. 'T is a blessed discovery which God makes and a blessed Knowledge which it produces because it is always accompanied with pardoning Grace If there be a blessed Man in the World without Controversie it is the pardoned Sinner Afflictions may remain without injuring our blessedness so long as Sin does not remain which is the only Thing that can separate from the Love of Christ and how can this separate when God hath put it away and removed it from us Who will not say Amen therefore to what David says Psalm 32.1 Blessed is the Man whose Transgression is forgiven c. Sin laies the Foundation of the Creatures Misery consequently in the forgiveness of Sin the Foundation of our Misery is destroyed Now this is always done where Jesus Christ is savingly made known This is plain Heb. 10.16 17. This is the Covenant which I will make with them c. I will put my Laws into their Hearts and in their Minds will I write them and immediately it follows Their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more When there is this promised writing within us we may be sure there is a blotting out of the hand-writing against us Where Sin is uncover'd the Heart is hid from Understanding but where the sealed Book of Gospel-Mystery is open d 't is past all question that the Debt-book is cross'd 2. 'T is always attended with a perfect justifying Righteousness This is absolutely necessary in order to blessedness for there must be a Restitution of our lost Title before there can be a restoring to our forfeited
to have the greatest Advantages and Helps for Heaven beyond those that are of an Inferiour Rank and therefore if their Salvation be so difficult they concluded that Others might Despair of it 3. The Poor have their Temptations also and fall into divers Sins as well as the Rich and there are other Things which must be acknowledg'd to be Impediments and Obstructions in the way to Heaven as well as Riches so that they thought if one stumbling-block was so fatal and pernicious the rest might be as bad and then all Mankind must be in a miserable Cafe 2. Christ's own Explicatiln of this Doctrine ver 27. Jesus looking upon them faith with Men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible Here are Three Things to be considered 1. The general Ground which Christ speaks upon That all Things are possible with God This is a Notion which shines clear by natural Light the Being of God is not more demonstrable than this that Infinite and Unlimited Power belongs to him This is plentifully confirm'd in Scripture Job 42.2 I know that thou canst do every Thing Jer. 32.17 There is nothing too hard for Thee And Luke 1.37 With God nothing shall be impossible If there were any Thing which God could not do which is fit to be done and becoming or consistent with his other Perfections he could not be God 2. The Particular Truth which he laies down and builds upon this Foundation With Men it is impossible that either the Rich or any other Person should be sav'd but not with God We must mot measure God's Power by our own because this is marvellous in our Eyes we are not to think that 't is so in his Zech. 8.6 Though Man cannot withdraw his own Heart from an inordinate Desire and Pursuit of such Temporal Enjoyments yet God can enable as to do it Though we cannot recover our selves out of this Snare of the Devil the strong God can perform it for us He can give us other Hearts than what we have by Nature and produce such a change in us as we know not how to suppose where Corruption makes the greatest Opposition he can Conquer it so that a Poor Man shall be Rich in Faith and a Rich Man Poor in Spirit 3. The Posture and Aspect of Christ in delivering this Truth He looked upon them i. e. the Disciples and said c. There seems to be a double Reason for this 1. Christ hereby discovers his Knowledge of their Thoughts and the most secret Passages of their Conversation For what they said in the foregoing Verse they did not speak so as that he might hear it but among themselves or as the words import one to another 2. Christ hereby points out them as singular Instances and Examples of the Truth which he had proposed For as there were Holy Men under the Old Testament who were nevertheless rich in this World such as Abraham Lot Job c. And Zaccheus under the New Testament a rich Publican was converted to Christ Luke 19.2 So these Disciples upon Christ's call had left all and follow'd him ver 28. following the Text and their All was as much to them as the rich Man's larger Estate can be to him So that in them was this saying of our Lord fulfilled Observ The Overcoming of the Difficulties of Salvation must be resolved into the Almighty Power of Divine Grace Here I. Shew What are the chief Difficulties of Salvation to be overcome II. How this must be resolved into the Power of God's Grace III. Why it must be so IV. Use 1. What are the chief Difficulties of Salvation to be overcome Ans There is the Difficulty of Believing This is primarily necessary to Salvation and yet one of the hardest Things in the World to be done aright The Counterfeits of Faith are frequent and feisable enough but they that imagine unfeigned Faith to be an easie matter know not what it is 'T is commonly said That we readily believe what we wish to be true but this is a very great mistake we have several Instances in Scripture to the contrary When Jacob's Sons at their second return out of Egypt told their Father that Joseph was yet alive and Governor of the Land his Heart fainted for he believed them not Gen. 45.26 When Christ shew'd his Disciples his Hands and his Feet they believed not for joy Luke 24.41 We are often slow in believing what we are most eager in desiring So we may sometimes believe that which appears to be more incredible or is indeed more difficultly credible and yet still doubt of easier and lesser things as Lazarus's Sisters believed that their Brother would rise again at the last Day and yet question'd his being raised after four Days John 11.24 with 39. Now if Men stick and hesitate at the least things it shews the Work to be much more difficult than if they stumbled at the greatest But more particularly the Work of Faith is difficult at first and then living by Faith and at last dying by Faith 1. The work of Faith at the beginning of the Christian Life our first believing is difficult when we come out of a state of Sin into a state of Grace A Soul that is deeply convinced of its own Guilt struggles with great Discouragements in laying hold of Divine Forgiveness He that effectually declares this unto Man needs to be an Interpreter one of a thousand that is says Dr. Owen Christ himself Job 33.23 Whatever vain Men may talk of being perswaded by reason that God is reconcilable the Sinners own Conscience when truly awaken'd by the Commandment coming home argues with a great deal of strength against it He that is pursued by a sense of Sin and fear of Wrath is far more apt to run into downright Despair than to fly for Refuge to the Hope which is set before him The threatnings of deserved Vengeance are much rather regarded than the free Promises of Remission As God said to the Jews with respect to their backslidings into Idolary Jer. 5.7 How shall I pardon thee for this So the poor convinced Sinner that hath his high and hainous Provocations set in order before him is ready to cry How shall God pardon me for these T is a Mystery which he knows not how to apprehend a comfortable Doctrine but he cannot embrace it 2. Living by Faith for this the just must do after the Sinner is made Righteous by the Obedience of Christ he must still go on from Faith to Faith as the Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel Rom. 1.17 Now this is no light matter whatever the Speculation be in their esteem who never arrived to any real Exerprience the Practice is not To live by Faith in the midst of various Temptations and Tryals of Darkness and Desertion of cross Providences and cutting Rebukes is an hard saying to Flesh and Blood Is it indeed an easie thing to believe that we shall be