that God bringeth out of his work lyeth under ground Dispensation is as a woman travelling in birth and crying out for pain but she shall be delivered of two men Children Mercy to the people of God Justice to Babylon wait on while the woman bring forth though you see not the Children 2. We trust possession in our part more then Law and the fidelity of the promise on Gods part feeling is of more credit to us then Faith sense is surer to us then the word of Faith many weak ones beleeve not life Eternall because they feel it not Heaven is a thing unseen and they finde no Consolation and Comfort and so are disquieted If we knew that beleeving is a bargaining and a buying we should see the weaknesse of many should any buy a field of Land refuse to tell down the money except the party should lay all the Ridges Acres Medows and Mountains on the buyers shoulders that he might carry them home to his house he should be incredulously unjust If any should buy a Ship and think it no bargain at all except he might carry away the Ship on his back should not this make him a ridiculous Merchant Gods Law of Faith Christs concluded atonement is better and surer then your feeling all that sense and comfort saith is not Canonick Scripture it is Adultery to seek a signe because we cannot rest on our Husbands word SERMON III. Quest. BVt cannot Christ be hid Ans. Not of himself It s hard to hide a great fire or to cast a covering upon sweet odours that they smell not Christs Name is as a sweet oyntment powred out he is a Mountain of spices and hee 's a strong savour of Heaven and of the higher Paradice You may hide the man that he shal not see the Sun but you cannot cast a garment over the body of the Sun and hide day-light From which it appeareth that Christ cannot be hid 1. In his Cause and Truth the Gospell is scourged and imprisoned when the Apostles are so served yet it cometh to light and filleth Jerusalem and filleth all the world What was done to hide Christ when he and his Gospel is buryed under a great stone yet his fame goeth abroad Death is no covering to Christ Papists burn all the Books of Protestants they kill and slay the Witnesses Antiochus and the persecuting Emperours throw all the Bibles in the fire but this Truth cannot be hid it Triumpheth As soon pull down Jesus from his Royall seat at the right hand of God as Babylon Prelats Papists Malignants in these three Kingdoms can extinguish the People and Truth of Christ. 2. Beleevers cannot hide and dissemble a good or an ill condition in the soul The welbeloved is away and the Churches bed cannot keep her All the Watchmen all the streets all the Daughters of Jerusalem yea Heaven and Christ must hear of it Cant. 3.1 2 3. Cant. 5.6 7 8. Mary Magdalens bed and a mornings sleep and the Company of Angels and Apostles cannot dry her cheeks Woman what ayles thee saith the Angel O she weepeth O what ayleth me They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him O Apostles Where is he O Sir Angell tell me if you saw him O Grave O Death Shew me is my Lord with you The Love of Christ is no Hypocrite I grant some can for a time put a fair face on it when Christ is absent but most of the Saints look as a Bird fallen from the Raven as a Lamb fallen out of the Lions mouth as one too soon out of bed in the morning O sick of Love O shew him I charge you tell him Watchmen Daughters of Jerusalem that I am sick of Love Love is a paining feavorous tormenting sicknesse Grace cannot put on a laughing mask when sweet Jesus is hidden Love hath no art to conceal sorrow the countenance of David Psal. 42.5 is sick There 's death in his face when God is not the light of his countenance 3. The joy of his presence cannot be hid she cannot but tell and cry out O Fair O White Day He is come again Cant. 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from him but I found him whom my soul loved She numbred all the miles she Travelled while her Lord was absent Joy will speak it s not dumb Cant. 7.9 The roofe of thy mouth is like the best wine for my beloved that goeth down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Mat. 9.15 Can the Children of the Bedchamber mourne as long as the Bridegroom is with them i. e. they cannot choose but rejoyce 4. Grace in a sincere Professor and CHRIST cannot be hid there came a good fair breath with a blast of a sweet west-wind of Heaven on Joseph of Arimathea the time was ill Christ was dead and he can dissemble no longer Mar. 15.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much daring and boldnesse he went into Pilat with a Petition I beseech you my Lord Governour let me but have this Jesus his dead body There was some fire of Heaven in this bold profession What would this be thought of to see a Noble and Honourable Lord-Judge with a dead and Crucified mans Body in his armes But Faith knoweth no blushing Grace cannot be ashamed there was a straight charge laid on the Apostles Preach no more in the name of Jesus Act. 4.13 Peter and John with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldly say vers 20. We cannot but speak the things wee have heard and seen Lay as heavy weights as death burning quick sawing asunder on the sincerity of Faith in the Martyrs it must up the Mountain Davids Grace Psal. 39.1 was kept in as with a Mussell put upon the mouths of Beasts it was as coals of fire in his heart and he behoved to speak even before the wicked I beleeved therefore I spake Psal. 116.10 5. When Ieremiah layeth unlawfull bands on himself To speak no more in the Name of the Lord there is a spirit of Prophesie lying on him he is not Lord of his own choice Ier. 20.9 But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay There 's a Majesty of Grace on the Conscience of the Child of God that must break out in holy duties though temptation should hide Christ in his Grace tempted Ioseph is over-awed with this Gen. 39.9 How can I then do this great wickednesse and sin against God This awsome Majesty of the Grace of Gods fear causeth Ioseph see nothing in Harlotry but pure unmixed guiltinesse against God there 's an over mastering apprehension of Christs love 2 Cor. 5.14 that constraineth Paul to out the Love of Christ in dedicating himself to the service of the Gospell Though Paul would not have preached yet he had a sum to pay Rom. 1.14 I am
hear an answer I was condemned I was judged I was crucified for sin when my Surety Christ was condemned judged and crucified for my sins and what would you have more of a man then his life it was a mans life and soul my life that my surety offered up to God for sin and I have payed all because my surety hath payed all And the truth is it is not two debts one that the believer owes to Gods justice another that Christ paid But the debt that Christ payed is our very debt sins which he did bear on his own body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 But though it be true in a legal sense that the surety is the broken man yet it is true only in regard of the Law punishment or Malum poenae the ill of punishment that is laid upon him For I take Dr Crisps words from his own pen Suppose saith he a Malefactor should be asked Guilty or not guilty He answereth Not guilty What doth he mean He meaneth he hath not done the Fact that was laid to his charge Then not to do the Fact of sin to Dr. Crispe is not to be guilty Now I assume But Jesus Christ did never any sinfull fact as he also confesseth then Christ was punished for sin and yet was never guilty of sin this must be the greatest unjustice in the world to punish a man for sin altogether free of the guilt of sin except Antinomians distinguish with us between sinfull guilt and penall guilt called Reatus culpae and Reatus poenae or Reatus personae seu potentialis and Reatus formalis seu actualis they shall never expede themselves Now though it be true that in Law the Debtor and the Surety be both one Legall person yet intrinsecally they are not one the broken Debtor as such may be an unjust man and the Surety a faithfull and just man so that the surety as a satisfying Surety removeth only the punishment due to the Debtor for his unjustice but he removeth not formally unjustice except he be such a Surety as Christ who can both pay the debt so remove the ill of punishment and also infuse holinesse and sanctifie and remove the evill of sin hence in justification formally Christ only taketh away the punishment of everlasting fire and eternall condemnation due to sin but he removeth not sin it self sin it self is removed in sanctification and by degrees justification taketh the sting out of the Serpent but doth not formally kill the Serpent the Serpent is killed by another act of Grace by infused and perfected sanctification justification is a forinsecall and a Legall Act and removeth the power of the Law which involveth the sinner in a curse Now the strength or the Legall sting of sin is the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 So we may judge how false this divinity is which Dr. Crispe asserteth You will never saith he have quietnesse of spirit in respect of sinne till you have received this principle that it is not the guilt of Iniquitie only but Iniquity it self that the Lord laid on Christ For it is true quietnesse and Peace of Faith with God floweth from justification Romanes 5.1 And the assurance that Christ hath pardoned sin and hath removed the penall guilt the punishment of Eternall condemnation from sin but that the conscience should be quiet that is that it should not have also a care to believe that Christ wil sanctifie throughly and perfect his good work in us is most false for though a soul be justified and freed from the guilt of Eternall punishment and so the spirit is no more to be afraid and disquieted for Eternall wrath and Hell which should never have been feared as the greatest evill in regard that sin as sin is more to be feared then Hell as Hell yet there be two other acts of disquietnesse of spirit laudable and commendable even in the Saints after they are justified and the guilt of â—ternall punishment removed as 1. The believer is to have a holy Anxiety and care of spirit I do not call it a troubled conscience to improve his faith in believing that Christ will perfect what he hath begun 2. He is to bee grieved that sin dwelleth in him and to groan and cry as a captive in fetters out of the sense of his wretched estate as Paul doth Rom. 7.23 24. Antinomians will have the justified to be so quiet in spirit as if Christ had removed sin in root and branch buds and stump whereas only the Eternall punishment and fear of Eternall condemnation is removed in justification But there is a worse thing remaining in sin after this and more to be feared and a more reall and rationall ground of disquietnesse of spirit and that is the fundamentall intrinsecall and sinfull guilt of sin which Christ never took on him and is not removed in justification but only in the graduall and successive perfection of sanctification and so being justified I am to be secure and to enjoy a sound Peace and quietnesse of spirit in freedome from Eternall wrath But yet am I to be disquieted grieved yea to sorrow that such a Ghuest as sin lodgeth in me and with me even as an ingenuous and honest hearted debtor is to rejoyce and be glad in the goodnesse and grace of his gracious surety who hath payed his debt and never to fear that the Law or Justice can go against him to Arrest and imprison him for that debt which is now compleatly paid by his surety But if the surety gave his back-bond to pay him service of love and service of sorrow and remorse for his unjustice and sinfull lavishing of his Neighbours goods which did necessitate his loving surety to hurt himself and be at a great losse for him he owes to his surety the debt of love and disquietnesse of spirit in so far as the blot of his wastry and the shame of his riotous youth lyeth on him all his dayes Antinomians conceive that there ought to be no disquietnesse of spirit no remorse no trouble of minde but that which hath its rise and spring from sins apprehended as not pardoned and from the fear of Eternall punishment to be inflicted for these sins and it is true that such a troubled and perplexed soul which is once in the state of justification is but the issue and brood of unbelief and ariseth from the flesh prevailing over the spirit in such sorrow yea or if confession of sinne arise from this spring of servile and slavish fear it is not a work of Faith except that a conditionall fear of Eternall wrath If a David fallen in Adultery and treacherous murther or a Peter overtaken with a denying of his Saviour before men shall not renew his Repentance and Faith in CHRIST is required in all the justified for the perfecting of their salvation and finall perseverance But there is another remorse and sorrow according to God required in all the justified and it
them happy so Psalm 10.3 The wicked man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praiseth the wicked man then he must believe that wickedness maketh men praise worthy and this belief is but presumptuous confiding and resting on a Tower of his own building Now to beleeve in Christ though the decree of Election be not revealed to me is no presumption for I am not obliged before I beleeve to know that I am elected to Glory It being one of Gods secrets not revealed in the Word but made manifest to me After I beleeve and am sealed unto the day of Redemption and therefore in a humble resting on Christ though the soul know not his Election which is not revealed in the word in that condition there can be no Pride nor presumption for he is self wise and presumptuous who intrudeth into those things that he hath not seen Col. 2.18 knoweth not that which God hath revealed and so which he ought to know now the believer ought not to know that he is elected to glory he yet being an unbeleever so his knowledge cannot deviate from a rule which doth not oblige to conformity therewith as with a Rule the Pourtract of Caesar doth not erre from the samplar because it is not like a Bull or a Horse because neither a Bull nor a Horse is the due samplar 2. To warrant an unworthy humble sinner to beleeve there 's no need of a positive Warrant or of a voice to say thou art elected to glory therefore believe the word is near thee in thy mouth yea there is a commandement laid upon the humbled sinner Come O weary and loaden sinner to Christ and be eased Now when the wind bloweth sweetly and fair upon an humbled siner who is elected to glory there goeth the Spirit of the Gospel along with this Commandement and the word of Commandment and the spirit united in one acteth and worketh so upon the soul that the humbled sinner cannot be deluded and led on a rock of presumption for this spirit joyneth and closeth with his spirit and he as one of Christs sheep knoweth this to be the voice of Christ. I grant when the same command of faith cometh to the ears of a Reprobate he may upon a false ground believe or rather presume he neither being rightly humbled and fitted for Christ nor can the Reprobate know and discern the wind of the spirit breathing with the command and acting upon his spirit because that winde neither can nor doth breath upon any Reprobate and there is no need of any positive Warrant to ascertain a child of God to believe beside the commandment of Faith in lived and quickned with the spirit going along with it for that command so quickned doth put such a reall stamp of an evident testimony that he hath claime to Christ on whom the spirit and the command doth so act that he seeketh no more any other evidence to prove his claim to Christ then the Lamb needeth any evidence to prove that of ten hundred sheep this only that offereth to it her paps and milk must be its dam or mother and none of the rest of the flock But how do I know that it is the spirit that goeth along with the Commandment of believing It may be a delusion Ans. Beside that a deluding spirit for the most part doth not go every way along with the word If this spirit keep Gods order to work upon the humbled self-dispairing sinner who is willing to receive Christ upon his own condition it is not like to a deluding spirit for if the word of commandment to believe and the spirit agree in one it cannot be a delusion phancie leadeth no man to Faith 2. When objects of life work upon life they cannot deceive especially all the senses Hearing Seeing Tasting Feeling Smelling the excellency and sweetnesse of Christ going along with the word cannot be delusion a man may imagine that he seeth and heareth and yet his senses may be deceived but that all the senses especially all the spirituall senses and that a man imagineth that he liveth a naturall life and is dead is rare 3. Faith can stand upon one foot even on a generall word hence this is a Gospel word in the Prophets which requireth Faith Turn to the Lord for he is mercifull Jer. 3.12 Joel 2.13 Jon. 4.2 And because a generall promise received with heart-adherence and confidence giveth glory to God and if it be holden forth to an humbled soul who is now within the lists and bounds of Grace and for any thing that the person thus laden with sin knoweth on the contrary for the secrets of Election and Reprobation belongeth to the Lord Christ mindeth and intendeth to him Salvation therefore he is to believe 4. This would be considered that unbelief breaketh with Christ first before Christ break with the unbeliever and the Elect of God findeth no more nor any higher favour in the kinde of externall means to open the Lambs Book of life which is sealed and closed with Gods own hand then the Commandement of believing Now when our Lord maketh offer of the Kingdom of sons to slaves and casteth his Jewell of Christ offered in the Gospel in the lap and bosome of a Bastard what ever be the Lords secret Decree and purpose in so doing The Bastard is to take God at his word and to catch the opportunity of Gods love in so far and if he do it not the Gospel-offer to the Reprobate being a treaty of peace then the treaty breaketh off first upon his side for Christ cometh within a mile of mercy to meet the sinner and the sinner cometh not the fourth part of a mile yea not half a step of love and thankfull obedience to meet Christ and so Christ killeth the unbeliever with the sweetnesse of the preventing courtesie of offered mercy 5. But if the sinner be wearied and loaden and seeth though through a cloud only Christ only must help and save if not he is utterly and eternally lost What is there upon Christs part to hinder thee to beleeve O guilty wretch O saith he I fear Christ only offereth himself to me but he mindeth no salvation to me Ans. Is not this to raise an evill report and slander on the Holy One of Israel For Christs offer is really an offer and in so far its reall love though it cannot infer the love of Election to glory yet the totall deniall of this offer openeth up the black seal of Reprobation to heathens without the Church and therefore its love to thee if thou be humbled for sin 2. And have half an eye to the unsearchable riches of Gospel mercy 3. And be self-condemned 4. And have half a desire of Christ thou mayst expound love by love and lay hold on the promise and be saved An errour of humble love to Christ is no errour That which is next is a word of the Essentiall principle of true Faith and that is a proportionable
providence Mat. 26.39 O so little and low as great Iesus Christ is all is come to this O my father remove the cup Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt Christ and his Father hath but one will between them both Ioh. 5.30 I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father that sent me Rom. 15.3 For even Christ pleased not himself It s a signe of conformity with Christ when we have a will so mortified as it doth lye levell with Gods providence Aarons sons are killed and that by God immediatly from heaven with fire a judgement very hell-like Levit. 10.3 And Aaron held his peace a will lying in the dust under Gods feet so as I can say Let his will whose I am enact to throw me in Hell he shall have my vote is very like the Mother-rule of all sanctified wills even like Christs plyable will There is no iron sinew in Christs will it was easily broken the top of Gods finger with one touch broke Christs will Heb. 10.9 Loe I come to do thy will O God O! but there is a hard stone in our will the stony heart is the stony will Hell cannot break the Rock and the Adamant and the Flint in our will 1 Sam. 8.19 Nay but we will have a King Whether God will or no Jer. 18.12 Gods will standeth in the peoples way bidding them return they answer There is no hope but we will walk after our own divices Hell vengeance omnipotency crossed Pharaohs will but it would neither bow nor break Exod. 9.27 But the Lord hardned Pharaohs heart that he would not let the people go There be two things in our will 1. The naturall frame and constitution of it 2. The goodnesse of it The will of Angells and of sinlesse Adam is not essentially good for then Angells could never have turned Devils therefore the constitution of the will needeth supervenient goodnesse and confirming grace even when will is at its best Grace Grace now is the only oyl to our Wheeles Christ hath taken the Castle both in-works and out-works when he hath taken the will the proudest enemie that Christ hath out of Hell When Saul renders his will he renders his weapon this is mortification When Christ runneth away with your will as Christ was like a man that had not a mans will so Saul Act. 9.6 Trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe It s good when the Lord trampleth upon Ephraims fair neck Hos. 10.11 There is no goodnesse in our will now but what it hath from Grace and to turn the will from ill to good is no more natures work then we can turn the wind from the East to the West when the wheels of the clock are broken and rusted it cannot go When the birds wing is broken it cannot flie When there is a stone in the sprent and in-work of the lock the key cannot open the door Christ must oyl the wheels of misordered will and heal them and remove the stone and infuse Grace which is wings to the bird if not the motions of will are all hell-ward But he could not be hid for a certain woman c. Christ sometime would be hid because he hath a spirit above the peoples windy aire and their Hosanna it s a spirit of straw naughty and base that is burnt up with that which hindered Themistocles to sleep Honour me before the people was cold comfort to Saul when the Prophet told him God had rejected him But Christ desired not to be hid from this woman he was seeking her and yet he flyeth from her Christ in this is such a flyer as would gladly have a pursuer 2. Faith findeth Christ out when he is hâ—d Esa. 45.15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self But Faith seeth God under his mask and through the cloud and therefore Faith addeth O God of Israel the Saviour Thou hidest thy self O God from Israel but Israel findeth thee ver 17. Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation God casteth a cloud of anger about himself he maketh darknesse his Pavilion and will not look out yet Iob seeth God and findeth him out many hundred miles chap. 19.26 Yet in my flesh I shall see God 3. Reason Sense nay Angels seeing Christ between two theeves dying and going out of this world bleeding to death naked forsaken of friend and lover they may wonder and say O Lord what dost thou here Yet the Faith of the Theef found him there as a King who had the keys of Paradice and he said in Faith Lord remember me when thou comest to thy Kingdom Luk 23.42 4. Faith seeth him as a witnesse and a record in Heaven Iob 16. ver 19.20 even when God cleaveth Jobs reins asunder and powreth out his gall upon the ground v. 13. Believe then that Christ glowneth that he may kiss that he cuts that he may cure that he maketh the living believers grave before his eyes and hath no mind to bury him alive He breatheth the smoak and the heat of the Furnace of Hell on the soul when Peace Grace and Heaven is in his heart he breaketh the hallow of Iacobs thigh so as hee must go halting all his dayes and it s his purpose to blesse him Whereas wee should walk by Faith we walk much even in our spirituall walk by feeling and sense we have these errors in our Faith we make not the word of promise the rule of our Faith but only Gods Dispensation Now Gods Dispensation is spotlesse and innocent and white yet it is not Scripture to me nor all that Dispensation and Providence seemeth to speak the Word of God Ram-horns speaketh not taking of Towns in an ordinary providence as spear and shield and a hoast of fighting men doth Killed all the day long and estimated as sheep for the slaughter speaketh not to me that Gods people are more then conquerours through him that loved us Rom. 8.36 37. our Faith in reference to Dispensation is to do two things To believe in general though Dispensation be rough stormy black yet Christ is fair sweet gracious and that Hell and Death are servants to Gods Dispensation toward the children of God Abraham must kill Isaack yet in Isaack as in the promised â—â—ed all the Nations of the earth are blessed Israel is foiled and falleth before the men of Ai yet Israel shall be saved by the Lord Judah shall go into Captivity but the dead bones shal live again read the promise in generall engraved upon the Dispensation of God garments are roll'd in blood in Scotland and England The wheels of Christs Chariot in this Reformation go with a slow pace the Prince is averse to Peace many Worthies are killed a forraign Nation cometh against us yet all worketh for the best to those that love God 2. Hope biddeth us to await the Lords event We see Gods work it cometh to our senses but the event
3. To make an opposition between Christ and his grace the fountain and the stream Ioh. 1.16 Tit. 1.14 1 Joh. 3.8 Obj. If the actions of grace be all turned upon this axle-tree of Gods gracious will what can I do when I am indisposed to do good Ans. If this be a rationall question then is no man condemned because he believeth not in the only begotten Son of God contrary to Ioh. 3.18 36. For Reprobates are finally indisposed to believe 2. Indisposition is our sin that we should be humbled for and Inke water cannot wash a blacked cloth sin excuseth not sin SERMON XV. 25. Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me CHrist had denyed her to be His but she wil not deny but Christ is hers See how a Believer is to carry himself toward Christ deserting frowning Christ first answered her not one word 2. He gave an Answer but to the Disciples not to the woman O dreadful Christ refuseth to give her one word that may go between her and Hell and dispair 3. The Answer that he giveth is sadder and heavier then no Answer it s as much As woman I have nothing to do with thee I quit my part of thee Yet she is patient 2. She believeth 3. She waiteth on a better answer 4. She continueth in praying 5. Her love is not abetted she cometh and adoreth 6 Acknowledgeth her own misery Lord help me And putteth Christ as God in his own room to be adored 7. She taketh Christ aright up and seeth the temptation to be a temptation 8. She runneth to Christ she came nearer to him and runneth not from him she claimeth to Christ though Christ had cast her off 1. Patient submission to God under desertion is sweet What though I saw no reason why I cry and shout and God answereth not 1. His comforts and his answers are his own free-graces he may doe with his own what he thinks good and grace is no debt Hear O Lord for thy own sake Dan. 9.19 2. Infinite Soveraignty may lay silence upon all hearts good Hezekiah Isa. 38.15 What shall I say he hath spoken unto me and himself hath done it It is an act of heaven I bear it with silence 2. She believeth Isa. 50.11 There 's a high and noble Commandment laid upon the sad spirit He that walketh in darknesse and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord stay upon his God 2. Fill the field with faith double or frequent acts of Faith Psal. 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Two faiths are a double breast-work against the Forts of Hell 3. In the greatest extremity believe even as David in the borders of Hell Psal. 23.4 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil it s a Litote I will believe good it s a cold and a dark shadow to walk at deaths right side Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him See Steven dying and believing both at once Christs very dead corps and his grave in a sort believing Ps. 16.9 My flesh also shall rest in hope How sweet to take Faiths back-band subscribed by Gods own hand into the cold grave with thee as Christ did vers 10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave 4. Faith saith sense is a Lier Fancy sense the flesh will say Job 16.13 His Archers compassed me round about he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare and poureth out my gall on the ground but Faith saith ver 19. I have a friend in Heaven Also now my witnesse is in heaven Job 19.11 Sense maketh a lie of God He hath also kindled his wrath against me and taketh me for his enemy No Iob thou art the friend of God see how his Faith cometh above the water ver 25. I know that my friend by blood or my Redeemer liveth c. 3. She waiteth on in hope and took not the first nor second answer Hope is long breath 't and at mid-night prophâ—sieth good of God Mic. 7.9 Though I fall I shall rise again Jonah 2.4 Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look toward thy holy Temple There 's a seed of heaven in hope Iob 13. When God did hide his face from him ver 24. Yet ver 16. He also shall be my salvation There is a negative and over-clouded hope in the soul at the saddest time the believer dares not say Christ will never come again if he say it it s in hot blood and in haste and he wil take his word again Isa. 8.17 4. She continueth in praying She cryed Lord Son of David have mercy on me she has no Answer she cryeth again while the Disciples are troubled with her shouts she getteth a worse answer then no answer yet she cometh and prayeth we know the holy wilfulnesse of Jacob Gen. 32.26 I will not let thee go till thou blesse me rain calmeth the stormy wind to vent out words in a sad time is the way of Gods children Psal. 88.7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me 9. My eye mourneth by reason of my affliction And what then Lord I have called daily upon thee I have stretched out my hands to thee Psal. 22.2 Christ in the borders of Hell prayed and prayed again and died praying 5. She hath still love to Christ and is not put from the duty of adoring 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen yet ye love The deserted soul seeth little there must be love to Christ where there is 1. Faith in the dark Faith is with child of Love 2. Where the believer is willing that his pain his hel may be matter of praising of God Ps. 77.13 Who is so great a God as our God The Church was then deserted as the Psal. cleareth 6. She putteth Christ in his Chair of State and adoreth him the deserted soul saith bee what I will he is Iehovah the Lord confession is good in saddest desertion Iob 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do to thee O preserver of man Lam. 1.17 The seed of Iacob is in a hard case before God and under wrath v. 12 13 14. Yet v. 16. The Lord is righteous for I have sinned This maketh the soul charitable of God how sad so ever the dispensation be 7. She seeth it is a triall as is clear by her instant persuing after Christ after many repulses It s great mercy that God cometh not behinde backs and striketh not in the dark Psal. 77.10 And I said this is my infirmity he gathereth his scattered thoughts taketh himself in the temptation Its mercy 1. To see the temptation in the face some lie under a dumb a deaf temptation that wanteth all the five senses Cain is murthered in the dark at midnight with the temptation he knoweth not what it meaneth 2. Gods immediate hand is more to be looked at then any
once being in Court and Grace I illustrate it thus There 's a Catholick Pardon in a Statute of Parliament for Grace to all Traitors and that for Treasons past and also to come upon condition that after new Treasons committed they addresse themselves to the Publike Register of the State and cause insert their names in the blank of that Act of Grace Printed and in the keeping of some Officer of State now though any one be Pardoned at his first lapse fully if he fail again and again and yet perform the condition prescribed in Law we cannot say he hath obtained twenty a hundred yea as many severall pardons of Grace as he hath failed against King and State it s but one publike Act of Grace made use of severall times so here in the Gospel there is a written Act of the Grace of God in Iesus Christ Remission to all under the Treason of sin against the Royall Crown and glory of the most High the Supreame Law-Giver and that to the acceptation of the person of the Traitor in full favour when he shall have in his conscience the transumpt or transcript of it at first and also for Grace and Pardon of all after-slips and sins against the glory of the Redemer so he sin not against the only flower of the Prerogative-Royall the operation of the Holy Ghost in a speciall manner upon condition he walk from Faith to Faith and renew his addresse to Christ the great Lord of the Rolls who keepeth the Book of life now I cannot see here many Pardons of Grace but only the double Extract or Copy of the first Act of Free-Grace Obj. 2. But the sins pardoned to the Justified person after the first justification of his person were never pardoned before and they are now pardoned therefore there must be two justifications Ans. They were virtually pardoned and so as he shall never come to condemnation for any sins past or to come but the man now standeth Justus in curia justified in the Court whereas before his first beleeving God looked at him as a judge doth at a guilty person whose person he absolveth from all punishment because his surety hath given a ransom for him and he holdeth forth that ransom to the Judge but the man in all his after faults is so far forth a sinner as that which he hath done though he be a justified David displeaseth the Lord 2 Sam. 11.27 And in so far is he pardoned but God now looketh on him as a Father on an offending Son and this Son doth not hold forth a new ransome to God but onely renew the former nor doth it infer a new acceptance of his person that he had not before 3. Nor place in God any new love of free complacency and good will but only a further manifestation thereof and a greater measure of the love of benevolence 4. It is the same Act of Free-Grace that God putteth forth in pardoning his son now fallen in sin and in accepting his person at first 2. It s the same ransome of Christs atonement of his dear blood that his Faith layeth hold on now as before 3. The pardon of this sin committed by a justified son is not the freeing of him from the eternall punishment of this sin as if he had been under eternall wrath for it before for at his first beleeving when his person was accepted he was fully and freely pardoned and freed from all the obligation to eternall wrath that all or any of his sins past present or to come might subject him unto but it is the renewing of the certainty of the sufficiency of Christs ransom as applyed to take away that sin in particular and that by a renewed Act of Faith now the renewed apprehension of the Grace of God in the same ransom of blood for righteousnesse in Christ as applied to this new guiltinesse maketh not a new forinsecall and Law-act but doth only apply the Lords first Act of Grace to this particular sin nor do I mean that Faith for Remission of sins committed after a soul is in the state of justification is nothing else but a meer reflect Act by which we apprehend and know the first acceptance of a sinner to righteousnesse for it is a direct Act apprehending the former grace of a sufficient ransom as applied to this new contracted guiltinesse for the sinner is condemned for unbelief Joh. 3.18 36. And because he believeth not he is lyable to the wrath of God now he is not condemned because he doth not to his own sense know feel and apply the Remission of sins and satisfaction purchased in Christs blood for him because then he should be condemned because he doth not believe a lie for there was never any such Remission purchased for him he is condemned not for want of sense and actuall knowledge of any such pardon but for want of confiding on Christ as on him who hath made a sufficient atonement for all that believeth and so justifying Faith is some other thing then the sense of purchased Pardon of sins Object 3. Then may I with the like boldnesse believe the Remission of these sins that I am to commit and so sin boldly because I am perswaded they cannot prevail to condemne me eternally as I may with boldnesse believe the Remission of sins already committed Ans. There is a boldnesse of faith And 2. a sinfull boldnes In regard of boldnesse of faith I am to believe the sufficiency of that unvaluable ransome that it cannot be more or lesse nor intended or remitted but doth lie under the eye of justice and equally accepted of God as able to remove the eternall guilt of all sins past present as also of those to come but it were sinfull boldnesse to commit sin because Christ hath payed for it it s a motive to the contrary not to live to our selves but to him that died for us because Christ bare our sins on his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 3.24 1 Pet. 1.18 Gal. 1.4 Rom. 6.1 2 3 4. 1 Pet. 4.1 2. For though I be perswaded there is no fear of eternall wrath in sins to be committed for my faith beleeveth freedom from that in regard of all sins there be other stronger motives to eschew sin then fear of Hell even fear of violating infinite love and mercy there 's a more prevailing and efficacious power in apprehended love to keep from sin it being saving grace then in fear of Hell which of it self is no grace 2. Fear of punishment of sin as sin is to keep from sin though it be not fear of eternall punishent the eternity of punishment is no wayes essentiall to punishment Libertines close remove this motive who will have no sin as sin in Gods Court punished in the beleever It s not punished in Order to satisfaction of justice but it followeth not that it s not punishable as sin Obj. It is mercenary and peculiar to hirelings to
Psal. 146.3 4. For that horse shall faint and fall to clay God alloweth Scotland to help England but will not have the souls of his children in England to ride upon an Army of another Nation and to trust in them for salvation To make fire is not so proper to fire To give light not so kindly to the Sun as salvation is Gods only due and therefore let England in this walk on foot and trust in the Lord. 5. The fifth ingredient also in Faith is that it s bottomed upon the sense and pain of a lost condition Poverty is the nearest capacity of believing This is Faiths method Be condemned and be saved Be hanged and be pardoned Be sick and be healed Mat. 9.13 Jam. 4.7 8. Mat. 11.28 Luke 19.10 Faith is a floor of Christs only planting yet it groweth out of no soil but out of the margin and bank of the lake of fire and brimstone in regard there be none so fit for Christ and Heaven as those who are self-sick and self-condemned to Hell This is a foundation to Christ that because the man is broken and has not bread therefore he must be sold and Christ must buy him and take him home to his fireside and clothe him and feed him The chased man pursued upon death and life who hath not a way for life but one nick of a rock if he misse that he is a dead man had he a hundred lives So is the believer pursued for blood there is but one City of refuge in Heaven or out of Heaven this is only only Jesus Christ the great rock And it is true it s in a manner forced Faith and forced love cast upon Christ upon a great venture yet we may make necessity here the greatest vertue or the highest grace and that is to come to Christ. Satan doth but ride upon the weaknesse of many proving that they are not worthy of Christ which is the way of a Sophist to prove an evident truth that cannot be denied But there 's no greater vantage can be had against Sin and Satan then this because I am unworthy of Christ and out of measure sinfull and I finde it is so Satan and conscience teaching me that truth to bring me on a false conclusion therefore ought I therefore must I come to Christ unworthy as I am For free-grace is moved from within it self from Gods good will only without any motion or action from sin to put it self forth upon the sinner to the end that sin being exceeding sinfull Grace may be abundantly Grace and no thanks to Satan for suggesting a true principle Thou art unworthy of Christ to promove a false conclusion Therefore thou art not to come to Christ for the contrary arguing is Gospel-logick Satans reasoning should be good if there were no way but the law to give life But because there is a Saviour a Gospel and a new and living way to Heaven The contrary arguing is the sinners life and happinesse 6. The sixt Ingredient in Faith is that the sinner can lay hold on the Promise 1. Not simply but with relation to the precept for presumptuous souls plunge in their foul souls in fair and precious promises and this is the Faith of Antinomians for the promise is not holden forth to sinners as sinners but as to such sinners for we make Faith to be an act of a sinner humbled wearied laden poor self-condemned now these be not all sinners but only some kinde of sinners Antinomians make faith an act of a lofty Pharisee of one vilde person applying with an immediate touch immediato contactu his hot boiling smoking lusts to Christs wounds blood merits without any conscience of a precedent Commandement that the person thus beleeving should be humbled wearied loaden grieved for sin I confess this is hasty hot work and maketh Faith a stride or one single step but it s a wanton fleshly and a presumptuous immediate work to lay hold on the promises of mercy and be saved This is the absolute and loose Faith that Papists and Arminians slandereth our Doctrine withall because we reject all foregoing merits good works congruous dispositions preparations moving God to convert this man because he hath such preparations and to reject and to leave another man to his own hardnesse of heart because he hath no such payment in hand by which he may redeem and buy conversion and the grace of Effectuall calling especially they building all upon a Babel of their own brick and clay that free-will in all acts of obedience before or after conversion is absolutely indifferent to do or not do to obey or not obey to choose Heaven and life hell or death as it pleaseth as being free and loosed from all Praedetermination and fore-going motion acting or bowing of the will comming either from Gods naturall or his efficacious or supernaturall Providence And so the Papist and Arminian on the one extremity inthroneth nature and extolleth proud merit and abaseth Christ and Free-grace The Familist Libertine and Antinomian on a contrary extremity and opposition turn man into a block and make him a meer patient in the way to Heaven and under pretence of exalting Christ and Free-grace set up the flesh liberty licence loosenesse on the throne and make the way to heaven on the other extremity as broad as to comply with all presumptuous proud fleshly men walking after their lusts and yet as they dream believing in Christ. 2. The soul seeth Christ in all his beauty excellency treasures of Free-grace lapped up with the curtain of many precious promises now the naturall man knowing the literall meaning and sense of the promises seeth in them but words of gold and things a far off and in truth taketh heaven to be a beautifull and golden phancy and the Gospel-promises a shower of pretious Rubies Saphirs Diamonds fallen out of the clouds only in a night dream and therefore jeers and scoffs at the day of judgment and at heaven and hell 2 Pet. 3.1 2 3. For can every capacity smell and taste the unsearchable riches of Christ the fulnesse of God in the womb of the promises by meditating on them and sending them in their sweetnesse and heavenly excellency down to the affections to embrace them No it cannot be that words and sounds and syllables can so work upon a natural spirit If you show not to a buyer pretious and rare commodities and bring them not before the sun he shall never be taken so with things hidden in your coffers as to be in love with them and to sell all he hath and buy them Preachers cannot nay it s not in their power to make the natural spirit see the beauty of Christ Paul Preacheth it but the Gospel is hidden from the blinded man 2 Cor. 4.3 If I cannot Communicate light far lesse can I infuse love in the soul of a lost man 3. Literall knowledge of Christ is not in the power of naturall men but laying down
God delights to have men and Angels his debtors Grace holdeth an open and a free Inne with all the dainties that Christ can make to all comers and goers for nothing but thanks and heartily welcome Grace maketh no gain of my work The sweating of Angels and of the Thousand Thousands that sing up the glory of Christ before the high Throne is no income to Christs Rent Grace should not be Grace if it could Traffique or buy or sell with a creature Angels and men stand in the Books of Free-grace for Millions of borrowed summes Christs blood and deep love may be praised but never recompenced Christs love hath filled this world and the new Paradice with debtors and Angels can neither read nor sum nor cast up the Accompts of Free-grace 3. That we cannot be masters of one good act without his preventing Grace evidenceth what nature is and maketh Grace both my staffe and my convey in at Heavens Gates Nature and Free-will must stoop and do homage to CHRIST There 's a Glory active and a Glory passive as there 's also Grace active and passive Free-will is active under Grace and passive also therefore Grace and Mercy is to the Saints and upon the Saints Nature emptieth its lamp upon the golden pipe the rich Grace of the Mediatour and Free-will moveth and runneth but not but as moved driven and breathed upon by Free-grace But as concerning Glory it hath a more eminent and noble relation Glory shall be on the Saints as a garment as a Crown for they shall be glorified But no Glory to the Saints but only only to the Lamb to the flower of the Glory of Glory Jesus the Celebrious Eminent most high and adored Prince of the Kings of the earth and therefore there 's room and place left for sin and shame to Free-will in the busines of praedeterminating grace that nature can but sigh and sin and Grace sing and be spotlesse and innocent Christ so draweth as we sin in not being drawen Christ so taketh and allureth that it is our guilt that we are not taken and overcome with the smell of the Kings Oyntments So is sin the field out of which springeth the Rose the flower of free and unhired Grace sin must go with us as near to heaven as to the threshold of the gates that the sinner may halt and crook when he moveth his foot on the threshold stone of Glory that so pardoning Grace may enter the new City with us 4. The Lord will have us take to heaven with us a Book of the Psalmes and Praises of Grace that in that land we may extol and advance Free-grace and may hold the Book in our hand all the way and sigh and weep and sing and adore the Saviour of Free-grace and may take Graces bill in our hand into Heaven with us O how sweet to be Graces drowned and over burdened Debtor It s good here to borrow much and professe inability for Eternity to pay that heaven may be a house full of broken men who have borrowed Millions from Christ but can never repay more then to read and sing the praises of Graces free bill and say Glory Glory to the Lamb that sitteth on the Throne for evermore praising for ever in heaven must be in liew of paying debt 1. God is not behinde nor wanting to the gracious soul for there 's a promise of Grace here 2. There is an intercession at hand and that more mighty now then at Christs first ascension and shall be more mighty when all Israel shall be converted There is a stirring required in a gracious spirit but with sense of natures weaknesse so as he is to arise and be doing and the Lord shall be with him and he is so to blow upon the coals as if he could do his alone though not without the Faith of Dependance upon an immediate acting from Heaven Object 3. But then Adam yet sinlesse was to believe weaknesse and sin in himself before he sinned Ans. Not so but he was to have that which by Analogie answereth to sense of sin that is a sinlesse consciousness and solicitude that if God should withdraw his stirring and predeterminating influence of corroborating him to will and to do you may call it Grace he should fall and that legs in Paradice without actuall assistance could not actu secundo bear the bulk and weight of Adams connaturall and constant walking with God that Adam might know before he was a debtor to justice that he had need of mercy or the free goodnesse of a surety such as Jesus Christ to prevent debt no lâ—sse then to pay debt even as Angels are debtors to Christ their head for Redemption from all possible sinnes no lesse then we are though the degrees of altitude of Grace varieth much the obliged underlings of such a bountifull Landlord for Repemption from actuall misery 3. That is a great Faith that is not broken with a Temptation But 1. taketh strength from a Temptation as some run more swiftly after a fall that they may recompence their losse of time and that is great Faith that argueth from a Temptation as this woman doth 2. That is Jobs great Faith chap. 2.3 That he still holdeth fast his integrity the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hazak is to hold with strength and power He keepeth fast and with violence his innocency and Faith maketh him stronger then he was the word is used Psal. 147.13 For making stronger the Bars of Ports And its Jobs praise chap. 1.22 In all this Job sinned not nor charged God with folly 3. It s a strong faith in this Woman that in a manner Conquers Omnipotency by believing yea Satan Winds Fire from Heaven Wife Sabeans yea apprehended wrath cannot prevail with Job to subdue his Faith in all he standeth by this Job 15.13 Though the Lord should slay me I le trust in him It s great Faith to be at holding and drawing with God and yet believe and pray Hos 12.3 Gen. 32.26 And not let the Lord alone nor give him any rest Isa. 62.6 7. till he answer as suppose thy prayers were never heard and the Acts of believing were but Darts thrown at Heaven and the Throne without any effect yet because Prayer and believing are acts of honouring God though they never benefit thee it argueth strong grace and so great Faith that it can be said there be ten years twenty years of reiterated Acts of Faith and prayers of such a man lying up before the Throne yea in Christ the high Priests bosome Let God make of my faith what he will yet am I to believe continued believing is Christs due though it should never be to me gain of comfort or successe that is a weak man who is thrown down on his back with a blast of wind or made to stagger with the cast of a straw or a feather The temporary faith is in this seen to be soft that its broken
with persecution When the sun riseth anone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 13.21 He is offended and withereth quickly some spirit of soft clay for a scrat with a Pin on his credit casteth away all his confidence dispaireth and hangeth himself as Achitophel such a Temptation would not once draw blood of a strong believer Strawes Feathers and Flax do quickly take fire and are made ashes in a moment but not so gold there 's bones and mettall in strong Faith so the Martyrs Faith that could not be broken with torments is proved to be a great Faith Heb. 11.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their bodies were racked out as a drum and beaten to death after racking and they would not accept a deliverance Why Faith looked to a better resurrection He who sweateth panteth up the brow of the mount after Christ and carrieth death on his back must have this strong faith that Christ is worthy of tortures a strong faith can bear Hell on its shoulders the Grave and the sorrows of death and not crack nor be broken Psal. 18.4 5 6. Psal. 116.3 4. 4. That Faith is argued to be strong that hath no light of comfort but walketh in darkness upon the Margin borders of a hundred deaths and yet stayes upon the Lord Isa. 50.11 So this woman had no comfort nor ground of sense of comfort from Christ except rough answers and reproaches yet she believeth and so must be strong in the Faith Psal. 3.6 Davids Faith standeth straight without a crooke when ten thousand deaths are round about him and Psa. 23.4 He feareth no ill when he walks in the cold and dark valley of the shadow of black death Heman Psal. 88.7 Thy wrath lieth hard on me thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Then in his sense God could do no more to drown him not waves but all waves all Gods waves was on him and above him yet ver 9. Lord I have called daily upon thee then he believed daily Hezekiahs comforts are at a hard pinch Isa. 39.14 Mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am opressed yet praying argueth beleeving Lord undertake for me We must think Christs sense of comforts was ebbe and low when he wept cried Heb. 5.7 and was forsaken of God yet then his faith is doubled as the Cable of an Anchor is doubled when the storme is more then ordinary My God my God David chideth his cast down soul when there 's no glimpse of comfort with strong Faith Psal. 42.11 Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him In swimming well the less naturall helps to hold up the chin and head the greater wave if the swimmer be carried strongly thorow as it were in despight of the streame there 's the more art Art may counter-value strength and sometime wisedom is better then strength The lesse comfort if yet you believe at midnight when the spirit is overwhelmed the more is the art of believing when an inward principle is weak we help it with externalls That the child must be alured with rewards as with Apples a Penny or the like it is because his sight and desire of the beauty and excellency of learning and Arts is but weak or nothing at all sense and comforts are external Subsidies and helps to Faith and these that cannot believe but upon feelings and sense of the sweetness of comforts are hence argued to have weak and broken inclinations and principles of Faith the more freenesse and ingenuity of spirit that is in believing the more strength of faith for that is most connaturall that hath least need of hire you need not give hire reward or buds to the Mothers affection to work upon her and cause her to love her Childe love can hardly be hired nature is stronger then rewards or any externals Comforts are but the hire of serving of God and the results of beleeving in a sad condition There be some cautions here that are considerable 1. God leadeth some strong ones to heaven whose affections are soft as Davids were Ps. 35.13 and 119.25.28.136.53 Ps. 6.6 And yet Faith is strong Ps. 22.1 God possibly immediatly working upon the assenting or believing faculty leaving the affections to their own native disposition 2. God useth some priviledged dispensations so as a strong Believer shal doubt upon no good ground Ps. 116.11 God so disposing that grace may appear to be grace and the man but flesh 3. Softnesse of affection and light of comfort may by accident concur with strong acts of beleeving for with these in many there is little light much Faith and they should without these apples given to children strongly beleeve and God to confirm his own of meer indulgence sweetneth affections But if God give comforts ordinarily its a sort of indulgence of grace or the grace of grace It s true rejoicing falleth under a Gospel-commandement Phil. 4.4 yet so as God hath not tied the sweet of the comfort of believing to believing that you may know its strength of Faith that is the principle of strong Faith as intense and strong habits maketh strong acts God keepeth some in a sad condition all their life who are experienced believers and they never feel the comfort of faith while the splendor of glory glance on their eyes as one experienced believer kept under sadnesse and fear for eighteen years at length came to this I enjoy and rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious But he lived not long after Another living in sadnesse all his life died with comforts admirable And 3. let this be put as a case of Conscience why diverse believing and joying much in Gods Salvation all their life yet die in great conflicts and to beholders with little expression of comfort and feeling As divers of the Saints die Certainly God 1. Walketh in liberty here 2. He would not have us to limit the breathings of the Holy Ghost to jump with our hour of dying 3. We may make an Idoll of a begun heaven as if it were more excellent then Christ To conclude little evidence much adherence speaketh a strong Faith SERMON XXIII THe Woman had no aparent evidences of believing yet did she hang by one single thred of the word of the mercies of the Son of David Antonaclasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The more that the word of promise hath influence in beleeving and the lesse of convincing reason and appearances the greater Faith Rom. 4. Abraham had a promise of a Son in whom the Nations of the world should be blessed But 1. there was no appearance of this in nature Abraham and Sarah at this time were between them two hundred years old lacking one and so no naturall hope of a childe 2. He had but one promise for his Faith we have twenty an hundred yet Rom. 4.18 He against hope believed in hope It s an elegant figure having a form of a contradiction there was no hope yet he had hope 2. ver 19. Not
sign even as the day-star maketh not the Sun to rise it being only a signe that the Sun shall rise and that justification is as old a childe of free-love as election to life Then say I Paul might have taken the like pains to prove these Propositions We are chosen to glory before the world was by faith and not by the good works of the Law and this men are reprobated from eternity by finall unbeleef For sure it is that we come to the knowledge of our election to glory by beleeving not to say that Pauls large dispute with justiciaries was not whether we know and apprehend our own justification by the works of the Law or by faith in Christ. 3. If Antinomians say That Christ was slain for our sins from eternity not actually but only in Gods eternall purpose and they must say either he was the Lamb actually crucified for us from eternity which is a new eternal world we are actually justified from eternity and our sins imputed to Christ and actually translated off us and laid on him and so our sins are actually pardoned from eternity Or then they must say Christ was the Lambe slain from eternity not actually not really but only in the decree and gracious purpose of God now that is I grant sound Divinity Christ died not from eternity but God only decreed and purposed that in the fulnesse of time he should die But then it must follow that God did not actually charge sin on Christ from eternity and that Christ did not actually from eternity justifie the ungodly but onely in his eternall purpose he did justifie the ungodly Then the ungodly are justified in time and when is this time I believe the word of God that it is never while the poor soul believe even as the sinner is condemned and under wrath but never while he mis-believe and reject the Son of God But 4. if the meaning that Christ is the Lamb slain for our sins from eternity be that he is slain only in Gods purpose then are we no more justified and pardoned from eternity and so before we beleeve then the world was created from eternity Now in the Antinomian sense as we are justified by faith that is we come to know that we were in Gods minde actually justified Then it may be said The world was created by faith For Heb. 11.2 Through faith we understood that the world was created and God laid our sins upon Christ by faith and Christ died for us and bare our sins on his own body on the tree by faith For by faith we come to know that God made the world but because the knowledge and apprehension of the creation may some say is not a point serving for peace of conscience and Christian consolation which yet is false every point of saving faith is apt to breed peace and consolation yet certainly we came to know and apprehend that God laid our sins upon Christ by faith Isa. 53.6 and that Christ died for us and bare our sins on his own body on the tree by faith and by faith only to our peace and consolation and so if justification by faith be nothing but the manifestation of Gods love to us in imputing our sins to Christ and have no subordinat organicall act in our justification but we be justified before we believe and that from eternity upon the very same ground God created the world by faith Christ died for our sins by faith 5. Yea in this sense the world must be created from eternity and all things which fell out in time fell out in eternity because as Christ was the Lamb slain from eternity in Gods eternall purpose so were all things and the world created from eternity in Gods purpose and decree but things that only have being in the decree of God are not simply nor have they any being at all and therefore our free justification from eternity had no being but only was to be and actually is when God giveth us faith to lay hold on the remission of our sins Nor is it enough to say That faith is only given for our joy and consolation and not for the alteration and change of our state that of unjustified we may be justified For this layeth down these false grounds 1. The believer is so â—n every moment of time to rejoice as he is never to sorrow for sin nor to confesse sin because â—ins were pardoned from all eternity but so neither after a soul believe nor before he believe is he to confesse sins or mourn for them because both after and before yea from eterniâ—y sins are not at all but removed in Christ. 2. It â—ayeth down this ground that we are justified no more by faith then by the works done by the saving grace of God after regeneration â—nd that Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes â—nd Galatians does contend with justiciaries â—ow these who were from eternity justified shall come to know and apprehend for their â—wn peace joy and consolation that they were â—ustified and elected to glory whether men â—ay know this by faith in Christ or by the works of the Law But 1. this is not the state of the question between Paul and the Justiciaries For Rom. 3. Paul concludeth strongly we are really and indeed changed from a state of sin unto a state of justification even before God not because by keeping the Law we know we are justified but because all have sinned and are come short of the glory of God and so are inherently wicked abominable doers of ill and condemned therefore before God from Davids testimony Psal. 14. Psal. 53. This Argument concludeth reall and intrinsecall condemnation v. 19. not the knowledge of condemnation nor the knowledge that we are not justified by the works of the Law Rom. 4.2 Paul proveth that we are justified as David and Abraham was Now they are not said to be justified by faith because they come by faith to the knowledge of their justification for Abrahams righteousnesse and the blessednesse of the justified man opposed to the curse of the Law from which we are freed in justification Gal. 3.10 11 12 13. is the reall fruit of justification and of believing in him that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. But this blessednesse and freedom from the curse of the Law is not any fruit or effect or consequent of our knowledge and apprehension of our justification in Christ as if we were before we believe blessed and freed from the curse of the Law because ever the Elect before they believe are under the curse and are not blessed 1. Because they are before they believe the children of wrath Eph. 2.2 Ergo They are under the curse 2. Because Paul and the Elect before they be under grace and belief were under the Law and so under wrath Rom. 6.14 15 16 17. Rom. 7.4 Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the
THE TRYAL TRIUMPH OF FAITH OR An Exposition of the History of CHRISTS dispossessing of the daughter of the woman of Canaan Delivered in SERMONS In which are opened The Victory of Faith The condition of those that are tempted The excellency of Jesus Christ and Free-Grace AND Some speciall Grounds and Principles of Libertinisme and Antinomian Errors discovered BY SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews REVEL 21 28. And I will give to him that overcometh the morning star Published by Authority London Printed by John Field and are to be sold by Ralph Smith at the Sign of the Bible in Cornhill neer the ROYALL EXCHANGE TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LADY JANE CAMBEL Vicountesse of Kenmure Sister to the Right Noble and Potent The Marques of ARGILE Grace and Peace MADAM I Should complaine of these much disputing and over-writing times if I were not thought to be as deep in the fault as those whom I accuse but the truth is while we endeavour to gain a grain-weight of Truth it is much if we lose not a Talent weight of goodnesse and Christian love But I am sure though so much knowledge and light as may conduce for our safe walking in discerning the certain borders of divine truths from every false way suppose that searching into questions of the time were a usefull and necessary evil only yet the declining temper of the worlds worst time the old Age of time Eternity now so near approaching calleth for more necessary good things at our hands it is unhappy if in the nick of the first breaking of the morning skie the night-watch fall fast asleep when he hath watched all the night It s now near the morning-dawning of the Resurrection O how blessed are we if we shall care for our one necessary thing It is worthy our thoughts that an Angel never created as I conceive standing in his own land His right foot upon the Sea and his left foot on the earth hath determined by oath a Controversie moved by scoffers 2 Pet. 3.3 Yea and with his hand lifted up to Heaven sware by him that liveth for ever and ever who created heaven and the things that are therein and the earth and things that therein are and the sea and things that are therein that there should be time no longer Rev. 10.5 6. If Eternity be concluded judicially by the Oath of God as a thing near to us at the door now about sixteen hundred years ago it is high time to think of it What we shall do when the Clay-house of this Tabernacle which is but our summer-house that can have us but the fourth part of a year shall be dissolved Time is but a short Trance we are carried quickly through it our Rose withereth ere it come to its vigour Our piece of this short-breathing shadow the inch the half-cubite the poor span length of time fleeth away as swiftly as a Weavers-Shuttle which leapeth over a thousand threads in a moment How many hundred houres in one Summer doth our breathing clay-Post skip over passing away as the Ships of desire and as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey If death were as far from our knowledge as Graves and Coffins which to our eyes preach death are near to our senses even casting the smel of death upon our breath so as we cannot but rub skins with corruption We should not believe either Prophets or Apostles when they say All flesh is grasse and It is appointed for all to die Eternity is a great word but the thing it self is greater death the point of our short line teacheth us what we are and what we shall be Should Christ the condition of affairs we are now in the excellency of Free-grace be seen all in their own lustre and dye we should learn much wisdom from these three Christ speedeth little in conquering of lovers because we have not seen his shape at any time we look not upon Christ but upon the accidents that are beside Christ and therefore few esteeme Christ a rich penny-worth But there is not a Rose out of heaven but there is a blot and thorn growing out of it except that one only rose of Sharon which blossometh out glory every leaf of the Rose is a heaven and serveth for the healing of the Nations every white and red in it is uncomparable glory every act of breathing out its smell from everlasting to everlasting is spotlesse and unmixed happinesse Christ is the out-set the master flower the uncreated Garland of Heaven the Love and Joy of men and Angels but the fountain-love the fountain-delight the fountain-joy of men and Angels is more for out of it floweth all the Seas Springs Rivers and floods of love delight and joy imagine all the rain and dew Seas Fountains and floods since the Creation were in one cloud and these multiplied in measures for number to many millions of millions and then divided in drops of showers to an answerable number of men and Angels this should be a created shower and end in a certain period of time and this huge cloud of so many Rivers and drops should drie up and rain no more but we cannot conceive so of Christ for if we should imagine millions of men and Angels to have a co-Eternall dependent existence with Christ and they eternally in the Act of receiving grace for grace out of his fulnesse the flux and issue of grace should be eternall as Christ is for Christ cannot tire or weary from eternity to be Christ and so he must not he cannot but be an infinite and eternall flowing sea to diffuse and let out streames and floods of boundlesse grace say that the Rose were eternall the sweet smell the lovelinesse of greennesse and colour must be eternal O what a happinesse for a soul to lose its excellency in his transcendent glory What a blessednesse for the creature to cast in his little all in Christ his matchlesse Al-sufficiency Could all the streams retire into the fountain and first Spring they should be kept in a more sweet and firme possession of their being in the bosom of their first cause then in their borrowed channels that they now move in Our neighbourhood and retiring in to dwell for ever and ever in the Fountain-blessednesse Jesus Christ with our borrowed goodness is the firme and solid fruition of our eternall happy being Christ is the spheare the connaturall first Spring and element of borrowed drops and small pieces of created Grace the Rose is surest in being in beauty on its own stalk and root let life and sap be eternally in the stalk and root and the Rose keep its first union with the root and it shall never wither never cast its blossome nor greennesse of beauty its violence for a gracious spirit to be out of his stalk and root union here is life and happinesse therefore the Churches last prayer in Canonick Scripture is for union Revel 22.20
chase few men to Christ three grounds thereof p. 44 How men naturally love the Devil p. 45. Satan how an unclean spirit p. 46 It s true wisedome to know God savingly p. 47. What hearing bringeth souls to Christ p. 49. Four defects in hearing p. 50. Hell coming to our senses in this life should not cause us believe without effectuall Grace p. 51. It s good to border near to Christ p. 52. SERM. VI. Crying in prayer necessary p. 53. Five grounds thereof p. 54. Prayer sometimes wanteth words so as groaning goeth for Prayer p. 55. How many other expressions beside vocall praying go under the liew of praying in Gods accompt ibid. 8. Objections removed p 55.56.57.58 59 60. Some affections greater then tears p. 56. Looking up to heaven praying ibid. Breathing praying p. 57. That wherâ—in the least of prayer the Minimum quod sic consisteth ibid. Broken Prayers are Prayers p. 58. The Lord knoweth non-sense in a broken spirit to be good sense p. 59. SER. VII Why Christ is called frequently the Son of David not so the Son of Adam of Abraham p. 62. Christ a King by Covenant p. 63 What things be in the Covenant of Grace ibid. The parties of the Covenant p. 64 Christ hath a sevenfold relation to the Covenant 1. He is the Covenant it self 2. The Messenger 3. The Witnesse 4. The Surety 5. The Mediator 6. The Tâ—stator 7. The principall party contracter p. 64 65. Christ the Covenant it self ibid. Christ a Messenger of the Covenant in 4. particulars ibid. A Witnesse in four things p. 66. A Surety in three p. 67 68. A Mediator in three things 1. A Friend 2. A Reconciler 3. A Servant p. 69. Christ a servant of God and our servant ibid. Christ confirmed and sealed the Testament p. 70 Christ the principall consederate party ibid. The Covenant made with Christ personally not mystically proved from Gal. 3.16 The contrary Reasons answered p. 71. A Covenant between the Father the Son proved ibid. Of the Promises of the Covenant p. 73. Two sorts of Promises p. 74. Christ took a new Covenant right to God p. 75. Five sorts of promises made to Christ and by proportion to us ibid. SERM. VIII The condition of the Covenant p 77. Libertines deny all conditions of the Covenant p. 78. The new Covenant hath conditions to be performed by us ibid. Six Objections removed p. 77 78 79 80 81. A twofold dominion of gracious and supernaturall acts p. 79. We are not justified before we beleeve proved by six Arguments p. 81. A condition taken in a threefold Notion p. 83. It s not a proper condition by way of strict wage and work when we are said to be justified and saved upon condition of faith p. 85. The Freedom 2. Eternity 3. Well-ordering of the Covenant the three properties thereof p. 87 88. The freedom of the Covenant is seen in regard 1. of Persons 2. of Causes 3. of Time 4. of manner of dispensation p. 86 87. Uses of the Doctrine of the Covenant p. 88 89 90. SERM. IX Christ God and man and our comfort therein p. 91. Christ immediate in the Act of Redeeming us and so sweeter ibid. Christ incomparable p. 92. Four other necessary uses p. 91 92 93 94 95. To believers all temporall favours are spiritualized and watered with mercy four grounds thereof p. 96. By what reason our Father as a Father giveth us spiritual things by that same he giveth us all things p. 98. Mercy originally in Christ and how p. 99. SERM. X. Parents affection their spirituall duty to children p. 102. Thirteen Practicall Rules in observing passages of Divine providence p. 103 104 105 106 107 108. 1. We are neither to lead nor to stint Providence p. 103 2. But to observe God in his wayes and not to look to by-ways of providence ibid. 3. Omnipotency not laid down in pawne in any means p. 104. 4. God walketh not in the way that we imagine ibid. 5. Providence in its concatenation of Decrees actions events is one continued contexture going along from Creation to the day of Christs second coming without one broken threed p. 105. 6. The spirit is to be in an indifferency in all casts of Providence p. 106. 7. Low desires best p. 107. 8. We are to lie under providence submissively in all ibid. 9. Providence is a mistery ibid. 10. Walketh in uncertainties toward us ibid. 11. Silence is better then disputing p. 108. 12. It s good to consider both what is inflicted who ibid. 13. God alway ascendeth even when second causes descendeth ibid. SERM. XI Every temptation hath its taking power from the seeming goodnesse in it p. 109. Reasons why this was a temptation to the woman p. 110. The scope of the Temptation to make the tempted believe there is none like him p. 111. The non-answering of Christ is an answering ibid. 5. Reasons of the Lords not hearing of Prayer p. 113. Seven wayes prayers are answered ibid. Praying in Faith alwayes heard even when the particular which we suit in Prayer is denied p. 114. Faith in one and the same Prayer seeketh and knocketh and answereth and openeth to it self p. 115. The light of saving Faith and the Propheticall light of the Pen man of the word of God differ not in â—pâ—ce and nature ibid. The dearest not admitted into God at the first knock p 116. SERM. XII Naturall men and even the renewed in spirit in so far as there remaineth some flesh in them are ignorant of the mystery of an afflicted spirit p 117. Peace of conscience is a work of Creation p. 118. A reason why it s so hard to convince the deserted p. 119. Christ sweeter to the deserted then all the world ibid. Difference between Gods trying and the creatures tempâ—ing in three Positions p. 121. A Creature cannot put a fellow creature to act sin upon an intention of trying him ibid. In the actions of creatures we must know Quis 2. Quid 3 Quare Who â—ommandeth 2. What 3. And for what end In Gods actions It is enough to know Quis Who that is Jehovah p. 122. Four doubts of the tempted p. 124 125. In the sending of Christ to the lost sheep of the house of Israel there be three things considerable 1. His designation 2. Qualification 3. Commission p. 126. The Son most fit to be Mediator ibid. How Christ is qualified p. 127 His Commission ibid. It is not properly grace that we are born its grace that Christ is born p. 128. Gods hidden decree and his revealed will opened p. 129 A twofold intention in the promises ibid. How and who are to believe the Decree of Reprobation concerning themselves p. 130 SERM. XIII It s a priviledge of mercy that Christ is sent to the Jews first p. 131 Nine priviledges of the Jews p. 132. The honour and priviledges of Britain p. 133. The Redeemed called sheep upon four grounds p. 134. How passive the Redeemed are in the way to
of the Lord was kindled against Moses Deut. 1.37 Also the Lord was angry with me for your sake And the story sheweth because Moses sanctified not the Lord at the waters of Meribah God would not suffer him to set his foot in the holy Land 2 Chr. 11.9 God was angry with Solomon Deut. 1.20 The Lord was very angry with Aaron 2 Chro. 19.2 The Prophet Jehu said to Jehosaphat that good King There is wrath upon thee from the Lord Isa. 60.10 For in my wrath I smote thee but in my favour I have had mercy on thee 7. The contrary error is founded upon two other errors that all afflictions are subservient Officers and Sergeants to the Law and so they are signes of Gods wrath as is the Law and as Beleevers are freed from the ruling power of the Law so also from the Rod. But this is false for Gods rod of it self is neither a signe of revenging justice nor of free mercy but it taketh its nature and specification from the intention and minde of God all these externalls fall alike to Elect and Reprobate The repenting Theefe and the blaspheming Theefe are under the same Rod of God both die a violent death wicked Ahab and good Josiah are both killed in War the Botches and Agues threatned in the Law Deut. 28.60 are upon Job chap. 2. v. 7. What maketh then the same Rod to be a work of revenging justice in the Reprobate and of justice mixed and temperd with mercy and fatherly kindnesse in the other Certainly Gods pleasure and wise intention punishing for different ends varieth the nature of the rods so as an intention to take satisfactory vengeance on the Reprobate specifieth his Rod and maketh it punishment of black wrath of salt and unmixed justice on him and this intention is an essentiall ingredient in satisfactory punishment God writeth and ingraveth upon the tooth-ake of a Reprobate a parcell of Hell and he stampeth upon burning-quick racking and tortering the ingraving of Heaven of mercy and loving kindnesse in the Beleever bastard Crosses and lawfully begotten afflictions have the same Father but not the same Mother 2. If the Patrons of this error could make Gods rod as Aâ—bitrary as they fancy the duties of the teaching and ruling Law of God to be they should cry down all Crosses and send all the justified persons to heaven with a Passe securing them from all afflicton in the way to heaven and so Christ should bring his many children to glory with dry faces and whole skins whereas Christ himself passed to heaven with the tear in his eye and a bruised soul. The other error is that Christ hath made a full atonement for sin and fully satisfied justice for all that are justified in his blood and therefore they cannot be punished for sin themselves But 1. There is more in the conclusion then in the premises Ergo the justified cannot suffer satisfactory punishment for sin either in whole or part this is most true no mans garments were ever dyed with on drop of red satisfactory vengeance for sin Christ hath alone trode this Vine-presse and of all the Nations there was none with him but yet it no wayes followeth that the regenerate doth not suffer punishment for sin according to the rule of another mixed and tempered justice 2. If this Argument from Christs suffering have nerves it shall conclude that the Elect before they be justified are never punished for sin more then beleeving Saints are yea that God is not displeased with Abrahams Idolatry before his conversion nor with Manassehs blood nor with Sauls persecution because Christ payed justice for sins of Elect persons committed before justification as for sins committed after justification We can fetch no conclusion of a bad condition from affliction It s a part of tendernesse of Conscience in the Regenerate to be too applicatory of the Law and of wrath I am afflicted above all others therefore God is angry with me and I am cast off by God It s a bad consequence there be some Rules to be observed in affliction 1. We are not either to over-argue or to under-argue neither to faint nor dispise Heb. 12. Conscience is too quick-sighted after illumination and too dull-sighted before The reasons why we argue from afflictions to Gods hatred are 1. There 's a Conscience of a Conscience in the beleever that is even in an inlightned Conscience there is some ill Conscience to deem ill of God Psal. 31.22 For I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes This is a hasty Conscience as we say Such a one is a hasty man and soon saddled easily provoked to anger this is a Conscience soon provoked to anger 2. We have not that love and charity to God that we have to some Friend we have such a love to some dear Friend that all his blacks are white his seeming injuries to us do not provoke us we say I can beleeve no evill of such a man and we over-shoot our selves in an over-charge and surfet of charity which proceedeth from a Superplus and dominion of Love to a creature We are in the other extremity to God and Jesus Christ Sense of affliction cooleth our Love and we cannot extend charity so far to our Lord as when we see he dealeth hardly with us to keep the other ear without prejudice free from the report that affliction and the sense of affliction maketh 3. The flesh joyneth with affliction against God affliction whispereth wrath justice sin and the flesh saith That is very true For flesh hateth God and so must slander his Dispensation Ahab could not but slander Micaiah he never Prophesieth good saith he to me Is not Gods Truth good Surely every word of Prophesie is like gold seven times tried The reason of the slander is given by himself I hate him The other extremity is that we under-argue in affliction as 1. We say It s not the Lord the Philistims doubted whither God had sent the Emrods on them for keeping the Ark captive or if chance had done it its grace to father the crosse right 2. We look seldome spiritually on the crosse a carnall eye upon a crosse is a plague Esa. 42.23 Gods anger set him on fire round about and he knew not and it burned him and he laid it not to heart It s strange that Gods fire should burn a man and yet he neither seeth nor feeleth fire Why there 's something of God in the crosse that the carnall eye cannot see because as Zophar saith Job 20.26 A fire not blown shall consume him Some make it and not without reason a fire that hath no noise of bellows or wind to make it take fire and to flame up some are burnt and they neither hear nor see there 's a white powder that burneth and maketh no noise or sound a dumb rod is twice a rod we scarce see what God is doing in this War we are
neither should we believe for this because we see with our eyes and hear with our ears even while we are in this life daily pieces and little parcels of Hell for we see and hear daily some tumbling in their blood thousands cut down of our Brethren Children Fathers Malefactors hanged and quartered Death in every house These these be little hells and little coals and sparkles of the great fire of hell and certain Documents to us that there is a Hell Yet we neither hear nor come to Christ. Nay suppose a Preacher come from Hel to the rich Gluttons five brethren Luk. 16. and should bring with him all the lashes and print of the whips of Satans Scorpions on back and side on thighs arms and legs and though he should bring up to us out of hell ten thousand damned and bring with him the fire the red coals of the Fury of God every coal as great as a mountain and offer them all to our eyes and ears senses such is the power of our deafnesse and blindnes that we should not believe For when many little hells work so little by length of time this one great hell should never bring us to hear and come to Christ. See how little we are affected with the blood of so many thousands of our own flesh in the three Kingdoms Alas our senses are confined within time The other thing observable is That it is good to be neer the place where Christ is It was advantage that the woman dwelt upon the borders of the Land where Christ was It s good for the poor to be a Neighbour beside the rich and for the thirsty to take up house and dwell at the Fountain and for the sick to border with the Physician O love the ground that Christ walketh on To be born in Sion is an honour Psal 87.6 because there the Lord dwelleth It s a blessing to hear and see Christ Mat. 13.16 we do not weigh nor duely esteem what a favour it is that Christ walketh in the midst of the golden Candlesticks that the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land it s ours to build him a pallace of Silver For the sixth Article which is Her adoring of Christ it shall be spoken of in another place I hasten therefore to her Prayer SERMON VI. IN her Prayer as it is expressed by Matthew we have 1. The maner of it She cryed 2. The compellation or party to whom she prayeth O Lord thou son of David 3. The Petition Have mercy on me 4. The Reason For my daughter is vexed with a Devil She cryed The poor woman prayed as we say with good will with a bent affection Why is crying used in praying Had it not been more modesty to speak to this soul-redeeming Saviour who heareth sometimes before we pray then to cry out and shout For the Disciples do after complain that She cryeth so after them Was Christ so difficile to be intreated The reasons of crying are 1. Want cannot blush the pinching necessity of the Saints is not tyed to the law of Modesty Hunger cannot be ashamed Psal. 55.2 I mourn in my complaint and make a noise saith David and Ezekiah Esa. 38.14 Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove Job 30.28 I went mourning without the Sun I stood up and I cryed in the congregation 2. Though God hear Prayer onely as Prayer offered in Christ not because very fervent yet fervour is a heavenly ingredient in Prayer an arrow drawn with full strength hath a speedier issue therefore the Prayers of the Saints are expressed by crying in Scripture Ps. 22.2 O my God I cry by day and thou hearest not Ps. 55.17 At noon wil I pray and cry aloud Ps 18.6 In my distresse I cryed to the Lord Ps. 88.13 Vnto thee have I cryed O Lord Ps. 130.1 Out of the depths have I cryed Jon. 2.2 Out of the belly of Hell I cryed Psal. 28.1 Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my Rock Yea it goeth to somewhat more then crying Job 19.7 I cry out of wrong but am not heard Lam. 3.8 Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my Prayers He who may teach us all to pray sweet Jesus Heb. 5.7 In the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears he prayed with war shouts 3. And these prayers are so prevalent that God answereth them Psal. 34.6 This poor man cried and the Lord heard and saved him from all his fears Ps. 18.6 My cry came before him even to his ears the cry addeth wings to the prayer As a speedy Post sent to Court upon life and death Ps. 22.5 Our fathers cryed unto thee and were delivered Psal. 34.17 The righteous cry and the Lord heareth We all know the Parable of the poor Widow and the unrighteous judge if the oppressed be not delivered Christ and his Father and Heaven shall hear of it hence 4. Importunity in praying I will not let thee go saith Iacob to his Lord till thou blesse me So James calleth it chap. 5. v. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayer possessed with a spiâ—it but a good spirit-Prayer steeled with fervor of spirit so fervent that David is like the Post who layeth by three horses as breathlesse his heart his throat his eyes Ps. 69.3 I am wearie of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God 5. There is violence offered to God in fervent prayer Exod. 32.10 Moses is answered when he is wrestling with God by Prayer for the people Now therefore let me alone that my anger may wax hot against them Let me alone is a word of putting violent hands in any there be bones and sinews in such prayers by them the King is held in his Galleries Cant. 7.5 Object But if so be that prayers must bee fervent even to vocal crying and shouting then I cannot pray who am often so confounded that I cannot speak one word Ans. So was the servant of God in a Spirituall kind of praying in uttering the Psal. 77. when he saith v. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak yea groaning goeth for praying to God Psal. 102.20 The Lord looked down from heaven to hear the groaning of the prisoner Rom. 8.26 The spirit intercedeth for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with sighes that none can speak Faith doth sigh prayers to heaven Christ receiveth sighs in his censure for Prayer words are but the body the garment the outside of Prayer sighs are neerer the heart-work a dumb beggar getteth an almes at Christs gates even by making signes when his tongue cannot plead for him and the rather because he is dumb Object 2. I have not so much as a voice to utter to God and Christ saith Cant. 2.14 Cause me hear thy voice Ans. Yea but some other thing hath a voice beside the tongue Psal. 6.8 The Lord
has heard the voice of my weeping Tears have a tongue and Grammar and language that our Father knoweth Babes have no prayers for the breast but weeping the mother can read hunger on weeping Object 3. But I am often so as I cannot weep weeping is peculiar to a man as laughing is and spirituall weeping is peculiar to the renewed man Ans. Vehemencie of affection doth often move weeping so as it is but spilt weeping that we can attain hence Ezechiah can but chatter as a crane and a swallow and moan as a dove Is. 38.14 Sorrow keepeth not alway the Road-way weeping is but the scabberd of sorrow and there 's often more sorrow where there is little or no weeping there 's most of fire where there is least smoak Object 4. But I have neither weeping one way or other ordinary nor marred Ans. Looking up to heaven lifting up of the eyes goeth for Prayer also in Gods Books Psal. 5.3 My Prayer will I direct to thee and I will look up Isa. 48.14 Mine eyes fail with looking upward Psal. 69.3 Because 1. Prayer is a pouring out of the soul to God and Faith will come out at the eye in lieu of another door often affections break out at the window when the door is closed as smoak venteth at the window when the Chimney refuseth passage Steven lookt up to Heaven Act. 7.55 He sent a Post a greedy pittifull and hungry look up to Christ out at the window at the neerest passage to tel a poor friend was coming up to him 2. I would wish no more if I were in Hell but to send a long-look up to Heaven there be many love looks of the Saints lying up before the Throne in the bosome of Christ the twinkling of thy eyes in Prayer are not lost to Christ elie Stevens look Davids look should not be registred so many hundred years in Christs written Testament Object 5. Alas I have no eyes to look up the Publican Luk. 18. looked down to the earth and what senses Spirituall have I to send after Christ. Ans. There 's life going in and out at thy nostrils Breathing is praying and taken off our hand as crying in Prayer Lam. 3.56 Thou hast heard my voice hide not thy ear at my breathing at my cry Object 6. I have but a heard heart to offer to God in Prayer and what can I say then wanting all praying disposition Ans. 1. Therefore pray that you may pray 2. The very aspect and naked presence of a deed spirit when there is a little vocall praying its acceptable to God or if an overwhelmed heart refuseth to come its best to go and tell Christ and request him to come and fetch the heart himself 3. Little of day light cometh before the Sun the best half of it is under ground Ro. 8.23 We our selves groan within our selves All is here transacted in our own heart the soul cryeth O when will my Father come and fetch his children When shall the Spousely in her Husbands bosome 4. If Christs eye but look on a hard heart it will melt it 5. I shew heer the Minimum quod sic the smallest of Prayer in which the life and essence of Prayer may breath and live Now Prayer being a powring out of the soul to God much of the affections of love desire longing joy Faith sorrow fear boldnesse comes along with prayer out to God and the heart is put in Christs bosome and it s neither up nor down to the essenc of sincere praying whether the soul come out in words in groans or in long-looks or in sighing or in powring out tears to God Job 16.20 or in breathing Object 7. What shall be done with half praying and words without sense Ans. This is the woman of Canaans case Piscator observeth an Elepsis of the word or Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or because or for Have mercy on me my daughter is vexed she should have said because my daughter is vexed But the minde is hasty that she lets slip words so are broken Prayers set down in Scripture as Prayers Psal. 116.1 I love because the Lord hath heard my voice There 's nothing in the Hebrew but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I love but he sheweth not whom he loveth it s a broken word because as Ambrose saith He loved the most desireable thing I have love he would say but its centure and bed is only God Psal. 6.3 My soul is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long That is a broken speech also Psal. 109.4 For my love they were my enemies in the Hebrew its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vani Tephilla at ego oratio But I prayer or I was all Prayer as if I in soul and body had been made of Prayer The reasons of broken Prayers are often 1. The hastinesse of the affections not the hastinesse alwayes of unbelief Esa. 28.16 But often of Faith 2 Pet. 3.10 Love and longing for Christ have Eagles wings and love flyeth when words do but creep as a Snail 2. It cometh from a delique in the affections they are broken as a too high bended Bow that there 's a swooning and delique of words every part of a supplication to a Prince is not a supplication a poor man out of fear may speak Non-sense and broken words that cannot be understood by the Prince but non-sense in Prayer when sorrow blacknesse and a dark overwhelmed spirit dictateth words are well known in and have a good sence to God therefore to speak morally Prayer being Gods fire as every part of fire is fire so here every broken Parcell of Prayer is Prayer so the Forlorne son forgot the half of his Prayers he resolved to say Luk. 15.19 Make me as one of thy hired servants but v. 21. He prayeth no such thing and yet his Father fell on his neck and kissed him a Plant is a tree in the potency an infant man seeds of saving grace are saving grace prayer is often in the bowels and womb of a sigh though it come not out yet God heareth it as a Prayer Rom. 8.27 And he that scarcheth the hearts knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Desires have no sound with men so as they come to the ear but with God they have a sound as Prayers have Then when others cannot know what a groan meaneth God knoweth what is under the lap of a sigh because his Spirit made the sigh he first made the Prayer as an intercessor and then as God heareth it he is within praying and without hearing Object 8. But are all my cryings in Prayer works of the Spirit Ans. The flesh may come in and joine in Prayer and some things may be said in haste not in Faith as in that Prayer Ps 77.9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious
common servant to both Gods servant in a hard piece of service as ever was Isa. 52.13 Isa. 42.1 Behold my servant Isa. 53.11 My righteous servant yea and our servant Mat. 20.28 He came not to be served but to serve and give his life a ransome for many Alas both parties did smite him Isa. 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him Rom. 8.32 God spared not his own Son and the other party his own smote him Mat. 21.38 This is the heire come let us kill him say they and seize on the inheritance This was cold incouragement to sweet Jesus if it had been referred to us for shame we could not have asked God to be a suffering Mediator for us there 's more love in Christ then Angels and men could fathom in their conceptions 6. The Covenant is the Testament of our dead friend Jesus he died to confirme the Testament Heb. 9.16.17 Every blood could not seal the Covenant Christs blood as dying sealed the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 It both expiated the sins of the Covenanters and also brought back the great Shepheard of the sheep from death For Christ having once paid blood and died it was free to the Surety to come out of prison when he had paid the sum 7. The seventh relation of Christ maketh way to the parties and here Christ cometh under a double consideration one as God so he is one with the Father and spirit and the Lord and the Author of the Covenant 2. As Mediator and so he is on our side of the Covenant Then is the Covenant made with Christ and all his heirs and assignes principally with Christ and with Abrahams nature in him but personally with believers 1. The Scripture saith so Gal. 3.16 The Promise or Covenant is made to Abraham and to his seed he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. I grant Beza Piscator and many expound Christ for mysticall Christ for say they it cannot be meant of Christ personally for so it should fight with the scope of Paul who proveth the Promise of life eternall to be made to all believers 2. It should follow that life eternall is given to Christ only but with leave this is not sure for the truth is the promise is neither made to Christs person singly considered nor to Christ Mysticall For 1. The promise is made to Christ in whom the Covenant was confirmed v. 17. 2. In whom the Nations were blessed 14. 3. In whom we receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith 14. Who was made a curse for us ver 13. Now not any of these can agree to Christ Mysticall Christ Mysticall did not confirm the Covenant nor give the Spirit nor was he made a curse but Christ Mediator is he to whom the Promises are made and in him to all his heirs and kindred not simply in his person but as a publike person and Mediator 1. Because the Scripture saith to Abraham and to his seed that is Christ was the Covenant made and these words of the Covenant Ps. 89.26 He shall cry to me thou art my Father my God c. are expounded Heb. 1.5 And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a son and Joh. 20.17 Go to my brethren and say to them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and to your God So Christ the heir of all things and the second heirs under him are all but one confederate-Family 2. The covenant made with David and his seed and the Fathers is fulfilled to Christ and his seed Act. 13.34 35. As concerning that he raised him up from the dead no more to see corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David 3. As the covenant of nature and works was made with Adam and all his and there were not two covenants so here the better covenant coming in the place of the former is made with the second Adam and his children Rom. 5.18 19. 1 Cor. 15.20 c. 4. All that serveth to make a covenant are here 1. God demandeth of his son that he lay down his life and for his labour he promiseth that he shall see his seed and God shall give him many children Isa. 53.10 2. The son consenteth to lay down his life and saith Here am I to do thy will thou hast given me a body This is the formality of a covenant when Christ consenteth to the condition Now this covenant was manifested in time between the Father and the Son but it was transacted from eternity This is comfortable that the Father and Christ transacted a Bargain from eternity concerning thee by Name There was communing between the Father and Son concerning thy heaven Father what shall be given to thy Justice to ransom such a one Iohn Anna c. And Christ from eternity did binde for such a person he shall believe in time The Redemption of Sinners is not a work of yesterday or a businesse of chance it was well advised and in infinite wisdom contrived therefore put not Christ to be challenged of his ingagement by refusing the Gospel when thou believest thou makest Christs word good he that believeth not maketh God a liar though in another sense and for ought he knoweth even in this that he frustrateth Christs undertaking in the covenant Men believe the Gospel to be a cunningly devised Fable 2 Pet. 1.16 The Father and Christ are both in this businesse Heaven Hell Justice Mercy Souls and deep Wisdom are all in this rare piece and yet men think more of a Farm and an Oxe Luke 14.18.19 and of a Pin in the State or a Straw or of the bones of a crazy livelyhood or a House 3. Touching the Promises 1. There is no good thing but it is ours by free promise and not by simple donation only this covenant turns over Heaven Earth Sea Land Bread garments sleep the World Life Death into free grace yea it maketh Sin and crosses golden Sins and crosses by accident through the acts of supernaturall providence toward us 1 Cor. 3.21 Rom. 8.28 working on and about our sins 2. All good cometh to us now not immediatly but through the hands of a free Redeemer and though he be a man who redeemed us yet because he is God there is more of God and Heaven and free Love in all our good things then if we received them immediatly from God as Ravens have their food from God without a Mediator and devils have their being only by creature-right not by covenant-right Now for the promises they flow from God to us but all along they fall first on Christ they are of two sorts 1. Some only given to Christ not to us as the Name above all names to be adored and set at the right hand of God is properly promised to Christ Angels share not with him in this Chaire Phil.
2.20 Receiving Christ Ioh. 1.11 Having Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 Married to Christ Eph. 5.32 Eating and drinking Christ by Faith Joh. 6.35 47 45. Coming to him as to a living stone 1 Pet. 2.4 Abiding in him as branches in the Tree Joh. 15.4 5. Now if we were justified before we believe we should have a Union by the vitall act of Faith before we be justified and so we should live before we live and be new creatures while we are yet in the State of sin and heirs of wrath 5. This justification without Faith casteth loose the covenant I will be your God But here a condition God is not bound and we free therefore this is the other part And ye shall be my people Now it is taught by Libertines That there can be no closing with Christ in a promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed and that conditionall promises are legall It s true if the word condition be taken in a wrong sence the promises are not conditionall For 1. Arminians take a condition for a free act which we absolutely may perform by free-will not acted by the predeterminating grace of Christ so Jurists take the word but this maketh men Lords of Heaven and Hell and putteth the keys of life and death over to absolute contingency 2. Conditions have a Popish sence for doing that which by some merit moveth God to give to men wages for work and so promises are not conditionall But Libertines deny all conditions But taking condition for any qualification wrought in us by the power of the saving Grace of God Christ promiseth soul ease but upon a condition which I grant his Grace worketh that the soul be sin-sick for Christ and he offereth wine and milk Isa. 55.1 And the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Upon condition that you buy without money no purse is Christs Grace-Market no hire and sence of wretchednesse is a hire for Christ and the truth is it s an unproper condition if a father promise Lands to a son so he will pay him a thousand Crowns for the Lands and if the Father of Free-grace can only and doth give him the thousand Crowns also the payment is most unproperly a hire or a condition and we may well say the whole bargain is pure Grace for both wages and work is Free-grace but the ground of Libertines is fleshly lazinesse and to sin beâ—cause Grace aboundeth for they print it that all the activity of a Believer is to sin So to beâ—lieve must be sin to run the ways of Gods commandments with a heart inlarged by Grace must be no action of Grace but an action of the flesh 6. Paul in the Epistle to the Romans to the Galatians taketh for granted that justification is a work done in time transient on us not an immanent and eternall action remaining either in God from eternity or performed by Christ on the Crosse before we believe and so never taketh on him to prove that we are justified before we either do the works of the Law or believe in Iesus Christ but that we are justified by Faith which certainly is an act performed by a regenerate person for a new creature only can perform the works of the new creature and Faith is not the naked manifestation of our justification so as we are justified before we have Faith satisfaction is indeed given to justice by Christ on the Crosse for all our sins before we believe and before any justified person who lived these fifteen hundred years be born but alas that is not justification but only the meritorious cause of it that is as if one should say this wall is white since the creation of the world though this very day only it was whited because whitenesse was in the world since the creation justification is a forinsecall sentence in time pronounced in the Gospel and applied to me now and never while the instant now that I believe it s not formally an act of the understanding to know a truth concerning my self but it s an heart-adherance of the affections to Christ as the saviour of sinners at the presence of which a sentance of free absolution is pronounced Suppose the Prince have it in his minde to pardon twenty Malefactors his grace is the cause why they are pardoned yet are they never in Law Pardoned so as they can in Law plead immunity while they can produce their Princes Royall sealed Pardon 5. The properties of the Covenant I call 1. The freedom of it consisting in persons 2. Causes 3. Time 4. Manner of dispensation 1. Men and not condemned Angels are capable of this covenant 2. Amongst men some Nations not others Psal. 147.19 20. 3. So many not any other 4. The Father not the Son the poor not alwayes Kings the Fool not the wise man the husband not the wife not these who were bidden to the Supper but beggers halt withered lame 2. Causes in the first covenant there was Grace not deserving and therefore now as the Law is propounded it is a Pursevant of Grace and the Gospels servant to stand at Christs and the Believers back as an attending servant 2. Yea mercy unto thousands toward those who have but Evangelick love to Christ cometh into the Law Christ having in a sort married the two Covenants 3. I am the Lord thy God Exod. 20. Is Grace standing at the entry of the door to these that are under the Law to bring them out but in the Gospell all is unmixed Grace 1. Not personall obedience is my heaven but I stand still and another doth all that may merit glory Christ saith Do ye but stand still behold me and see friends my garments rolled in blood I bind for you only consent put your hand to the Pen but I am the only undertaker to fight it out for you 3. For time the first breach of the Law is wrath and no place by Law for repentance but here come to Christ who will and when you will after thou hast plaid the Harlot with many lovers bring Hell and sins red as scarlet and crimson come and be washen come at the eleventh hour and welcome fall and rise again in Christ run away and come home again and repent 4. The maner is 1. That so much as would have bought ten thousand worlds of men and devils was given for so many only an infinite superplus of love so as I may say Christ did more then love us Aegypt and Aethiopia was not given for our ransom 2 A sure and eternall Covenant bottom'd upon infinite love Why may not the link be broken and the sheep pluckt out of his hand Why the Father that gave them to me is greater then all Where dwelleth he In what Heaven Who is stronger then the Father The covenant with night and day is naturall and cannot fail confirming Grace in the second Adam is more connaturall 3. Well ordered Christ keeping his
into wantonnesse SERMON XIV LOst sheep Lost is either understood of the common condition of all men and so because all are the Hieres of wrath Eph. 2. All have sinned and commeth short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 and so are lost But the Scripture intituleth men by that which they are in their own esteem as Mat. 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to Repentance this may seem to hold forth that there be some sinners and some not sinners but righteous whereas none are righteous that sinneth not Rom. 3.10 But God giveth to men the title which they give themselves and so lost here is such as are lost in their own esteem for Christs intention in comming in the flesh and dying is to seek and to save the lost Luk. 19.10 In this sense Mat. 9.13 and 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ came to save sinners otherwise all the house of Israel are lost Jer. 50.6 My people have been lost sheep Ezek. 3.4 Neither have ye sought that which was lost Nor is this to be meant of the lost considered as redemption is purchased in this notion Christ died for his enemies Rom. 5.10 the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 and so for the lost But we are here lead to this that these at whose salvation Christ hath a speciall ayme and whom he actuâ—ally converteth are first sinners And lost in their own eyes as is clear Mat. 9.13 1 Tim. 1.15 Luk. 19.10 It is one thing to be lost and a sinner and another thâ—ng to be self-lost as many are loaden who are not weary and yet none are wâ—ary but they be loaden 1. All that Christ converteth are self-sinners too but Christ converteth not all sinners Hence Christ actually calleth and sâ—veth but those who are such and so prepared now there is a preparation of order and a preparation of deserving I cannot say there are preparations in the converted by way of deserving Christ calleth not sinners because or for that they are sinners in their own sense For he hath mercy on whom he will 2. Nor are their preparations in the converted to which conversion is promised as a free reward of grace which may be called morall preparations there is no such promise in the word as this Whosoever are wearied and lost in their own eyes they shall be converted yea 3. It s hard to affirm that all who are prepared with these preparations of order are infallibly converted it s like Judas Cain reputed themselves sinners and had some law-work in their heart and yet were never converted But Gods ordinary way is to bring men into Christ being first self lost and self-condemned and that upon these grounds that proveth Gods way of working to be successive 1. Because conversion is a rationall work and the Gospel is a morall instrument of conversion therefore Christ here openeth a veine ere he give Physick he first cutteth and then cureth for though in the moment of formall conversion men be patients and can neither prevent Christ nor co-operate with Christ yet the whole work about conversion is not done in a moment for men are not converted as the Lillies grow which do not labour nor spin there be some pangs in the new birth nor are men converted as Simon carried Christs crosse altogether against their will they do hear and read the word freely nor are men converted beside their knowledge as Cajaphas prophecied nor are we to think with Enthusiasts that God doth all with one immediate rapt as the Sun in its rise inlighteneth the air The Gospel worketh morally as doth the Law Reasons work not in a moment as fire flaughts in the air Christ putteth souls to weigh the bargain to consider the field and the pearle and then buy it 2. Christs saving and calling the lost is a new creation as well as a generation A childe is not born in one day saving Grace is not Physick that worketh the cure while the sick man is sleeping Christ casteth the mettall in the fire ere he form the Vessell of mercy he must cast down old work ere he lay the new foundation 3. Conversion is a Gospel blessing and so must be wrought in a way suitable to the scope of the Gospel Now the speciall intent of the Gospel is to bring men to put a high and rich price upon Christ and this is one Gospel-offer What thinkest thou of so excellent a one as Christ What wouldst thou part with What wouldst thou do or suffer for Christ Now men cannot prize Christ who have not found the terrors of the Law So Paul finding himself the chief of sinners and in that case saved 1 Tim. 1.15 Must hug and embrace Christ and burst out in a Psalm v. 17. Now to the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever ever Amen A sight of the Gallows of the Ax raiseth in the condemned mans heart high thoghts of the Grace of a Pardoning Prince to be a Tenant of Free-Grace is so sweet a free-holding that it must put a high Rate on Free Grace 4. The Clay-organs and faculties of the soul working by them cannot bear the too great violence of Legall terrors for in reviving the Spirit Isa. 57.16 If he should let out all his wrath the souls should fail that he has made Nor can they bear that God let out all his strength of love in one moment rough or violent dealing should break Chrystall Glasses Christ should break the needle when he soweth a heart to himself if he should put to all his strength too swift motion of wheels may break the Mill Christ must drive softly for a sight of the fourth part of the fire of Hell and a sight of one chamber or one window of heaven is enough at once 1. It s not enough to be fitted for the Physick and not for the Physitian The weary and laden are fit to be eased but not fitted for Christ the Physitian except they come to him and believe Faith is a thing very suitable for Christ Ho every one that thirsteth â—ome ye to the waters and he that hath no money come buy and eat Isa. 55.1 It is true in regard of all good deserving moving God to have mercy on one rather then another Jerusalem and all converted are dying in their blood and no eye pittying them Ez. 16.6 8. And therefore are none discouraged to come because of their wretched estate that is to say we cannot come we have no money But Christ inviteth these which have no money though Christ seem to exclude the woman from mercy yet Christ in wisdom holdeth forth the promise here in that latitude of Free-Grace while as he saith he came for the lost sheep that there is room for the woman and all believing Gentiles to come in and lay hold on the Covenant Sense of wretchednesse and unbelief representeth Christ as too narrow and contracteth and
that you were upon the borders of Hell yet the Gospel though it except you from actuall mercy yet not from the duty of believing and comming to Christ and though such think and imagine that they believe Christ is able to save and redeem them only they doubt of his will yet the truth is the doubt of unbelief is more of the power of mercy and infinite Grace in Christ then of his will and my reason is that whosoever believeth Joh. 3.33 hath set to his seal that God is true and 1 Ioh. 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son Now it is not Gods Testimony nor any Gospel-Truth that such as sin against the holy Ghost shall be pardoned yea the contrary is said Mat. 12.31 32. Yet these that sin against the holy Ghost are condemned for unbelief as all other unbelievers are Ioh. 3.18 36. Then such as fall in this sin though they say Infinite mercy can pardon them but infinite mercy will not pardon them should not bely God by unbelieving these truths for they are Gospel-truths then must the unbelief of those that sin against the Holy Ghost put a lie upon some Gospel-truth and this can be only on the power of infinite mercy and so they must say Christ cannot save though he would for there 's a power of Christ in mercie no lesse then a will If F. Spira go for a despairing Reprobate which I dare not averre yet when he said he believed Christ was able to save him but he doubted of his will he must not be so understood as if it were so indeed Unbelievers know not all the mysterious turnings of lying self deceiving unbelief Unbelief may lie to men of it self when it dare belie the worth of that soul-redeeming ransome of Christs blood if he that sinneth against the holy Ghost could believe the power of infinite mercy he should also believe the will and inclination of infinite mercy for the power of mercy is the very power of a mercifull will I shall not then be afraid that soul is lost which hath high and capacious apprehensions of the worth value dignity and power of that dear ransome and of infinite mercy It s faith to believe this Gospel-truth which is Heb. 7.25 That Christ is able to save to the utmost all those that come to him if I believe soundly what free grace can do I believe also soundly what free grace will do It s true Christ can save many whom he never will save but the faith of the power of mercie and of his will to save is of a far other consideration 4. It must then be the prevailing of a temptation not to dare to come to Christ because I am a dog and unworthy 1. Because sin is no porter put to watch the door of Christs house of free-grace mercy keepeth the keys sin may object my evill deserving but it cannot object Christs rich deserving 2. That which maketh me unworthy and gracelesse and unfit to be saved may make Christ worthy and gracious to save my sin may be Christs rich grace Though sin maketh me unworthy of Christ yet it maketh me a fit passive object for the Physitian Christ to work on and maketh not Christ unworthy to save If I feel sin it then saith Thou art the very person by name that Christ seeketh Therefore is the sense of sin required as a condition in all that cometh to Christ whether it be before conversion or after conversion when acts of faith are renewed Obj. But we finde by experience that true poverty of spirit and sense of sinfull wretchednesse doth kill and destroy any sight of guilt and wickednesse in my self if I rightly see Christ I shall not also see any unworthinesse in my self Answ. This experience is not warranted by the word of truth These may well consist together 1. That felt and apprehended wretchednesse of a sinner may stand with a sight of Christs riches of grace is as evident as the felt pain of the sting of the fiery Scorpion may stand with looking up to the brazen Serpent and being saved yea when the poor man Mark 9.24 said Lord I believe help my unbeleefe he both was sensible of faith and unbeleefe 2. Yea the converted may well see grace and holinesse in himself else how shall he be thankfull to Christ the giver and also see Christ and beleeve his righteousnesse for holy walking commeth under a threefold consideration 1. As a duty 2. As a mean ordained of God that we should walk in Eph. 2.10 3. As a promise or a thing promised in the new Covenant and in this threefold consideration we may know how far we may build our peace upon any duties as upon evidences of our state of grace 1. as holy walking is a duty coming from us it s no ground of true peace beleevers often seek in themselves what they should seek in Christ this is naturall merit often we argue from the measure of obedience to deny grace altogether this is a false way especially its a false way of logick to argue Negatively from want of such such a measure of obedience to deny you are in Christ how we may argue Affirmatively we shall hear hereafter 2. The dutie is Christs mean not injoyned in a strict Law-way but in a Gospel-way as the commandement is oiled with a Gospel-spirit of love Law and love are not contrary as Antinomians do imagine Christ has united not only persons but also graces and vertues This way the duty is a mean and a way not to the right of salvation but to the actuall possession of it and as it is or standeth stated before us in the letter of the Gospel in a Morall commanding or a Doctrinall or directing way without the efficacy of grace it can be nothing but a Doctrinall-mean no more then the Law-way is for all Gospel-precepts without grace are as little available to us as the Law But in the third Notion holy walking as performed by that efficacious grace promised in the Covenant of grace is an Argument on which we may build our peace not as a cause or a merit-deserving peace but as a grace threeded upon the free promise of God so the Saints have builded upon their sincere walking as on a fruit of the Covenant of Grace promised to us Jer. 31.33 Jer. 32. for so duties speak the mercies promised in the Covenant 38. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever See Ezech. 36.27 Isa. 54.13 Upon this ground Ezekiah pleadeth with God when he heard the sentence of death Isa. 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight And David putteth his faith upon this as a gracious fruit of grace promised in the
the Kings house What a motion of free mercy that Christ should lay his fair spotlesse and chast love upon so black defiled and whorish souls O what a favour that Christ maketh the Leopard and Ethiopian white for heaven These two go together Rev. 1. 5. Who has loved us and washed us Humble sinners have high thoughts of free-grace stand not afar off come near be washed for frâ—e-grace is not proud when grace refuseth not dogs salvation must be a flour planted without hands that groweth only out of the heart of Christ. Take humble thoughts of your selves and noble and high thoughts of excellent Jesus to heaven with you A curse upon the creatures proud merits if you make price with Christ and compound with everlasting grace you shame the glory of the Ransom-payer It s no shame to die in Christs debt all the Angels the Cedars of heaven are below Christ Angels and Saints shall be Christs debters for eternity of ages and so long as God is God sinners shall be in graces compt-book The truely humble is the most thankfull soul that is unthankfulnesse is one of the sins of the age we live in it floweth from 1. Contemning and despising Gods instruments The valour of Jephâ—ah is no mercy to Israel because the Elders hate and despise a bastard Judg. 11.1 2 6. The curing of Naamans leprosie is not looked on as a mercy Why washing in Jordan must do it and there be better Rivers in his own land in Damascus Not only God but all his instruments that he worketh by must be eye-sweet to us and carry God and omnipotency on their foreheads else the mercy is no mercy to us 2. Mercies cease to be mercies when they are smoaked and blacked with our apprehensions David 2 Sam. c. 18. and 19. receiveth a great victory and is established on his Throne which had been reeling and staggering of late but there 's one sad circumstance in that victory his dear son Absalom was killed and the mercy no mercy in Davids apprehension Would God I had died for Absolom so a little crosse can wash away the sense of a great mercy The want of a draught of cold water strangles the thankfull memory of Gods wonders done for his peoples deliverance out of Egypt and his dividing the Red-sea What a price would the godly in England have put on the removall of that which indeed was but a Masse-book and the burdensome Ceremonies within these few years But because this mercy is not moulded and shapen according to the opinion of many with such and such a Reformation and Church-government I am affraid there 's fretting in too many in stead of the return of praise and hating of these for whom they did someties pray God grant that the sufferings of the Land and this unnaturall blood-shed may be near an end except the Land be further humbled I fear the end of evils is not yet come This is a directing of the Spirit of the Lord to teach God how to shape and floor his mercies toward us Is it not fitting there be water in our wine and a thorne in our Rose Shall God draw the lineaments and proportion of his favours after the measure of my foot Shall the Almighty be instructed to regulate his wayes of supernaturall providence according to the frame of our apprehensions O he is a wise Lord and wonderfull in counsell Every mercy cannot be overlaid with Saphires and precious stones nor must all our deliverances drop sweet smelling-Myrrhe God knoweth when and how to levell and smooth all his favours and remove all their knots in a sweet proportion to the main and principal end the salvation of his own There is a crook in our best desires and a rule cannot admit of a crook even in relation to the creature far lesse to him who doth all things after the counsell of his own will Truely Lord the Dogs See and consider this woman whose faith was great as Christ saith and so was justified she confesseth and esteemeth her self a Dog and so an unworthy and prophane person Doct. A justified beleever is to confesse his sins to have a sense and sorrow for them though they be pardoned The word is clear for both confession and sorrow for sin though Antinomians make it a work of the flesh in the justified person either to confesse sin or to sorrow for it or to crave pardon for it For confession there is commandment practice promise Num. 5.6 Speak unto the children of Israel when a man or a woman shal commit any sin that men commit to do a trespasse against the Lord and that person be guilty Then they shall confess their sin that they have done This is not a duty of the unconverted onely but tying all the children of Israel men and women Jam. 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another Now it s not confession to men only as if they were sins only before men which the justified person committeth and not sins in the Court of heaven before God as Libertines teach therefore it is added Confesse and pray one for another that ye may be healed for the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Then justified persons are to pray for pardon of sins confessed I take it to be a precept that as many as say Our Father to God in prayer should also say Forgive us our sins as we forgive them that sin against us and so pardon of sins by a justified person and a son of God is to be asked when we pray for Daily bread and the comming of Christs Kingdome Hos. 14.2 Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity This must be a confession that a people turned to the Lord are in their iniquities 2. This is set down as a commendable practice Exra 10.1 Ezra confessed and weeped Neh. 9.1 2. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquity of their fathers Dan. 9.4 I prayed unto the Lord made my confession So David 2 Sam 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord. Isa. 64.5 the Church confesseth Thou art wroth for we have sinned 6. But we are all as an unclean thing Isa. 59.12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testifie against us Job 7.20 I have sinned against thee O preserver of man Psal. 40.12 My sins are more in number then the hairs of my head Jer. 14.7 Our iniquities testifie against us our backslidings are many It s a vain shift to say The Church prayeth and confesseth in name of the wicked party not in name of the justified ones for as many as were afflicted confesseth their sins for the which the hand of God was upon them now Gods hand was upon all Daniel and Jeremiah were carried away captive yea the whole seed of Iacob Isa. 42.24 25. Isa. 64.5 6 7. and Ieremiah Lament 1.16 in name of the
whole captive Church saith The Lord is righteous for I have sinned 3. There is a promise made to these that confesse Pro. 28.13 Who so confesseth and forsaketh their sins shall have mercy Ps. 32.3 When I kept silence and confessed not my bones waxed old c. Vers. 5. I said I wil confesse my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin And this is not an old Testament-spirit onely for the same promise is 1 Joh. 1.8 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive Lev. 26.40 If they shall confesse their iniquity 42. Then will I remember my covenant with Iacob 3. Not to confesse is holden forth as a guiltinesse Jer. 2.35 Yet thou saidst Because I am innocent surely his anger shall turn from me behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned It s a token of impenitencie Jer. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done 2. Ephraim Gods dear child is brought in as commended of God and the Lord telleth over again Ephraims prayers and sorrowing for sin Ier. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. We have a precept for it in the New Testament Iam. 4.9 Be afflicted and mourn and weep Let your laughter bee turned to mourning and your joy to heavinesse 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Now there is better reason to mourn for sin because they did lust war and were contentious then because there was afflictions on them Nature will cause any cry when punishment is on them but not nature but Grace not the flesh but the spirit causeth men sorrow for sin as sin Lev. 26.41 If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity 42. Then I will remember my Covenant with Iacob 2. To mourn for sin is a grace promised under the New Test. Za. 12.10 And I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of Grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn as one mourneth for his onely begotten son 3. Those for whom the consolations of Christ are ordained are the mourners in Zion But the consolations of Christ are not for legal mourners and such as are weary and laden for sin and yet never cometh to Christ nor believeth there 's no promise made to such mourners as Cain and Judas were Can we say that God promiseth Grace and mercy to any acts of the flesh or of unbelief 4. It s a mark of a conscience in a right frame to be affected with the sense of the least sin as David was one in whose conscience there remained the character of a stripe when he but cut the lap of Sauls Robe 1 Sa. 24.5 And when wicked men sin their conscience is past feeling Eph. 4.19 And seared with an hot iron 1 Tim. 4.2 It is not an argument of Faith apprehending sin pardoned not to mourn for sin and confesse it for if this be a good argument that if we being justified cannot but out of unbelief sorrow for a sin that before God is no sin as it is Jer. 50.20 Fully removed and taken away Joh. 1.29 Mic. 7.19 Cast in the depths of the Sea as Libertines argue for then say they we were both to believe that that sin remaineth and maketh the justified person lyable to Eternal wrath and so to sorrow for it as sin before God and also to believe that it is taken away and maketh the person not liable to Eternal wrath which are contradictory If this I say were a good Argument then were we not to eschew evill and to be averse to the acting of sin before it be committed for by the Doctrine of Antino All sins even ere they be committed yea from Eternity say some are as fully taken away pardoned as after they be committed and as when we do now believe and repent For if we were to have a will averse to the acting of sin before it be committed it must be upon this ground that it is sin before God and not taken away by Christs death else we should not abstain from it as sin but this is a false ground to Antinomians and inconsistent with the object of faith which is to beleeve this truth that all sins past present and to come are equally removed pardoned yea and in Christ taken away as if they never had been and so sorrow for sin committed being an act of the sanctified will displeased with sin if it be unlawfull the will of the justified person is not to be displeased with it ere it be committed but by the contrary if he is not to be displeased with sin commited but rather to will its commission not to sorrow for it because he beleeveth its pardoned and in Gods Court it s no sin to him being in Christ by the same ground ere it be committed in Gods Court it s no sin and so neither can he be displeased with it ere it be committed but may also will it and beleeve it s pardoned and he ought to have no act of remorse nor reluctance of conscience which is Gods Solicitour before the committing of it For how is it not equally an act of the flesh and unbeleef to fear sin to be committed as not pardoned in Christ as to fear sin already committed as not pardoned 2. If it be a lie and an act of unbeleef for any justified person to say Lord I have sinned O God thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sins are not hid from thee as justified David saith Psal. 69.5 in regard all his sins are pardoned and the man in faith contrary to the sense of his weak flesh is to beleeve that they are all taken away Upon the same pretended ground of faith he is to say Lord I shall never sin though I am to commit adultery and to murther innocent Uriah to morrow yet thou O God neither to morrow nor at any time dost see my foolishnesse and sins because the sins to come are equally removed and taken away in the free justification of grace as the sins already past Master Eaton saith To hold that when GOD hath justified both us and our works God yet seeth us in the imperfection of our sanctification is another evident mark of an hypocrite that was never yet truly humbled for the imperfection of his sanctification But these imperfections of our sanctification are left in us to our sense and feeling that they may be healed in our justification And hee bringeth pag. 375. diverse Reasons to prove That we are not both righteous in the sight of God and yet sinners in our selves Let me answer That Antinomians in this joyn hands with the Councell of Trent who curse us Protestants because we say The guilt of originall sin is taken away in Baptisme but that sin
justice as we are ready to conceit of our Evangelick rejoicing and holiest works But they are to sorrow for offended love for the body of sin breaking out in scandals I may then have peace with God in the assurance of remission and removall of eternall wrath and yet not have peace with my own conscience 1. Because I may be perswaded that God in Christ hath forgiven me yet am I not to forgive my self 2. I am to beleeve that in Christ I am delivered from eternall wraâ—h and justified in Christ and yet to sorrow that I have sinned against Christs love 3. I may have peace sense of peace and Pardon in Christ and yea a necessary disquietnesse sorrow and tears that I should have been so unthankfull to so lovely a Redeemer so Christ doth commend the womans tears as a sign of love and of the sense of many sins pardoned Luke 7.44 Thou gavest me no water for my feet But she hath washed my feet with tears yet many sins were forgiven her v. 47. Hence I may 1. Beleeve the Remission of that sin for which I am to sorrow and for the Remission of which I am to pray and which I am to confesse Nathan said to David thy sin is pardoned yet the Spirit of God after that both confessed sorrowed prayed for pardon in David 2. We may comfort those that mourn for sin from assurance of Pardon and yet exhort them to be humbled and afflicted in spirit and to confesse sorrow and pray for Pardon so Antinomians rejoicing evermore after justification without sorrow remorse down-casting for sin at all is but fleshly wantonnesse I may have and ought to have a disquieted spirit and no peace with my self and yet peace with God even as the Sea after a storme and when the winds are gone and the Aire is calmed hath yet a raging and great motion by reason of wind inclosed in the bowels of the Sea and after the cool of a mighty Feaver yet are the humours in the body stirred and distempered But we are hence led to finde out resolution for divers cases of consciences after justification 1. Many dare not question their state of justification so are freed from the storms of apprehended wrath arising from the guilt of sin yet there is another storm within the bowels of the Sea arising from the indwelling of the body of guilt the storm before justification is lesse free lesse ingenuous more servile as looking to that Eternall wrath hanging over the soul for unpardoned sin this is more free and is a peaceable a gracious and heavenly storm raised not for sin unpardoned the Eternal punishment thereof but for sin as sin as indwelling not for the penall guilt and the sting of Hell in sin but for the sinfull guilt and the wounding of Christ. 2. It s unpossible this latter storme can be in the soul till the sentence of justification be pronounced as none can have the moved bowels of a son for the offence of a Father till he be a son 2. Another case is that many have an absolute loose and laxe peace and calmnesse great confidence of deliverance from Eternall wrath and so of a supposed pardon whose peace is convinced to be but a base outside and meer paintry and fairding because there is in them no storm for sin as sin and for the over-motions of boiling lusts no tendernesse to walk spiritually A Faith that eateth out the bottome and bowels of conscience of declining sin and walking with God is the justification of the Antinomians of the old Gnosticks of the naturall men all our professors are cured none or few are healed 3. Full assurance that Christ hath delivered Paul from condemnation yea so full and reall as produceth thanksgiving and triumphing in Christ Rom. 7.25 Rom. 8.1 2. may and doth consist with complaints and outcryes of a wretched condition for the indwelling of the body of sin Rom. 7.14 15 16.23 24. Then the justified that are whole not sick not pained are yet in their sins and not justified what ever Antinomians say on the contrary 4. The flesh in the justified cannot complain of indwelling sin but the flesh mixt with some life of Christ may raise a false Alaram of sins not pardoned which are really pardoned some false grief may and often hath its rise from a false and imaginary ground as a sanctified soul may praise God through occasion of a lying report of the victory of the Church of God when there is no such matter a sanctified child may spiritually mourn for the supposed death of his Father or that he hath offended his Father according to the flesh when his Father is neither dead nor offended at all So gracious affections as gracious may work spiritually upon supposed and false grounds when there is no cause as that the soul hath grieved his heavenly Father and that he is displeased when it is not so 5. Sin indwelling is a greater evill then the feared evill of ten hells and therefore there is more cause of sorrow for sin confession disquietnesse of spirit after justification then before because sin the only true object of fear and disquietnesse of spirit is both a ghuest dwelling in the soul and is more really and distinctly apprehended as a spirituall evil after the light of faith hath shown us the sinfulnesse of sin then ever it was discovered to be before 6. I doubt if justified souls are to be refuted in their complaints and fears for the indwelling of sin providing they fear not eternall wrath which fear is contrary to faith and so they fear not and sorrow not for that God hath changed the Court and the wind of his love turned in the contrary air and he hath forgotten to be mercifull 7. Faith chargeth us to believe that Grace shall at length finally subdue sin and as boat-men labour with oars to promove their course in sailing even when the wind sails and tide are doing somewhat to promove the course so doth faith which purifieth the heart set the soul on work to perfect holinesse in the fear of God and believeth also that God shall work both to will and to do It s not then good Physick for many exercised in conscience especially after their first conversion to apply only the honey and sweetnesse of consolations of the Gospel as if there were not any need of humiliation and sorrow for sin Yet it is to be cleared that 1. Sorrow for sin is no satisfaction for sin for the pride of merit is crafty and can creep in at a smal hole We think there is no repentance where there be no tears God of purpose withholdeth tears as knowing when water goes out wind cometh in 2. They are tenderly to be bound up and comforted in whom sin riseth up with a witnesse O what pity and humble on-looking should be here For a hell of pain in the body is nothing wheels racks whips hot irons breaking