affected wisdome of the world without either miraculouâ— signes or scientifical demonstrations either of which would much perswade men Fourthly and lastly It 's the perpetual invariable means God hath appointed to the worlds end When the Ministery and Preaching shall cease then shall all this world with the things therein cease Thus Eph. 4. it 's there said to continue till Christs coming and Paul's direction about the Ministery must be kept till the coming of Christ The former dispensation is altered he hath taken away Priests and Levites the sacrifices and Altars but he will never take away Pastors and Teachers and Sacraments and these must abide as long as there is a Church on the world Vse of Examination It 's the Ministery this is the ordinary necessary appointed menans for faith and other graces Why then is it that it hath not been so to thee Oh it would be an heavy trouble to thee thou wouldst think God had some extraordinary jugement upon thee if thou couldst have no cloaths to warm no food to nourish thee no creature be that to thee for which it is appointed But behold a greater judgement then this no Ministery doth convert thee no Preaehing begets faith or repentance in thee In the Apostles times What multitudes were converted by the Word Yea in the first times of Reformation from Popery How many did not only receive the truth in their minds but grace in their hearts they were not only converted from Popery and superstition but from prophaness and impiety But now alas to whom is the power of God made known Certainly the Word is the same Gods arm is as strong as ever but men by their wilfull ignorance by their unthankfulness and rebelling against the light have sinned away the presence and power of God from the Ministery and then if God go not along with us Alas what can we do Oh that you who are hearers would deeply lay these things to heart God saith his Word is an enlightning Word a sanctifying cleansing Word Why is it not so to thee Why art thou no more reformed then where there is no Preaching no Ministery at all The same cursing swearing the same lusts pride covetousness and ignorance Is not all this because God doth not appear in his own Ordinances Oh men without hope How desperate is such mens condition for if the Ministery cure thee not what will cure thee Woe be to thee if the Word that is so effectual and operative to others be not also to thee Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave every man The third thing in order to be discust is the noble Effect whereof the Ministry is said to be an Instrumental Cause viz. Ye believed Faith is one of the most eminent Common-places in Divinity It 's the Sanctum Sanctorum in this spiritual building It s the fat in that spiritual Sacrifice we offer to God And because of the spiritual and most sublime nature of it it is least understood by the natural man I shall not at this time handle all the main particulars about it because the holy Ghost intends it not in this place Onely take notice that in stead of all the work of grace repenting reforming he nameth believing because this is Initial and Introductory to all the rest The word Faith or Believing is of a very large and fruitfull signification but it 's impertinent at this time to trouble you with it Observe That Faith is the great and eminent grace which God by the Ministry works in some hearers Thus upon Christ and the Apostles preaching still this is recorded And many believed Insomuch that Faith is said to come by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Scripture indeed sometimes speaks of faith as prerequisite to make the Word profitable Who hath believed our report And the Word profited them not because it was not mixed with faith Heb. 4.6 Here we see unbelief doth obstruct and hinder the savoury effect of the Gospel But that is finally in those that pâ—rish but in those that shall be saved God in his due time will by the Word preached work faith viz. enlighten their minds and open their hearts to entertain it To open this Doctrine Let us consider the Nature of Faith and that is usually said to consist in three acts whether they be all essential or some only I shall not here determine The first is Knowledge and understanding This is eternal life to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 Yea it 's a strong and powerfull conviction of the mind Hence it 's called The substance and evidence of things Heb. 11.1 Believing in the soul is compared to the corporal seeing of the body To say a blind faith is as great a contradiction as to say a dark Sunne or a cold fire If it be faith it doth see the ground of its belief Indeed faith cannot comprehend the matter we believe the Doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ are like the dazelling Sunne to our Bats-eyes but though faith cannot comprehend the matter believed yet it knoweth the ground why it doth believe in those places of Scripture and the testimony of Gods Word which saith It is thus and thus Oh then How farre are many from being believers For ignorance covers their souls as darknesse did the Chaos at the first The very principles of Religion the total ignorance whereof doth damn a man yet is like a veil upon most mens eyes Oh then consider that knowledge and understanding is the necessary way to let in faith or rather is a beginning and part of it If thou hadst lost thy eyes or wert smitten with corporal blindnesse How much would it affect thee But now thou hast unbelief and spiritual blindnesse yet it doth not break thy heart Say no more thou believest in Christ thou believest in God if thou knowest not what Christ and God is Though ignorant people are full of their devotion yet because it 's without knowledge and faith it 's as abominable as a Sacrifice without eyes Secondly But knowledge is not all How many Atheists are there that know much and understand the points of Religion yet believe not Therefore the second Act of Faith is to Assent to give credit to them as true and this indeed we mean and Scripture also means this most commonly when it speaks of believing the Word of God that is giving a firm and sure assent to it as true Hence that expression Faith is the substance Heb. 11.1 that is by faith we make those things that are future really subsist as it were in our souls as if present Thus Faith makes Heaven and Hell present The Apostle excellently describes it They behold not the things temporal or seen but the things eternal which are not seen 2 Cor. 4 18. Thus Moses is said to have an earnest eye of faith fixed upon the reward and that is an act
of faith Heb. 11.26 And in this respect most fail They do not firmly assent to the Doctrine of Gods Omnisciency of a Day of Judgement of giving an account of every evil word Did they believe these things as the Word of God which cannot deceive which cannot be false how dared they live in such professed impieties But the fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 No Judgement no Heaven no Hell If an humane faith can set men so much on work when yet all men are lyars what shall not a divine faith do Thirdly That which is the compleat and formal act of faith is a resting on Christ a receiving of him a coming to him Hence are those emphatical expressions which are in no humane Authours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To believe in God in Christ and this act of faith is expressed by words of resting rolling the soul waiting and expecting by receiving imbracing A godly man is called a member of Christ and faith is the ligament and that which uniteth a branch in the Olive-tree faith is that whereby we receive fatnesse of it So that the power and life of faith lieth in this that it gives up the soul to Christ and receiveth Christ in the soul hereby it is said Christ dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 And this act is only in the godly This is the difference from all hypocrites they are said to believe they know they give credit to many things and this works some slighty affections but they are not united to Christ they cleave not to him so as to to be made one with him They receive him not both as a Mediatour and as an Head to whom they will conform and live as Members answerable to such an Head This then is the marrow and the soul of faith when a man so knoweth so assents as thereby he is incorporated into Christ receiving of his virtue and influence so that all is Christ as it were I no longer live but Christ in me and the life I live is by faith in Christ saith Paul Gal. 2.20 Now this faith thus described hath glorious Effects and also many Properties we will select some of many As First The noble effect of Faith ad intra is to receive the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby to make it ours by which means faith is so often said to justifie and we are justified by faith And Paul did so exceedingly desire to be found not in his own righteousnesse but by that of faith in Christ Phil. 3.9 This is the hand to put on those glorious Robes to cover our nakednesse This is the eye by which we look upon that exalted Serpent to be healed It 's not repenting sorrowing reforming no nor martyrdom it self that hath this honour which faith hath neither is this for any dignity or worth of faith but because it 's an instrument to receive the righteousnesse of Christ which no other grace can be So that as the child new born presently moves it lips and mouth for the brest to be sucking there So the new born spiritual Infant immediately goeth out of its own works it 's own righteousnesse and desireth to be found in Christ onely This way of believing is very paradoxal and hidden to a guilty conscience Cain did not know it Judas was not acquainted with it and thereupon eternally perished A second Effect of Faith ad intra is to receive virtue and power from Christ to subdue our corruptions to conquer our sinnes so that faith is the instrument of Sanctification as well as Justification Thus we are Members and Christ is the Head branches and he the Vine and as these are nourished and enlivened bringing forth fruit by having sap and virtue from the head or tree so are we supplied with virtue and efficacy for all imperfections by faith from Christ In so much that the excellent ready way to conquer any sinne to subdue any passion or unruly affections is by Faith to apply Christ to the soul If the branch would flourish it must not depart from the tree but still be ingraffed closer to receive power and thus thy way to overcome any noisome temptation is not to keep off from Christ to be discouraged by unbelief but the more sensible thou art of thy weaknesse and infirmities to lay the faster hold on Christ But oh how hard is it ere many of the children of God come to learn this good way They lie discouraged in their combate and conflict with sinne they are ashamed of their hypocrisie their guile Oh they are so unworthy and so wretched that they dare not come neer Christ and this hinders them Even as Peter out of a preposterous humility would not let Christ wash his feet but saith Christ If I wash thee not thou shalt have no part in me John 13.8 And then Peter saith Not my feet but my whole body also Oh when thou comest to know how acceptable it is to God and how comfortable to thy own self In the midst of all weaknesses and failings still to catch hold on Christ then thou wilt be inamoured with it saying How foolish and ignorant have I been Even like a beast and an enemy to my own good Therefore if thou art at any time overtaken with a sinne cast not away thy faith also That is as if a souldier because he hath received a blow should throw away his weapon by which he might offend his enemy If by thy doubts and diffidence thou art kept off from Christ how canst thou ever get power against sinne But let us come to the Effects ad extra For all say they believe all are confident in Christ for their salvation there is no man though prophane and abominable but he saith he believeth in Christ with all his heart Therefore there are Effects of faith ad extra in the outward man from which this Faith can never be separated no more than heat from fire or light from the Sunne As First It purifieth a man inwardly and outwardly from all filthiness He that truly believeth he cleanseth himself from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit Having these promises let us cleanse our selves 2 Cor. 7.1 and we have not them to make use of but by saith especially that is to our purpose Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith which is seen in a great manner by cleansing away that dross that mudde which is in every mans heart every mans heart is a filthy poisoned noisome fountain and faith cleanseth it purifieth it Thus John also He that hath this hope which is a necessary companion of faith purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Come then thou who speakest of thy faith What is thy heart thy life are they clean Thy heart men cannot enter into that may be a cage of unclean birds that may be a den of thieves their pride covetousness uncleanness may lodge and none in the world condemne thee for
tryumphs over all imaginable adversaries but why is he thus confident Because there is no condemnation to such as are in Christ Jesus If then the Sunne arise the dark night will be quickly dispelled and so if the light of Gods favour doth arise the feares and troubles which arise from outward exercises are quickly dissipated If then thou complainest thy strength is so small every temptation is ready to blow thee down as certainly the least puff will hurl a man down if faith be not lively the Damsels charging of Peter to be of Christs company made him curse and swear and fearfully apostatize here was no such great cause he was not arraigned imprisoned sentenced to die but this temptation blew down a strong Oak which teacheth us that a little calamity may throw us to the ground if faith be not lively and a great one cannot if faith be vigorous If I say thou complainest of thy weakness thy feares Let faith in Christ as a Mediatour be more powerfully put forth Secondly Faith doth quiet and compose the spirit by impetration or obtaining of God such a spirit For as you heard seeing it lyeth not in the power of man to give himself such a sweet blessed frame No he would give a world for it if it lay in his power it can only be obtained by application unto God Now that which most prevaileth with God is faith Whatsoever you ask believing you shall have it It 's faith only that makes the omnipotent God work for thee and in thee so that when we say faith makes the heart thus still and quiet you must not think it comes from faith as a natural cause as the fire burneth but morally by prevailing with God This is the grace that God doth so honour if we trust on him if we rest on him then God promiseth to give rest and peace to our soules Insomuch that it 's a Christians duty above all things to keep up the grace of faith to attend to that lest the whole kingdome be lost when that is lost for God is to us as we believe so God works for us as we trust in him so that our distrust makes God to be as no God or as an Idol-god having eies not to see us or hands not to help us Gods power will not communicate it self but upon believing as Christ told Mary Said I not unto thee if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of the Lord That glory was to make Lazarus dead your dayes and stinking in the grave to live again Now no less glorious alterations and changes will God work upon thee if thou trust in him for hereby Gods fidelity goodness and power is engaged and he will never deceive those that wholly rely upon him You see then why faith put forth in a lively manner can thus quiet the soul Because it 's the condition to which God doth make glorious promises Thirdly Faith doth instrumentally compose the soul because by it other graces are also set a work and so the more purified and cleansed the soul is from all corruption the clearer the heart is As the clearer the spring is then though it be moved and stirred yet for all that the streames will be pure Thus it is with a godly man when his heart is sanctified cleansed and adorned with grace then though he is plunged into tribulations instead of discontent impatience grudgings and murmurings instead of dejections and disquietness there is joy thankfulness and heavenly mindedness as if Juniper or sweet herbs be thrown into the fire the fiâ—e draweth out their sweet smel or as the wind blowing upon the sweet flower makes it smell more fragrantly Thus also when afflictions fall upon the godly faith having purified their hearts there do runne forth admirable and sweet breathings of the soul That faith exciteth other graces appeareth Heb. 11. Where all those glorious acts of grace which those Worthies abounded in are attributed unto their faith Lastly Faith lively exercised must thus serene the heart of a man because it doth suggest many noble and excellent arguments which do abundantly quiet and establish the soul Faith is argumentative it is very ingenious to find out all those Considerations which the Scripture affoards Now the Scripture is like the Apothecaries shop that can furnish with all cordials As First Faith argueth from Gods giving of Christ every thing else that is as necessary for us as Christ is Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else He doth not say some things but all things and then the expression how shall he not implyeth that it is a most absurd and irrational thing to think otherwise Now then faith doth thus quiet the soul Be not afraid or troubled the God that afflicts thee is he that hath given Christ to thee Now if ever God would have refused thee it would have been in this Know then that these afflictions these troubles they are good for thee they are necessary to humble thee to make sinne bitter they are as necessary in their kind as Christ was in his kind It cannot be want of love that these exercises are upon thee for is not Christ the great pledge of Gods love to thee Therefore faith turneth the heart of a man from that which is grievous and vexing to that which is pleasing and comfortable Though God giveth not this or that outward mercy yet he giveth Christ the fountain and original of all Secondly Faith represents God out of his word in some Attributes chiefly above others insomuch that the heart of a man being thereby lifted up to heaven to God himself it cannot be disturbed by things below As the Bird while soaring aloft in the heavens is not skared with this fear and that noise so while faith beareth up the heart to God and makes abode with him it 's not disquieted It 's the looking upon the waters that make giddy if we look up to the heavens they cannot disturb the brain Now these things in God doth faith powerfully improve First The wisdome of God that whatsoever the Lord doth it cannot be done wiser Therefore he is called the only wise God Now what wonderfull comfort may be suggested from hence That there is no affliction no temptation though never so heavy but it cometh and is ordered by infinite wisdome If thou hadst the disposing and ordering of all things it could not be done more wisely then it is nay thy own love to thy self if wise would order this affliction to come upon thee For do not you see a man whose parts of body are gangreend yet because he is wise though he loveth his ease yet willingly resigning himself to have those parts cut off for the good of the whole So that is one of the most comfortable considerations which faith supplies the heart with that whatsoever temptation is fallen upon thee the wise God hath ordered it so
Ordinance Any duty without Christ is like the body without the soul the shadow without the substance Truly saith the Apostle our Communion and fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.3 Thus Christ is said to come to us and sup with us By which phrases is implyed that the heart of a man should not rest in any duty and stay there but go to Christ in it As they that looked for Christs body were not content to see the linen where his body lay but did still seek after him It was not enough for the Church to be in the Garden where the Spices and Flowers did smell unless she found her Beloved there And thus it 's not enough to come to any duty to pray to hear to draw nigh in any Ordinance unless we meet with Christ himself But to whom are these things known Is it not with us as with little Children they can take a Book they look on it turn over the leaves but know not any of the sense of it Thus it is with many people they come to pray to hear to the Ordinances but to speak of Christ enjoyed by them to have spiritual Communion with Christ in them is such spiritual sense they understand not That was the great sinne of the Jews they rested in the Ordinances and duties of the Law and never looked out to Christ And against this the Apostle doth so vehemently dispute And thus we do with Ordinances of the Gospel people generally rest in the external performance of them and not on Christ in them aâ— if the Wise should be content with the Picture of her Husband not cariâ—g for the Husband himself The preaching of Christ as a foundation in this respect â—s of such practical necessity that all true godlinesse lyeth in this The Apostle speaking the quintessence of all godlinesse saith We are the Circumcision who have no confidence in the flesh but rejoyce in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.3 This is praying this is hearing this is the true performance of any religious duty when we have no confidence in them but rejoyce in Christ Jesus only Lastly We are to preach Christ not only as the foundation of our approaches to God but of all Gods gracious actions and visitations to us We are not only to come to God in Christs name but to expect that God will come to us through Christ God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Cor. 1.19 We are justified in Christ and saved in Christ All Gods gracious actions vouchsafed to us are founded upon Christ as the meritorious cause of them It 's rue the indeed predestination though it be in Christ for the accomplishment of all our spiritual mercies yet it was not for Christ This the Orthodox do well maintain by Scripture that Gods predestinating of us in the Original of it is wholly from the sovereign power and good counsel of God yea that Christ himself is the effect of Predestination from that good pleasure of his he gave his Sonne for us But then all the effâ—cts of Predestination Justification Adoption Remission Sanctification Salvation these all are bestowed for Christs sake They cost blood even the blood of his only Sonne ere we could be partakers of them Thus Christ joyneth Heaven and Earth together makes a Reconciliation between a provoked God and a sinfull sinner And this the Apostle considers when â—e saith That by him all things are reconciled in Heaven and in Earth Col 1.20 Thus you see Christ is a Fountain alwaies running We Ministers and you people may alwaies draw out there and yet the Fountain be never dry He is like those waters of Ezekiel that arise higher and higher In these an Elephant may swimme We may still discover more excellency more fulnesse in him The Queen of Sheba had no spirit to see Solomon in all his glory but behold a greater then Solomon here In the next place let us consider the Reasons why we Ministers are to lay no other foundation but Christ To make him all in all First It 's the main end and scope of the Scriptures only to exalt Christ and the end of the Ministry should be the same with the end of the Scripture All the Prophets before Christ they witnessed of the Messiah still they comforted the people with promises of his coming Abraham though so long before Christs Incarnation yet it 's said He saw Christs day and rejoyced Joh. 8.56 All those Sacrifices which were immediately â—t the beginning of the world did look to Christ they typified him Noah offered a Sacrifice and God did smell a sweet savour of rest Gen. 8. â—1 Alas Could the material Sacrifice do that God careth not for the Rammes and Bullocks upon the hils it smels there offensive but it was because of Christ Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices thou wouldst not have then said I Lord I come Heb 10.9 All those Rammes those Bullocks those Goats they all did typifie a Christ The people that then lived ought not to think that pardon of sin could be had by shedding of their blood Especially the Covenant of grace that God made with Abraham and renewed so many times did relate to Christ the seed in whom all Nations were to be made blessed And it 's good to consider how when the Church was in any great extremity the Prophets would then comfort it about Christ Isa 9. To us a Sonne is born And Isaiah 53. he doth as plainly prophesie Christs sufferings as the Evangelists relate it insomuch that some have called Isaiah the fifth Evangelist And the Prophet Micha He shall be our peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land Mich. 5.5 Thus then you see that all the Old Testament doth wholly tend to magnifie Christ and as for the New Testament that is wholly spent either in relating the History or the gracious Effects of Christ condemning all Doctrines and Opinions that would set up any thing in Christs room Secondly As the Scripture so Gods great purpose and counsell from all eternity was to set up Christ and to have him glorified Therefore would God take such a way as that by his Sonne all mercy should be obtained that so all honour glory and praise might be for ever given to him Hence it is that we read of God the Father sometimes appearing in a glorious manner and owning of him This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased viz. with man kind Mat. 3.17 hear him It 's disputed among Divines whether there could be any other way for our Redemption and Salvation but by him but who can tell what God absolutely may do or not do To be sure God hath determined on this way as that wherein the glory of the Father and of the Sonne may be more magnified If then God was pleased to have all glory given to Christ and to have him set up in all things it 's a great Reason we should honour him whom God would
Tit. 2.14 Now consider how great an obligation lyeth upon such as are Gods people They draw nigh to God in all duties of Communion and God draweth nigh to them in all dispensations of grace But how much holinesse faith and purity is required of such Did Ahasueros command those Virgins to be so many daies persuming and preparing themselves to come into his presence what preparation then ought to be in us when we draw nigh to such an excellent Majesty If you ask what are the duties of Communion with God Prayer and other religious approaches are And if we did know what these things were we would throw away all our rags and every thing that may offend his pure eyes Now herein people not diligently meditate Whose servants do we professe our selves to be Into whose presence are we going when we come to pray and humble our souls May we not say to every prophane and formal man Know ye not that Prayer is a Communion with the most high God Know ye not that the Word you hear is the Word of the great and living God And if so Why doest thou taâ—e no more heed Why dost thou not prepare thy self with fear and trembling So that if people would consider what it is to come and stand before God how the Angels cover their faces this would make them diligently throw away all their unseemlinesse upon them Remember him in the Parable that came without a wedding garment Mat. 22.12 So then think of this more how great that God is how precious and choice those duties are which you go about Thirdly If we did consider That the Word of God is the Rule all ought to walk by when once they give in their names to Christ This also would be a special antidote against all sinne You that are Christians are not to live as you list to make your covetous ambitious or malicious lusts your laws but you must take Gods Word to be your guidance Thus David professed of himself that he made the Word a light and lanthorn to his feet and thereby he was forewarned from sinne Psal 19. So a young man though unruly and masterfull yet he may cleanse his way by attending unto Gods Word Psal 119. This is the spiritual Bath that may wash away all our filth Now where is the man that attends to this Doth the Bible allow me to be thus and thus prophane Doth the Word of God suffer me to be thus licentious Oh ye know not what you do Should ye not know that when you are Baptized that thereby you do professe a submission to Christ and his Laws to walk in an orderly conformity thereunto What the Word saith do you will do what that forbids you will abstain from Yet how few do order their conversation hereunto Oh that we might prevail with you in this particular Take the Bible to be your Guide to be your Rule write after that Copy Let it be that heavenly Glasse according to which thou wilt dresse thy self Know ye not that this is the Law you must walk by you must think and speak by Fourthly The very name and title of a Christian if men did consider how much were in that what great alterations and changes would it make Thou gloriest in the title of a Christian Thou wouldst judge it the greatest reproach that could be to be accounted no Christian But what is a Christian not a meer title a meer idle name it is as much as one anointed with all the graces of Gods Spirit As Christ was therefore called Christ because he was annoinned by God with all abilities and sufficiency for that work of Redemptâ—on so we are called Christians because we as Members from that Head are anointed with fit graces for our particular places and Relations So that this spiritual and precious oyntment is poured upon every one that is a Christian indeed But as God complaineth of some Rev. 3.9 who said they were Jews but were not but of the Synagogue of Satan so God will in time judge all those that say they are Christians and are not but are of Satan doing his work Now if you look into many a mans life you may call that no more Christianity then a noisome dunghill a bed of Spices What is Christianity said Nazianzen and he giveth this definition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a likenesse or resemblance of God according to mans ability As if a man should say Thou wert a rich man and thou findest thy self in extreme poverty That thou art an healthfull strong man but thou findest thy pains and infirmities What Wouldst thou regard the titles and names of things if thou find the clear contrary So it should be here I am called a Christian but I have not the humility of Christ the meeknesse of Christ the zeal of Gods glory which Christ had What will this name avail me when the reality is wanting I intreat you think of this more Fifthly The consideration of a Believer hath much efficacy likewise in it and should be like fire in our bowels Doest thou believe Art thou no Atheist no mocker and scorner no scepticall or disputer in matters of Religion but a serious stedfast and constant Believer this is enough to make all within and without thee consonant to Gods will For take but two or three particular Objects of thy Faith which thou saiest thou doest with thy whole heart believe thou canst not thou darest not deny them As First Thou believest there is a God who is omniscient and omnipotent who judgeth the world whose eyes are alwaies upon thee David was much affected with this That God knew his siting down and rising up and that he could not go from his presence but God was every where present with him Psal 139. Now if you do believe this indeed how darest thou do those things in secret which thou wouldst not have the world know Is not God in thy Chamber in the Closet with thee And so How darest thou have heart-sinnes saying All is well because the world doth not behold it Thou hast proud thoughts malicious thoughts How darest thou do this if thou doest believe the eye of God is upon thee Oh then when thou art solicited to any evil way say Oh my soul knowest thou not that God is here Am I afraid of a mans eye and yet he cannot damn me he cannot throw me into Hell and do I not tremble at Gods eye Secondly To instance no more Thou believest a Day of Judgment appointed when all men must appear to give an account of what they have done in this world when Christ shall come as a Judge in flaming fire to take vengeance upon all that obey not the Gospel Those Lamps that the foolish Virgins had as well as the wise are that outward profession of Christs coming and an outward preparation to meet him Now to believe such a day coming of so impartiall a Judge in such a terrible manner might it not take
with what indignation and anger should a wicked man look upon his sins You have deprived me of God and do you ask what I aile My lusts my wickednesse have taken God from me how can I then but rore out Would these be as good as a God to me This should make thee cast off all sinne as Paul did the Viper saying Wilt thou be as good as great as all-sufficient to me as God would be if I do serve him Secondly This privative destruction lyeth in the want of all comfort and peace and joy that might be in the soul Take away the Sunne and there remaineth nothing but horrible darknesse take God away and the soul is full of all darknesse and horrour Hence in Hell are said to be gnawing wormes and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Dives desired but a drop of water to coole his tongue and but the top of his tongue yet could not obtain it not a drop and for the top of the tongue This was to shew that there could not be the least comfort the least ease the least quietnesse of conscience and indeed this is the great part of Hell Some have thought Hell to be nothing but the torments and horrour of conscience but the Scripture cannot so be put off Yet certainly this is the Hell of Hell the greatest part of destruction that the guilt of a mans sinnes shall perpetually gnaw and teare his conscience which will then be awakened and will fall like so much scalding Lead into the eye of a man And if a good conscience be a continual Feast that tormenting disquieted conscience in Hell will be a continual unspeakable evil Oh we see but what the very drops of this torment hath wrought upon men Cain went up and down trembling all the pleasures all the delights and travils he took could not drive out that trembling Judas with what horrour doth he cry out He cannot beare his burden And therefore the damned brought in crying to the mountains to cover them and the hils to hide them Rev. 6.16 Oh is this nothing to you or a light matter who sit and hear these things Those grosse and foul sinnes which now make no torment nor gripings in thy conscience thou canst runne into all beastly excesse and thou findest no gnawing worms upon thee Oh consider and believe it the time is coming when conscience will be awakened and not the least corner of thy soul will be freed from torments and howlings Go on then and eat and drink and care for none of these things but remember this destruction will fall upon thee whether thou wilt or no. Oh that men would pitty themselves Or rather Oh that God would pitty your souls and make you to consider the latter end of your sinnes At last they will bite like an Adder and sting like a Serpent Thirdly There is a losse of all outward help and comfort from others Here in this world though we many times are in grievous losses yet some comfort from a friend is like the pleasant showers to the parched ground and though they cannot deliver out of trouble yet a word of comfort doth much refresh But here the destroyed sinner is excluded from comforts and friends and all When Absolom was shut out of Davids presence then there was a Joab to mediate for favour again but when this destruction is then no Saint or Angel can either comfort or help us Yea which is saddest of all then that Mediatory Office of Christ doth cease Then there is no Advocate to make Intercession then the Blood of Christ will do no good In the midst of all that guilt and trouble for sinne we have in this life there is still this hope That Christ is a Mediatour to reconcile God and the sinner but when this eternal destruction shall come upon thee then there is no more hope or help by Christ then Christ is of no more use or advantage to thee So that the losse of all help and all hope through Christ must needs make this destruction more terrible And as for the second part of this Destruction which is Positive That lieth in the accumulation and heaping up of all misery imaginable and possible even for a God to inflict or the soule and body of man to receive It 's I say in the heaping up of all misery For the state of blessednesse lyeth not in any one or many comforts but in the aggregation of all desirable mercies So this state of destruction lyeth not in the sustaining of one or many miseries but the aggregation and conflux of all Therefore the Scripture expresseth it under many names of terrour sometimes darknesse utter darknesse sometimes a prison and chaines of darknesse therein sometimes fire and brimstone eternal fire sometimes a place of weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth sometimes death and everlasting death sometimes judgement and condemnation Now the Scripture useth not these words in vaine but would hereby awaken and terrifie us that we might at last cast away our sinnes which are the onely fuell for this fire In the next place Let us consider the Aggravation of this Destruction And First It 's an Eternal Destruction A destruction that is alwayes destroying and yet the party is not extinguished If the Socinian annihilation were this destruction or Origen's opinion for the salvation of men and Devils at last after thousands of yeares torments could prove true here was some hope but it 's a living death and a dying life it 's everlasting fire it 's the worme that never dieth In all earthly calamities on this side Hell this is a mitigation that they are not everlasting they are but evil for a moment there will be an end But here thou art kept alive to be tormented for ever Oh what a thunder bolt is that word for ever Torment for ever Horrour for ever Fire for ever yet so it is Secondly It 's an Vniversal Destruction in a moral sense There is not the least mixture of any joy of any hope For as Heaven is a state of unmixed happinesse there cannot a drop of gall fall into that ocean of happinesse So here there cannot a drop of honey fall into that ocean of gall we told you not a drop of water for the top of the tongue only could be obtained much lesse for the whole body Thirdly It 's an Inevitable Destruction God will destroy Who can stop Gods hand Who can hinder his blow If a little of Gods wrath be kindled Who can abide How much lesse when he stirreth up all his wrath It is the day of his wrath when Kingdomes and Nations feele the day of his temporal wrath How sad hath it been Jerusalem had her day of Gods wrath but these are onely drops to that ocean of his wrath Now manifold Uses may be made of this but I shall instance onely in one here Of Instruction Here is a plain and evident discovery of the madnesse and
fiducial and confident resting upon God or Christ and this is indeed the most noble and excellent Act of Faith Even as reason and understand are the chiefest acts of man though he can also sentire Faith as it doth thus rely on Christ it Justifieth But not only in matter of Justification doth it thus depend on God but also in all outward calamities and streights it in ableth the soul to rest and leane on the Lord. This is that trusting which David doth so often exhort to in the Psalmes For as a man cannot walk without legs or a Bird fly without wings so the soul of a man being wholly unable and impotent cannot subsist of it self but it must have something to lean upon It 's like Ivy that cannot grow of it self Now if the heart of man be corrupt his trust is wholly carnal he beareth up his heart and supports himself with some bladders or stilts that the world affords him But if his heart be sanctified then he doth solely depend upon the Power and Promise of God Now this trusting in God is a special duty and David many times useth this Argument why God should help him because he trusted in him We cannot in an higher manner glorifie God then by trusting in him For hereby we acknowledge God to be the Jehovah that he alone doth all things Insomuch that this is one of the chiefest duties required in the first Commandement The grace then of Faith hath this peculiar effect upon a man that it lifteth up the soul to God and maketh it rest and solely depend on him It 's true even in natural men there seemeth to be a trust in God but that doth as much differ from this holy confidence as light from darknesse For no natural man can put his trust in God there being as much grace required to put forth this as any other holy duty Secondly This trusting in God hath Its general Object And It s more special and adaequate Object The general Object is Any good thing that we stand in need of So that whatsoever the soul wants or the body wants Whatsoever thy necessities are thou art to depend on God for the supply This our Saviour insinuateth Mat. 6. to his Disciples when he tels them they should not be doubtfull and distrustfull what they should eat or drink but rest satisfied wholly in Gods provision who is an heavenly Father And therefore there is not any grace hath such a peculiar property to allay the tempests and rebuke the stormes of the soul as this hath This is David's Harp to chase away the evil spirit Whence are all those soul dividing and tormenting cares but from want of trust in God It were not possible thy heart should be so disquieted and tossed up and down if thou didst thus rest on him For this trusting in God it is a Catholocum it 's a general Remedy to all Exercises to all Dejections And hence when the Prophet Habbakuk saith The Just shall live by Faith the great Act of Faith in that place is dependance on God But then Faith as it's trusting and relying on God hath a more special and noble Object and that is Christ our Mediatour In the sense of all our guilt and unworthinesse we are to throw our selves on him And this is like the looking on the Brazen Serpent by which we are healed It 's not working or labouring but resting of our souls on Christ that justifieth And indeed if we can trust on him for our Justification for our salvation what a shame is it we cannot depend on him for supply of all outward necessities Doth not the Apostle argue with the highest reason that can be Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else Will not this shame all thy distrustfull and dividing thoughts when thou shalt say I believe in God for the salvation of my soul yet I cannot trust him with my Children my health or any other streight I am in Thirdly The Motives to trust in God in the midst of all Exercises are two-fold Gods Promise And Gods Power For as our Saviour said concerning those who did not believe the Scripture They erred because they did not know the Scriptures nor the power of God Thus it 's here All thy dejected and repining thoughts arise within thee because thou art ignorant of his Truth his power First There must be Gods Promise otherwise it 's not trust in God but carnal presumption If a man should neither work nor eat or drink yet say He trusts in God for his life this would be desperate presumption for there is no Promise made to such Therefore whatsoever thy heart is born up with be sure thou hast a Promise for it And if there be a Promise then know Heaven and Earth will sooner fail then that Promise It 's true in the Old-Testament dispensation there were particular Promises made for many mercies so that they might the more boldly confide in God As David in this very particular he had a peculiar Promise that the Kingdom should be established to him and therefore he was assured that this Conspiracy of Absolom should not prevail Now although we have not such peculiar Promises made to us that God will remove such a calamity take away such an affliction yet we have a general Promise for every good thing and that all things shall turn to our good Which may make every Believer say I know either God will take this affliction away or it will be for my good That it is better for me to have it then to be without it And is not here ground of quietnesse enough within thee This makes the Apostle James give such a Proviso to all our Petitions Let him ask in Faith nothing doubting Chap. 1. for if he doubteth let him be assured he shall have nothing Now how must a Christian in every Prayer about temporal things pray without doubting I shall not say as some do That even in all temporal mercies we are to pray with the same assurance as for spiritual That temporal things are as absolutely promised as spiritual And therefore if any temporal mercy be not vouchsafed to us it 's wholly for want of Faith and Confidence But I rather joyn with those that say He must not doubt of Gods Truth and Goodnesse to help neither must he doubt whether he shall not have that or the equivalent This he must assure himself of And truly if a Christian would proceed thus farre he would find a world of ease and quietnesse in his mind And as Gods Promise so his Power also that is a second Motive for this trust in God For if we do not believe God is able to raise up the dead to call things as are not as if they were If we think the temptation too great the affliction too desperate then we cannot put any assurance in God Fourthly We adde in the Doctrine that Faith depending upon God