betwixt Christ and the believer Faith being indeed an uniting grace and that which knitteth the members to the head and to make this more fully appear we would point out a little what a sweet harmony and correspondency there is betwixt these two sister-graces to wit Faith and Love Faith is that nail which fasteneth the soul to Christ and Love is that grace which driveth that nail to the head Faith at first taketh but a tender grip of Christ and then love cometh in and maketh the soul take a more sure grip of him Secondly ye may see their harmony in this Faith is that grace which taketh hold as it were of the garment of Christ and of his words but Love that ambitious grace it taketh hold of the heart of Christ and as it were his heart doth melt in the hand of Love Thirdly it may be seen in this Faith is that grace which draweth the first draught of the likeness and Image of Christ upon a soul but that accomplishing grace of Love it doth compleat these first draughts and these imperfect lineaments of Christs Image which were first drawn on the soul Fourthly by Faith and love the heart of Christ and of the believer are so united that they are no more two but one Spirit 2. There is this second act that Faith exerciseth on Christ and it is in discovering the matchless excellencies and the transcendent properties of Jesus Christ O what large and precious coÌ„mentaries doth Faith make upon Christ it is indeed that faithful spy which doth alwayes bring up a good report of him Hence it is that Faith is called understanding Coloss 2.2 because it is that grace which revealeth much of the precious truth of that noble object 3. And there is this third noble act of Faith exercising it self upon Christ viz. It maketh Christ precious to the soul according to that word 1. Pet. 2.7 unto you which believe he is pretious And if there were no other thing to speak forth its worth but that it is more then sufficient for no doubt this is the exercise of the higher House to be dwelling on the contemplation of Christs beauty and to have their souls transported with love towards him and with joy in him Reason and amazement are seldom companions but here they do sweetly join together First a Christian loveth Christ because of Christs actings and then he loveth all these actings because they come from Christ 2. Now secondly this pointeth out the precious excellency of the grace of Faith it is that grace which is most my sterious and sublime in its actings it hath a more divine and sublime way of acting then any other grace hence it is called The Mystery of Faith which speaketh this that the actings of Faith are mysteries to the most part of the world and I shall only point at these things which may speak out the mysterious actings of the grace of Faith 1. Faith can believe and fix it self on a word of promise although sense reason and probability seem to contradict the accomplishment of that promise Faith it walketh not by the low dictates of sense and reason but by a higher rule to wit The sure word of prophecy which is clear from Rom. 4.19 where Abraham believed the promise notwithstanding that sense and reason seemed to contradict it He considered not the deadness of his own body neither the barrenness of Sarahs womb but was strong in faith giving glory to God And it is cleâ—… from Heb. 11.29.30 where Faith believed their passing through the Red sea upon dry ground which was most contrary to sense and reason Faith be lieved the falling down of the walls of Jericho bâ— the blowing of rams horns which things are most impossible to sense and reason for sense will of tentimes cry out All men are liars and reasoâ— will say How can such a thing be and yet that he roick grace of Faith cryeth out Hath he spokeâ— it He will also do it Hath he said it Then 〈◊〉 shal come to pass 2. Faith can believe a word of promise notwithstanding that the dispensations of God seem to contradict it as was clear in Job who professed he would trust in God though he should kiâ—… him And no doubt but this was the practice oâ— believing Jacob he trusted that that promise should be accomplished that the elder should serve the younger though all the dispensations of Goâ— which he did meet with seemed to say that promise should not be accomplished 3. Faith can believe a word of promise even when the commands of God seem to contradicâ— the accomplishment of that promise this is cleaâ— in that singular instance of Abrahams Faith that notwithstanding he was commanded to kill his promised seed upon whom did depend the accomplishment of the promises yet he believed that the promises should be performed And though there were indeed extrordinary and strange tryâ—ls of his Faith as he had natural affections to wrestle with yet over the belly of all these believing Abraham he giveth Faith to the promise and bringeth his son Isaac to the Altar though he did receive him back again this is clear from Heb. 11.17.18.19 4. Faith can exercise it self upon the promise notwithstanding that callenges and convictions of unworthinesse and guilt do wait on the Christian this is clear 2 Sam. 23.5 that although his house was not so with God as did become yet he believed the promise as likewise it is clear from Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me and yet that doth not interrupt his faith but he saith As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away And certainly it were a noble and precious act of Faith to believe notwithstanding of unanswerable challenges of guilt the best way both to crucifie our Idols and to answer those challenges is believing and hoping against hope and closing with Christ this is clear from Isa 64.6.7 compared with ver 8. where after strange challenges the Prophet hath a strange word but now O Lord thou art our Father There is an Emphasis in the word now for all this yet thou art now our Father 5. And lastly this pointeth out the mysterious acting of the grace of Faith that it exerciseth it self upon an invisible object even upon Christ not yet seen according to that word 1 Pet. 5.8 Whom having not seen yet ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing 〈◊〉 I pose the greater part of you who are here whâ—ther or not these be two of the greatest paradoâ—… and mysteries unto you For is not this a mâ—stery to love him whom we never saw Whom having not seen yet ye love To love an absent aâ—… unseen Christ is a mystery to the most part of thâ— world and is not this a mystery to believe on his whom we never saw In whom though ye see hiâ— not yet believing And I shal add this that Faiâ—… can hold fast its interest with God notwithstanding the most
and is crying out that word in Isai 65.1 Behold me behold me O may we not summon Angels and those twenty four elders about the Throne to help us to wonder that ever such a command as this came forth that we should believe on the name of the Son of God after that we had broken that first and Primitive command That we should not eat of the forbidden tree VVas not this indeed to make mercy rejoice over judgement And O may we not wonder at the precious oath of the everlasting Covenant whereâ—…y he hath sworn that he delighteth not in the death of sinners What suppose ye were poor Adams thoughts when at first the doctrine of free-grace and of a crucified Christ Jesus a Savior was preached unto him in Paradise What a divine surprisal was this that Heaven should have preached peace to earth after that earth had proclaimed war against Heaven Was not this a low step of condescendency to behold an offended God preaching peace and good-will to a guilty sinner What could self-destroying AdaÌ„ think of these morning first discoveries of this everlasting Covenant Christ as it were in the morning of time giving vent to that infinite love which was resting in his bosome precious heart before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid We know not whether the infiniteness of his love the eternity of his love or the freedom of it maketh up the greatest wonder but sure these three joyned together maketh up a matculess and everlasting wonder Would any of you ask that question what is Christ worth We could give 〈◊〉 answer so sutable as this It is above all the Arithmetick of all the Angels in Heaven and all the men on earth to calculate his worth all men here must be put to a divine non plus This was Jobs divinity Job 28.13 Man knoweth not the price of wisdom and must not Jesus Christ who is the precious object of faith and wisdom of the Faither be a supereminent excellent One who hath that name of King of Kings and Lord of Lords not only engraven on his vesture which pointeth out the conspicuousness of his Majesty but even also upon his thigh to point out that in all his goings motioâ—s he proveth himself to be higher than the Kings of the earth And howbeit the naked proposing of the object doth not convert yet if once our souls were admitted to behold such a sight as Christ in his beauty and Majesty and to be satisfied with the divine rayes of his transcendent glory then certainly we should find a blessed necessity laid upon us of closing with him for Christ hath a sword proceeding out of his precious mouth by which he doth subject subjugat his own to himself as well as he hath a sword girded upon his thigh by which he judgeth and maketh war with his enemies We confess it is not only hard but simply impossible to commit an hyperbole in commending of him his worth being always so far above our expressions our expressions alwayes so far beneath his worth therefore we may be put to propose that desire unto him Exalt thy self O Lord above the Heavens But now to our purpose being at this time to 〈…〉 discourse upon that radical and precious grace of Faith we intend to speak of it under this twofold notion consideration First we shal speak of it as it is justifying or as it doth lay hold upon the righteousness of a crucified Savior making application of the precious promises in the Covenant of free grace which we call justifying Faith And in the second place we shal speak a little unto Faith as it doth lay hold upon Christs strength for advancing the work of mortification and doth discover the personal excellencies of Jesus Christ by which we advance in the work of Holiness and divine conformity with God which we call sanctifying Faith However it is not to be supposed that these are different habits of Faith but different acts flowing from the same saving habit laying hold and exercising themselves upon Christ indifferent respects and for diverse ends Now to speak upon the first we have made choise of these words The Apostle John in the former verse had been pointing out the precious advantages of the grace of ObedieÌ„ce of keeping of his CoÌ„mands that such an one hath as it were an arbitrary power with God doth receive many precious returns of prayer As likewise that one who is exercised in the grace of Repentance is Gods delight which is included in this that he doth those things that are well pleasing in his sight And now in these words he doth as it were answer an objection that might be proposed about the impossibility of attaining these precious advantages seeing his commands were so large and that hardly could they be remembred This he doth sweetly answer by setting down in this one verse a short compend or breviary both of Law Gospel viz. That we should love one another which is the compend of the Law and that we should believe on the Name of his Son which is the compend of the Gospel by this he showeth the Christian that there are not many things required of him for attaining these excellent advantages but if he exercise himself in the obedience of these two comprehensive commandments he shall find favor both with God and man And as concerning this precious grace of Faith we have 1. The advantages of it implyed in the words clear also from the scope as no doubt all the coÌ„mands have infinite advantages infolded in their bosom which redouÌ„ds to a believer by his practising of them And 2. the excellency of it holden forth in the words in that it is called his command as if he had no other command but this And the Greek particle is here prefixed which hath a great deal of emphasis and force in it and this is his Commandment But 3. there is this also the absolute necessity of this grace holden forth here in this word his Commandment as if he had said by proposing of this command I do set life and death before you and that you would not conceive that it is an arbitrary indifferent thing for you to believe or not but be perswaded of this that as an infinite advantage may constrain you to the obedience of it so absolute necessity must perswade you to act that which is of your everlasting concernment And lastly ye have the precious object upon which Faith which is justifying doth exercise it self and that is upon the name of the Son of God and no doubt faith is that excellent grace which doth elevate the soul unto a sweet inseparable union with Christ and is that golden precious knot that doth eternally knit the hearts of these precious friends together Faith is that grace that draweth the first draughts of Christs precious image on our hearts by love doth accomplish and perfect them No Faith
we will not delight our selves in loving of him And I would say this to you that though ye should weep the one half of your dayes and pray the other half yet if ye want this noble grace of Faith your righteousness shall be but like a monstruous cloath and filthy rags before him For what is praying without believing but a taking of his blessed Name in vain What is our conferring upon the most divine and precious truths of God without believing it is not a lying to the Holy Ghost and a flattering of God with our mouth And we would have you knowing this that there is a sweet harmony that is now made up betwixt Moses and Christ betwixt the Law and the Gospel The Law bringeth us to Christ as a Savior and Christ bringeth us back again to the Law to be a rule of our walk to which we must subject our selves So then would ye know the compend of a Christians walk It is a sweet travelling betwixt Mount Sinai and Mount Sion betwixt Moses and Christ betwixt the Law and the Gospel And we conceive that the more deep that the exercise of the Law be in a Christians conscience before his closing with Christ there is so much the more precious and excellent advantages waiting for him I. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law that it is the way to win to much establishment in Faith when once we begin to close with Christ O Christians would ye know that which maketh the superstructure and building of grace to be within you as a bowing wall and as a tottering sence of that oftentimes ye are in hazard to raze the foundation it is this ye were not under the exercise of the Law before your believing in Jesus Christ There are some who do not abide three days at Mount Sinai and these shall not dwell many days at Mount Sion II. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law it maketh Christ precious to a mans soul What is that which filleth the soul of a Christian with many high and excellent thoughts of Christ Is it not this to have the Law registrating our Bond and putting us as we use to speak to the Horn That is to have the Law cursing us and using the sentence of condemnation against us That which maketh us have such low and undervaluing thoughts of precious Christ is because the most part of us are not acquainted with the deep and serious exercise of the Law that is a mystery to the most part of a Christians practise Ye know that there were four streams which went out from the Paradise of God into which man was first placed and so may we say that there are four golden streams by which lost and destroyed man is brought back again to this Eden and Paradise of everlasting delights First there is the precious stream of Christs righteousness by which we must be justified And secondly there is that stream of his Sanctification by which we must be purified Thirdly there is that stream of the wisdom of Christ by which we must be conducted through this wilderness wherein we have lost our way And fourthly there is that stream of Christs Redemption by which we must be delivered from the power of our enemies and must turn the battel in the gate it is by the Redemption of Christ that we shall once sing that triumphant song O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory O but all these streams will be sweet and refreshing to a soul that is hotly pursued by the Law So long as we see not the ugliness of our leprosie in that glass of the Law we have our own Abana and Parpher that we think may do our turn but when once our case is truly laid open to us then will we be content to wash our selves in Jordan seven times III. There is this advantage that waiteth on the deep exercise of the Law that it maketh a Christian live constantly under the impression of the sinfulness of sin What is it that maketh sin exceeding sinful to a Christian Is it not this he hath been fourty dayes in Moses School And we conceive that the ground why such fools as we make a mock of sin is because we know not what it is to be under the power of his wrath and the apprehensions of the indignation of God But now to come to that which we intend to speak of we told you at the first occasion that we spake upon these words that there were many excellent things concerning the grace of Faith holden forth in them The first thing which was holden forth concerning this radical grace of Faith was the infinite advantage that redoundeth to a Christian through the exercise of Faith and giving obedience to this command which we cleared to be holden forth not only from the scope but also from the nature of this command And now to speak a little to the point we shall propose these cosiderations that may abundantly show how advantagious a thing this excellent grace of Faith is I. The first consideration that speaketh it is this that Faith maketh Christ precious to a soul according to that word 1 Pet. 2.7 To you that believe Christ is precious And we would have you knowing this that Faith maketh Christ more precious to a soul then sense or any other thing can make him And first Faith maketh Christ more precious then sense because the estimation which the grace of Faith hath of Christ it is builded upon the excellency of his Person but the estimation of sense it is builded upon the excellency of his actings so that because he is such to them therefore they love and esteem him But that heroick grace of Faith it taketh up the excellency of Christs person and that maketh him precious to them Secondly Faith makes Christ more precious then sense because sense looketh to that love which Christ manifesteth in his face and in his hands and in his feet But Faith looketh to that love which is in his heart Sence will cry forth Who is like to thee whose countinance is like Lebanon excellent as the cedar whose hands are as gold rings set with beril and whose legs are like pillars of marble set in sockets of gold Sense will look to the smilings of Christ and will wonder it will look to his dispensations and actings and will be constrained to cry out Who is like unto thee But the grace of Faith solaceth it self in the fountain from whence all these springs and sweet inundations of love do flow Thirdly Faith maketh Christ more precious then sense because Faith looketh not only to what Christ is presently but unto what Christ is from eternity before time and what Christ shall be unto eternity after time but sense only doth look to what Christ is presently And ye must conceive that the sweet travelling of Faith betwixt infinite love from eternity before
preswaded there are many to whom at that day this Doctrine would be ravishing viz. That there were not a death that there were not a God and that there were not an eternity O! will you believe That the sword of the justice of God is bathed in heaven and shall come down to make a sacrifice not in the land of Idumea nor in the land of Bezra but he is to make a sacrifice amongst his people who seemed to make a Covenant with him by sacrifice Ah ah shall we say that if that argument were used to many that within fourty dayes they should be at their long and everlasting home they would yet spend thirty nine of those dayes in taking pleasure upon their lusts I am perswaded of this that there are many who think that the way betwixt heaven and earth is but one dayes journey they think they can believe in one day and triumphant night But O it shal be short triumphing that such Believers as those shal have Therefore O dy to close with a crucified Saviour rest on hiâ— by Faith delight your selves in him with loâ—… and let your souls be longing for the day wheâ— that voyce shall be heard in Heaven O hoâ— sweetly will it be sung Arise arise arise my lovâ— my dove my fair one and come away for behâ—… your Winter is past your everlasting Summer is comâ— and the time of the singing of the birds is neâ—… When Christ shall come over these Mountains 〈◊〉 Bether he shall cry Behold I come and the sow shall sweetly answer Come blessed Lord Jesuâ— come O what a life shall it be that with those two arms you should eternally incircle Christ anâ— hold him in your arms or rather be incircled by him Wait for him for he shall come and his reware is with him and he shal once take home the weâ—ried travellers of hope SERMON IV. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that yâ— should believe on the Name of his Son Jesuâ— Christ c. THere are two great and excellent gistâ— which God in the depth of his boundlesse love hath bestowed on his own First there iâ— that infinite gift and royal donation his own beloved Son Jesus Christ which is called The gift of God John 4.10 And secondly there is that excellent gift of the grace of Faith which God hath bestowed upon his own which is also called The gift of God Ephes 2.8 Faith is the gift of God And is it not certain that these two gracious gifts ought to engage our souls and hearts much unto him Infinite Majesty could give no gift greater then his Son and infinite poverty could receive no other gift so sutable as Christ It was the most noble gift that Heaven could give and it is the greatest advantage for earth to receive it And we could wish that the most part of the study and practise of men that is spent in purfuit after these low and transient vanities might be once taken up in that precious pursuit after Christ We could wish that all the questions and debates of the time were turned over into a soul-concerning question What shal we do to be saved And that all the questions controversies and contensions of the times were turned over into that divine contention and heavenly debate Who should be most for Christ who should be most for the exalting of the noble and excellent plant of renown And that all our judgings and searchings of other mens practises and estats might â—e turned over into the useful search to prove and examine our selves whether we be in the faith or not And I would ask you this question What are your thoughts concerning precious Christ seeing he is that noble object of Faith We would only have you take along these things by which Christ may be much commended to your hearts First there was never any that with the eyes of Faith did behold the matchless beauty and transcendent worth of that crucified Saviour that returned his enemy There is soul-conquering vertue in the face of Christ and there is heaâ—… captivating and overcoming power in the beautyâ— Jesus Christ This first sight that ever persecution Saul got of Christ it brought him unto an endleâ—… captivity of love Secondly there is this that wâ— would say of precious Christ which may engagâ— our souls unto him that for all the wrongs believers do to Christ yet hath he never an ill word 〈◊〉 them to his Father but commends them which is clear from that of John 17.6 where Christ doâ—… commend the Disciples to the Father for the gracâ— of obedience They have kept thy word And for thâ— grace of Faith vers 8. They have believed that the didst send me And yet were not the Disciple most defective in obedience both in this The they did not take up their cross and follow Christ and also that they did not adhere to him in the daâ— that he was brought to Cajaphas Hall And weâ— they not most defective in the grace of Faith as 〈◊〉 clear from Matth. 17 17. and likewise from John 14.1 he is pressing them to believe iâ— him and yet he doth commend them to the Father as most perfect in those things Thirdly there is this that we would lastly say of him who iâ— the noble object of Faith look to the eminent depths of Christs condescendency and then you will be provoked to love him Was it not infinite love that made Christ to ly three dayes in the Grave that we might be through all the ages of eternity with him Was it not infinite condescendency that made his precious head wear a crown of Thorns that we might eternally wear a crown of glory Was it not infinite condesendency that made Christ wear a purple robe that so we might wear that precious robâ— of the righteousness of the Saints And was it not matchless condescendency that Christ who know no sin was made sin for us that so we might become like unto him and be made the righteousness of God in him But to come to that which we intend mainly to speak upon at this time which is that second thing that we proposed to speak of from these words and that is concerning the excellency of this grace of Faith which we cleared was holden out in that that Faith was called his commandment which is called by way of eminency and excellency There are many things in Scripture which may sweetly point out the precious excellency of this grace of Faith and we shal only speak to these things I. The first thing that speaketh out the excellency of Faith is this it exerciseth it self upon a most noble object to wit Jesus Christ Faith and Love being the two arms of the immortal soul by which we do imbrace a crucified Savior which is often pointed at in Scripture and we shal point at these three principal acts of Faith which it exerciseth on Jesus Christ as the object of it 1. The first is to make up an union
the brightness of his glory and â—his filleth the soul with divine fear and admiraâ—ion Hence is that word Heb. 11.28 That we see by Faith him that is invisible As if he hâ—… said faith is that grace that maketh things thâ—… are invisible visible unto us It letteth the soâ— see Christ in his relative excellencies that is what he is to us Faith taketh up Christ as husband and from thence we are provoked 〈◊〉 much boldnesse and divine confidence and with all to see those rich possessions that are provideâ— for us by our elder brother who was born for aâ—versity Faith taketh up Christ as a blesseâ— days man that did lay his hands on us both And froâ— thence it is constrained to wonder at the condescendency of Christ It taketh him up as dying and as redeeming us from the power of the grave and from the hands of our enemies and thâ— provoketh Christians to make a total and absoluâ— resignation of themselves over unto Christ I serve him all the dayes of their life in righteousneâ—… and holiness And thirdly Faith maketh the soâ— behold those mysterious draughts of spotless lovâ— those divine emanations of love that hath floweâ— from his ancient and everlasting love since thâ— world began Would you know the great grouâ—… why we are so ignorant of him who is the study 〈◊〉 Angels and so all that are about the Throne 〈◊〉 is this we are not much in the exercise of faitâ— And if we would ask that question What is thâ— way to attain the saving knowledge of God 〈◊〉 Christ We could give no answer to it but thiâ— Believe and again believe and again believe Faith openeth those mysterious seals of hâ— boundless perfections and in some way teacheâ— â—he Christian to answer to that unanswerable question What is his Name And what is his â—ons Name There is this secondly that poinâ—eth out the sweetnesse of Faith that it giveth an â—xcellent relish unto the promises and maketh them food to our souls What are all the promiâ—…s without faith as to our use but as a dead letâ—er hath no life But faith exercised upon the promises maketh a Christian cry out The â—ords of his mouth are sweeter unto me then the hoâ—ey and the honey comb as is clear from Heb. 11.12.13 It is by faith that we embrace the promiâ—es and do receive them Thirdly the sweetness of faith may appear by â—his that it enableth a Christian to rejoyce under the most anxious and afflicting dispensations â—hat he meeteth with whilst he is here below as 〈◊〉 clear from Rom. 5.1.3 where his being justiâ—…ed by faith hath this fruit attending it to joy in â—…ibulation and likewise from Heb. 10.34.35 â—oth not faith hold the crown in its right hand â—nd letteth a Christian behold these infinite digâ—ities that are provided unto them after they â—ave as a strong man run their race And when 〈◊〉 Christian is put into a furnace hotter seven â—imes more then ordinary it bringeth down the â—on of man Jesus Christ to walk with them in â—he furnace so that they walk safely and with joy through fire and water and in a manner they â—an have no cross in his company For would â—e know what is the description of a Cross It 〈…〉 want Christ in any estat And would you know what is the description of prosperity It is to have Christ in any condition or estate of life What can ye want that have him And what can you have that want him He is that all so that all things beside him are but vanity But besides this faith doth discover unto a Christian that there is a sweet period of all his trials and afflictions that he can be exposed unto so that he can never say that of faith which Ahab spoke of Micajah He never prophesieth good things to me but rather he may say alwayes the contrary faith never prophesieth evil unto me it being a grace that prophesieth excellent things in the darkeâ— night and sweetly declareth that though weeping do endure for the evening yet joy commeth in the morning And that though now they go forth weeping bearing precious seed yet at last they shal return reioycing having sheaves in their bosome And this may bring in the fourth consideration to point out the sweetness of Faith that 〈◊〉 giveth a refreshing sight of that land which is afar off and maketh him to behold that inheritance that is provided for the Saints in light It goeth forth to the brook Eshcol and there doth pluck down those grapes that grow in Emmanucls land to bring up a good report upon that noble Countrey we are sojourning towards and the city the streets whereof are paved with transparent gold And howbeit it may be a perplexing debate between many and their own souls whether or not these eyes that have been the windows through which so much uncleanness hath entered and those species of lust have been conveyed into the heart shal once be eyes of a dove washed with milk and fitly set and be admitted to see that glorious object the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne Or whether ever these tongues that have been set on fire of hell and these polluted lips that have spoke so much against God and heaven and all his people and interests shall ever be admitted to sing these heavenly Halelujahs amongst those spotless quire of Angels and that assembly of the first-born Or if these hands or feet that have been so active to commit iniquity and so swift to run after vanity shal ever be admitted hereafter to carry those Palm branches and follow the Lamb where ever he goeth Or whether ever these hearts that have been indeed a Bethaven a house for Idols may yet notwithstanding be a dwelling for the Holy Ghost Though these things we say and such like may be the subject of many sad debates to some weary souls and cause many toffings to and fro till the morning yet faith can bring all these mysteries to light and looking within the vail can let us see thousands of thousands who were once as ugly as our selves yet now having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb admitted to stand before the Throne of God and serve him day and night Now there is that fourthly which we promised to speake of concerning this grace of Faith from these words and it is the absolute necessity that is of the exercise of this grace which is holden forth in that word His Commandment which doth import these three things 1. Thâ— all the commands that we can obey without thâ— commandment of Faith it is but a polluting 〈◊〉 our selves and a plunging of our selves in thâ— ditch till our own cloaths abhor us 2. Thâ— God taketh greater delight in the exercise of thâ— grace of Faith then in the exercise of any other And lastly that as to the many imperfections which we have in our obedience there is a sweet act of oblivion past of
THE MYSTERY OF FAITH OPENED UP Or some SERMONS concerning Faâ—… two whereof were not formerly printed Wherein the Nature Excellency and Usefulness of that noble Grace is much cleared and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed Whereunto are added three other Sermons two concerning the Great-Salvation one of these not formerly printed and a third concerning Death By that pious and worthy Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Andrew Gray late Minister of the Gospel in GLASGOW All these Sermons being now carefully revised and much corrected John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God Glasgow Printed by ROBERT SAâ—… and are to be sold at his shop 〈…〉 CHRISTIAN READER AMongst many weighty and soul piercing sentences that ye will find in these following Sermons this is one That the professors of this age whether they go to Heaven or Hell they will be the greatest debtors that shal be in either place the one to the free grace of God and the other to his Justice And certainly if we speak of these in this time whose blessed lot it shal be to inherit the Kingdom they cannot but acknowledge themselves indebted to his love above all that have gone before them for washing them from such ugly pollutions as this generation hath been defiled with for bringing theÌ„ through such great tribulations preserving them in the midst of so great tentations and dangerous snares and have encompassed them yea and still keeping in the light before them notwithstanding of so many blasts if we may so speak from all the four winds of Hell to blow it out And on the other hand if we shal speak of these who in this generation shal perish assuredly their debt unto Divine Justice must be exceeding great above all who are gone down to the pit before them because the rod of their mercies will be found to have been many Cubits longer and many Cubits broader then theirs who lived in the preceeding ages and the great things that the Lord hath wrought in our days have born a greater testimony against the wickedness hardness and atheism of this time then of many former But above all the great measure of Gospel light that he hath no less plentifully offered then wonderfully preserved to this generation beyond all our Ancestors hath undoubtedly made the sin of these who shal utterly reject their own mercy so out of measure sinful and their unbelief so exceedingly inexcusable that their guilt must needs justifie Corazin and Bethsaida or Sodom and Gomorrah in that day when every man shal give account of himself to God And amongst the many preaching-witnesses that alace we are afraid shal compear in that day against many yet living in their pleasures and dead while they live This now glorified Author cannot but be one whose testimony must be very condemning especially to the vain loose negligent and time wasting youth in this age For when he was first drawn forth to the Ministry he was but a youth indeed scarce twenty years compleat for within that age that by the Constitutions of this Church except in case of more than common abilities which indeed he had is required for entring in that great and holy Calling And for the space of two years after which was all the time that the Church enjoyed his labour he was helped to press the truths and threatnings of God so home upon the consciences of his hearers that as it was observed of him by one of his most learned and pious Colleagus Master Durham who is now in glory with him he did many times cause the hair of their head to stand up The Lord not only hereby verifying his Word that he can take the weak things of the World to confound the strong and out of the mouths of babes can perfect his own praise but designing also as would seem of purpose to send a boy out of the school for a reprover of the sluggishness of his people that thereby the aged might be the more ashamed and the younger more afraid Neither do we think that this was all but truly when we consider what measure of graces gifts and experiences the Lord did bestow upon so young a person and then with what humility self-denial gravity prudence diligence authority and moderation he was helped to manage these Talents during that short time of his Ministry It may be justly conceived that the Lord brought him forth to be a great conviction even to many of us in the Ministry who came into our Masters Vineyard long before him and will go out behind him And indeed to us it looketh somewhat like the Lords taking up of the little child and setting him amongst the midst of his contending Disciples in thâ—se times that even they who would be greatest amongst us might be the least and see somewhat of their own weakness As to the little Piece whatever ye shal find in it it hath this to say for it self that whereas many writings in the World do intrude themselves upon the Press yet this the Press hath violently thrust into the world For some young Student from his good affection to the edification of the Lords people and no doubt from his high esteem of the precious Author his memory having given into the Press a copy of some of these Sermons being only notes taken from his mouth when he preached them no sooner were they seen abroad but all the Presses in the Nation fell a laboring about them so that if we mistake not in less then two or three months time three or four Impressions were cast of yet all of them so imperfect and maimed that howbeit the excellency of the matter and the fresh remembrance of the worthy Author his name made him very sweet to many especially those who had heard him preach yet the unsuitable dress wherein they appeared and their mistakes of the first Writers they being hard lyable to take up every thing as it was spoken occasioning diverse material failings in the sense besides lesser faults could not but be a trouble to those who were acquainted not onlie with the singular graces but parts also of the eminent Youth This gave occasion to some friends to speak a little what way these prejudices which both the Truth and the Authors name might ly under by these uncorrect Impressions And finding that the Copy which by providence the worthie young Gentlewoman who was his wife had lying by her though it was but Notes taken from his mouth yet was the most correct that could be found And that it also did contain the whole purposes that had been preached upon the Texts Yea the whole purposes concerning Faith that he had preached according to that method proposed in the first of the Sermons formerly published This was undertaken to be revised by some who albeit none of the fittest for the imployments yet rather or nothing should be done in the business were
taketh hold not only on the faithfulness of God that he is a God of truth that in him there is no lie but likewise it taketh hold on the Omnipotency of God that he is one to whom nothing is too hard and on the infinite mercy love of God that he is one who doth delight to magnify this attribute above all his works and these are the three great pillars of justifying Faith From the first it answers all the objections of sense which doth ordinarily cry forth Doth all his promise fail for evermore And that with his one word If he hath once purposed it he will also do it and if he hath once spoken it he will also make it come to pass From the second it answereth all these objections that may arise from carnal reason and probability which tendeth to the weakning of his confidence And these do oftentimes cry out How can these things be But Faith laying hold upon the Omnipotency of God it staggers not at the promise but is strōg in the faith giving glory to God And it is the noble and divine exercise of this heroick grace of Faith that these objections of reason and probability which it cannot answer it will lay them aside and yet close with the promise which was the practice of believing Abraham who considereth not his own body being weak nor the barrenness of Sarahs womb As likewise it was the commendable practise of that woman Matth. 15. who not being able to answer the second trial of her faith from reason yet notwithstāding Faith made her cry out Have mercy on me O Son of David And from the last a Christian doth answer all the arguments of misbelief which doth arise from the convictions of our unworthiness and sinfulness which makes us oftentimes imbrace that Divinity of Peters Luke 5.8 Depart from me for I am a sinful man But Faith taking hold on the infinite mercy and love of Christ it answereth all with this He walks not with us according to that rule of merit but according to that precious and golden rule of love and boundless compassion But before we shal speak any thing unto you of these things we would a little point out some few things to be known as previous to these we shal not dwell long in pointing out the nature of justifying Faith It is that grace whereby a Christian being convinced of his lost estate of an utter impossibility to save himself he doth flee to the righteousness of Jesus Christ and unto him who is that precious City of refuge and there doth abide till our High Priest shal die which shal not be for ever Or if ye will it is a sweet travelling of the immortal soul betwixt infinite mercy and infinite love betwixt an utter impossibility to save our selves and a compleat ability in him to save to the uttermost betwixt abounding sin superabounding mercy hence Faith is often holden forth to us in Scripture under that notion of coming Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him And we may say by the way that if once a sinner could be brought to this to count all his own righteousness but filthy rags and to believe that a man is as really justified before God by imputed righteousness as if it were by inherent holiness surely such an one were not far from the Kingdom of God Neither shal we stand long to point out this unto you that it is your duty to believe for it is clear not only from this place but likewise from Isai 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the Earth Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest John 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come buy without money and without price But oh it is a great misery of many and that which may be a subject of a perpetual lamentation that we can neither be subject to the Law as commanding to obey it or as threatning to believe it Nor to the Gospel as promising to embrace it and sweetly to receive it O but that primative temptation and delusion whereby Satan did deceive our first father is that whereby he yet seeks to catch and delude many souls viz. That though we eat of the forbidden fruit walk in the vain imaginations of our own hearts yet he doth suggest this to us that we shal not die but shal once be as God this is Satans great and deluding Divinity And therefore to inforce this great and precious command a little further we shal propose these considerations First that the Gospel hath laid no obstruction in our way of closing with Christ and partaking of the effects of the Gospel but on the contrary showeth that the great impediment is our want of willingness which we lay in our own way as is clear from John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye may get life as likewise from Revel 22.27 where the Gates of the Gospel are cast open and whosoever will are commanded to enter in So that although you may father your misbelief upon your inability or that your spot is not the spot of his people yet know that the rise and original of it is want of willingness But to make this more clear we would have you knowing this that all the qualification annexed to this commandment of Faith as that i◠Math. 11.28 speaketh out the qualifications rather of these that will come then of all these that ought to come Or he inviteth these that through the Spirit of discouragement and misbelief have the greatest reluctancy to come and may not that cardinal and soul-refreshing promise John 6.37 stop the mouth of misbelief so that it should have nothing to say He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out ye may reduce your misbelief rather to the sinfulness of your will then to the sinfulness of your walk and if once ye could come to the length of willingness to embrace Jesus Christ all other objections and knots should be sweetly loosed and dissolved Secondly consider that though we should pray the one half of our time and weep the other yet if we want this noble grace of Faith the wrath of God shal abide on us VVhat are all the works of these hypocrits those glistering acts of Law-sanctification but a plunging of our selves in the ditch Until our own cloaths abhor us Therefore it is that after the Prophet Zachary hath made mention in the twelfth Chapter of this Prophesie of making bitter lamentation for him whom we have pierced as for an only Son yet in the beginning of the 13. Chapter he
bond of love and respect then our faith will increase with the increase of God Our entertainment of a bosom idol is ordinarily punished with the want of the sensible intimations of his peace and of our interest in him so that sometimes his own are constrained to cry out God hath departed from me and he answereth me not neither by dreams nor visions 4. There is that likewise that hath influence upon it our not closing absolutely with Jesus Christ but upon conditions and suppositions We make not an absolute and blank resignation of our selves over to Christ to hold fast the Covenant notwithstanding he should dispense both bitter and sad things to us but we conceive that Christs Covenant with believers is like that Covenant that God made with Noah that there should be Summer and Winter seed time and harvest night and day unto a Christian A Christian must have his night as well as his day he must once sow in tears before he reap in joy he must once go forth bearing his precious seed before he can return bearing his sheaves in his bosom and that this hath influence upon our instability may be seen from this that often a Christian after his first closing with Christ he meeteth with desertion in point of tenderness in point of joy and in point of strength so that his corruption seems now to be awaked more then formerly that he wants those seeming enjoyments of him which formerly he had and that much of his softness of his heart hath now evanished which is clear somewhat from Heb. 10.32 And after they were enlightened they endured a great fight of afflictions For the word that is there rendered afflictions signifieth inward troubles through the motions of sin as well as outward afflictions Gal. 5.24 And God useth to dispense this way to his own not only to take tryal of the sincerity of your closing with him but to make our Faith more stedfast and sure And no doubt if we close not absolutly with Christ when under these temptations and tryals we will reject our confidence as a delusion and suppose it to be but a morning dream therefore it were a noble and divine practise of a Christian to close with Christ without reservation seeing he doth dispense nothing but that which might tend to our advantage And we would say to such as are under these temptations that if ye endeavor to resist them it is the most compendious and excellent way to make your hearts which now are dying as a stone to be as a watered garden springs of water whose waters fail not and to make you strong as a Lyon so that no temptation can rouse you up but ye shall be enable to tread upon the high places of the earth and to sing songs of triumph over our idols 5. There is this likewise which hath influence on it our building of our Faith more upon sense then upon Christ or his word and therefore it is that Faith is so unconstant and changeable as the Moon we not knowing what such a thing means To hope against hope and to be strong in Faith giving glory to God And we would only say unto you that erect your coÌ„fidence upon so sandy a foundation that when the wind and storm of temptation shal blow that house shal fall to the ground As likewise building of your Faith upon sense doth not abate much of your joy and much of your precious esteem of Jesus Christ It being Faith exercising it self upon an invisible object that maketh the Christian to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 6. There is this last that hath influence upon it even our sloathfulness in the exercise of our spiritual duties by which Faith should be entertained Faith is a tender grace and a plant that must not be rufled but nourished through the sap of other precious graces but we grow remiss in our spiritual duties and do turn our selves upon the bed of security as the door upon the hinges And doth not our drowsiness cloath us with rags and make us fall into a deep sleep while as if we were diligent our souls should be made fat and rich Yea sloathfulness doth not only imped assurance of this that it hindereth the divine communications of his love and respect by which assurance may be kept in life Cant. 5.2 but also it maketh our poverty come on us as an armed man and our want as one that travelleth And withal it letteth loose the chain by which our corruptions are tyed and maketh them to lift up their head by which our assurance is much darkned and impaired and our hope is much converted into diffidence and despair And we would only say this it is the diligent Christian that is the believing Christian and it is the believing Christian that is the diligent Christian there being such a sweet reciprocation betwixt these two precious graces that they die and live together Now thirdly we shal shut up our discours with this in pointing out a little what are those things that do obstruct a Christians closing with Christ and believing in his precious Name I. We conceive that this woful evil doth spring and rise from that fundamental ignorance of this truth that there is a God as is clear from Heb. 11.6 where that is required as a qualification of a Comer That he should believe that God is and assuredly till once this precious truth be imprinted upon our souls as with a pen of iron and point of a diamond we will look upon the Gospel as an Uâ—opian fancy and a deluding notion to teach unstable souls who know not the way to attain unto real blessedness And truly it is a fault of many that they begin to dispute their being in Christ before they know there is a Christ and do dispute their interest in him before they believe his being and that there is such an one as is called Christ II. Our coming unto Christ is obstructed from the want of the real and spiritual convictions of our desperate and lost estate without Jesus Christ and that our unspeakable misery is the want of him which is clear from Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more to thee And it is evident from Revel 3.16.18 that such a delusion as this doth overtake many that they can reign as Kings without Jesus Christ and that they can build their happiness and establish their carnal felicity upon another foundation But O that we could once win to this to believe what we are without Christ and to believe what we shal be in the enjoyment of him with the one eye to descend and look upon these deep draughts that the mystery of iniquity hath imprinted upon our immortal souls and withal to reflect upon the wages of sin which is death and be constrained to cry out Wo is me for I am undone and with the other eye to ascend and look to that help that is laid
ladder that reacheth betwixt heaven and earth by the steps of which a Christian doth dayly go up to heaven and converse with the higher House Faith is that grace as the Apostle speaketh by which we have access to the Throne of his grace Faith ushers in the believer to the Throne and without it he can have no access there nor joy when he is there V. Here is this advantage that attendeth the exercise of Faith a believing Christian is a praying Christian according to that word in Mark 9.24 where these two are conjoined together Lord I believe and then he falleth to his prayer presently after that confession Help thou our unbelief And it is clear from Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul Christeth for thee And sometimes Faith is a most impatient grace but we may alwayes say of it that it is a most diligent grace Oh! is not the neglect of this precious exercise of Faith and of the duty of secret prayer that makes our leanâ—ness testifie to our face and maketh our souls as a barren wilderness I am perswaded of this that sinc0e Ch i st had any followers and since ever this everlasting Gospel was preached in Paradise the exercise of secret prayer was never so much neglected we have turned over all our prayers into complements with God We know not what it is to rise at mid-night and call upon God and to enquire after our Maker under the silent watches of the night O but it is a sweet diversion from sleep to retire our selves in the silent seasons of the night from all thoughts about worldly matters and to converse with that invisible Majesty IV. There is this sixth consideration to point out the advantage of Faith that Faith is that grace that doth facilitate a Christians obedience and maketh it most pleasant and easie this is clear from Heb. 11.8 By faith Abraham when he was commanded to go to a strange land obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went The word may be rendered he did chearfully obey And vers 17. By faith he offered up his only son Would ye know the reason why his commands are your burden And why his preceps are your cresses It is because of this ye do not believe And so it is most certain that it is impossible for a Christian to attain to a pleasant way of obedience without the exercise of faith Faith holdeth up the crown to a Christian and this crown maketh him to obey Faith gathereth strength from Christ and that strength maketh obedience very easie Faith taketh up the excellency of Christ and this maketh a Christian to look upon his duty more as his dignity then his duty And we are perswaded of this that our chariot-wheel should move more swiftly like the chariots of Aminadab if we were more in the exercise of the grace of Faith Would ye know an answer to that question what is first more requisite for a Christian while here below Faith And what secondly is most requisite Faith And what thirdly is most requisite for a Christian Even Faith Faith above all things and above all things Faith VII There is another advantage of it that by Faith our services and prayers are accepted of God Would ye know what is the prayer of a Christian that is not in Faith It is a smoak in his nostrils and a fire that burneth all the day The unbelivers sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. This is clear from Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered up unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain And we conceive that there are many unanswered prayers which we do put up because we want that noble exercise of Faith VIII And lastly we shal likewise add this that faith is the grace by which a Christian hath that pefect and immediate sight as is were of great things that are promised to him Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of Heaven and Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of God according to that word Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen And that noble Paradox that is said of Faith Heb. 11.27 By faith Moses saw him that is invisible Is it not an impossible thing to see that which cannot be seen But the meaning of it is this that Faiths discoveries of God are as certain and sure as the discoveries of our bodily eyes are Faith is an intelligent grace yea it is a most sure and infallible grace What will Faith not do And what can you do who want Faith Now to enforce the advantages and excellencies of Faith a little more we shal propose to you the disadvantages of that woful sin of unbelief 1. There is this disadvantage of the sin of unbelief that all the actions that proceed from an unbeliever they are impure and defiled according to that in Tit. 1.15 But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled their prayer is unclean yea as Solomon speaketh their plowing in sin yea their going about the most excellent duties for matter is an abomination to God according to that word Rom. 14.23 What ever is not of faith is sin So the want of Faith is the great polluter of all our actions and of all our performances 2. There is this second disadvantage of misbelief that it is impossible for one in the exercise of unbelief to mortifie a lust or idol and we may allude unto those words in Matth. 17.20 when his Disciples came to him asked him this question Why could not we cast out this devil Thaâ— was given as an answer Because of your unbelief Unbelief is that which taketh up arms for out idols and doth most strongly defend them for there is nothing that will kill corruption so much as the exercise of Faith and when that is laid aside we have laid by our weapons and have in a manner concluded a treaty of peace with our idols that we shal not offend them if they do not offend us 3. There is this disadvantage that waiteth upon the sin of unbelief that such an one cannot win to attain to the grace of establishment but is alwayes as the waves of the sea tossed to and fro until once he win to the exercise of Faith as is clear from Isai 7.9 Except ye believe ye shal not be established 4. There is this disadvantage that waiteth on it is the mother of hardness and stupidity of heart according to that word in Mark 16.14 where he upbraideth them because of their unbelief and then that danger followeth to with hardness of heart this is clear also from Acts 19 9. where these two sister-devils are conjoined and locked together unbelief and hardness of heart because it is unblief indeed that hindereth all the graces by which the grace of Tenderness must be maintained 5. There is this disadvantage in the sin of unbelief that it is big with child of apostasie from
them all if we make conscience seriously to obey this command of Faith which is indeed the sweet compend of the Gospel all these things doth most clearly appear iâ— that believing here is called His Commandment by way of excellency as if this were his only commandment But that we may yet a little more particularly point out the absolute necessity of Faith there are these things that speaketh it forth to the full 1. That though rivers of tears should run down our eyes because we keep not his Law though we should never rise off our knees from prayerâ— and should all our lifetime speak to God with the tongue of Angels and though we should constantly obey his commands yet without faith we should never escape that eternal sentence of excommunication from the presence of the Lord there being no action that doth proceed from 〈◊〉 which can please the Majesty of the Lord unless it hath its rise from this principle of faith as iâ— clear from Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God And though we should offer â—nto him ten thousand rivers of oyl and thousands of rams and should offer up in a burnt sacrifice all the beasts that are upon the mountains and the trees that are upon many hills this should â—e the answer that God should return to us Who â—…th required these things at your hands I take no cleasure in these solemn sacrifices because there is no way of attaining peace with God but through â—he exercise of faith making use of the spotless â—ighteousness of Jesus Christ 2. Let us do our â—tmost by all the inventions we can to bring â—own our body and let us separate our selves from â—ll the pleasures of the flesh yet all our Idols shal â—eign without much contradiction except we do â—nce attain unto this grace of faith which is that â—ictory whereby we must overcome the world and the hand that maketh use of infinite strength for â—bduing of coruptions making the Christian â—weetly to take up that song Stronger is he that is with us then he that is in the world Form all this that we have said both of the sweetness of Faith and the necessity thereof we would propose these few considerations to two or three sorts of persons 1. There are some who live in that vain imaginary delusion of attaining to heaven through a â—ovenant of works and do neglect to seek salvation by Faith in the righteousness of Christ and â—o those who build upon this sandy foundation I â—hal say but these two words First how long shal â—e labor in the fire for very vanity Do ye ever think to put on the cap-stone Know you 〈◊〉 that the day is approching when your house shal fall about your ears your confidence shal be rejected and your hope shal evanish as a dream and flee away as a vision in the night Secondly what a monstruous blindness and what an unspeakable act of folly must it be to say that Christ was crucified in vain which yet ye do practically assert when ye go about to purchase a righteousness through the works of the Law 2. There are some who are secure in their own thoughts concerning their faith they never questioned the reality of it they never examined it O ye whose faith is as old as your selves ye say yâ— never knew what it was to dispute and I may say ye never knew what it was to believe Thou profane hypocrite let me tell thee a strong faith and yet strong idols must needs be a strong delusion Thou wilt not obey the Lord Thou wilt noâ— pray thou wilt not believe a threatning in all the word Thou wilt count all Religion madness and foolishness and yet thou wilt perswade thy self thou believest in Christ Oh! be not deceived God is not mocked and why will ye mock your selves 〈◊〉 Shal I tell you that reprobats have a sad Religion One day they must believe and obey and pray and give a testimony to godliness but alace too late and little to their advantage Shal noâ— he whom all the Ministers on earth could scarce ever perswade to believe so much as a Heaven oâ— Hell or one threatning in all the Book of God at last be forced to believe their own sense when they shal see the Ancient of dayes upon the Throne and shal hear the cryes of so many thouâ—and living witnesses come out both from Heaven and Hell bearing testimony to the truth of threatnings and promises that not one jot of them â—s fallen to the ground and he would never be â—erswaded to bow a knee to God in earnest all his â—…fe Shal he not then pray with greatest fervenâ—y That hills and mountains might fall upon him â—o cover him from the face of the Lamb And he that would never submit to a command of God must he not at last obey that dreadful command Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting torments c. Yea he who was the greatest mocker â—n the world shal then confess that they are blest who put their trust in the Lord as they are excellently brought in though in an Apocryphal â—ook Wisd chap. 5.4 crying out with great terâ—or while they behold that unexpected sight of â—he glorious condition of the godly O here is the men say they whom we mocked whose life we accounted madness and their end dishonorable Be wise therefore in time and do that willingly which ye must do by constraint and do that with sweetness and advantage that ye must do at last with loss and sorrow Thirdly there are some who certainly have some hope of eternal life but content themselves with a smal measure of assurance these I would befeech that ye would be more endeavoring to make your calling and election sure and would be endeavoring to see your names written in the ancient Records of heaven And this we shal press upon you by several arguments 1. Those strong and subtilâ— and soul-destroying delusions that are amongst many who conceive they do believe as we were saying and are pure in their own eyes who yet are not purged from their iniquities O are there not many of us that are in a golden dream that suppose we are eating but when we awake our soul is empty whose faith is a Metaphysick notion that hath no foundation but mans apprehension And this shall never beare us through the gates of death nor convey us in unto eternity of joy 2. May not this press you to follow after assurance that it is the compendious way to sweeten all your crosses as is clear from Hab. 3.17.18 where the conviction of this made Habakkuk to rejoyice in the God of his salvation though the fig tree did not bear fruit and the labor of the olive did fail and there were no sweetness to be found in the vine And from Heb. 10.34 when they take joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing within themselves that they had a better and an enduring substance This is
them I would say this that there are some who will have ten desires for death when they will not have one for the death of the body of death But it were good for thee who art such to be desiring the death of the body of death then shouldest thou be in a more suteable frame to desire to dye 3. Some will have hearty desires to dye and yet when death cometh they will be as unwilling to dye as any It hath been observed that some who have much desired to dye when death came have cryed out O spare a little that I may recover strength c. There is a great difference between a desire to dye and death it self It is an easy thing to desire to dye but it is a very great business to meet with death and to look it in the face when it cometh We think death ere it come near to us to be but childrens play but when we meet with it it maketh us change our thoughts for it is a great business to dye Quest. 2. Is it lawful for a Christian to desire to live when he is summoned to dye Answ In some cases is it lawful for a Christian to desire to live even when he is summoned to dye which is clear from the practise of David Psal 39.13 where he prayeth that the Lord will spare him a little it is also clear from the practise of good Hezekiah Isai 38.3 when he was commanded to set his house in order for he should dye and not live he cryed forth Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore Or as the word is in the Original he wept with great weeping but to guard this take these two Cautions Caution 1. Thy desires to live when thou art summoned to dye should not be peremptory but with submission to the will of God that if it be his pleasure to remove thee presently out of time thou shouldst be content to dye Caution 2. Thy desires to live should have gracious principles and also a very gracious end as is most clear from David Psalm 39.13 where he saith O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go from hence and be no more his desire to live was that he might have victory over his Idols as if he had said my desire to live is that I may have strength to wrestle with and overcome my idols and without all controversy Hezekiahs desire was a most precious and well-grounded desire However I would say this unto thee that thou shouldest examine thy desires to live as much if not more as thy desires to dye for we are ready to shun death if we could but he is that universal King unto whom all of us must be subject ere long Now in the words that are read unto you there are these six things which may be clearly observed from them First that it is a most true and infallible truth that all persons shal once see death as is clear in these words VVho is he that liveth and shal not see death Secondly that this truth that we shal once see death is not much believed or thought upon by many therefore it is that the Psalmist doubleth the assertion VVho is he that liveth and shal not see death Shal he deliver his soul that is his life from the hand that is from the power of the Grave Thirdly that sometimes a Christian may win to the solid Faith of this truth that once he must dye this the Psalmist wan unto as it is also clear in that word who VVho is he that liveth and shal not see death Fourthly that the certainty of this that once we shal dye should be kept in our mind therefore that note of attention Selah is put to it as if he had said Take heed that there is none living that shal not dye Fifthly that howbeit some persons put the evil day far away as if they were not to see death yet is the day coming when they shall see death and death shal take them by the hand Sixthly we shal take notice of this from the context that the Christian who is much in minding the brevity of his life will believe the certainty of his death The Psalmist was speaking of the shortness of his life in the preceeding verse and in this verse he speaketh of the certainty of death Now as for the first of these things observed viz. That it is certain and most sure that we must all once dye I hope there are none of you here who will deny it although I confess some few of you believe it yet said the woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14. VVe must all dye and be like water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again and God doth not accept the person of any And Job 30.13 I know thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living And it is very clear Eccles 8.8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit neither hath he any power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war neither shal wickedness deliver those that are given to it It is also clear Heb 9.27 It is appointed unto all men once to die So it is most clear that we must dye I remember of one Philip King of Macedonia who had one substitute for this very end to cry at his chamber-door every morning Memento mori memento mori momento mori Remember thou art to dye And it is reported to have been the practise of the Nobles of Greece that in the day wherein their Emperor was crowned that they presented a marble stonâ— unto him and he was enquired after what fashion he would have his Tomb-stone made Which practise speak this unto us that although these were most destitute of the light of the Scriptures they were very mindful of death Believe me death may surprise us before we be aware for it is most certain that we must dye but there is nothing more uncertain then the way how and the time when we shal dye Death will surprise some as it did Abel in the open field Gen. 4.8 Death will surprise some as it did Eglon in his parlour Judges 3.21 And death will surprise some as it did Saul and Jonathan in the flight 1 Sam. 31. Now in speaking unto this point I shal first speak a little to those advantages which attend those that live within continual fight of death Secondly I shal give you some considerations to press you to prepare for death Thirdly I shal give you some directions to help you to prepare for death And then we shal proceed unto the second point of doctrine which we observed from the Text and shal speak a few things from it unto you and so come to a close for this time First then we conceive
it to study saving wisdom this is clear Psalm 90.12 where David putteth up this request So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom As if he had said I will never think my self wise till I know that blessed piece of Aâ—ithmetick How to number my days I would desire every one of you all to think with your selves every morning when you arise Now we are an hour nearer unto eternity then we were before and at the end of every hour Now we are a day nearer unto eternity then we were before I say think often yea always thus We were never so near death as we are now for oh are we not all nearer to eternity to day then we were ye sterday The seventh advantage attending the faith of approaching death is this That it will make a Christian very careful in preparing for death it is impossible for one to believe really that death is approaching and not prepare for it Say what you will if you be not careful in preparing for death you have not the solide faith of this truth that you shal dye Believe me it is not every one that thinketh he believeth this truth that believeth it indeed And O how dreadful is it for an unprepared man to meet with death He desireth not to dye yea he would give a World for his life but dye he must whether he will or not for death will not be requested to spare a little when he cometh and therefore I say unto you Set your house in order for you shal surely dye Old men and women Set your house in order for surely ye must dye Young men and women Set your house in order for to morrow ye may dye and be cut off in the flower of your age Think not that there are any who can sell time for I say you shal never get time sold unto you Alace I feat the most part of persons that dye now death findeth them at unawares for indeed the persons that dye amongst us when we come to visite them we may give you a full account of them for we think they are all comprehended under these four sorts First when we go to visite some persons on their death bed they are like unto Nabal their heart is dying and sinking like unto a stone within them they are no more affected with death then if it were a fancy Alace for the great stupidity that hath overtaken many Therefore I intreat you delay not your repentance till death lest the Lord take away your wit so that you cannot then repent for your senslesness and stupide frame of spirit A second sort we find in a presumptuous frame saying They have had a good hope all their days and they will not quite it now they will go down to the grave with their hope in their right hand or rather they will go down to the grave with a lye in their right hand they live in a persumptuous frame and they dye in the same delusion for when we tell them that by all probability they are going down to hell they answer God forbid I was all my time a very honest man or woman But I love not that confession for there are many such honest men and women in hell this day The third sort we find have some convictions that they have been playing the fool all their days but we can get them no further I shal only say to such To go down to the Grave with convictions in their breast not making use of Christ is to go down to hell with a candle in their hand to let them see the way and truly the greater part that dye dye in this manner Fourthly there are some whom we find in a self-righteous frame trusting upon the covenant of works and their own merits and trusting by these to go to heaven yet neglecting the offer of Christs righteousness But alace we find not one of a thousand in this frame I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ that is best of all And scarcely do we find any in such a frame O wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from the body of this death Therefore I say unto you who are all here O will you mind death before it take hold on you Oh mind your work now for you will find that death shal be work enough for it self though you leave no work till then The eighth advantage that attendeth the Christian believing this truth that once he must dye is this Death will not be so terrible to him as it is to many when it cometh What think you maketh death a King of terrors What maketh many to shake like the leaf of a tree when they are summoned to appear before Gods Tribunal It is even because of this they have not been thinking on death before it came so as to prepare for it and I fear many in this place may be feared for death and that when it cometh to them they will say unto death as Achab said to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemy Surely death will take you and bring you to the Judgement-seat of Christ therefore study by all means to think ofren upon it and make ready for it for believe me death is a very big word for it will once make you stand with horror in your souls if your peace be not made up with God I know not a more dreadful dispensation then death and a guilty conscience meeting together The second thing that I shal speak unto from the first observation viz. That it is a most certain and infallible truth that all persons shal once see death shal be to give some good considerations for pressing you to prepare for death The first consideration is this that to dye well and in the Lord is a most difficult work therefore I intreat you prepare for death It is a difficult work to communicate aright it is a difficult work to pray aright and it is a difficult work to confer aright But I must tell you it is a more difficult work to dye aright then any of these it is true it is more difficult to communicate aright then to pray aright yet it is much more difficult to dye aright then to communicate aright for it is a most difficult work to dye in the Lord. Death will put the most accurate Christian that is here to a wonderful search and therefore I will tell you nine things that death will try in thee 1. Death will try both the reality and strength of thy faith it may be easy for thee to keep up faith under many difficulties but death shal put thy faith to the greatest stress that ever it did meet with Yea know this that the faith of the strongest believer may get and ordinarily doth get a set at death the like whereof it never got before therefore prepare for death 2. Death will try thy love to God some persons pretend much love to