a right answer of great means To whom much is given of them much is required Pharaohs leane kine are called ill-favoured because in a great and large pasture All is not right when the breasts are full and the child is still weak The Gospel should be revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 3. The greater faith is the greater perfection every degree of farther grace is like a star of greater magnitude which differ in glory from another an addition of faith to faith is an adding to the treasury an enriching of the soul a farther clarifying of it The lesse of grace the more of corruption and the more of corruption the more of imperfection 4. The greater faith the greater comfort the Minde will have fewer doubts Will hath fewer fears Conscience more settledness the soul more sights of God and tastes of Christ Experiences in life and confidence in death 5. The greater faith will be the greater help in times of desertion in times of tryal in times of temptation in times of affliction and greater help to all active duty and passive changes Thou knowest not what may befall thee in evil times then thou wouldest be able to commit to submit to conquer to suffer to do much better if thy faith were much greater CHAP. XVI Exhortations to labour for saving faith IF to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ be the way to be saved Then be exhorted to labour Vse 4 for and to get this saving faith Let not the consolations of God seeme small unto thee said he to Job so say I let not the salvation of thy soul seem a light thing unto thee If a man were wounded deeply and there were but one plaister which could cure and this were presented unto him would he not put out his hand to receive and apply it the love of life would easily incline him Why brethren not a man of us but hath a deadly wound by sinne and there is no remedy for the sinful soul but in the blood of Christ O if the love of life will constraine us much let the love of eternal life the love of our souls of our salvation perswade us much more to get faith which gets Christ who gets salvation for our souls There are divers things which I will touch upon in the finishing 4. Branches of this Use viz 1. The Motives to perswade and draw the heart to put out for this saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 2. The impediments and hindrances which stop the soul from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ which we must assay to answer and remove as he did the body of Asabel which stayed the people in their pursuit 3. The means or adjuments and furtherances to breed this believing quality in the souf 4. The resolutions or answerings of several doubtful grounds and arguments which intangle the heart of a sensible sinner and which he holds out as strong pretences why he should not by faith close with Jesus Christ Now that great and holy God who is the Author of faith and finisher thereof whose word is the word of faith and by whose Almighty working the hearts of men are perswaded to believe let him so direct me in speaking and all of us in hearing that after all his gracious and manifold revelations and offers of our Lord Jesus Christ our unbeleeving hearts may be subdued and true faith may be wrought in us all to receive the Lord Jesus Christ to our eternal salvation SECT I. First the Motives I speak this day to an understanding and sensible people to whom the doctrinal parts of our natural misery and of our purchased felicity are not hidden mysteries and therefore I trust that the succeeding arguments and motives shall finde little stop in your understandings but shall the more easily and powerfully passe down into your hearts and affections to perswade and excite you to lay out all your strength and that speedily to get this faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Thus then First sadly and seriously consider the state of Positive infidelity A twofold indelity Divines observe a twofold infidelity One is Negative which is amongst the Heathens to whom Christ is not revealed and therefore they do not believe it consists both in the absence of the quality of faith as also in the object and doctrine of faith This Sunne of the Gospel hath not risen unto them and therefore they sit still in the regions of darknesse and for ought we know in the valley of death Another is Positive which is incident unto us Christians to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed Christ is manifested as the body of the Sun by the beams of light so he by the brightnesse and evidence of the Gospel and yet the soule knows him not receives him not doth not take him both as Lord and Saviour Of this there are several degrees and all of them fearfully dangerous to speak the truth plainly damnable 1. A carelesse neglecting of the Lord of life a not minding of that singular mercy and goodnesse which God hath treasured in Christ and reveales and offers to sinful men 2. A slighting of him and his excellencies which is a preferring as it were Barrabas before him a bestowing of our hearts and studies and labours and delights and services not on him but either on our sinnes or upon the world in the rivers of its pleasures and in the mountaines of its profits 3. A refusing of his Articles and Covenants which is a breaking off and vile disliking of those tearms upon which he offers himself to be ours we would bring him to termes of competition with sinne or the creature we would abridge his holy and Lordly Scepter like what we please do what we list have him to be our Saviour and sinne to be our Ruler we would bestow our safeties on him and our services upon the world we will not freely and fully consent to all that he is nor submit to all that he proposeth or may befall us with him and for him And so like the vaine Merchant we misse the pearle because we will not go to the price We enjoy our selves still and our sinnes and our world too but we forsake our mercies for lying vanities the soul is Christlesse still because thus sordidly unbeleeving 1. But then know of all estates in the world none so fearful so damnable as the unbeleeving estate A man may lose every farthing of his inheritance and yet faith will bring him to heaven he may lose every friend that he hath and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may lose every spirit in his members and every drop of blood in his body and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may be as poor as Job as distressed as David as sick as Lazarus as forsaken as Paul as derided as Christ and yet faith may bring his soul to heaven But if a man had as much wisdome as Solomon greatnesse as Nebuchadnezzar strength as
and to be disposed as the Lord pleaseth If he will have me to enjoy well if to want well if to abound well if to be abased well I would be as he would have me to be and I would be estated as he would have me to be estated If he thinks good to bestow a faire estate upon me I desire to be humble and thankful If he thinks good to limit me to a meane estate I desire to be humble and contented If he keeps me in a free condition I desire to love him if in a perplexed condition I yet desire to fear and serve him though I would be careful and diligent yet I would not be anxious and vexing I dare to trust him with my soul to preserve sanctifie uphold comfort save it I trust him with my body to preserve enable change and dispose it I trust him with my whole estate to give it alteâ— it increase it lessen it keep it blesse it as may make most for his glory and my good Secondly To live by faith is to depend upon God for all You all conjecture That First God is an alsufficient goodnesse he is goodnesse it selfe And whatsoever good the creature is capable of or doth actually participate he is the sole cause thereof meanes which be next at hand and neare our eyes are but pipes and stewards but God he is the fountaine and Lord. Secondly he hath put all Covenant good for his servants into promises The promises are nothing else but a deed of gift sealed with the truth of God There hath God freely undertaken whatsoever belongs to grace or glory to this life or to that which is to come doest thou want this or that Why whatsoever is fit for thee to have that I promise in the Name of my Sonne to give unto thee saith God Now to live by faith is to cast anchor at heaven gates it is to cast the soul upon Gods promises in Christ to rely on God for any good which God hath promised and undertaken this I want and this God hath promised he hath undertaken the supply and I will trust upon him for it Though I feel no such thing nay though I feel the contrary yet I do not cast away my confidence Though fig-trees blossome not though olives faile and hindes are gone yet if my supply appears in any word of promise I take heart and say yet my condition is good all is well and sure My God hath undertaken it for me and in his Word will I trust which is good and true he will not faile me I shall have whatsoever is good and that too in a good time This only in general SECT II. Quest 2. Sol. TO what states the life of faith may extend You know that there are two eminent states of our life 1. One is spiritual which respects all the exigencies varieties windings turnings changes defections eclipses tryals and hardships of the soul Whatsoever accidents may befall an holy soul about the heavenly condition that appertaines to the spiritual state all the supplies of grace of strength of comfort of assurance of assistance against temptations corrections troubles all enlivements and quicknings of the Spirit about all sorts of duties and services active or passive 2. Another is temporal which is not onely the terme of our natural breathings but also the sundry and manifold occurrences which befal us in the employments of our life all the accidents and interruptions crossings checkings contrarieties either in our bodies or calling or wealth or persons or children or servants or good name Briefly the temporal state comprehends all whatsoever may weaken or wast or distract All or any of our temporal contentments delights desires ends as also all our temporal supplements for the being or well-being of this poore and short life of ours as health strength friends food liberty estate peace and quietnesse c. Now then living by faith extends to both The just shall live by his faith said the Prophet Hab. 2. 4. of the Jews in the temporal state and I live by the faith of the Sonne of God said Paul in Gal. 2. 2. speaking of his spiritual state So that faith bears up soul and body and is both for heaven and earth It serves to fetch in the blood of Christ the redemption by Christ pardon of sinne Gods favour all grace and comfort to the soul And it serves to fetch in also health to the body riches to the estate plenty peace friends what not When I am sick I yet trust in God for health when poor I yet trust on God for sufficiency when under reproach I yet trust on God to clear my innocency when under discomforts and forsakements I yet trust on God for favor and countenance In all my distresses and reproaches I have yet his Word for my supplies and helps upon which I rest and thus I live by faith so far as the promises extend so far doth living by faith extend SECT III. Quest 3. NOw more particularly what it is to live by faith on Christ Sol. I will tell you what I think of it It is an holy work and course of a beleeving person wherein he doth depend on Christ and To live by faith in Christ make use of hâ—m for all the conditions and exigencies of the soul about its spâ—ritual state For the opening of this description I will touch upon three things 1. The particular conditions and exigencies of the soul by reason Three things of which it hath need to live by faith 2. The fulnesse and fitnesse and fidelity of Christ for the supply and help of a beleeving soul 3. The conjunction of both these together which is the very living by faiâ—h on Christ Fiâ—st the particular conditions and exigencies of the soul you must know this That to live by faith presupposeth two things on our part defect and insufficiency There is something lyes upon us which should not and we cannot help our selves and therefore we go abroad by faith this is to live upon the market Now there are many things which ly upon our souls 1. The sense of guilt this is a great matter it makes the very heart oft-times to tremble it is an heavy burden when a man sinnes against an holy and just God the least of them provoking and damnable This is a time of trouble for a man sees much in debt and nothing in stock he is not able to pay aâ— farâ—hing all that he is or can do can never answer divine Justice This is one exigence now which makes a man capable to live by faith to look out to Christ and to try what he will do for him a miserable sinner as you shall heare anon 2. The sense of unrighteousnesse Why God requâ—res an holy conformity to his divine will in heart and in life that our nature should be as he requires and our wayes as he commands but when the soul is able actively to reflect on it selfe and look on God
pardon and to crown him with eteâ—nal glory Beleeve it assurance will make thy life more fruitful and thy heart more suffering Faith will make holy duties to be no harden and assurance will make it a delight Faith will make a man to bear the Câ—osse â—nd assurance will make a man to triumph under it We are more then conquerours said perswaded Paul Seventhly Assurance of faith it is a bathing spring to all our graces Shall I instance in some 1. The mourning heart doth much depend upon the assured minde No man ever did or ever shall take God by the hand as reconciled to him or look on Christ as redeeming him or read his pardon with assurance but his heart shall be full of joy and his eyes full of teares They shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourne as a man mournes for his only childe Zach. 12. 10. There is nothing softens the heart so well as faith and which melts it so much as assurance The powers of the greatest kindnesse and most gracious love do open the fountain of godly sorrow within the soul 2. Love kindles in the heart upon assurance To whom much is forgiven the same will love much said Christ Luke 7. 47. We love him because he loved us first said John The love of God to us is the cause of our love to him againe and againe and the more that love is cleared to us the more is our love rekindled to him goodnesse is a cause of love here it is bountifulnesse is a cause of love here it is knowledge of both a special provocation of love in assurance here it is What a thing is this that God should give his Covenant to me his Sonne to me his Mercies to me his loving kindnesse to me his glory in heaven unto me I love a man who defends my Name I love a man who gives me a book I love a man who gives me my ransom I loue a man who gives me a meales meat Ah! poore things in comparison how do I then infinitely exceed in love to my God who I know hath pardoned hath justified hath accepted will save me for ever More might be said of all particular graces whatsoever 8. Assurance by faith doth but ease us of the world and mounts the soul above it 1. It easeth us of the world How can he walk with cares who is indeed perswaded that God is his Father he that gave him Christ will give him all other things freely God will not stand for a little earth who hath bountifully given a whole heaven and he will surely finde me food and rayment for my body who found mercy and the blood of his own Sonne for my soul 2. Nay it mounts us above the world they do observe that these lower things grow little and lesse by how much the higher a man is seated If a man could be elevated to one of the celstial orbes the whole world would seeme but a narrow spot of ground unto him In one point this is most true the neerer God draws unto the soule the more nothing doth this world appeare O the blessed favour of God! the evidences of our union with Christ This is like the light of the Sunne which puts out the light of ten thousand candles Thou wouldest never complaine of too little in the world if thou haddest so much as made up a true assurance of heaven 9. Lastly Assurance will breed comfort in life and confidence in death Object Why are Gods people afraid many times to die they cannot say with Christ I will go to my Father They have the bond but see not the seale They are not assured of Reconciliation of pardon of salvation But if they could with Simeon Take Christ into their armes if once they could be assured Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He who by assurance looks Christ in the face may with cheerful confidence look death in the face I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ said Paul Phil. 1. 23. How so verse 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gaine But how knows he that 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day So 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens SECT V. Quest 1. NOw I come to the last inquiry by what means the soule mâ—y get up to this assurance Sol. I shall only 〈◊〉 be such rules as reach a beleeving person Thereâ—oâ—e 〈◊〉 1. If thou be a bâ—â—eever and wouldest be assured then preserve the sense of thy own natural wretchednesse and of the darknese of thy souls state without assurance Christ came to Mary when shee was weeping and the Great God looks down upon thâ— broken Spirit The highest mountaine hath the first sight of the Sunne but the lowest Christian hath the first sight of God When the people of God were mourning then saith God Comfort ye comfort ye my people and say unto them your sins are pardoned You shall finde this That the truely sensible heart hath Note three properties in it which envite the Lord much to gratifie it with assurance viz. One that is very humble Another that is much in the prizing of Gods love and mercy And a third that it is exceeding thirsty after a good look from God after some taste of Christ and God will satisfie all these 2. Be no strangers to the Ordinances you shall finde this that the ripening of faith belongs to them as well as the seeds of it The word you know is the soule of faith it was that which did incline the heart to yeild which did make it to accept of Christ and it is that also which can make us to know our possessions 1 John 15. 13. These things have I written vnto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life So 1 John 1. 4 These things we write unto you that your joâ— may be full More plainly In whom after you heard the Word of truth ye beleeved in whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephesians 1. 13. For look as the Word hath promises which draw the soul to Christ so it hath promises to clear the soul in its interest in Christ to answer all doubts and feares and to answer the feare about acceptance so it removes doubts which strive against evidence and propriety The Sacrament you know it is the Seal of righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. Look as a Seale doth distinguish and confirme and settle the minde so is the Sacrament ordained to satisfie and perswade the heart of a beleever God appointed this
another thing for thee to be a servant of sin Not who assaults me but whom I love and serve he is my Lord. When the heart goes off from Christ to the approbation and love and habitual obedience of sin now sin is thy Lord But if by faith thou hast sworne fealty to Christ then though all temptations begirt thee though the insolencies of corrupt nature break in upon thee to captivate or to alienate thy heart from service to Christ yet amidst all oppressions yea under all the knocks and buffettings and interruptions by sinne the heart cries out I acknowledge no Lord but Christ him I would obey him I honour I love his I am and I yet hate those sins which yet I cannot conquer SECT V. FOurthly a fourth tryal of true faith is this It makes the heart humble and lowly Every unbeleeving heart is proud and hath high imaginations and stands upon its own bottom It hath no sound experience either of God or of it self But true faith casts a man quite out of himselfe it sees no ground of confidence and excellency from any thing in our selves Faith hath a double aspect 1. One is upon us 2. Another A double aspect of faith is upon God and Christ When faith looks down upon us alas it findes no matter of boasting in the world for either it findes sinnes which should abase our hearts or else imperfections which should curb our pride or wants which should shew unto us our indigence and dependance The Evil which it findes may confound us and the good which it findes may make us ashamed not only because it is so short and defective in what we ought to have but also because we have not answered the giving of that good with just thanks or we have not improved that good to the advantage as we might have done When faith looks upward to God and Christ there it sees all the causes of all our mercy and of all our happinesse have we pardon of sinnes why saith Faith the cause of this is in Gods love Have we righteousnesse why saith Faith the cause of this is in Christs merits Have we any gifts any acceptance any remembrance from heaven why saith faith the cause of this is only in Christs blood All that I have is given me and the cause of all that giving is utterly out of my self so that the soul sits down now and sayes O Lord in my selfe I am nothing nay of my self worse then nothing but what I am I am that by thy grace All I have is thine my bread my health my life my body my soul all thine If any love if any mercy if any Christ if any grace if any comfort if any strength if any stedfastnesse if any performances if a good work if a good word if a good affection if a good thought why all is thine thou only art the cause I am lesse then the least of thy mercies and what is thy servant that thou shouldest look on such a one as I am Thou madest me and thou boughtest me and thou calledst me and thou justifiest me and thou savest me Though faith makes thy condition high yet it makes thy person low Thou shouldst by faith be not high minded but feare Rom. 11. 20. why not high minded because standing by faith Because this standing of faith is not of our selves but in God but in Christ Faith is the foot of the soul but heaven the grace of heaven the strength of heaven is the ground upon which the foot doth stand SECT VI. FIfthly true faith is fruitful James 2. 18. I will shew thee my faith by my works ver 21. Was not our father Abraham justified by works verse 22. seest thou how faith wrought by his works and by works was faith made perfect The Apostle in that Chapter speaks of a double faith A double faith One was a counterfeit faith a shadow as it were which had the looks but not the substance it was a dead faith which hath the limbs but not the soul and life But how did it appeare that this faith was dead did it not speak many good words yes saith Saint James It gave gâ—od words praeteria nihil no good works It could say to the poore be ye cloathed and be ye warme but gave nothing to cloath or to feed why saith he this mans faith is vaine â—hat is he hath not the true quality of faith and it will stand him in no stead Another was a lively and justifying faith It had in it the true nature and property of faith but how did that appear The Apostle answers by Works You know that there is a great difference 'twixt these two viz. the justifying of a mans person before God and the justifying of a mans faith before the world That which justifies my person before God is only faith in Jesus Christ and that which Justifies as one particular my faith before men not to be a dead but a living faith is the acting of good works Hence that of Paul Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and those things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Right is the speech of Saint Augustine sequuntur justificatum though non precedunt justificandum As in a clock the finger makes not the clock to Austin go but the clock it and yet the motion of the finger without shews whether the clock goes within So although works do not cause or infuse justifying faith nor yet cause our Justification yet they do cleerly manifest whether we have such a faith as doth indeed justifie or not Obj. You will say the work of Faith is to look up and to come and to deal with God only and therefore to breath out good works which respect men seems not to be any testimony of faith Sol. I answer 1. The Apostle there expressely distinguisheth the lively and the dead faith by works as if he said it is so 2. There is if you will let me distinguish so as it were a double act of faith One is proper and personal and this is circumscribed to that Heavenly employment of receiving or presenting in and through Christ Another is Grateful and this is extended to the sending forth of good works Not as if it were a work of superarogation for faith findes the doing of good works under many commands and also the rewards of them under many promises but because faith sees also a sweet and reasonable equity that if God be good to me in Christ I should be good to some for Christs sake And verily as the worklesse person doth not now own Christ by faith so hereafter Christ will not own him by mercy depart from me Obj. But yet you will reply good works cannot be a sure testimony of faith because many evil men may performe them and some beleevers have not wherewithal
to salvation 1. Not in a by way in a false way but in a true and direct way If God doth skill the way to heaven if he hath laid out to sinners the right way then believing is it Eph. 2. 8. By grace you are saved through faith Heb. 10. 39. We are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul 2. Not in an uncertaine but firme way It 's an infallible way of salvation Heaven is the assured mansion for thy soul if thy heart be the true lodging of saith 1 Pet. 1. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in beaven for you Object True that may not fade away but we may fall away that may remain but we maâ— be lost Sol. No saith the Apostle but as that is reserved for you so you shall be preserved unto that as mercy and truth will keep your portion sure so truth and power shall keep your persons sure Ver. 5. Who are kept bâ— the power of God through faith unto salvation therefore he addes a word more ver 9. Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls Now is not this a comfort to a man that he is in the true and sure way to heaven Every man is in a journey in a way wicked men have their wayes but the end of them is bitternesse and hell after all their jollities and pleasures yet their wayes are the pathes of death But the beleeving soul is in the way of life and therefore he is said already to have eternal life John 3. and to be saved O what is this I am going to my God to my Father to my inheritance SECT II. SEcondly here is another comfort to true beleevers there 2. Simile is a real and blessed exchange 'twixt them and Christ As upon the conjugal knot there is a mutual resultancy of communion The wife partakes of the estate of her husband and the husband interchangably of the estate of his wife for the personal union draws with it the real union If thou be mine thine estate is mine So is it in the spiritual espousing of the soul and Christ by faith Christ partakes of our estate and we shall partake of his estate He is ours and all his are ours we are his and therefore ours are his This exchange consists in these things 1. Christ doth take our sins and debts upon himself Look as the man who marries the woman if he take her person he must take her debts and satisfaction too So doth Christ when he takes us to be his he takes our sinnes also to be his How to be his not by way of infusion and infection as if our sinful qualities were transmitted from our persons into his nature O no he never takes upon him our sinnes to make his nature sinâ—uâ— â—ut by way of imputation and of satisfaction The guilt of our sinnes is imputed unto him as to a willing surety who doth present himself in our stead to make payment and satisfaction As Paul said to Philemon concerning his servant Onesimus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that upon mine account So saith Christ to the penitent and beleeving Philem. 18. soul if thou hast any guilt and debt to be answered for unto God put them all upon my account if â—hou hast wronged my Father I will make the satisfaction to the utmost for I was made sinne for thee 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. I poured out my soul for thy transgression It cost me my heart blood to reconcile thee to my Father and to slay enmity And as Rebekah said to Jacob in another case upon me my sonne be the curse so saith Christ to the beleeving soul Why thy sinnes did expose thee unto the curse of the Law but I was made a curse for thee I did bear that burden my self upon the crosse and upon my shoulders were all thy griefs and sorrows borne I was wounded for thy transgressions and I was bruised for thy iniquities And therefore we are said to have redemption and remission of sins in his blood Eph. 1. 7. Now what a comfort is this to a Beleever that Christ hath eased him of his great debts that he hath laid down the price for him he is his surety and hath diâ—charged and hath cancelled the Law of Ordinances and hath blotted out the hand writing God was in Christ saith the Apostle reconciling the world to himself not imputing their sinne unto them mark it not imputing 2 Cor. 5. 19. their treâ—passes unto them what is the not imputing of sinne but the not charging of it the not reckoning for it And what is it which he saith unto them trespasses were not imputed unto them as if God should say let them go I have nothing to say unto them my Sonne hath satisfied my justice fully for them Now saith Paul out of David Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sinne Yea he is blessed Rom. 4. 8. indeed for if the Lord should single out the most able transgressour for the least moity and scruple of guilt and arreigne his conscience with a judicial and straight severity O how the sinews of the soul would flie assunder and eternal despaire of ever satisfying so great and pure and infinite a justice would swallow up the thought and imaginations Till a man knows where to lay down his sinful burden his soul will be miserably afflicted but now if a man beleeves in Jesus Christ Christ will take off his burdens I will answer for thee saith Christ I will satisfie for thee As David spake in another case when Goliah presented himself against the Host of Israel Let no mans heart faile because of him thy servant will go and fight with this Phylestian So saith Christ to the beleeving soul be not dejected do not despaire though thy sins 1 Sam. 17. 32. be many and great yet I have overcome them I have discharged them my Sacrifice was presented it was sufficient it was effectual it was accepted for thee Secondly Christ doth bestow his righteousnesse upon us This is a great comfort to a sensible and understanding soul that there is a righteousnesse for it which it may safely and confidently present unto Gods justice These things are most true First that we are by nature all of us wretched sinners the whole Rom. 3. 19. world is guilty before God Secondly Divine justice hath a quarrel against every guilty soul and will have compleat and full and perfect satisfaction Thirdly no not our best graces performances are commensurate and square payment in the eyes of pure justice all of them as inherent in us and acted by us are but imperfect excellencies No man hath so much holinesse as is required nor doth he so much as he is obliged Every particular grace though it be of an heavenly and divine original yet it
Christ and a glad heart too the other hath a good Christ but yet a very heavy heart His possession is doubtful and therefore his heart is sorrowful 2. The weak beleever hath not that sweet peace that the strong believer hath where faith is weak there the conscience is not throughly setled Peace in the conscience is as it were the harmonious tuning of Peace whâ—t the soul it is a heavenly tranquility a serenity a gracious quieting and pacifying of the spirit of man springing from a perswasion of Gods love in Christ Now the weak faith hath strong scruples it hath many troubles it is not sure that all is right and all is cleare It may be that God is my God and it may be he is not it may be Christ is mine and perhaps not it may be my sins are pardoned and it may be they are not it may be that God is my friend and reconciled and it may be he is not You know that the peace of a Christian must be seen ratified in a double Court or else the soul will not be quiet One is in the Court of heaven another is in the Court of conscience Nay and the peace in this lower Court is not cleare til it comes from the higher Court conscience cannot be quiet till God be quiet it cannot give testimony and discharge untill God hath begun If God hath not yet dismissed the soul if he holds up the case of a sinful soul without release conscience cannot acquit and free that soul But weak faith sees its suit and tryal yet depending in the high Court of heaven a weak believer doth not yet see or know that God will assuredly pardon him that God is reconciled to him that God will indeed do good unto him here are his doubts and fears and therefore here are his troubles and perplexities The strong believer is like David in Psal 4. 8. I will both lay me down and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety The weak believer is like David in Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou thus disquietted within me The one is like the Mother which hath the child in her armes or at her breasts with many smiling delights and satieties the other is like the mother now in labor and travaile with the child which hath many bitter throwes and panges one succeeding the other The one is like a man standing upon a rock where his foot stands unmoved and steady but the oâ—her is like a man in a safe ship upon unquiet waters tossed up and down Weak faith is in a safe ship which is Christ but tossed upon variety of waves which are our doubtings sometimes faith and hope anon faith and feare sometimes I may have confidence anon I am cast out of his sight now I will look up to God as mine in Christ by and by surely this is presumption God will not accept of me Such a storme and such a calme is there in the weak believer such an unsetled setling The day of his small comforts doth easily sit and the night of many troubles abide long upon him You shall seldome see a weak believer without a teare at his eye a sigh in his breast and a fear in his heart yet I fear all is not sure O that God would once assure me that he is my God! I know not what to do or what to say or what to think I cannot see the hand writing yet blotted out nor the heavens opening and do you think there is any hope for me Thus the weak believer But strong faith can answer many arguments and uphold its evidence against many temptations It can more easily place and stay the soul upon its rest it hath seen and tasted more then weak faith it knows whom it hath trusted and that he will be its God and guide for ever that he hath pardoned transgressions and will remember iniquity no more where faith is great there the war is strong with sin and the love high to God and the peace more large and setled in the conscience The weak believer hath not that sweetnesse in communion with God as the strong believer hath Take him in the way of Ordinances or in the way of Duties in both his conversings with God are more brackish and flat When any threatning is opened and applyed his heart presently misgives him may not this concerne me and I fear this is my portion When any precepts and graces are revealed and differenced he is usually apt to charge want of them or hypocrisie under them upon himself either I am not thus as God requires or if so yet not in truth When the Box of ointment is opened I mean the blood of Christ and the tender of rich mercy and spacious promises of God yet the savour of them is mixt to his soul he doth more dispute his right then can close with their goodnesse yea but how know I that I am intended and answers I am not ripe for such consolations my wounds have not bled sufficiently I am not fitted I doubt I should presume if I should apply Againe in matter of duty here he hath not a sweet communion For duties with God neither Sometimes so over-borne that he thinks it in vaine for him to pray or look up and therefore is ready in a fit of temptation to lay aside the work yet he cannot but pray but then the knee is bended with such suspitions and conclusions perhaps this shall be but to harden me more and God will not heare me or if the soul can gather any degrees of better confidence that it shall finde some grace and acceptance then instantly it questions all this and suspects even the very grants and answers as well as its own heart and petitions conjecturing them to be rather the deluding fancies of a deceitful heart wishing well to it self then the sincere resolutions and satisfactions of a good and gracious God who heareth prayer And thus is the weak believer for a long time kept in bitternesse he cannot taste the goodnesse of God which he desires to embrace nor relish those promises which he desires to apply but in all communions with God either dis-heartens his way before or displaceth his comforts afterwards either he is not fit to pray or else not fit to enjoy either he cannot desire what is good or else still he is questioning what is true So that oft-times even the wayes of his own comfort are uncomfortable to him and the very method of peace is his usual trouble and vexation The reasons of all which may be Not only the nature of unbelief which is an uncomforting ingredient and disquieting impedient to the soul in all holy communion But also the properties of this unbelief causing the soul to look more on it self then God and raising more feares for present want then hopes for assured and promised helpes besides the limittings of God to present
Sampson dayes as Methusalah riches as Dives were his dwellings like the doors of the Sanctuary and shaped into the most imaginable Paradise of all exquisite and earthly delights If yet his soul remained and expired unbelieving if he had not faith His unbelieving soul shall be cast out into the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone Revel 21. 8. 2. Nay again A man may perhaps be guilty of many sins and those very fowle high and crying he hath perhaps been an Idolater or else an Adulterer or else a Blasphemer or else a Persecutor yea even of Christ yet upon his repentance and faith in Christ his soul shall be saved in the day of the Lord. For no former sinnes shall prejudice the soul which is now truly turned from them and hath by faith yeilded up it self to Christ But the unbeleeving person hath every sinne and every guilt upon a severe and sure account he rejects his own satisfactions by refusing Christ The Law of God will sue him cut for every rebellion and the justice of God will break out upon him for all his iniquities and conscience will give up all his guilts and because he is unbelieving vengeance to the utmost shall cease on him and there is none to deliver him nor he ever able to deliver himself Vnbelief it bindes all the sinnes upon the soul and condemnation fast unto the sinnes It leaves the sinning soul naked to the eye of divine Justice neither hath the soul any shelter which is out of Christ O thou who wilt not kisse the Sunne now who wilt not have Christ to rule thee who despisest the tender love of God the precious blood of Christ who wilt receive him for thy Priest for thy Prophet for thy King In the last day thou shalt curse thy heart and accurse thy sins and cry to the mountaines but they will not cover thee to mercy but that will not pitty thee to Christ but he will not regard thee to Justice but it will not heare thee thou wouldst not believe thou wouldst not receive Christ as Lord and Saviour but thou wouldst have the love of sin and therefore thou shalt have the portion of a sinner thou shall not see life but the wrath of God shall abide upon thee Nay if the father hath given and offered unto thee his own Sonne and thou harden thy heart by unbelief thou wilt not take him upon those termes I tell thee in the name of the Lord Jesus that if thou wilt thus bid Christ farewell thou dost bid God farewell all mercy farewell all salvation farewell all hope of it farewell and thou bindest all thy sinnes upon thy soul and all the curse of the Law upon thy soul Woe unto thee it s better thou hadst never been borne If thou hast any sense as an ordinary creature any reason as a man any understanding as a Christian any true estimation of an immortal soul any conceptions of heaven or hell if salvation be any comfortable thing if damnation be any miserable thing then I beseech thee I beseech thee labour for faith get out of an unbelieving condition thou perâ—shest if thou stay'st there thou art lost for ever he that believes not shall be damned said the Prince of salvation O repent and believe why will you die O house of Israel Consider throughly of the love of God in giving Christ and of 2. Motive the love of Christ in giving himself and perhaps this may perswade thee to labour for faith The love of God in giving of Christ See Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 17. For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved O this love of God to sinners To give his Son and not a servant his own Son and not another his only Son and not a second his only begotten Son and not an adopted childe and that not for any ill but for good he did not send him as an enemy but as a friend not to deliver a poor and mean good but the best and highest good to save us not to deliver us from an ordinary danger but from condemnation Yea and he is sent and given he was not sought by us but given by him Yea and no way deserved but freely given yea and given to us not friends but enemies Thou hast shewed this day said Saul to David 1 Sam. 24. 18 How that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand thou killedst me not 19. For if a man finde his enemy will he let him go well away Thus here 'twixt man and man but saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Now shall all this love be in vaine shall God think of a Christ and we pass by him shall he give a Saviour and we reject him shall he bring salvation to our doores and we not accept of it Why you need my Son and you are damned if you take him not and I freely offer him unto you that you may be saved and shall not we strive for faith to receive him The love of Christ O how wonderfull was his love to us it was not a love to the fallen Angels but to fallen man and such a love to fallen man as the like cannot be found He laid aside his glory to do us good he humbled himself to raise us he became poor to enrich us he fasted and prayed and endured the contradiction of sinners Reproaches Crucifyings Wrath Bloody agonies Conflicts with Satan sorrows in his soul piercings in his body and a bitter death to satisfie for us and to reconcile us and shall we not accept of him shall all this be in vaine Why doest thou not heare Christ calling and crying out unto thee never were any sorrowes like my sorrowes never was any love like to my love O unbelieving and sinning soul look upon me why doest thou passe by why doest thou hide thine eyes from me why doest thou stop thine eares at me I am the Saviour of sinners and there is none else besides me thy own miseries might cause thee to look up and embrace me And let my love unto thee a little draw thee move thee melt thee Hast thou not heard of the revilings and scoffes which I susteined my love to thy soul made me a willing patient Hast thou not heard of the agonies of my soul which made me to sweat drops of blood and my soul was exceeding heavy even to the death yet my love to thy soul made me willing to drink that cup Hast thou not heard of that desertion and of that wrath which made me to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet my love to thy soul made me to passe through it Hast
have I stretched forth my hands Nay thy unbelief grieves the very heart of Christ he grieved at their unbelief â—he complaines of that slownesse in thy heart to believe O slow of heart to believe c. nay and he sheds tears because thou dost not believe and receive him When he came near the City he wept over it O Hierusalem thou that c. How often would I c Sixthly consider how unreasonable and unequal and sottish 6. Motive a thing it is not to receive Christ being thus revealed and offered 1. There is none who have right to thy soul but God and Christ our souls are Gods workmanship and Christs purchase Why then should we not give to God that which belongs to God and to Christ that which is his own Ye are not your own saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. for ye are bought with a price God put forth his own power to make thy soul and Christ shed his heart blood to redeem thy soul and yet wilt thou through infidelity with-hold it from him and passe it over into the possession of a stranger an enemy 2. Christ out-bids all Merchants for thy soul he out-bids sin and he out-bids all the world and he out-bids Satan Can the Sonne of Jesse give you vineyards said Saul can sinne give thee that which Christ can can the world let them now appear and declare their strength and treasury Is there any one of them that presents redemption unto thee Is there any one of them that can procure remission and pardoning mercy for thee Is there any one of them which can satisfie the wrath of God for thee which can make thy peace which can present thee righteous before the judgement seat which can settle eternal life upon thee All this can Christ do none of this can they do 3. Thou canst not possibly be a loser by receiving or believing on the Lord Jesus Christ Suppose it cost thee many tears and many prayers and many searchings and many waitings yet Christ will recompence all these in a moment one word I am thy salvation It is I be not afraid I am thine as thou art mine thy sins are forgiven thee will be a day for all former nights Suppose that the world doth cast thee off as they cast him out of the Synagogue who beleeved and professed Christ yet Christ will come unto thee as unto him And as Elkanah said to Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 8. Am not I better then ten sons or as the Prophet answered the King for the hundred talents God will be better unto thee 2 Sam. 20. 9. So will Christ he will supply all thy losses he will be better unto thee then houses and lands then father and mother an hundred fold better in this life and a thousand fold better in the life to come 4. What just extremity of shame and blacknesse of confusion will befal thee if thou be so wickedly unreasonable to keep off thy soul from Christ When thou art cited before God and Christ and the holy Angels and just men And God shall demand of thee why whom hast thou served upon whom hast thou bestowed thy soul who was it that made thy soul Thou Lord who was it that purchased and redeemed thy soul Thou Christ and who beseeched thee to bring back thy soul Thou by thy servants in thy Word And what did they say unto thee which should have prevailed upon thee They did assure me in thy Name that if I would come in and accept of Christ I should have favour and pardon and eternal life and what did keep back thy soul from accepting of this O it was such a lust that I loved and it was the world which I preferr'd And wouldest thou prefer earth before heaven thy profit before thy soul nay wouldest thou prefer a base sinne before a merciful God and a blessed Redeemer Thy own mouth doth testifie against thee was not my mercy better then a sinne was not my Sonne better then a sinne take him all ye children of darknesse sease on him my wrath to the utmost close him up in the lowest pit of hell conscience gnaw on him and sting him for ever fire and brimstone consume and torment him eternally he shall never have part in my mercy he shall never have portion in my Sonne He shall never see my face nor heaven who preferred his sinne his delights his profits before my love my mercy my Christ and his own soul Lastly faith would do great things for thee and Christ would do wonders for thy soul if once thy heart could be perswaded to consent unto him and to accept of him as Lord and Saviour SECT II. Secondly the impediments and hindrances Obj. But now as the Eunuch said There is water what hinders Obj. me that I may not be baptized so you may say why her is Christ set out to the life here are arguments faire enough to draw on my soul what hinders that we do not believe and receive Christ Sol. After all these discoveries yet the heart stands off and why because there are yet many cords with which the soul is held there are yet several impediments which do intangle and seduce the heart which keeps it down from mounting and rising up to the Lord of life against which we must earnestly labour if ever we would beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ I will touch some of the choisest of them 1. One impediment to faith is that natural Atheisme in the sons of men You know that as in the concoction or digestion of meats that which is a prejudice to the first concoction or digestion of meats is a hindrance to the two other and as in points of demonstration that scruple which weakens the apprehension of the truth of the principle it ever disable the strength of â—ssent to the deduced conclusion So is it in divinity whatsoever vile quality in the soul prejudiceth the reverent respects oâ— the most common and first truths it doth hinder it 〈◊〉 in the embracing of the depending truths which receive 〈◊〉 authority and strength from the grants of the 〈…〉 Now Atheisme it is a slighting quarrel with the first truths Atheistical spirit it hath most sordid and loose conceptions of God and of his Word it doth not set up God in the greatnesse of his nature and Majesty of his Attributes and Authority of his Word God looks not like a God unto him nor doth the Word of God work upon him like the Word of God God is not in all his thoughts he doth not really conceive of him as one who indeed is omnipotent and so holy and so just and so merciful as he reveales himself Those sweet truths of favour and kindnesse and mercy and the blood of Christ they are either nothing to him or as empty notions Those sharp threatnings against an unbelieving person with condemnation and wrath and hell they are as terrible fables and scar-crowes to him He doth not believe
then nothing and in the mean time to lose eternity a soul a Christ a heaven yet thus it is the poor creatures at the best but our servants have goâ— our hearts whiles Christ complaines against us we withhold our souls from him our just Lord and best Master But if there were not more glory in Christ then honour in the world if there were not more gaine in Christ then profit in the world if there were not more love in Christ then friendship in the world if there were not more comfort in Christ then discouragements in the world if there were not more safeâ—ies in Christ then dangers in the world nay if the real and â—rue exceedings of infinite betternesse were not on Christs part iâ— durst not so to encline your hearts for saith in him c. Sixthly the cunnings of naâ—ural unbâ—l of are a great impedimâ—nt I will not speak of al of them only I wil discover a few all which are hindrances Imaginations of impossibiâ—iâ—y it cannot be that if I should labor for faith that ever I should get it the intentions of mercy lie not that way nor do the streames of graâ—iousness â—un towards such a deeply sinful and guilty soul my sins are grown to such a vastnesse of provocation as if all the Angels in heaven should be senâ— unto me I could never credit their relation of hope or peâ—câ— unto me Now when the heart is thus forestalled with a strength of conceit that God never did nor wilâ— bend the â—uâ—ement of the blood of Christ towards the soul Why the bands sink no man will be perswaded to compasse impossibilities Apprehensions of difficulty Vnbelief sets upâ—â— Lyon in every paâ—â— and so keeps off from all endeavour First I shall never be able to pare time I shall never be able to pray I shall never be able to keep on in such a course I shall never be able to leave such society I shall never be able to deny the world I cannot take such paines I cannot waite I cannot tell how to get off these sinnes to change this heart to bring it to yield to Christ Discourse of carnall reasonings which try all the promises of God at a humane bar disputings against just precepts by unjust practices and the undertakings of a great and faithful God by the shallownesse of a blind and proud and weak understanding throwing up infinite exceptions Instances of sense and feeling Why if a man will judge of God by what he alwaies hears and feels within himself he shall never believe Yea if I were now sure I should have mercy that Christ were mine that my sins were pardoned if I could see my heart changed and sins dispersed and subdued then I would put out for faith and then I would look up to Christ And wouldst thou have thy cure before thy plaister thy health before the Physick thy life before thy soul the portion before the person thy nonefast before thy meal the benefits of Christ the vertues of Christ before Christ himself SECT III. Thirdly the Meanes NOW I come to direct you unto the use of such meanes by which God workes this saving faith in the hearts of men Where premise with me some particulars 1. There is no natural power in man to produce a cause within himself This great grace of faith is no fruit of the wisdome of the flesh nor is it the birth of a corrupt will if it were possible for a natural heart to see all the excellencies of Christ if it were possible for him to draw out and behold all the arguments of Scripture yet could he not by his own strength make his own heart to believe 2. The immediate and sole cause of faith is the Spirit of God He it is who is greater then the heart and who can perswade and draw the heart and who can change and renew the spirit which till it be renewed by him will never be moved to beleeve in Christ 3. There are meanes appointed by God and which God doth ordinarily blesse for the production of faith as he hath ordained meanes for the revelation of Christ so he hath likewise consecrated meanes to lead the soul unto him to implant faith 4. Now the great and ordinary meanes by which God workes faith in the hearts of men I speak of such as are come to ripenesse of years is the preaching of the Word So Acts 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many as were ordeined to eternal life believed Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation That the Word is the Ministerial instrument which God useth to beget faith in Christ may thus appeare 1. It is that which discovers unto the soul its extreame misery and great need of Christ nothing quickens the conscience to that reflexive evidence to the cleare and true sight of the natural state which pricks the soul which in a sort compels the soul to look after the Redeemer of the world as the Word doth You see it hath been thus formerly that when men have heard it it hath unfolded their state unto them it hath broken all their proud imaginations it hath driven them to their feet it hath made them to cry out men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Yea and we find it in experience to be so that the preaching of the Word it opens the eyes of sinners it frames in them the sense of sinfulnesse and accursednesse it makes them indeed to feel the need of a Physician of such an one as Christ 2. It is that which discovers a share for a broken ship which doth reveale and proclaime to poor sinners Articles of peace in Christ it makes known the great love of God and Christ and how that Christ is the Sonne of God and was sent by God and satisfied for sinners and this was accepted 3. It makes the soul to confesse those things as most true and good in themselves It convinceth a man that of a truth God meanes graciously to men that his Sonne was a Sacrifice was a propitiation that he did purchase pardon and salvation for sinners 4. It is that which casteth down all the reasonings arguments and dâ—sputes of the minde against the conditions of Christ and râ—nders all the termâ—s of Christ upon which he will be taken as most equal and faire and reasonable 5. It is that which clears the way for the soul against all its feares and unbeleeving doubts from the freenesse of Gods mercy from the fulnesse of Christs redemption from the willingnesse on Christs part and requests unto us to accept of him 6. It is that which doth powerfully renew the disposition of the understanding and will and so incline them to esteeme of Christ as the highest truth and to bend after him as
Jesus thou didst shed thy precious blood for the remission of sinnes thou hast offered me thy self and all thy precious purchases and benefits I have by faith accepted of thee of thee alone with all my soul to be my Lord and Saviour Now none in heaven or earth can procure me the pardon of these sins but thy self and thou canst do it I beseech thee that thy blood may be mine atonement to thy father yea I will and do cast my soul upon thee thee alone for the pardon and I will trust unto thee for the discharge of my many of all my transgressions Thy blood is the price that I will trust to and rest upon This is to lâ—ve by faith in Christ in that particular yea though the sense of guilt be great and the truth of it undeniable yet to believe the pardon in Christ and to offer his satisfactions yea to adventure and to roll the soul upon him for it for Christ hath called me and he hath said that he will ease me c. So againe suppose that thou feelest corruptions strongly working and temptations grievously assaulting now to live by faith on Christ is to come unto him knowing the Kingly power of his grace and to beseech him to subdue iniquities for thee and to send forth the rod of his Scepter the power of his gracious Spirit to mortifie thy lusts yet more and to trust upon him that he will do this for thee and therefore thou wilt apply thy self with patience and confidence to the use of all consecrated wayes and meanes through which Christ will manifest that power unto thy soul I thank God through Jesus Christ said Paul Rom. 7. As if he should say I am not able for my life to root out to beat down these vile motions but I cast my self upon Jesus Christ I trust unto him and verily beleeve he will deliver me the like may be said of all the other exigences but I cannot repeat all Consider that the habit or quality of faith is one thing and the use or exercise of faith is another thing the soul then lives by faith on Christ when it improves its interest in Christ when it can trust to him to supply all its wants a man is said to live by bread not when he hath it in his Cupboard but when he takes and eates it and a man is said to live upon his money not when he lets it to lie dead in his chest but when he turnes and windes it for his benefit and support So here to live by faith on Christ is to put faith to work my works are in my self but the supplies of my soul are in Christ as I go to divine providence and put my self on its faithful powerful goodnesse for my body so I must go to the Lord Jesus and put my self on his gracious and certaine fulnesse for my soul Yet observe a few things for the clearer opening of 4. Things this 1. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meere complaining of our wants or an acknowledging of his fulnesse To see scarsity in the house and plenty in the Market this may be and it may be vaine unlesse we go forth to fetch in the promises Whiles the soul keeps home it lives not by faith The life of faith lies abroad a man may have grace to see his wants and yet he lives not by faith till he can get out unto Christ I will go to the Prophet to the man of God said the woman who had a troubled spirit for her dead child Yea this recovered her child againe If I can but touch the â—hem of his garment I shall be whole said she in the Gospel you must bring the pitcher to the well if you will have water and the childes mouth must be applied to the breast if it would have milk and the soul must go unto Christ it must approach unto him or else it is but a fruitlesse trouble it is not a living by faith on him 2. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meer going to Christ though the motion of the soul out of it self be required yet that alone is not sufficient If I go to a man for to lend me an hundred pound if either I will not speak to him or trust him this is labour loft so though we do addresse our selves to Christ for help but will not trust upon him for supply this is not yet to live by faith For The life of faith on Christ is raised by three things First his fulnesse Secondly his goodnesse Thirdly his faithfulnesse and all these enduce the soul to trust unto him he is able enough Ergo I will trust him he is ready enough therefore I will trust him he is faithful and will certainly do me good therefore I will trust him So that to live by faith it is to live by trust one is said to live by trust when he hath nothing from another but his word or his bond I think him honest or I have him fast bound therefore I will trust him Thou hast the Word of Christ and the Promise of Christ which is a sure truth to which if thou doest trust thou doest live by faith If I feel and do not complaine if I complaine and do not pray if I pray and do not trust this is not yet to live by faith so farre as I can trust upon Christ that he will supply and help my soul so farre I do live by faith 3. Nay Thirdly to live by faith is not onely to trust upon Christ for supply but it is to expect the performance There is a great difference 'twixt the life of sense and the life of faith Sense is opposite to expectation it is only for the present what it hath that makes it up it lives upon no stock but that in hand but faith reckons its estate more from what lies in bonds then what the person findes in the purse It findes the greatest part of the souls estate yet in the promises and yet in Christ and in both graciously and assuredly undertaken whereupon it doth make the soul not only to go to Christ but to trust him and not only so but to expect and waite patiently he doth hear me he will do me good he will not suffer sin to have dominion he will send forth the rod of his power he will make all grace to abound he will not leave nor forsake me he will satisfie for me his intercession shall be effectual I shall yet feel the power of his death the vertue of his resurrection As to pray and not to trust so to trust and not to expect to trust and then to murmur to trust and to untrust whiles we are speaking to get the soul to put it selfe upon Christ and before we have done speaking to pluck of the soul againe to deface our own fealing to cast away our confidence this is ill very ill It is true that the
before had a base and unworthy opinion of Paul and Silas but now Lords Sirs what shall I do As the Heart is so the Judgement is and Newnesse of Nature hath with it Newnesse of Light We can now see the men and their authority and their office and embassage and the end of all their reproofes and instructions and therefore the very feet of them who bring good tydings and publish peace and salvation are beautiful It argues the heart to be base and sordid which can slight and scorne the Messengers of Christ he hath no grace who can contemne and vilifie a Minister of grace But two things God ever works when he confers grace viz. A love of the word of Grace and an Honouring of the Messengers of Peace Sensible sinners are ever inquâ—sitive Sirs what shall I do and so they in Act. 2. 37. Even they were pricked in their hearts they cry out men and brethren what shall we do There are two sorts of sinners First some are hardned unsensible wholly overgrown with sin and are past feeling Eph. 4 18. Their sin is in them like the waters in the Ocean under all which if a man doth lye yet he feeles no weight nor burden because the Elements in their proper places are not sensibly weighty so where sin is in its center men are unsensible of the burden of it They feele it not nor their misery and therefore neither complaine nor enquire Secondly others are made sensible not onely by the ordinary light of a naturall conscience but by the contrary principle of new and infused Grace It is with them like as with a man recovering out of a deep sicknesse his health comes in and makes him now sensible of his weakness and complaining and desiring help So when God doth by his blessed spirit work the lively sense of sinne in the heart of a person the basenesse of it the danger and misery of it O he cannot now remaine thus live thus he must have a guide he goes to a Messenger one of a thousand to instruct and direct him For first conscience truly awakned cannot beare its own burden it s own divisions feares accusations present condition and therefore the person will enquire whether there be no balme in Gilead Secondly againe sensiblenesse of sin is Opus respectivum it is a work for further work God doth for this very end make us sensible of our sin and misery that we might enquire after the meanes of grace and safety Thirdly once more scarse one sensible sinner of many thousands that is able to be his own Counsellor or comforter we are not able always to apply those sweet directions those proper and heavenly comforts as God promises to our own necessities which yet we may distribute with a full and tender heart to others in their exigencies for there is a great difference betwixt the proposing of comfort and the applying of comfort He who is to propose it hath a medicine to deliver He who is to apply it hath a medicine to take There be many contrary arguments and risings of an unbelieving and fearful nature in the person who is to apply the truth and goodness of Gods promise to himself so that he is not alwayes able to see the reach and compasse of them to himself and therefore no marvel if he seeks out for direction in the midst of his own confusions and for a help to apply in the midst of his own feares and distractions The maine and choise thing which the troubled soule lookes after is how to save it selfe Sirs what shall I do to be saved There be divers sorts of troubles and according to their grounds and qualities doth every person lay out for help and remedy Some are troubled with meer sickness and health is the thing which they would have Some with poverty and riches are the things which they would have Some with ignominy and favour and good opinion is the thing which they would have Some with outward afflaction and punishment and exemption is the thing which they would have Remove from me this Plague onely said Pharaoh Some are troubled with meer terrors of conscience and quiet and ease is the thing which they would have Others are troubled in soule for their sinnes by which God is dishonoured and their heart polluted now how these may be saved This is the thing which these would have Come to a soul sensibly groaning under the weight of sinne and say why Soul be of good cheer thou hast goods laid up for many yeares Oh sayes that soul miserable comforters are they to me Lord be merciful to me a sinner Come againe and say you have many good and kinde friends Alas saith the soul friends are Physicians of no value to my troubled and perplexed soul Lord be merciful to me a sinner Come to that soul and discourse to him of the defect of sin of the richnesse of divine mercy of the Grace that God hath promised to give of that sorrow of that repentance of that faith of that blood of Christ O now sayes that soul say on give not over mercy is that which I would have and Grace and Christ and Salvation this is it which I would have how I may be brought out of this miserable and damnable condition Suppose a man were very sick and one should come and tell him many merry tales to delude the sense of his sicknesse this were nothing to a man sick indeed for it is not a tale but wholsome Physick which would help him he had rather by much heare the Physitian discoursing and counselling and applying So it is with the truly troubled soul yea that is it which he desires and would have to be set in the right way how to save his soul Shew us the Father said Philip and that is sufficient so here shew me the way of salvation and I desiâ—e no more And the reason of it is this because There is nothing which suitâ— with the troubled soul but the way of salvation the helps and remedies of it are not to be found unless in these wayes If a man hath a burden on his back take it off and that is the way to ease him if a man hath a feavour cure him of that and this is the way to help him if a mans bone be out of joynt set it in his proper location and this is the way to comfort him In like manner is it here The distresses of the soul are spiritual and only spiritual waies relieve spiritual troubles I now see God at difference with me how may I be reconciled to him I see the dishonour against him how may I pacifie him I feel the guilt of sin who shall take that off for me I would be a changed and new person who will work this in me what course must I take to get God to look graciously on me to get these sins pardoned this heart to be sanctified I cannot passe over this point without a
word of application If salvation be the maine enquiry of a truly troubled soul Vse then verily many people have not yet been truly troubled for their sinnes why Because they strive not how to save their soules The Psalmist speaks of some that God was not in their thoughts and we may say of some that Salvation is not in their mindes He who hath abundance hath this question who will shew us any good and he who is in want hath this question what shall I do But what shall I do to be saved few think of this it is a marvelous thing that so noble a creature as man who carries in him the singular stamp of heaven a spiritual and immortal soul should so infinitely forget both himself and his errand into this world I am a miserable sinner said Saint Hicrome and born only to repent We are born transgressors from the wombe and with hell at our heeles God is pleased to draw out the threed of our life and to vouchsafe to give us this hint that we are sinners and must dye and if we change not our condition we perish forever And besides that he hath addressed the wayes of Salvation to our hands so plainely that he who runnes may read Yea and there is something implanted in men which secretly inclines them to be affected with a generall desire of Salvation nevertheless to observe men how variously they flye off how little they minde that which most of all concerns them how infinitely one drudgeth for riches how illimitedly another pursues pleasures so that when we come to dye we have hardly thought wherefore we were borne There is a Salvation and a way tending thereunto but we forget that all our dayes We have other employments but let us soberly recall our selves Is there any thing better then Salvation Is there a nearer thing then the soul Is there not a necessity to be working in the way if ever we would attain unto the end O then let this take us up let heaven take us up let our souls take us up but let not our sins let not the world take us up Vbi pompa said Saint Augustine ubi exquisita convivia ubi gentiorum ambitio ubi argenti auri pondus immensum Transient omnia ab oculis ejus putatur requiesere corpus ejus habitat in inferno anima ejus multiplâ—cavit agros plantavit vineas implevit horrea yet saith he Sâ—ulâ—e hac nocte He enlargeth his Fields plants his vines fills his Barnes loseth his soul The like saith Saint Bernard Dic mihi ubi sunt amatores seculi qui jam diu fuerint Dic quid eis profuit inanis gloria Brevis laetitia mundipotentia Quid carnis voluptas quid falsae divitiae ubirisus ubi jocus ubi jactantia Hic caro eorum vermibus illic anima ignibus deputatur infernalibus I say no more but labour to save that which if it be lost the world cannot procure it and believe it that the soul can never be saved by that which is not worth a soul Another conclusion from the words of the text may be this That persons rightly sensible are as throughly resolved for the meanes and wayes as for the end and scope The Jayler doth not say I desire Salvation barely but what must I do to be saved as if he said I desire Salvation and I do conjecture that it is an end and therefore means there are leading to it now whatsoever they are point them out unto me that I may apply my self for the prosecution of the end There are two things which deceive a mans heart One is presumption which is a skipping over the lesson and taking forth before we have learned our part my meaning is this that it is an opinion of our happinesse without any use of meanes As if a man went to heaven as the Ship moves in the Tyde whether the Master wakes or sleeps Another is hypocrisie which is an inquality of the heart to all the wayes of Salvation No hypocrite will apply himself to every thing which may indeed save him But where the heart is rightly understanding and truly sensible there is not only a consideration of meanes but an illimited resolution for all the wayes of Salvation whatsoever course God doth by his Word reveale and prescribe for that it is resolved and purpâ—sed though they may be contrary to my proud reasoning and capacity though they may be contrary to the bent of my affections though they may require much time and employment c. What the Princes speak with a disembling heart that the sinner rightly sensible of his condition affirms with a plaine spirit of true intention The Lord be a true and faithful witnesse between us if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or whether it be evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God He who will be saved must come to this to deny his own will to crucifie his own affections to captivate his own imaginations to resigne up his own desires and pleasures to afflict his heart for his sins to give up himself to the rule and command of Gods Word to draw off his heart from the world to settle all his confidence upon Jesus Christ to watch over his own spirit To love the Lord God with all his soul and with all his might These and other things are required as the way to life and unto them all doth a sinner rightly sensible yield up himself with all readiness and gladnesse For as much as though there may be some difficulty in these yet there is Salvation by them yea and there is a singular help for them as well as a special reward but the present and former condition and way of sinne is engraven with much paines and sore horror and death and hell But I pass on Another conclusion from the words is this When God doth throughly work upon mens consciences personall injuriousnesses must be forgotten by them who are to deale with them You see here that Paul and Silas speakes not a word of this cruel usage towards them but instantly addresse themselves to the direction of his safety and comfort Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ c. We read of the Father of the Prodigall that when his son came humbling and bewailing his fore-past miscarriages of Prodigality and Luxury He saw him a far off and ran to meet him and kissed him and put the raiment on him and a gold Ring He did not rate and upbraid him Nay I will not look on thee I will not accept of thee go now to thy Harlots amongst whom thou hast riotously wasted all that goodly portion which I put into thy hands O no he accuseth not him whom he heares to accuse himself and reviles
be Prophets but neither to be Kings nor Priests Againe we read of some who were to be Kings and Priests as Melchisedek others to be Prophets and Kings as David some to be Priests and Prophets but not any one was anointed a King and a Priest and a Prophet conjunctively Now here is the excellency and the eminence of Christs anointing He was anointed to all those three offices not only to be a Priest but also a Prophet not onely to be a Prophet but also to be a King Had he been a Priest only he might have offered sacrifice for our sinful gilt But who should have then been the Prophet to have opened the eyes of the blind and to give the ignorant knowledge Had he been a Priest to suffer and a Prophet to instruct only who should then have been a King to have abolished the confusions of the Heart and Life and to have subdued our sinnes and so to lead captivity captive Nay that he might be a compleat Saviour and Mediator He was anointed to be Priest Prophet and King I will open something in every one of these He was anointed to be a Priest Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek Psal 110. 4. so Heb. 3. 1. Jesus Christ is called the Apostle and High Priest of our profession ver 2. He was faithful to him that appointed him see Heb 4. 10. 7. 26. There are these things implyed in his anointing to be our Priest .. 1. That he was designed perfectly to fulfil the Law of God for us He was a satisfactory Priest there was the ceremonial Law which he fulfilled by abrogation and there was the Morall Law which he fulfilled by obedience Whatsoever the Law of God could require either for the holinesse of nature or of life that was to be found in Christ And such a high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled seperate from sinners c. Heb. 7. 26. Hence is he often called the holy and just one Act. 3. 14. and Chap. 4. 27 30. and is said to be without sin He had no sinne at all of which he was personally gilty but he was every way a righteous person and fulfilled all righteousness I say fulfilled it not for himself only but for us so that if you would now look for a righteousnesse which can every way satisfie and which is every way punctually exact and unblameable you must look out of your selves unto the righteousnesse of Christ as Paul did Phil. 3. and therefore he saith that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness unto every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. To make expiation for sinnes He was an expiatory Priest There was in the Law sacrifices offered by the Priest of which some were Gratulatory wherin God was praised and others were Expiatory wherein God was appeased as in the oblations of the Lamb c. thus it stands with us As we are creatures we are bound to obey God as rational and righteous creatures we were bound to obey the Morall Law of God and now as sinful creatures we are bound to answer the transgressions of that Law by exposing our persons to the endurance of the great curse of that Law and the wrath of God The Law is broken by us Gods justice is wronged his indignation moved and our own gilt like so many cords hold us fast and deliver us bound hand and foot to the vengeance and punishment of Gods pure and righteous justice Now suppose you saw a number of Malefactors going to execution the Kings Son meets them they are heavy weeping and sobbing because death is approaching Why saith the Kings Son weep not you have provoked my father and have deserved death but fear you not I will take a course to preserve your lives How so Thus I will lay down my own life for you I will dye for you to deliver you It is even thus betwixt Christ and us we all have sinned and by reason of sinne are bound over to death and hell how now shall we escape Thus God did give his own Son and he did take our sins on him and did dye and shed his blood to expiate our gilt and procure our pardon Hence is he called a sacrifice for sin and he is 2 Cor. 3. 1 Pet. 2. Esay 53. Rom. 4. said to be made sin for us And to beare our sins in his own body on the tree and that our iniquities was laid on him and that the chastisement of our peace was upon him and to be delivered to death for our sinnes and that Christ our Passeover was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. And observe the phrase Christ our Passeover c. You know that the Passeover had a Lamb and the Lamb lost his life and blood and that blood was sprinkled upon the doors of the Children of Israel and the destroying Angel did pass by the doors where it was sprinkled and their lives were preserved so it is here we should have been destroyed but Jesus Christ our Passeover was sacrificed for us i. e. he did poure out his own blood which did answer for our gilt and so preserved our souls Now concerning his Priestly expiation of our sinnes observe First the Priest who did offer this expiatory sacrifice Secondly the sacrifice it self Thirdly the Altar upon which it was offered Fourthly The dignity and efficacy thereof The Priest was Jesus Christ as God and man as our Mediator for that did belong to the Priest who was to offer sacrifice to be a middle person Aaron was to bear upon him the sinnes of the people and to offer for them so Jesus Christ as God and man was he who did offer up that sacrifice which did expiate our sinnes Heb. 5. 5. He that said unto him thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee vers 6. He saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck The sacrifice it self was Christ as consisting of soul and body by reason of our sins we had forfeited both our souls and bodyes to the curse of the Law and to the wrath of God The arrest and attachment was out against both but now Jesus Christ became our Priest and offered his soul and body to quit and release ours Therefore it is said that he made his soul an offering for sint Isai 53. 10. And that his soul was exceeding sorrowful even to death Mat. 26. 38. In it he felt the bitter anguish and wrath which made him to sweat even drops of blood And as for his body that was prepared for him to suffer for us hence it is said that he bore our sins on his own body on the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. It is very true that the Godhead formally was not the sacrifice that could neither suffer nor be afflicted only it did aid and assist the humane nature which was offered up as a sacrifice The Altar on which this sacrifice was offered which did
the understanding by solid demonstration of infallible principles or else by the undeniable evidence of sense and experience as thus that every natural body hath power to move or that the Moon will suffer an Eclipse or that the fire is naturally apt to ascend and the water to moisten c. These things have both a naturall certainty and truth in themselves and there is an undoubted evidence and certainty in the minde of the person truly knowing them and so certaine and full is the perswasion of the minde about them that there is no scruple of doubt remaining to discuss as any uncertainty whether the things be so or no. Another is opinion which is an inevident evident assent if I may so phrase it My meaning is the understanding doth so assent and yield to the things as that yet it sees some contrary reason to suspect and question whether the thing be so or no for as much as in opinion the grounds are not fully evident to the minde but they are only probable and therefore the assent by opinion is but conjectural As take a man in a case of a scrupulous conscience there is to that man some evidence of argument which doth seem to warrant his action or attempt and yet that argument is not so entirely convincing of his judgment but on the other side there starts up a medium or argument which renders the practice probably sinful whereupon if you come to demand of him May you do such a thing he answers I do not certainly know that is I am not entirely and absolutely resolved of it yet I think I may I think it is lawful and this thinking which is opinion is alwayes accompanied with some fear and suspition so that the minde is like a paire of Scales tottering and tilting to either side Things are partly cleare and partly obscure partly evident and partly inevident and therefore the assent of opinion is alwayes doubtful Another is beliefe which is an assent unto things not from any evidence of the things themselves but only from the relation or testimony of another If I feel the fire to burne my hand I do not call this a believing but a sensitive knowing if Ahimaaz comes and tells David that his Son Absolom is hanged and slaine though this be knowledg in him who saw it yet it is belief in David who did heare and credit the tidings so that to be brief belief differs from knowledge in this that knowledge depends on the evidence of things themselves but belief though the things be certainly true to which it doth assent yet it assents unto them for the testimony or authority of him who relates and reports them Though this be most true That Jesus Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary and that he is the Messias and Saviour yet I beleeve it to be true because God hath given testimony or report thereof in his Word unto me Again Belief differs from opinion in this that opinion is an indifferent probable hazarding and difficultly inclinable assent but in believing the assent is firme certaine and fixed especially where testimony and authority is sufficient Believing as it is restrained to a theological and divine consideration that is in the generall an assent of the soul to the truth and goodnesse of all divine revelations upon divine testimony Here much might be said as for instance First that all divine revelations are the object of belief as supernaturally inspired Secondly that the ground of believing them is Gods own testimony Faith hath sufficient reason to believe all things there to be true in their relation because of his truth and authority who doth say so viz. God himself Thirdly of the generall nature of believing which is an assent unto all spoken by God as most true and credible Secondly particularly of justifying Faith Faith as you well know hath a double aspect one is to the whole revealed Word of God another is to God in Christ or to Jesus Christ I am not now to speak of it as an eye which may see all colours but as an eye fixing it self on some singular and special object viz. on Jesus Christ in respect of whom it is called justifying faith The believing on whom may be thus described CHAP. V. Faith in Christ what described IT is a singular Grace of God whereby the heart and will of a sensible sinner doth take and embrace Jesus Christ in his person and offices and doth wholly or only rest on him for pardon of sin and eternal life There are many things to be opened in this description forasmuch as all the force of true faith cannot at once in a few short words be clearly expressed SECT I. COnsider therefore the spring or fountaine of this faith is at heaven Gods eternall decree is the radicall cause of it so Causa Acts 13. 48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed And the instrumental cause of it is the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And the immediate and singular cause of it is the Spirit of God Gal. 5. 22. there it is an expresse fruit So Joh. 1. 12. speaking particularly of believing on the Name of Christ he addeth verse 13. men come to this not being borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God That the will or heart of man should be brought off from it self and to abhor its own condition and sufficiency and to take Christ as God propounds him to be the only rock upon which I must built my salvation to be the only Lord to whose Law and Will I must resigne up my whole soul and to cleave unto him in a conjugall union and affection This I say ariseth not from naturall principles nor from the wisdome of a mans free will nor from any endeavour or action which can find footing in man himself It is observed that there are two sorts of habits Two sorts of Habits 1. Some which are acquired by the industry of the person and through a right use of a segacious and understanding mind and such may be purchased by practise and use as the Scholar by writing gets the habit of writing and the Apprentise by his wise and honest observation and industry gets into the skill of his trade and calling Now faith is no such quality we can send forth no such singular acts or operations which are able in time to ripen or beget so excellent a Grace in the soul 2. Others are plainly and entirely infused Faith is not water in the Earth which a man may pump out but it is even in the fulnesse or littlenesse of it in the allnesse of it as the drops or showers of raine which come from heaven Though the subject of it be below yet the cause of it is above it is man who doth believe but it is Gods Spirit alone who gives him that faith to believe
grieve him in the least measure who cleave unto him as the only rock of their salvation who would not relinquish their interest in him for millions of worlds And yet they weep with Mary because they cannot see their Lord they conflict day and night with feares and doubts they have not this reflexive evidence and assurance that Christ is their Christ that Jesus is their Jesus that this Lord is their Lord. Yet ask them are you willing to accept of him O none in the world rather or more are you willing that he should be your Saviour he only is salvation can you submit to have him to be your Lord Christ O blessed Saviour saith the soul none to rule me but thou none to save me but thou thy blood is precious and thy Lawes are righteous and I could bestow a thousand hearts and a thousand lives if I had them on thee to be changed guided ruled ordered by thee And thus the soul though it cannot see him yet it beleeves on him it believes on him though as yet it cannot say that my beloved is mine and I am his CHAP. VI. The object of Justifying faith NOw I come to the object of Justifying faith and that is twofold First Immediate which is Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly Concomitant Objectum or Consequent which is Remission and Righteousnesse and Salvation for faith first takes Christ himself and then these in and for Christ SECT I. THe immediate object of faith as justifying is Jesus Christ himself as it is in Marriage marriage is an action twixt person and person not twixt person and estate that is a resulting thing so is it in the nature of faith and Christ Faith doth not match the soul to the portion to the benefits but to the person of Christ You heare that God hath put salvation into Christs hand he hath put remission of sins into his blood there is eternal life to be had by him Now if a person saith I will have this salvation by Christ which he hath purchased but I will not have his person I will have the remission of sins by his blood but I care not for his person I will have his righteousnesse by which I may stand before God but I care not for his person this now is no faith it is no justifying faith For faith justifyeth us when we take the person of Christ It is true that we may and should have an eye to the purchase and benefit by Christ but Christ himself is that which faith lookes upon But wherein is the person of Christ the Object of justifying faith For the resolution of this I will open two things First that whole Christ is the proper object of faith Secondly how faith doth exercise it self about whole Christ SECT II. WHole Christ is the adequate and proper object Christ you know in respect of his person is God and man and he may be considered as a Priest or as a Prophet or as a King We usually say as a Saviour and as a Lord. Now he offers himself in all these to sinners saith Christ there is no Name under heaven by which you can be saved but me no Jesus but my self and I have been the Priest who have offered my heart blood to procure the pardon of your sins and salvation I have satisfied my Father to the utmost and have fulfilled all righteousnesse Now I am willing to bestow my self on you as one who can and will assuredly save you But if you would have me to be your Priest to save you you must also be willing to have me to be your Prophet to instruct you and direct you and to be your King and Lord to command you you must resigne up your selfe to my Scepter and Government for I am a Lord as well as a Saviour and I will be taken in both or else you shall have part in neither There be three things which lay hard on us One is the gilt of sin which exposeth the soul to hell and wrath for which Christ is a Saviour and a Priest He became a curse for us and bare our sinnes that is stood in our stead and under-went that indignation which else should have lighted on us Another is the corruption or pollution of sin which breeds inconformity to Gods Will and depraves the whole nature for which Christ is a Saviour and a Prophet that is he is appointed to informe the minde and reforme the heart A third is the rebellion of sin rising in sinfull notions and sordid delights and wayes for which Christ is a Saviour and a King that is he is to subdue those iniquities to give them the bill of divorce to captivate all imaginations and to bring the whole man into the subjection of himself but then he will be Jesus and Lord too thou mayest not think that Christ must save thee and sin shall rule thee thou must not think that he will pay thy debts if thou wilt give thy heart and service to sinne and the world How ridiculous is it to conceive that God should raise up Christ as the Pope raiseth up his indulgences only to keep or fetch souls out of Purgatory as if Christ were given only to pay our scores and not to rule our hearts for no other end but to keep us out of prison that we might do nothing but sin against God because Christ can take away the gilt of sin Nay whole Christ is eyed by faith taken and received by faith Do I feel my sanfull gilt I now by faith take Jesus Christ whom the father hath appointed and offered to be my Priest to be my surety to beare my sins to stand 'twixt God and me Do I feel my sinfull nature and motions I now take Jesus Christ whom the Father hath appointed to be my Prophet and King He hath undertaken to be the teacher of hearts and conquerer of sin as so do I take him to be my Lord. SECT III. THerefore consider in the second place How faith doth exercise it self about whole Christ if you please I will discover it in the particulars For Christ as a Saviour and Priest Thus faith looks on him not only that he is so but to be so to me he was God and man and dyed and satisfied and took away sin God proclaimes thus much and offers him to me here is the Saviour of the world this is my well beloved Son here is the blood of atonement and peace What doth faith now O faith takes hold on him I acknowledge him I receive him O Lord to be my Saviour and Priest not I O Lord not I could ever have susteined thy wrath or satisfied thy justice I could never have made my own peace I could never have blotted out the hand writing I could never have paid my debts but thou hast set forth Christ to be the propitiation for sin O Lord I embrace him my life is in his death my healings in his sufferings my satisfaction in his
obedience in none but him I rest on none but him on him do I believe he hath satisfied to the utmost and I trust on him that he hath done it for me Brethren the case stands thus a man is borne in sin and he goes on in much sin a long time at length God awakens his conscience makes him to possesse the iniquities of his heels of his birth of his youth of his age of his life and perhaps besets the soul round about with some sensible dread of his infinite displeasure Now the man knowes not what to do good Lord saith he what a miserable creature am I here 's sin committed over and over the Law broken God provoked conscience raging hell gaping I am violated saith the Law wronged saith Justice thou hast sinned saith Conscience I will be satisfied saith the Lord saith the poor soul what shall become of me what have I to quiet God I can finde nothing what shall I do to pacifie him I cannot imagine it If I say that I have not sinned my conscience tells me I lye if I say I will not sin hereafter Why yet how will this satisfie for former gilt I tell you brethren that a heart brought to this sensible experience is marvelously oppressed the very heart cracks and the sins of that soul snap a sunder under the sense of manifold gilt and Gods displeasure But then God comes in the Gospel and calls out to the poor and distressed sinner come hither saith God I will shew thee a way of salvation O how the soul listens to such a message but how Lord can this be what am I or what can I do Nothing saith God for thou art an enemy and thou art without strength But I have laid Salvation upon one that is Mighty Who is that Lord It is my own Son whom I have out of my love sent into the world to be made man and to dye and satisfie for sinners to beare their iniquities to answer for all their transgressions and he is become a surety and a Priest and hath sacrificed his own soul to be an offering for sin and I offer him unto thee to be thy surety to be thy Priest to take away thy sinnes Now take him saith God to the soul and with him the discharge of thy sins Hereupon the soul being perswaded of the truth of this good testimony and with many teares admiring at the riches of divine love and mercy it doth now by faith close in with Christ put it self on him embraceth him with all the heart as a sufficient and perfect Saviour As if the soul now fastning it self by faith on Christ in this respect should thus be speake the Lord. O Lord thou art pleased justly to charge my sins upon my conscience I confesse and am ashamed that I have thus sinned against thee yea and I acknowledg that I am never able to answer thee for those sins But thou hast appointed thine own Son to be my Saviour and Priest whose office it was to beare the sins of the people these sins therefore which conscience now chargeth upon me I do by faith charge upon thine own Sonne for he was made sin for us thou didst ordaine him to be a surety and therefore I beseech thee Lord look for satisfaction of my debts in his precious blood and take away thy curse from my soul for he was made a curse for us he did susteine thy wrath in our steed to deliver from wrath Now therefore O Lord I put my soul only upon thy only Son whom I take to be my sacrifice him I offer up unto thee as my propitiation I have sinned but thy Son hath dyed for my sins I have provoked thee but thy Son hath pacified thee I have wronged thee but thy Son hath satisfied thee he did not die for his own sins but for my sins he was not made a curse for himself but for me I lay hold on his blood to be my peace and satisfaction and salvation As if a man were like to be carried to prison for debt and hunting up and down for a friend to stand for him at length he findes one only man and him he brings to the creditor and saith here 's a man will pay you and ransome me so faith for a troubled and obliged sinner to God it findes out Christ and saith Lo Lord here is thy Son who is my surety he will discharge he is my ransome SECT IV. FOr Christ as a Saviour and King and Prophet and Lord what is the exercise of faith there I tell you what I think of it It is a work of a believing heart whereby it doth accept of Christ to be the sole teacher and ruler of heart and life and resigne up himself wholly to him to be fashioned as it were and guided by him A man never comes to the truth of beleeving but he shall finde this that faith will change his Master For faith changeth the heart and the heart being once changed will quickly change its Lord So that to believe on Christ as a King as a Lord as a Prophet it is to admit him to give him up the whole man into his hands to his holy and spiritual Government as if the heart should say thus much thou art a Holy Christ and thou art he who art to reigne now I take thee to be my Holy Lord and I resigne up my selfe I passeover my selfe unto thee I will have no Lord but thee and I do with all my heart accept of thee to make me Holy as thou art Holy and to subdue this vile heart of mine and to rule in me by thy blessed and mighty Spirit SECT V. THus briefly of the immediate object of faith on which faith immediately looks viz the person of Jesus Christ to take and receive Christ as Lord and Saviour This is true faith yet by the way note a few things First that this taking is with all the heart it is not a pretended taking a dissembled work there is a taking of Christ with the tongue and a taking of him with the heart O no when true faith takes Christ it brings in the very strength of the soul O Lord Jesus I do embrace thee accept of thee with all my soul with all my might and with all my affections Secondly this taking of Christ is of all Christ of Lord as well as Jesus when the heart is made sensible of sin and Satan and world and Christ and now falls off from them I will have no more to do with you I will serve you no longer Christ only shall be my Saviour and he only shall be my Lord I will put my soul under his Scepter and Government Thirdly this taking of Christ is onely of Christ For it is a conjugall taking which consists of unity one they say in the Metaphysicks is divided in it self and divided from all besides it self so is it in faiths taking of Christ One Faith One Lord said the Apostle
and do rest my soule on thy precious blood trusting that it was shed for the remission of my sins I have taken thee to be my Christ and therefore I commit the answering of my sinful debt to thy full satisfaction and sufferings Put the case to a beleeving heart you have many sinful debts to answer for sinnes before conversion and sinnes after conversion sins of ignorance and sinnes of knowledge these sinnes have that in them which bindes you over to wrath and curse now to whom doth it belong to pardon these sinnes your soul answers to God Who can forgive sinnes but God only And I even I am he that blotteth out thy sins c. yea but for whose sake will God pardon them the soul answers onely for Christ Jesus sake for he did shed his blood for their remission and therefore faith goes with the soul to Christ and saith O blessed Saviour thy blood was shed for the remission of sinnes and thou hast invited all that are heavy laden to come unto thee and thou wilt ease them Thou sayest if any man sinne 1 John 2. 1. he hath an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for sinnes Now I am thus and thus sinful and these guilts lie upon my conscience I am never able to get them to be pardoned for any thing in me but I do put my soul upon thee and do trust to thee to get off these sinnes I put them on thy account yea all of them and do beleeve that in thy blood they shall be pardoned c. SECT VII NOw for the second thing which faith looks on in Christ and that is Righteousnesse Beloved this know that God doth never Justifie a man nor will ever save a man who hath not a perfect Righteousnesse for he is a Righteous God and will not pronounce the sinner guiltlesse his Law and Justice must be satisfied in all points or else the sinner shall never come to heaven Now the soul of a person is marvellously distressed when it seriously thinks of this How shall I stand before the great and holy God another day being by nature so wholly sinful and at the best being but defectively and imperfectly good But faith in this case brings the soul to Christ and in him it findes a most perfect and absolute righteousnesse For whom saith the scrupulous soul for thee saith Faith what for me yea for thee for the Scripture saith That Christ was made the righteousnesse of 1 Cor. 1. 30. God for us and that he was made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So that if thou wouldst 2 Cor. 5. 21. have such a righteousnesse as may answer the Law and satisfie God and which God will accept for Justification Thou must by faith get out of thy self and lay hold on that righteousness which is in Christ As Paul I account all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith Phil. 3. 8 9. There is a twofold righteousnesse One inherent which is in us and this imperfect it can never justifie us in the sight of God Another is imputed which is not in us yet it is for us And this is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ both in his nature and in his obedience Active and Passive which God reckons unto him who doth beleeve in Christ of which the Apostle abundantly in Rom. 4. 12. c. 5. on this doth faith rest only in the matter of justication Though inherent righteousnesse be absolutely required to salvation yet no righteousnesse but that only which is Christs and is imputed to beleevers is the matter of our justification When a sinner comes to account it with God he can never say Lord Lo here I am see if there be any sin in my person or defect in my holinesse I will expostulate with thee upon bare termes I have not offended thee or if I have here 's grace enough to answer for me my heart is wholly cleane my duties at all times in every respect for matter and manner have been performed just as thou requirest in thy holy Law enter into judgement with me if thou pleasest I will be tryed by my own holinesse by my own goodnesse O no there can be no such thing no sinner can be pronounced just this way ever the Saints must cast their crowns to the ground and give glory to the Lamb who only is worthy For when we come to the point of justification before God we must renounce our own righteousnesse as filthy rags we must cry out enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified But as they who were in danger fled to the hornes of the Altar for their lives so must we if we would be justified fly by faith to the Altar of Christs perfect righteousnesse and so doth faith when it would present the person of a sinner perfect and unblameable before God It doth bring him unto Christ and saith before God I beleeve in him to be the Lord my righteousnesse CHAP. VII How it may appeare that to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved BEfore I give you the Arguments or Reasons to evince this I must premise some particulars viz. First That beleeving or faith may be considered four wayes either 1. Absolutely as a simple habit or quality of grace apt to change the unbelievingnesse of the heart and to send forth the acts of trusting and acceptance 3. Premises Thus faith is not the only way of salvation partly because other habits are required as well as faith and partly because there is not in faith absolutely considered any meritorious dignity of it self to challenge salvation We say that a Ring is worth a hundred pound not absolutely considered not that the gold which makes the Ring amounts to that value but in respect of the Diamond set in that Ring so faith is a grace of wonderful price much more precious then gold Not so much in respect of it self as if it did by its own natural dignity cause our Justification and salvation but in respect of Christ whose person it takes and on whose righteousnesse it doth rely so though this be true we are justified by faith yet this is as true we are not justified for faith but for Christ on whom faith doth trust 2. Actually that is for the very act of beleeving Arminius and Birtius and some of that cut do say That not the righteousnesse of Christ is that which justifieth but the act of beleeving on it is that which is imputed in our Justification A righteousnesse of Christ they do grant but 't is the act of our beleeving on this which by divine acceptation or favour is imputed for
God to salvation not only in respect of revelation because it doth manifest and declare the sole means of reconciliation 'twixt God and man but also in respect of operation and efficacy because it doth communicate and produce that faith in Iesus Christ by which we are saved 2. Another is that it comprehends the righteousnesse of God which faith only doth take By the righteousnesse of God he understands that righteousnesse whereby a man is justified in the sight of God and it is called the righteousnesse of God because God is the Authour and giver of it it is wrought and given by God in Jesus Christ and also because it is approved and of force with God at his Tribunal and judgement-seat See another place Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation He in the precedent verses doth enumerate many singular and heavenly blessings amongst which Christ was one and he doth in this verse expresse the order and manner how they come to be interessed in him viz. by trusting or believing and they come to that trusting and beleeving by the Gospel which he stiles a word of truth and a message of salvation Tell me seriously is not salvation the great scope and aime of your most choise and sober thoughts and can any attaine that but by Christ and can you have Christ without faith How preciously deare then unto you should the Ministry of the Gospel be which is the instrument of God to produce that faith which layes hold on that Christ by whom only we are saved Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God so the Apostle Rom. 10 17. and John 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me He is an enemy to his own salvation who slights the preaching of the Gospel and he is an enemy to the salvation of others who labours to oppresse and extinguish it for if salvation be by faith in Christ and that faith depends on the Gospel Then For our parts let us blesse God for his Gospel Let us for ever honour and respect the message of the Gospel yea let us heartily embrace the Doctrine and power of the Gospel Let the feet of them which bring the glad tydings of salvation be acceptable unto us for as much as salvation and Christ and faith are all of them annexed unto the Gospel 2. Then hence it will follow that a meer hearing of Christ and his doctrine will not save if beleeving be the only way There are divers sorts of hearing One with incogitancy when perhaps the Ear is open but the Three sorts of hearing minde is asleep and heeds not that precious object revealed Another with Reluctancy when the eare is open and the mind attentive but the heart striving against the truth and goodnesse of the word Another with Conformity when the ear heares and the understanding yields and the heart embraceth Now it is this latter kinde of hearing which brings to salvation That hearing which consists only in the delivery of the message which brings something from God to us this will not save but such an hearing as brings back something from us to God which is accompanied with beleeving which turnes home the soul to the acceptance and embracing of Iesus Christ this is the only hearing to save our soules A motion made and tendred doth not conclude a match but a motion consented unto and embraced 3. If beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way of life then Iesus Christ should be the main scope and mark of all our preaching and studying 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified It was the maine theame and subject upon which that blessed Apostle did spend himself Look as it is with a Physician that though he doth sometimes lance and sometimes make very sick and sometimes restraine to strictnesse of diet and sometime binde and trouble the patient and sometimes relieve him with precious cordials though these actions are different among themselves yet they do concenter in one end which is health and life So whether Ministers preach the knowledge of sinne or whether they strive to make men sensible of sinne or whether they let flie the arrows of Gods threatnings upon the conscience of sinners or whether they touch on the mercy Seat all the end and scope is or should be to bring men to Christ to make Christ more glorious in the eyes of sinners and to incline their hearts to accept and embrace him Christ may be preached two ways Either Explicitly when he in his person or offices or benefits Christ preached two wayes is the only matter which is handled and published Or Virtually when he is the end of that matter which is delivered One of these wayes Christ still to be preached Do I meet with a broken and afflicted spirit groaning under the load of sinful Nature and life panting after the Prince of life and peace willing to yield up it self to all the conditions of God in Christ Here now I am to lift up Christ on his Crosse to spread his armes to shew unto that broken Spirit the very heart blood of Jesus Christ poured out for the remission of sinnes to be a propitiatory Sacrifice for his soule Do I meet with an obstinate and proud spirit which dares to defie justice and presumtuously to areign mercy Here I open the indignation of God against sinne of purpose to awaken the conscience to cast down the high and lofty imaginations and for no other end but this That such a person being now come to the sense of his misery may fitly be directed and seasonably encouraged to the sight and fruition of his remedy in Christ CHAP. IX Iustification only in Iesus Christ FOurthly If that beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way to be saved Then this Informes us where to finde our justification viz only in Iesus Christ For there only is the righteousnesse which can satisfie justice and in his blood only is remission of sinnes Now because this is a fundamental point 'twixt us and the Papists and it is the great bottome of comfort to a beleeving soule give me therefore leave to improve the remainder of the time in a brief and distinct explication of it Where First of the word and title Justification Secondly of the nature and definition of it together with some Arguments to evince that it is only by and for Christ and some Answers to the choisest Objections SECT I. FOr the word justification it hath a double acception amongst Writers 1. One Intrinsical and so it signifies to make a man just by an act of infusion that is by the implantation of sanctified or holy qualities 2. Another Forinsecal and so it signifies to repute or pronounce a man just by an act of jurisdiction that is a judiciary sentence to pronounce him righteous and free
and with all those to have a heart glued to the world folded up in the love of sinne resolved against all hazards to shift off all profession rather then to endure any storme what so great a task is this But to have a minde taught of God and to have an understanding bowed with the strength of Divine light and inward change to the obedience of truth and to have a will sweetly renewed and with an holy trembling humbly receiving Christ in his person and offices and bestowing the whole soul and body on him againe here the work sticks CHAP. XII The sure and dangerous misery of unbeliefe THe last thing which may stirre us to try our selves is the consideration of that amazing danger and unspeakable misery to which the soul is assuredly obnoxious in case of unbelief Why will you say What danger if we believe Obj. not I answer there are three special dangers First all thy sinnes stand upon record against thee like so many sad debts which thou hast run thy self into from thy conception to this very day They are all written with the pen of a Diamond there is no blotting out of a mans sinnes but by the blood of Christ and the unbeliever hath not his portion in that blood and therefore there are all thy sinnes uncancelled thy sinnes of nature and all thy sinnes of life such a sin and such a sin then and there and againe committed c. O how great is the volume of them the number of them cannot be numbred and the guilt of them cannot be conceived if one sin binds thee over to hell Good God! To what flames of vengeance and horrible degreâ—s and intensions of misery and wrath do all thy sins oblige thee Yea and as Solomon said in another case Prov. 9 12. If thou scornest thou alone shalt beare it so I say here if thou remain an unbeliever thou alone must answer for all thy sinnes Whatsoever the wrathful displeasure of God is whatsoever the horrors of conscience are whatsoever the gnawings of that worm are whatsoever the heat of hell flames are Whatsoever the doleful separation from God is Whatsoever curse the Law implies for sin that maist thou expect who wilt not believe in Christ O! if that wrath was so hot when it obliquely as it were fell on Christ where it had no unholy and self-guilty quality to admix with it selfe that he sweat drops of blood and cryed out my God c. How wilt thou with any patience ease possible quietnesse susteine the extream wrath of the Almighty Judge who art vile and filthy and hast a conscience with all thy torments to gall and vex thee with the stings of misery guilts and self-accusations tell me how art thou able what canst thou say how canst thou beare up before the Lord if he should arise if he should terribly arise to judge the nations He is the Holy God and Just and is True and Great in power What satisfaction canst thou bring where are thine oblations or with what wilt thou reconcile thy self to the Lord Whereby canst thou either make thy former sins to be no sins or perswade the Lord to be propitious to thee without Christ Nay verily he will judge thee as an unrighteous person for if thou hast not Christ what righteousnesse hast thou there is no hope for thee to be acquitted nay nor hope to be saved nay thou art sure to be damned Mark 16. 15. Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature 16. He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God 36. He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that beleeveth not the Son shaâ—â— not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rev. 2. 8. The fearful and unbelieving are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone But you will say Why This is strange Why such Obj. extreame misery for not beleeving what sinne is it It is one of the greatest sins in the world not to believe that is Sol. not to receive the Lord Jesus Christ Because It is a sinne against the greatest love to the world Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave c. Rom 5. 8. But God commendeth his love towards us that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us God shewed the greatnesse of his love to bestow his Sonne and Christ shewed the greatnesse of his love to dye for us Greater love said Christ can no man shew then to lay down his life c. Now for the Lord to finde out a way of Salvation and in love to our soules to offer this Son of his unto us and to beseech us to be reconciled and then for us like them who were envited to the supper we cannot come we will not come O this c. It is a sin for which there can be no remedy for asmuch as it is a sin against the only remedy of a sinful soul The sentence of the Law may be repealed by the Gospel but not ècontra There is no plaister for the soul but the blood of Christ which yet unbelief will not take and receive It is a sinne which as much as in it lies makes void and vaine all the Covenant of Grace turning all the goodnesse of it into nothing and all the truthes of it into lyes and makes the blood of Christ to be shed in vaine He that beleeveth not makes God a lyar because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Sonne 1 John 5. 10. It is a sin which directly murders the soul because it doth wilfully hold it off from Christ who would upon believing pardon and justifie and save All these things being premised let us now descend towards the triall or evidences of true faith in Christ where I beseech you observe CHAP. XIII Rules for the discovery of faith FIrst some Rules of Direction for the manner of â—vidence and testifying of faith that you may neither be deceived by presumption nor perplexed by error and doubting Two things Secondly some lively instance of true faith as the Word of God doth clearly represent them The Rules of discovery and finding out faith which are these SECT I. THere are some things without which faith cannot be in the heart and yet they do not necessarily and infallibly conclude that a man hath faith They do well distinguish in the Schools 'twixt an Antecedent and a Cause a Cause is such a thing as is before the effect and which beiâ—g put the effect also is put one will not go without the other But an Antecedent is that which must go before another thing yet it is not necessary that if it be that the other thing should follow The rising of the Sunne is a cause of day and therefore this will
to do them Sol. I answer 1. Good works may be so stiled either First materially because they are such things as may do good Secondly formally being sealed with all the circumstances which are required to make them good both for spiritual composition and Divine acceptation Now though wicked men may performe works good materially yel formally they do not for to make a work formally good there must be the concurrence of all circumstances the person must have a good heart and a good ground and a good end and a good Christ c. 2. Though every Beleever cannot actually do every good work yet some good works or other he can do though he cannot give mony yet he can give prayer c. Now think on this ye who have riches and wealth and professe faith on Christ and yet scarce a person a poor distressed person can blesse God for your fruitful faith nay the very doing of a small good work sometimes doth even try all the faith in the soul a man doth many times beleeve he shall surely want and impoverish his estate if he should be rich in good works SECT VII SIxthly true faith doth desire and endeavour after increase Help my unbelif said the unbeleeving father O Lord increase our faith said the Disciples I pray observe a few things 1. That true faith begins in weaknesse Like a childe at the first very tender oâ— like the light at the first very broken Presumption being a work of fancy and borne with its strength and perfection it is fully assured and utterly confident at first But Jacobs ladder hath many steps 2. That though it hath weaknesse yet it hath life as the spark of fire though it be little yet it is hot and though the childe be weak yet it can suck even the weakest faith in Christ will be much about Christ it will be weeping at his grave or washing of his feet or looking on his person 3. There are yet many degrees wanting to faith either thou canst not be perswaded or not fully perswaded or not constantly pâ—rswaded 4. If the faith be true and living it will bend after a rising and that First in respect of its acts of receiving trusting perswading Secondly in respect of its object It would yet apprehend more and feel more of the communion and vertues of Christ All the preaching in the world doth not increase a false and presumptuous faith nor doth the administration of the Sacraments adde thereto But the living they grow and he must have more faith who hath any Paul would apprehend even as he is apprehended The soule which hath true faith would have yet more victorious â—ieldings more stedfast embracings more confident restings c. like the childe which sucks and thrives SECT VIII SEventhly true faith in Christ and a mournful heart for sinne go together Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only sonne There are two things which faith will fetch up in the soule one is love to Christ another is sorrow for sinne There may be a terror without faith the conscience may be crackt and wounded but till faith comes there is no sorrow the soul is not altered nor melted that which melts the soul is kindnesse and mercy and that which 〈◊〉 them is faith if thou doest cast an eye of Faith on Chrisâ— that eye will have some tears for forced sinning against Christ You shall finde in Scripture that true beleevers are characterized by this That they be mourners in Sion and they return with weepings and supplications and they poure out waters before the Lord and unbeleeving persons are described by hearts of Adamant of rocks of stone by hardned by unsensible by irrelenting hearts The text saith that when Christ looked on Peter he went out and wept bitterly there is a piercing vertue in a gracious look from Christ. The soule which hath been long humbling it selfe and much in seeking for mercy and a good look from heaven It is when any gracious manifestation of favour darts down even resolved into tears never did the child weep more soberly upon his reconciliation to his loving father then the beleeving Christian doth mourn in sober sadnesse when his faith gets to see God reconciled to him in Christ he reades his pardon with teares of joy There are two parts of sorrow One is essential which consists in a strong displeasure of the will against the soul for sinning against a good God Another is contingent which consists in those dreary teâ—res flowing into the eyes now this is contingent for when the heart is many times filled with teares like Davids bottle yet it may so fall out that the eyes may be silent in such expressions c. CHAP. XIV Singular comfort for all true Beleevers IF to beleeve in Jesus Christ be the only Vse 3 way to be saved then here is singular comfort to all true beleevers What Solomon spake of wisdome that I say of faith her Prov. 3. 17 18. wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that reteineth her If this be a happy thing to have the Lord to be our God and David judged it to be a superlative happinesse If this be a blessed thing not to be offended at Christ O how sweetly and greatly blessed is the condition of a beleeving soul which hath God to be its God Christ to be its husband and heaven to be its portion Faith and Christ why they are the ring and the diamond they are the way and the life the soul cannot have such a prize as Christ nor such a hand as faith such a match as Christ nor such a grace to contract it as faith Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation said Simeon He may cheerfully lay down his body in the dust who hath by faith given up his soule to Christ But to descend to some diâ—â—inct particulars of comfort to the soule which beleeves truly in the Lord Jesus Christ observe SECT I. FIrst this is one comfort in the Text that they are in the way to heaven Naturally we are out of our way as soone as we enter into the world as soone as they be borne they go aside said David and the way of peace they have not known and nothing sets us in the right way but faith for Christ is the way and it is faith which findâ—s a Christ It was not Philips natural eye but his spiritual faith which spied the Messias Christ is the waâ— to heaven and saith is the way to Christ Salvation it is the great object of â—he greatest desire and indeed I know no more excellently desiâ—able thing then God in a glorious union with whom is the perfection of our salvation Now if thou be a true beleever thou art in the way
she yea the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table As if she might say Be it so Lord Jesus I am no better then a dogge an unworthy creature yet let me have the compassions to a dogge though not plenty yet the crumbs Now what saith Christ of her Then Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith Remember it that the faith which can bring up the soul which can lead it up to heaven against discouragements Though God doth not answer yet I will seek though he kill me yet I will trust in him I say such a faith is strong an expostulating faith a faith which will make the soul to presse on after denials Job after suspensions it is come to a great measure of faith which will not be answered or will not be gone a faith that will not let God go or Christ until it speed Jacob was as a wrestler he would not let God go except he blessed him A faith that can dispute it much with God which will in a holy reasoning take and urge God with God and will so enforce the promises on him which he hath made that God is even faine to yeild Be it unto thee as thou wilt this is faith ripened 3. The more entirely the soul is carried to expectation from the sole strength of a Divine promise the greater and the stronger is that faith As in Abrahams case He wanted a sonne and God promised him an Isaac Abraham did not now stagger through unbelief he did not consult the truth of it from his own natural abilities How unable he was that he neglected but how able God was to perform his own word upon this his faith did pitch And for this the text saith that he was strong in faith Rom. 4. 20. Remember this that the more sensible helps the soul needs to draw out the act of beleeving the weaker is the faith as the man is judged to be very weak who cannot go without many crutches and holdings But the more strength a naked promise hath with the soule when it alone puts life and quietnesse into us now faith is grown As David said The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me So when we can quash all our troubles with the sight of a promise I have Gods word for my pardon his word for my help his Word for my comfort I desire no better pay-master then God no better security then his own promise though all things stand contrary in sense and feeling yet all is sure in Gods promise and there I will settle this argues a great faith 4. The more ability a man hath to deny himself in neare and great occurrences the greater is his faith Abraham in leaving of his countrey parting with Isaac The more easily we can beleeve great things and part with great things the stronger is our faith There is nothing more hard then to give up a mans self There is a threefold self First his sinful self in respect of old and dear sins Secondly his natural self in respect of the separation of soul and body Thirdly his temporal self in respect of the comforts of this life And it must be a strong faith which must enable to strong denials of our selves when a thing comes nearer to the quick either when God denies a man a special comfort or draws off from him a special comfort now to submit now to be quiet I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me said Paul I know how to want and how to abound to be exalted and to be abased I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be contented To have the heart pleased with Christ alone and satisfied with his presence mark it the more entirely that the soul makes up its state in Christ and the lesse power that the world imprints upon the heart in its changes this imports the faith is come to strength Strong faith is like a strong tree which holds its body unmovable against great tempests but weak faith is like a plant which every winde makes almost to touch the ground Fifthly the weaker the arguments of distrust grow in the heart this is a signe that the faith is got to a strength This I conjecture that the strength or weaknesse of faith is not to be judged by the multiplicity of distrustful arguments but by the force and efficacy of them It is possible that manifold arguments of feare and doubts may present themselves to the minde of a strong beleever as well as unto the judgement of a weak beleever but then if faith be strong it doth weigh them down it doth prevaile over them that is it brings the soul to Christ it cleaves still unto him The soul maintaines its title to Christ and owns God in his promises it will not cast away its hope nor its strength wherein the soul can habitually foyle the reasonings which crosse its way and can cleare up and vindicate its state what God is to it and Christ is to it and what it hath received from them this is an argument that it is not weak but strong Sixthly the more easie compliance with change of a mans condition is an evidence of a faith which is more strong There are several changes incident to mans temporal life the Moon sometimes is ful and anon it is in the Eclipse our sea doth ebb and flow sometimes prosperity like the candle of the Lord shines upon us by and by adversity like the winde blows out the candle sometimes we abound and our mountaine seemes strong anon we are stript and our mountaine is shaked one while health and presence of friends another while sicknesse and losse of all Now in these changes not to be changed like the ship right up in a calme but tossing and reeling in a storme but to be as the rock fixed and setled holding up and rejoycing in the God of our salvation and encouraging our selves in the Lord our God and willing to be any thing in any condition yea to blesse God for all as Job did If I die I shall go to God If I live I will serve my God If I enjoy I will be fruitful If I want I will be thankful The more Passive the heart is the more active and strong the faith is Paul had been learning that lesson In every state therewith to be content O when a Christian can comply with contrary states not through an insensiblenesse of Spirit but from an apprehension and approbation of divine wisdome goodnesse love and authority his faith is singularly cleared and well improved 7. The more satisfaction and quiescence that the soul hath in Christ alone the greater is the faith when a naked Christ is the centre and loadstone and the All in all As the Sunne to make day I desire to know nothing but Christ crucified said Paul 1 Cor. 2. 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there
though weak and strong faith may vary much in the manner and degree of the apprehension or perswasion or reading of the pardon yet they both agree in the strength and in the latitude of pardon The weak believer hath as an effectual and as ample and full remission as the strongest believer for Christ did not become an unequal surety or an uneven Sacrifice for sinne my meaning is this that he did not only undertake the debts of some believers but of every one nor did he undertake some debts only of some beleevers but all the debts of all beleevers Therefore it is said Esay 53. 6 The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all and Jer. 32. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned which words extend to all beleevers because to all that are covenanted Thirdly Justification by imputed righteousnesse There is a common equal interest in this by all beleevers It is but one garment for every beleever it is an entire thing One believer hath not one righteousnesse to justifie him and another believer another but all are justified by the same righteousnesse of Christ neither is the imputation of this righteousnesse partial or unequal but alike to all that believe Rom. 3. 21. The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Ver. 22. Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve for there is no difference Therefore God is said in v. 26 the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus if any man doth truely believe in Christ God justifies that man and Christ is made righteousnesse unto him that is the Lord will reckon unto him the righteousnesse of Christ he will in Christ pronounce him just and acquit him The most elevated beleever cannot be presented in a judicial way before Gods justice safely in the strength of his own perfections and therefore hath no reason to glory or boast and the most weak beleever is not excluded but adorned with the robe of Christs compleat righteousnesse notwithstanding his own manifold imperfections and therefore hath no reason to be discouraged or dismayed for as much as Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believes Rom. 10. 4. Fourthly the inheritance of glory even those weak Disciples who were oft rebuked for their fears and doubtings were commanded by Christ to rejoyce because their names were written in the book of life If we be Believers we are sonnes and if sonnes then heirs heires of life and co-heires with Christ in glory Rom. 8. 16 17. Gal. 4. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Vers 29. And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise John 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life for eternal life is founded in Christ God hath put all life in him from him we draw our life of grace and by him we possesse our life of glory 1 John 5. 11. God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in his Sonne Verse 12. He that hath the Sonne hath life Obj. Yea but who are they who have the Son Sol. See ver 13. These things I have written unto you that believe on the Name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life as if he should say every believer is he who hath the Sonne and by him that eternal life 3. Every beleever hath vertual interest in Christ that is he shall partake of the vertues and graces and strength of Christ The vertues of Christ are many I will touch at some viz. 1. A crucifying vertue which subdues the love and dominion of sinne now every beleever shares in this though one beleever be more troubled with the insolent motions of sinne then another yet no believer shall lie under the dominion of sinne Rom. 6. 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace Gal. 5. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Every beleever is gathered under the rod and Scepter of Christ and is made alive to Christ and dead to sinne yea and Christ will more and more mortifie his corrupt heart He will be made death to the strongest lust in the weakest believer 2. An assisting vertue which aides the soul in matter of duty and service now Christ will not only guide the strong but also lead the weak believer He will send forth his enabling strength for all the services which he requires 2 Cor. 12. 9. He said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse most gladly therefore will I glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me As if he should say there was weaknesse and infirmity on Pauls part but there was strength and power on Christs part and this strength would Christ make to appear in Pauls weaknesse that is though Paul saw and felt his own strength insufficient yet he should find Christ sufficient sufficiently inabling him in that particular Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Mark that place though we are very infirme very weak to any holy duty to prayer and the rest yet Christ will help he will come in with his Spirit which shall enable us with supplications so that even very weak believers may take comfort in this that Christ will strengthen and aide them by his Spirit in duties as well as the strongest The greatest believer cannot performe service by his own strength and the weakest shall be inabled by Christs There be three things which Christ will communicate to every believer even to the weakest about duty One is an affection and heart Another is strength and assistance The last is pardon and acceptance what is amisse and wanting shall be pardoned and what is imperfectly and weakly good shall yet through his intercession be accepted His Father for his merits will not despise the day of small things 3. Persevering vertue by which the soul comes at length to cast Anchor and to be safely landed Now the strong faith hath in a sort heaven already yet weak faith shall also make a saving voyage as it was with them in Pauls shipwrack some of them could swim and quickly and better get to shore others were more unskilful and therefore laid hold and made use of broken boards yet the text saith That they all came safe to land That I say of strong and weak faith though the strong believer can better cut through the manifold oppositions of the world though he can rise more easily above the waves of Satans temptations then the weak believer
satisfaction or else concluding no interest in his favour and gracious intentions besides forgetting usually the mediation and intercession of Christ in whom alone the soule and petitions are worthy 4. The weak believer hath not that succesfulnesse in communion with God as the strong believer hath For all doubtings do prejudice our suits There is not a more sure and compendious way to non-suit our suits then by delivering them out of an unbelieving heart No faith may be sure of denial and he who delivers up his requests to God with an hand and an hand with an hand of faith and a hand of doubting either he hath a longer or else a shorteranswer According to thy faith be it unto thee said Christ strong faith brings God much glory and doth fetch in much good to the soul but the lesser faith the lesser good as according to the largenesse of the vessel or strength of the hand c. The higher the Sun is the more light is in the Horizon so the greater the faith is in our requests the sooner and the larger shall be our promised answers You remember what Elisha said unto Joash King of Israel take the arrowes and he took them and he said smite upon the ground and he smote thrice and stayed And the man of God was wrath with him and said thou shouldst have smitten five or six times then hadst 1 King 13. 18 19. thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice Prayer is the arrow of the soul it is the swift messenger sent up to heaven and faith is the hand which dispatcheth it now according to the strength of faith is the greatnesse of prayer in successe Thou didst pray though with much weaknesse of faith and hast got a little comfort why didst thou not smite the ground six times why didst thou not double thy strength in believing thou shouldst then have had comfort like a river whereas now thou hast only the smaller drops Thou hast prayed though with much weaknesse of faith and hast got a little power over thy sinful and rebellious heart why didst not thou smite the ground six times why didst thou not abound in more believing for then thou shouldst have had a fuller victory over thy corrupt lusts and inclinations Herein hath strong faith the preeminence of weak that the one hath not that full speed at heaven as the other not that God will not answer the faith that is weak but that its answers are not so full because it is accompanied with doubtings This we finde experimentally that our helpes much of them yet stick behinde in heaven and our corruptions much of them yet insult below in our hearts not that we do not hate them not that we do not pray against them but because our faith is new or weak we rather think that God will not help then that he will indeed answer or do us good 5. The weak believer is more under the power of the creature then the strong My meaning is this that his heart is more apt to sink and faile and perplex and disquiet him in the changes of outward things a crosse cannot come but he startles and if the affliction be close he can hardly hold up if he hath not some friends to smooth and cherish him some calme estate to maintaine and uphold him If the tyde comes not in if the winde doth not blow if the fig-tree doth not blossome if God puts him upon an unusual way if he toucheth him in his Name ease advantage any neer outward support if the crosse be long now I am cast off I shall perish what shall I eate what shall I drink what shall I put on we and ours are undone there 's none cares for my body as David spake for his soule The heart gathers into many agonies many prognostications many challenges of God many impatient vexations perhaps murmurings repinings and discontents and distempers yea and hath sometimes vile and inglorious thoughts of the fruitlesseness of serving God c. I think there is scarce any one of these which the weak believer doth not sensibly feel in the times of his straits and exigences which may exceedingly humble and abase his soul therefore But the strong beleever is a better Sea-man his soul is more quiet in the absence because more loosened by faith in the presence of the creature In a faire day God was much better though others break with joy in the fruition of wine and oyle yet Lord saith David lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me As if he should say I prize and joy in that more then in any thing else In a Fast day God is enough Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want Verse 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shaddow of death I will feare none evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Verse 6. Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life So Psalm 93. 3. The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voice the floods lift up their waves Psalm 93. 4. The Lord on high is mightier then the noise of many waters yea then the mighty waves of the Sea So Psalme 118. 6. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me Ver. 10. Aâ—l Nations compassed me about but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them Ver. 11. They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but c. Ver. 12. They compassed me about like Bees they are quenched as the fire of thornes for in the Name of the Lord c. So Psal 48. 14. This God is our God for ever and e-ever he will be our guide even unto death Sin is a greater trouble and the world is a greater burden to the weak then to the strong believer 6. The weak beleever cannot bring God so much glory as the strong beleever God hath Glory from us many wayes Glory to God three wayes By acquitting his fidelity and truth and power and other attributes Rom. 4. 20. By a bearing and fruitful heart and life John 15. 8. By thankful praises and acknowledgements Psal 50. 23. Now the weak believer he doth not acquit God so in his Attributes It is often with him Will the Lord cast off for ever will he be gracious or will he be favourable no more or if thou wilt thou canst do this for me It doth not so clearly justifie God in the greatnesse of his power in the readinesse of his mercy in the immutability of his truth He is not so fruitful for where the root is weak there the branches are not so strong or full the fruitfulnesse of the heart consists in the rich increase of all graces and in the enlarged heavenlinesse of the affections and the fruitfulnesse of the life depends upon the inward inriching of the heart as the
thou not heard of that accursed and despitfull death which I was put to numbred with transgressors cast out of the City nailed to the crosse pierced through the heart and yet my love to thy soul made me to poure out my soul an offering for thy sins Why and shall I veile my glory under the condition of a servant in vaine shall I combate and conquer Satan in vaine shall I beare the scorne of men the wrath of God the terrors of death the curse of the Law in vaine was not all this for thee shouldst not thou have susteined all this if I had not and must thou not if thou refusest him who hath done it and yet wilt thou prefer thy sins before me yet wilt thou not accept of me yet wilt thou not get faith to receive me have I sought thee freely bought thee so dearly and thou neglect and refuse me so easily Thirdly consider thou hast extreame need of a Lord Jesus 3. Motives Christ Excellency prevailes much with an ingenious nature and necessity with the worst when the Lepers saw that they must either venture their lives or die they would out into the Camp when the Prodigal saw he must famish abroad or repaire home he would then back to his fathers house Why Brethren the Captive doth not more need a Redeemer and the sick doth not more need a Physician then the sinner doth need a Christ and a Saviour Were we in Adams created innocency then we need not to look after a Saviour but we are fallen but we are broken but we are sold under sin but we are transgressors from the womb but we are by nature the children of disobedience and wrath Had we any stock left in our hands to set up our broken souls againe had we any strength to repaire our losse to recover our good to purchase our own peace and salvation but we are dead in trespasses Eph. 2. 1. we all fall short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. we are all without strength Rom. 5. 6. Could any thing be a Plank to the Shipwrack but Christ or an hand to lay hold on the rock but faith then we needed not to give such diligence for faith to believe but there is no salvation in any other name and there is no quality but faith to get us into Christ It is not the confidence which thou mayest put upon the faith of another which will do it as every mans soul is for his own body so every mans faith is for his own soul the wise virgins had no more oile then would serve their own Lamps and no mans faith is more then enough for himself Though Christ can save many yet faith saves him only who hath it It is not the confidence of a naked decree which will do it if God hath decreed to save me I shall be saved O no his decrees are his own secret wayes and the way which he hath opened to us is to get faith and to believe in his Son It is not an empty profession nor the worthlesse accesse of all the creatures that can ensure or save thy soul Only Christ none but Christ thou art wounded and Christ is thy plaister thou art dead and Christ is thy life thou art sold and Christ is thy ransome thou art an enemy and Christ is thy peace The debts are infinite the curse great the justice of God pure thy strength nothing and nothing satisfies and delivers but Christ and none hath Christ but the believer why then wilt thou not labor for faith Fourthly consider Christ is every way fitted to thy need 4. Motive Why Brethren gold will ransome a debtor to man it will not ransome a sinner from the Law an offender against God Why look upon your need aright and then judge who but Christ for a sinner There is guilt much guilt lying upon thy soul and who is the Priest to suffer to offer to satisfie to take away transgressions but Christ None can blot out the guilt of sin for us but he who had not a spot of sin in himself There is filth much filth defiling our natures poysoning our actions and who is the Prophet to enlighten to teach to change to cleanse from sinfulnesse but Christ None can teach us holinesse and obedience but he who was Holy undefiled separated from sinners and was obedient to the death There is dominion much dominion of sin prescribing a Law to our members sending out all insolent inclinations holding us in a willing subjection to every base lust and who is the King to conquer the heart to subdue iniquities to lead captivity captive to spoile principalities and powers to bid the captive go free to erect a thorne of righteousnesse and peace in the soul but Christ So that the wise love of God hath prepared and fitted Christ in all respects sutable to the exigencies and straits of a sinful soul and hath appointed faith to be that which shall put on this Christ upon the needy soul why then will we not labour for faith Fifthly God hath not only fitted a Saviour for thee but he 5. 〈◊〉 comes neer unto thee with him he deales mightily with thy soul â—o beleeve on him Thou hast the word of revelation to this very day wherein the mystery of thy salvation is made known and cleare unto thâ—e Thou needest not to say in thine heart Who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deeps to bring up Christ againe from the dead But the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach That if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 6. 7 8 9. Thou hast the word of gracious proposition God hath offered Christ with all his plentiful redemption with his strong salvation unto thee yea he hath assured thee by his Word of John 3. truth which cannot lie nor deceive that if thou believest on him thou shalt be saved by him Thou hast the word of injunction which layes a bond of duty upon thee This is his Commandment that we beleeve on the Name John 3. 23. of his Son Jesus Christ Nay thou hast the word of penalty and correction God hath said that he will judge thee for not believing and that in the sharpest method of expression He that believes not shall be damned Nay thou hast the word of obsecration and gentle intreaty God stoops infinitely below himself he doth streine curtesie with thee God doth beseech you by us and we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God Nay thou hast the word of expostulation why will you not beleeve why will ye die in your sins why will ye not come to me that you may be saved How often would I have gathered thee All the day long
any such displeasures nor torments that thus it shall be indeed Now how can the soul be inclined to believe in Christ to part with its deare lusts with its worldly advantages and pleasures and to submit it selfe to the Lawes and Scepter of Christ when as it doth expressely or vertually deny the nature of God and the power of his truths Didst thou indeed beleeve that there was a God didst thou indeed believe that his revelations of mans sinful misery and of his singular mercy in Christ were true and real Didst thou believe that God hath wrath and blacknesse of darkness and vials of vengeance for ever to be poured on the unbeliever and that the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone must be thy assured portion as God hath spoken how couldst thou sit still content thy heart neglect thy salvation by Christ stand off from the wayes and endeavours for faith Therefore to remove this impediment beg of God to forgive and cure the Atheisme of thy Spirit Strive to set up the true God in thy understanding and to believe that he is the Lord who will not lye Whatsoever he hath revealed himself to be and to do Why that he is and that he will performe that it is thy duty to return from sinne to him in Christ and if thou dost returne he will in mercy spare and deliver thy soul from the pit because he hath found a ransome but if thou wilt not return he wil bathe the sword of his flaming justice for ever in the blood of thy soul 2. A second impediment to the getting of faith is grosse ignorance Whatsoever is contrary to knowledge that same is contrary to faith for though faith sees not its ground in natural reason yet it must have divine evidence to shew it its object and way and causes or else it cannot be wrought in the soul The soul must have light for all its apprehensive operations for the eye to see and the understanding to perceive and for the heart to embrace Now this is it which keeps men off from beleeving they are extreamly ignorant First of their own sinful condition they do not know their nativity and conception what sin is nor what belongs to sinners â—â—w abominable and vile their natures are without all good and like a fountaine full of all wickednesse how dead in trespâ—sses and sins how totally defiled from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot How perpetually rebellious against every precept of heaven and how slâ—ghting of the tenders of salvation and mercy Secondly of Gods just disposition towards the sinful person They see him not armed and setting out against them in all the threatnings and curses of his Law as Balaam in his passage he adventured on for he saw not the Angel of the Lord with a sword in his hand ready to cleave him asunder So men rest securely in their natural state talk what you will of Christ and of God and of sinne and of faith they are not moved they know not the fearful issues of a natural and unbeleeving condition they know not that God will judge them and condemn them for ever Thirdly of the excellencies of Christ what he is whither God or man or both even as it pleaseth him but favourly what he is in respect of his Natures in respect of his Offices in respect of his Actions in respect of his Passion in respect of his Benefits in respect of his Vertues they understand not these things How God hath manifested love in Christ how Christ manifested love to them to what end he was made man why Ministers preach him so much what is more in him then in any other Alas they think not of these things they know them not Now brethren how is it possible for the soul to believe or to be perswaded to believe in Christ or to labour for this precious faith which is a stranger to it self to God to Christ Didst thou indeed know thy condition to be the condition of death wouldest thou not make out for the Lord of life didst thou indeed know thy condition to be the condition of enmity wouldest thou not strive to get unto the Prince of peace So againe as Christ spake to the woman If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water John 4. 10. O if men did know what a gift Christ was If heaven and earth men and Angels had studyed the helps of a poore sinner they could never have imagined such a remedy as God found in giving his own Sonne Now if men did know him aright what a Redeemer what a Lord he is what living water is in him That in him only there is life for the dead recovery for the sinner satisfaction for guilt sanctification for the soul atonement for trespasses comfort for distresses balme for wounds salvation for their persons Why how could it be but that they should ask of him for a drop at least of water for some faith to receive him who is the fountain of grace and life 3. A third impediment to the endeavours for faith is a vain confidence of natural righteousnesse This was it which kept off many of the Pharisees the Text saith That they trusted to their own righteousnesse Yea this is called the stumbling of the Jewes it cast them flat that they doted so on legal abilities When a base heart hath proud imaginations of Christ and peace and safety from something within it self why It will never look after Christ A proud person who hath mony in his house he scornes to be beholding to his neighbour the proud sinner who conceives that all is well 'twixt him and God and that he hath done no man wrong and none can say black is his eye he is neither whore not thief and his heart is as good as the best and his meanings are alwayes honest and none can tax him for injustice and he hath kept all Gods Commandments as well as ever he could and he hath had a good belief he thanks God ever since he was borne I tell you such a person will not be beholding to God for Christ for he in his opinion being so whole needs not the Physician neither shall you perswade him to mourn for his sinnes or to repent and to part with all for Christ to deny himself and all his own vaine confidences and to put himself only upon Jesus Christ he trusts to be saved by his good deeds and by his good meanings Ah foolish and seduced soul Who hath bewitched thee to forsake thine own mercies Thinkest thou that God would have sent his onely Sonne and to poure out his own soule for sinners if that yet there had been ability in sinful man to have purchased his own safety and happinesse And doest thou see no sinne in thy self which may therefore for ever thrust thee off from
resting upon thy selfe and are thy works such absolute bottomes and foundations when the Heathens can match them and exceed them or cannot God espy a flaw in thy Ship and much false conveyance in thy title and much defect in thy deeds who can charge folly upon the Angels And are thy meanings and works so good while thy heart is yet so ignorant thy life yet so prophane Can what thou doest finde acceptance or merit when yet thou trustest not on him who only is the merit for a sinner Thinkest thou thy meanings can be good which dishonour the Redemption by Christ and the freenesse of mercy O no my brethren the soul is the passenger graces are the sailes the Spirit is the wind but Christ only Christ is the bottom which carries all safe and sure to heaven Nay if thou canst see a Saviour in thy own good meanings if a Saviour in thy own good works a Saviour in any part or degree of inherent righteousnesse either inward for the change of nature or outward for the emprovement of life this this will keep thee and Christ asunder No man will labour for faith in Christ who hath a faith in himselfe already as his own Saviour Therefore as they in the Acts of the Apostles burned their books when they came to believe in Chhist so must we unbottom our selves of our selves Renounce our menstrous rags abhor our selves in dust and ashes lay flat before the mercy-seat cry out with the Leper I am uncleane unclean with Daniel To us belongs nothing but confusion for we have sinned with David enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh righteous be justified with the Publican stand afar off and say Lord be merciful to me a sinner with Paul I count all things but as dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and I desire to be foundin him not having my own righteousnesse but that which is of faith with those Elders cast if we had them our very crowns to the earth before the Lamb and say he only is worthy If ever thou wouldest get to believe in Christ labour to get Do not stand in thy own light the mountaines to be levelled the high imaginations to be cast down to cast thy self out of thy self There is nothing that I have been or have done or do or can do which I can trust to I seek for the living among the dead whiles I look for a Saviour in my self He is farre enough from safety who rests on the arme of his flesh and we shall never close with or magnifie Christs righteousnesse until we can in matter of merit or justification deny our own 4. A fourth impediment to beleeving is the league of the heart with sinne Light is come into the world but men love darknesse rather then light John 3. 19. Sinne absolutely doth not prejudice the contract of the soule with Christ for Christ doth not negotiate for any soul but the sinful soul He doth not come to a person and say if thou hast no sinne I will bestow my self on thee or if thou hast not committed sinne I will be a redeemer a Saviour unto thee O no the offer of Christ is only to the sinner and it is none but the sinner who is to beleeve in Christ But that which hinders the contract ' twixtt men and Christ it is the love of sin Christ comes in the Ministry of the Gospel unto us and reports unto us our own exceeding sinfulnesse and then his exceeding graciousnesse and invites the soul by many sweet and tender arguments to accept of him to be Lord and Christ and assures it of pardon and righteousnesse and salvation Now saith Christ that which I require of you is this leave but your sinnes your sinnes which will damne you and I will be yours Why saith the soul this is but reason and I will hearken to it well then saith Christ go and quit such a lust thy uncleannesse or thy Sabbath breaking or thy drunkennesse or thy lewd society c. Why now the base and foolish heart falls off I cannot live without my nature I must and will be allowed in such a course The heart riseth up O Benjamine shall not go nay any thing but this lust I will never be divorced from it if I may have Christ and this sinne too well and good Thus the love of sinne steâ—les awâ—â— the heart it bestows the heart else where nay it infâ—ames an opposition against the Lordly power of Christ the soul will never yeild to the dominion of Christ which delights in tâ—e 〈◊〉 to sin Brâ—thren if we could bâ—â— rip up the secrets of mens hearts unto you you should 〈◊〉 discâ—â—â—â—e that it is the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 all 〈◊〉 oft-times can mâ—ke no exception aâ—ainst Christ they 〈…〉 to come in 〈…〉 know they 〈…〉 be saved without him but 〈…〉 will not 〈…〉 sinnes it â—uâ—s their soules to think of such a divorce come on it what will thâ—y will take their pleasure and hold faâ—t their wickednesse 5. A fifth impediment is the world The honours of it how can you believe who receive honour 〈…〉 â—nother and 〈◊〉 not the honour that 〈…〉 â—od only John 5. â—â— The profâ—â— of it He went away sorrowâ—ul for he had great possessioâ—s Mâ—t. 19. 22. The Examples of it Have any of the 〈◊〉 or of the Pharisâ—es beleeved on him John 7 48. The teâ—rors of it the feâ—â—e of the Jews kept off many from coming to Christ The losses of it and crosses He that will be my Disciple muâ—â— deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me The cares and thoughts of it when a man mindes earthly things and will be rich and devours all his prerious thoughts to compasse that which will be but a fether a thorne vanity or vexation Presse men to lâ—bour for Christ why we have no leasure presse to frequent the wayes of getting faith why lwe must not neglect our callings Urge them to embrace Christ as Lord to shape and fashion their hearts and ways according to his rules after his righteous Laws and to deny themselves in some sinful compliances O then we shall not be esteemed of we shall be derided and scoffed at as vaine and singular O these sensible things which we can see with our eyes and grasp with our hands they put us off from the great moments of our best and eternal good And what are the honours of this world but as the shade of the Sunne which every discontented cloud and frown removes and what are the profits of it but heapes of chaff which any windeâ— from heaven may scatter and what are the friends of it but a gourd which any worme may gnaw out and shrivel And why doest thou fear man whose utmost power exceeds not thy body and fearest not that God whose vengeance can seaze on thy soul and why wilt thou bestow the strength of thy time to get no more
the chiefest good 7. It is that which stirres up the heart with a choice of Christ and resolution to have him what ever may befal it 8. It is that which makes the heart to cry servently to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to work his blessed grace of faith Yea which draws out of us strong supplications with many teares and longings and to implead all the promises of making mercy good and Christ good and faith good unto us 9. It is that which establisheth the soul to a patient expectation for ever to lie at the poole for ever to attend the doors of the Sanctuary till the soul can take and close with Christ by true beleeving But then to open unto you the way more distinctly I would commend this course unto a person that he may at length get a believing heart 1. Study thy natural condition throughly The right sense of this 8. Things though it doth not formaâ—ly cause faith yet it may have a compelling force to make us look after Christ and to strive for faith The Apostle calls the Law a Schoolmaster to Christ Gal. 3. why because it doth reveal such a smart and strong evidence of the sinful condition that it scourgeth a man out of himself to look for a Saviour yea it helps much to cast the proud soul down and to break and crush his natural bottom which otherwise would stâ—ve off and hinder a man from believing Therefore study thy natural condition O I would believe and I would have Christ yea but why what need seest thou in thy self of him I tell you that the more desperate the soul sees its own natural condition the more willingly may it be drawn to apprehend adore and embrace its remedies and safeties Now there are three things to convince our selves of about our natural condition I meane the state without Christ First the ugly vilenesse of it That it is sinful and stark naught it is no such thing as God doth like or approve but his soul abhors and hates it For it is compounded of nothing but want of good and inclination to evil to all that is opposite to God and holinesse That thou art in it poor and blinde and miserable and naked an ignorant opposing unconceiving creature of any spiritual good proud and sensual and vain and earthly loathsom and dead Secondly the sure and fearful misery of it Thou art without God without Christ without the Covenant not a drop of mercy for thee whiles thou remain'st thus but all the wrath of God is against thee and thou art under the dominion of sinne and terrible curse of the Law all the threatnings in the book of God are ever ready to sease on thee and how soon may they arrest thee if God gives them commission Thirdly the utter insufficiency to deliver thy self out of this state Thou art never able to merit the least mercy nor to answer the great justice of God Though thou shouldest offer thousands of lambs and ten thousand rivers of oyle thou art so totally broken in thy strength that thou canst not pay a farthing and never canst thou be a Redeemer to thy self from thy sins or Gods justice Now drive and fasten these things as real and experimental truths into thy heart till thou art shut up under sinne as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3. that is so convinced on all sides concerning thy natural self that thou art faine to fall down and cry out O Lord I am unclean I am uncleane I am uncleane a miserable wretch a lost person for ever unlesse thou shew great compassion to my poor soul This condition is deadly and barren I am full of sinne and without strength and this condition is so fearful that verily I will not rest in it Men and brethren what shall I do to be saved Is there no balm in Gilead for a wounded soul no City of refuge for a distressed sinner no Rock of safety for a shipwrackt person no hope of salvation yet left for me 2. Then study the hope of a sinful soul Why though thou hast been very wicked and hast exceeded in transgressions yet there may be hope The Gospel it is the â—ape of good hope it is that which thrusts out some sight of land to a tossed sinner It is a message from heaven proclaiming both the hope and possibility and also the way and method of salvation for a sinful person Look as the Law points out a way of salvation for a righteous and innocent man so the Gospel doth for an offending and sinful man Therefore study it much take some accurate paines to be throughly and really informemed and convinced what Gods dispositions are therein revealed towards sinners Now here are two things which I would commend 1. One is the study of Christ Study him all over perhaps thou mayest see that in him which may answer many yea all thy feares Perhaps thou mayest see so much in him as may win much upon thy heart to come in and accept of him by faith Therefore peruse him well First that he is God and man and as so a Mediator and because so therefore an Almighty and a compassionate Redeemer Secondly that it proceeds from the love and Counsel of God to give him to be the Saviour of sinners God did see the fallen state and great misery of men and his absolute insufficiency to recover himself and therefore his own love moved him to give his own Sonne in whom he did ordain the salvation of sinners Thirdly that Christ was willing to become a Mediator yea he did freely give his life to make peace and procure salvation and this sacrifice of his was both acceptable and effectual Fourthly that God would have thee to come unto him for life and that Christ is the surety and Mediator and only hope of sinners Fifthly that Christ hath in him all and enough to make up thy state and to reconcile thee and God and to get full pardon and to present thee righteous and to procure for thee eternal life Sixthly that Christ seeks even after thee by the Ministry of the Gospel and both offers himself with all his purchase unto thee and hath and yet doth beseech thee to accept of him I say study these things who knows how the great studies of Christ may be at length blessed with faith in Christ This I am sure of that the ignorance of the nature and offices and works and benefits and alsufficiency and marvellous affections and readinesse in Christ is a notable strength to unbeliefe Ergo on the contrary the knowledge of them is a good means for faith 2. Another is the study of the new Covenant Why what mayest thou not there see to draw on thy soul to Christ yea what arguments doth God there fill thy mouth with to conquer himself He gives thee in that Covenant ample and prevailing grounds by which thou maâ—est with an humble confidence even plead with him for Christ and faith
bountifulnesse of its own nature is the reason of its gifts and acts Suppose that a King executes a malefactor this is an act of justice and findes cause in the rebellion of the offendor Suppose that a King pardons a malefactor this is an act of graciousnesse and findes its reason only in the breast of the King and not in the worthinesse of the delinquent Thou stand'st upon thy worthinesse O if I were worthy of Christ why but is not Christ a gift he is often said to be given yea but is he not a gracious gift See Ephes 2. 7. God did shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Jesus Christ As if he should say if ever there were a gift free-given it is Christ If Christ be a gracious gift then he is not bestowed on the worthy but on the unworthy not on him who can challenge and say Lord there is good reason why I should have Christ and thou shouldest do me wrong if I have him not O no but he is a gracious gift and therefore the broken sinner may come in and say O Lord though I am unworthy yet give me Christ graciousnesse doth not expect any motion out of it self and therefore though in respect of my desert shame and confusion be my portion yet thy gifts of grace are free for thy exceeding riches of grace and mercy and love give me thy Christ If I meet an old decrepit poor beggar and seeing misery and poverty in his face I freely draw my purse and say there is a shilling for thee O no saith he Sir I am not worthy I am a poor man and ready to starve give it to that Gentleman yonder who is in gay cloathing and hath thousands in his chests for he is worthy what a proud folly were thâ—s why my almes was a gracious dole and if any man in the world had it he had who doth need but doth not deserve it So c. 6. Christ is worthy your taking though thou be unworthy of receiving 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief As if he should say this is so necessary a thing so good a thing so admirable a thing for a sinner so meet for him to hearken unto and to embrace What if the choisest Prince in the world should this day present himself to the foulest ill-favoure'dst neglected woman one without all beauty without all parts without all estate and assure her if she will consent to his termes he will bestow himself upon her Though she be totally unworthy to heare of such a thing yet the person is worthy and the acceptance of the motion is worthy all the world sees reason enough that she should hearken So it is Jesus Christ the Prince of peace the Lord of life the Authour of salvation comes to a sinful soul utterly naked and void of spiritual excellencies over-runne with all the spots of inglorious deformities exposed to all kindes and degrees of present and future miseries calls and invites that soule to accept of him upon his own termes yet that soul stands off and excepâ—s I am not worthy Thou worâ—hy saith Christ what do I esteem of thy worthinesse Not for thy sake be it known unto thee is it that I offer my self unto thee not for any beautiful or ingratiating ornaments and gifts is this but for my own sake Am I worthy the receiving if so then accept of me Christ hath worthinesse enough and as our helps in the promises draw us thither so the treasures in Christ should do Obj. But you will say Christ hath let fall a word which tels me that there must be a subjective worthinesse as well as an objective worthinesse in me as well as a worthinesse in him Matthew 10. 13. If the house be worthy let your peace come upon it Sol. I answer that there is indeed a double worthinesse First one of the object when it is so every way excellent and necessary and sutable to the exigencies of a person so Christ worthy Secondly another of the subject which to restraine it now to the place alledged is a worthinesse of judgement and affection not a worthinesse of qualities and action Then a man is said to be worthy in reference to Christ not because he hath any taking and inviting qualities but when he judgeth worthily of the Lord Jesus and his affections draw after him as most worthy of all acceptation Lastly what is that which makes thee unworthy It is nothing in the world but sinne all the debasings of the soul are our sinnes and so there is a twofold unworthinesse 1. Meritorious 2. Excluding But then mark two things could never be if meer sinnings did effectually prejudice the soul with an excluding unworthinesse one is That Christ could never have been a worthy gift Another is That faith could never have beleeved truths in Christ It could never take Christ as a Saviour nor beleeve in him for the sure pardon of sins if that sinnes absolutely did involve the soul with such an unworthinesse as should for ever exclude it from partaking of Christ O no Though sinnes make unworthy yet Christ came to call sinners and though ungodlinesse makes unworthy yet Christ justifies the ungodly 4. Obj. But I am not sure that Christ is willing to bestow himself on me or that I should lay hold on him else I should I think be able to beleeve Sol. To this I will returne two things 1. One is clearing Christs willingnesse 2. The order of a Christians assurance First That Christ is willing I shall but light a candle to the Sunne in endeavouring to manifest the willingnesse of Christ to accept of sinners Why 8. Things what can possibly expresse a willingnesse which is not espiable in Christ First when thou wert a sinner and an enemy yet then did Christ shed his blood and die for thee Rom 5. 8 10. Nay he did not do this through constraint but through consent it was a free-will offering therefore is he said to offer himself and lo I come and to give himself and to lay down his life and to pay a price nay to be straitned till it were accomplished Luke 12 50. His death was the putting of the seal to the bond It ratified all the Covenant which it had not done had not Christ been willing Why he knew thee long before and saw thee in thy blood before he shed his own and had he been unwilling to have done thee any good or that thou shouldest have received any good from him he would never have cloathed himself with such a nature as he did assume neither would he have anguished his righteous soul nor have suffered such a tormenting and accursed death Verily if I would lay down my life for a person this would sufficiently argue and declare that I were willing to bestow my self on the perso
paine but when a patient is recovering he is full of sense and complains his head is weak his stomack sick his bones lame all is amisse There is more hope of one sensible sinner then of a thousand presumptuous and hardned wretches And God seldom or never gives a man a sense of Christ who hath not had first a sense of his sinfulnesse There is a double sense of sinne 1. One is meerly judicial which is the feeling of the guilt of sinne when God awakens the conscience to apprehend its former sinnings and imprints some degrees of wrath upon it as the fruits of guilt and now the sinner is broken and crushed for he feeles a kinde of hell in himself for his former sinnings 2. Another is more then judicial It is something more grievous and that is when a man doth not only feele the guilt of sinne as pressing but the nature of sinne as an oppressing burden He sees and feels the inclinations and motions of his heart as most repungnant to the will and glory of God and therefore is exceedingly afflicted and disquieted This now is an admirably hopeful Symptome Secondly Vnbelief is no oure to the strength of sinne whether thou conjecture the strength of sinne to consist in hardnesse of heart Why unbelief will never soften thee or whether thou conjecture the strength of it to consist in the approbation of sinne Why unbelief will never condemn and disapprove it or whether thou conjecture though not rightly its strength to consist in meere inclinations why why unbelief will never alter them or whether thou thinkest its strength consists in frequency of actions or motions why unbelief will never remove or lessen them or whether thou thinkest its strength consists in commands and power why unbelief will never conquer them Vnbelief is a sin it self and therefore can be no cure of sinne for nothing cures the sinner but that which is contrary unto sin Nay unbelief keeps off the soul from its cures from its helps the help of a sinful soul is in heaven but unbeliefe knows not the way upward the heart of unbelief will depart from the living God Thirdly Christ is a Physician for a sick sinner and he hath said that the whole need not the Physician but the sick Why The sick person is no unsutable object or present for a Physician his calling is to heale distempers and sicknesses and thou mayest confidently go to Christ to have thy sick soul healed We cannot brethren we cannot and Christ knows it well enough we cannot come to Christ but we must be beholding to him for two things One his merit to get our sins pardoned Another is his Spirit to get our sinful natures changed And therefore Christ is appointed of God not only to be Redemption but also to be Sanctification as he is the Author of salvation to us so he is the Authour of Sanctification in us We cannot come to him and bring good natures O no the grace which we want is in Christ in our Head as water in the Spring and from his fulnesse must we receive grace for grace None can change that vile heart of thine but Christ His wings are healing and to him art thou appointed to come as the sick person to the Priest in the Levitical Law The Covenant of grace you know is an undertaking not only for pardon but for changing and all the Covenant is made good in Christ As if God should say unto a sinner I know thou art a guilty person ful-well and besides that thou hast a filthy and abominable nature but go to my Son accept of him there is thy pardon in him and there is thy change in him he shall justifie thee from thy guilt and he shall sanctifie thy nature from its vile corruption Fourthly Jesus will not loath thee because of thy sinful nature but will help thee because thou art a sick person Remember it for ever the more vile thou art in thine own eyes the more precious thou art in Christs opinion I never read of any person who came to Christ thou Lord heale me but he was sent away cured Fifthly What doest thou think of beleeving what is thy opinion of faith what as if faith were an enemy or hinderance to holinesse That it will either increase or suffer lewdnesse in the heart far be it from thee so to think O no Faith is the singular way of encreasing and getting all grace to thy soul it deals altogether with holy principles God Christ the Spirit and with holy wayes the Word the Sacraments Faith engageth all the goodnesse and strength of heaven for thy change and for the renuing and subduing of thy sinful heart Rom. 6. 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle and why for ye are under grace Mark it under grace that is under a gracious Covenant wherein God and Christ have engaged themselves to their ayd and strength yea but what makes us to be under this grace Verily it is faith in Christ in whom all grace is ensured to the soul Nay if thou couldest by faith accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour now mightest thou confidently go unto him to expresse the vertues of his Sovereignty and goodnesse to thee Now mightest thou plead with him for the excellencies of his Spirit Lord Jesus I have bestowed my self on thee and thou didst invite and assure me that thou wouldest be not only righteousnesse but sanctification also unto me I beseech thee send forth the rod of thy Scepter the vertues of thy grace and change by thy holy Spirit this unholy heart of mine subdue mine iniquities cast down every imagination exalting it self against thee bring into captivity O my soul desires to be captivated to thee yea by the every thought c. There is a pregnant difference 'twixt presumption and faith presumption is but the birth of an idle fancy like a dreame of great matters which yet hath no real bottome but only flies out of a multiplying imagination which is full of deluding acts But faith conjoynes the soul with a lively principle with a true fountaine of grace with a root of holinesse even with Jesus Christ himselfe without whom we can never be made holy and by whom being ingraffed into him by faith we shall be sanctified throughout Look as the defiling qualities of our nature are first in Adam and then in us his posterity so changing and sanctifying qualities are first in Christ the second Adam and from him derived to us his members And then know that there is not such a Ligament to tie us in Vnion with Christ as Faith nor is there any such instrument to draw out the vertues of Christ into the soul as faith You read of those in the Gospel who brought diseased bodie to Christ and yet when they believed they went away with cured and healed tempers what doth this intimate unto us but that the sensible sinner weary of his sinful nature should
make his addresse unto the Lord Jesus for cure and health and that he should by faith accept of him and trust upon him for the healing of his soul and the subduing of his sins and then verily you shall finde vertue to come from Christ raising a greater hatred of sin war with it in the very fountaine watching and praying against it and the power of the ordinance successively weakening and crucifying the power of sin Lastly know this that the time of contrariety is the time for faith to work When a man sees death then is it the time for faith to believe life When he sees the grave then is it the time for faith to believe a resurrection when he sees guilt then is it the time for faith to believe pardoning mercy when he sees himself a sinner then is it the time for faith to believe a Saâ—iour when he sees strong corruptions then is it the time for faith to believe great grace when he sees great discomforts then is it the time for faith to believe strong consolations the exigences of sense and the reliefes of the promises are quite contrary what I feel is one thing what God doth promise is another thing That which the patient observes in himself is sicknesse and that which he hopes for in the medicine is health Hath God made thee sensible of thy sins dost thou finde thus much that al that thou canst do wil not become a rebuke of corruption thou art able now to see the strength of thy sinfull nature but to remove it thou art utterly unable Why what is now to be done truly as in the sense of the guilt of sin we must then flye by faith to God and put our soules upon his free mercy for pardon so in the sense of the filthy strength of sin we must to heaven by faith and put our soules on Gods faithful promises in Christ for the healing and subduing of it This is the way and therefore strive to walk in it you may try other waters but they shall not help you and perplex your own thoughts but they shall not availe you the cure of the sinful soul is only in heaven and it is faith only which can lift up a soul to God and Christ which puts it into the Pool When sin is felt then let faith work If thou canst finde any one promise which God hath made of sanctifying and healing and subduing Why here 's ground for faith yea for thy saith for in these promises are the cures of thy sinful nature and faith it is which will apply the healing medicines to thee 8. Obj. Yet I am not satisfied saith the sensible sinner and fearfull soul Why Because First I cannot finde an heart to duty to pray and seek of God and surely if God did purpose and mean any good to me he would in some measure frame and encline and excite my heart towards him Secondly yea and againe though I do sometimes seek and entreat yet I observe that what I was that I am nothing comes of it how then can I may I should I be enduced to believe Sol. Here are two sore and real scruples which do indeed vehemently beat upon a sensible sinner I shall endeavour to assoyle them successively 1. I cannot finde an heart to any duty to pray for faith c. I Answer 1. As the inability to holy duties depends on natural corruption so the indisposition towards them depends exceedingly upon unbelief There is nothing disheartens a man more towards God then it For bâ—sides this that unbelief in its own nature is a departure from God it is a bias drawing the soul downwards This also is true of it that it represents God to the soul in all the appearances and methods of discouragements It makes the soul to see nothing in God or from God which might encline it to him O saith unbelief there is such holinesse and purity in him that he will never endure thee there is such truth and justice in him that he will surely be avenged of thee There is such strength and power in him that he will certainly meet with thee and lay load on thee There is I confesse a mercifulnesse in him but alas his tender bowels of compassion his ready forgivenesse extends not to thee there are many sweet intimations in his promises but they concern not thee there is a mighty salvation in Christ and powerful intercession to ingratiate some persons and their services but what of this to thee He is a God hearing prayer yea but he will not regard the cryes nor tears of some but their Sacrifices are an abomination unto him And thus doth unbelief set up God utterly against the soule so that the poor soul conceiving of God as an enemy dares not come neer it flies off it is even afraid to speak to him It is perswaded by unbeliefe that God will frowne upon all that is done whereupon the spirit sinks the affectionâ— are flatted I have no minde nor heart am like a lump a stock a stone Secondly it is faith which will fetch up the soul Psal 27. 13. I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord c. As if he should say my spirits were even breathing themselves out I was even sinking down giving up all unlesse I had beleeved but that confidence of Gods goodnesse towards me that did put life into me that did fetch me again that did put heart into me You see now the spring is coming on that those seemingly dead branches of the trees they begin to thrust out some hopeful sproutings and put on another colour of freshnesse why because the root is now more fed and warmed It is faith which will put colour into our faces and spirit into our hearts and life into our duties For 1. Faith sets open the mercy-seat It represents God to the Two reasons of it soul in all his attributes of graciousnesse not as an hard tyrant but as a good God willing to give audience to the humble requests and suit of a poore sinner Nay willing to dispatch and grant his requests What is thy request said Ahashuerus to Queen Ester it shall be granted thee c So saith the Lord What wouldest thou have of me Is it mercy I do promise it unto thee Is it grace I promise that unto thee Is it strength is it comfort is it deliverance whatsoever it be if thou beleeve on me I will not fail to give to thee Nay I will do it freely nay cheerfully with all my heart and with all my soul Jer. 32. Yea this makes the soul to come unto God as the ship into the haven with full speed and stretched sailes O the soul bends the knee with cheerfulnesse when it sees it shall be raised up with kindnesse a man may have some heart to pray when he knows My God will hear me that God hath a readiness to answer 2. Faith sets the soul in
the prevailing wayes it puts the soul to seek and pray with such motives as it is most sure shall make it to speed There are many motives which men take to prevaile with God O they can do nothing God regards them not the strength of a mans excellencies of his own worthinesse of his own abilities and frame alas these are not the prevailing and binding motives all these import that thou wouldest speed for their own sake But faith layes these asiâ—e it hath motives from Gods own heart and mouth with which it teacheth the soul to urge God the Name of Christ the gracious goodnesse of God himself the fidelity of his promises his own word Now God hath said that these shall prevaile with him and faith knows it to be infallibly so and hereupon drawes on the soule with marvellous cheerfulnesse to seek the Lord. 3. Know this that no man shall in good earnest set upon God for faith and other grace but Satan will set upon his heart and his heart will set against his wayes in this This were a wonder indeed if a man could get into Christs armes without any more ado That he should instantly have an heart in all imaginable respects sweetly and totally framed with the strength and un-interrupted gales of heavenly inclinations and performances Alas poor soul thou must by weak faith fight hard to get strong faith and thou must by any duty make way for clearer duty well is it with thee if instead of words thou canst sometimes seek God with sighs and when sighes faile if yet with groanes and desires When thou wouldest do good thou shalt finde evil present with thee when thou feelest an heart to pray perhaps even that motion is almost struck out by another heart in thee which is most unwilling to pray when thou feelest any climbings of thy soul by faith in thy heart even these will be opposed by strong doubtings and suspitions by another heart of unbelief within thee Neverthelesse remember this that this particular opposition being resisted disliked bewailed doth only declare that there is in thee that which is contrary to thee and that Satan dislikes thy way it doth not testifie that God dislikes it or will not accept of thee If God hath given unto thee any desires towards him O cherish them as one would a spark The beginnings of a Christian are in much weaknesse and manifold distractions and oppositions but there is a God who gave unto thee those breathings and can understand secret groans and there is a Christ who can and will make weak services acceptable and in time will give the victory after the combate Secondly Many seekings but nothing comes of them This doth exceedingly distract the soule the unsensible alteration of the soule after many seekings usually raise a prejudice against God and our selves but for this observe some particulars 1. The efficacy of seekings consists not in the quantity or number but in the quality and manner Have you offered unto me Sacrifices and offerings in the wildernesse fourty years O house of Israel Amos 5. 25. So I say hast thou offered prayers unto God in these many dayes of thy distresses nay thou hast come before him with words but not with prayers What thinkest thou that the Lord is pleased with all thy teares and with all the humblings of thy Spirit and with all the importunities of thy requests whiles under them all thou doest not stick to tell God to his face that he is a dissembler and lyar In all these thy sacrifices and approaches unto the great and high God thou didst not believe any one promise which he hath made thou hast thought that God would not do thee good and is it likely that thou shouldest speed well at his hand who reproachest the true and faithful God Obj. I do indeed pray because I must I am commanded but I verily beleeve it is in vaine tush what tell you me of Gods promises he will never perform them to me Sol. Good God! what shall the Lord not only command by a righteous word but assure and invite by a good and faithful word a word as true as truth it self and is it but a tush with us is it not of any more account with us nay not of so much account as the word of a poore man No marvel that nothing comes after many seekings such seekings of pride and unbelief infidelity for the pardon of which I advise thee to speed up many more seekings of faith 2. Right seekings shall alwayes come to something Though the proud and impatient persons said It was in vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord Mal. 3. 14. Yet God assures them that the day should come that they should returne and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Ver. 18. Sweet is that place of the Prophet Iâ—aiah Mine Elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands Isa 65. 22. They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth for trouble Verse 23. It shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and whilest they are yet speaking I will hear v. 24. And the reason is because God is faithful who hath promised and he will never suffer his truth to faile If there be any good thing which he hath commanded thee to pray for and which he hath undertaken for thee in his promises and which thou dost humbly sue out in the name of Christ by faith I say rest upon it it shall be given to thee if thou canst but wait on God in the use of the means 3. There is a double answer to the seeking of the soul one is real another is sensible As when a request is presented to the King either for pardon or settling if he accepts of the request and puts his seale to the authorizing of the grant the request is really done though perhaps the petitioner knows it not So it is with the Lord many times in his answerings he doth the things really for us though we be not presently sensible of it we beg for mourning hearts and for hearts to hate sinne and for hearts to pray unto him and then we feel our hearts hard and our corruptions bursting forth upon us which makes our hearts bitterly to grieve and stirres up extreame loathings of our vile natures and causeth the soule to lie groveling with most striving and servent importunities at heaven gate Why here are now the very things that we would have yet we are not many times sensible that these things are answers 4. We must distinguish 'twixt nothing absolutely and nothing comparatively Why it is true that the Holy heart hath such an extream abomination of sinne and such an high thirst of grace that the present answers from heaven seeme as nothing that is there is yet something more and more which
and then to compare what it is and hath done with what it should be and should have done It is amazed at its own unrighteousnesse and this is much increased for it knows that no unrighteous person shall go to heaven It knows that God will not pronounce unrighteous judgement He will not acquit a man as righteous who hath not righteousnesse nor shall he ever stand in judgement before him Now this is another exigence which puts the soul upon the life of faith 3. The times of desertion when all the comfortable evidences of the Christian state are drawn off as it were when the Lord confines himselfe and all to his promise The poor soul hath no spark of comfort it hath no glimpse of divine favour if it can finde God to be his God and Christ to be its Christ in the promises well and good but there is no feeling nor handling any sensible tokens This is another exigence 4. The times of contrariety when the Sunne seemes to be darkened and when mercy seems to be angry and when fidelity seems to cast off when mindfulnesse seemes forgetful God seemes not to regard us but to fight against us and Christ who did call to us to come unto him doth seem to go away from us O this is a strong exigence of the soule and if ever now must it live by faith 5. The time of weaknesse when a man sees that his work is great and his strength is small duties many power little affections dull not able to do for Christ not able to suffer for Christ cannot pray hear receive obey as he should as he would This is also an exigence of the soul wherein it needs to live by faith on Christ 6. The times of corruption when a man feels sinne afresh he had thought sinne had been dead long ago and all conflicts had been past but now he perceives sinne to rise like an armed man and like a flood even ready to beare down the soule with that hideous insolency and violence of wicked thoughts and inclinations yea so great is this storme that as they said to Christ in another case so here Master help or else we perish 7. The times of temptation which like a crosse winde beares the ship almost under water The gates of hell seems to open themselves against the soul and the powers of darknesse fall in upon it with all the cunning of unbelief and excitation to blasphemy To deny God to slight his Word to let go our confidence in Christ so that the poore soul is almost brought to dust and death by reason of them This is also another exigence for the soul to make use of Christ and to live by faith 8. The times of contradiction when the mouths of wicked and foolish men like sharp rasors wound and cut off a mans good Name when their hands like claws of Lyons teare away the prey they take away the innocency of the upright and the estates liberties friends all the earthly encouragements of the righteous I say this may also be an exigence for the soul to live by faith in Christ and to make up all in him alone 2. Now as he who lives by faith is in the acting of that life still sensible of some one of these exigencies or straits of his soule so in the second place he must be able to Behold a sutable fulnesse in Christ He must know two things First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all these Secondly that Christ is appointed of God and willing to do it therefore I pray you remember First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all the exigencies of the soule Thy soule cannot be cast on any sea but he is there as a sure ship and harbour It cannot be cast upon any streight or trouble whatsoever but Christ is able to relieve it 1. For the sense of guilt Why in this there is that in Christ which can take it off His blood is good payment and it was shed for the remission of sins He can make perfect peace and satisfie to the utmost As the least sinne needs his me it so the greatest doth not exceed it If Christ would but offer up his soul for thine his merits for thy trespasses his precious blood for thy bloody crimes Why God will be pacified for his blood is the blood of atonement of reconciliation of blotting out of peace c. 2. So for unrighteousnesse Why there is that in Christ which can present the righteous unspotted unblameable which can present thee glorious without spot or wrinkle as the Apostle speaks Eph. 5. He can finde an ample garment without any rent an obedience which was perfect which God will accept for which he will justifie thee Though thine own righteousnesse for matter of judicial Justification be as filthy rags 3. The like may be said in a proportion to all the other exigencies Though thou be weak in grace feeble in duty yet he can make all grace to abound and he can strengthen the feeble knees and he can comfort the mourning spirit and he can open heaven againe He can open thy eyes that thou shalt see thy God again yea and as thou hast done formerly as thy God yea he can conquer the busiest corruption and put by thy strongest temptation and stand by thee in the bitterest opposition 2. Nay and Christ is both appointed of God to be and do all this for the beleever and is very willing He is made unto us of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 30. wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption therefore is he called the horn of salvation the Justifier of his people the Standard to which we should repaire the strength of them that trust in him in a word he was invested a Mediator with his triple office of Priest and Prophet and King to be and to do all this for such as are believers Thou doest not mistake thy self nor misconceive of God or Christ when thou goest to the Lord Jesus in any of thy streits then to be a Priest for thee or to be a Prophet for thee or to be a King unto thee O no God hath appointed him to be the Saviour of his body to be the head of his Church and Christ who was thus ably invested is as willing and faithful to discharge and performe 3. These things being to be known and granted there followes in the third place the conjunction of these two together which indeed is the very living by faith upon Christ When the soul is in any exâ—gence and comes to Christ and puts it self upon him and trusts to him for help this is to live by faith on Christ Suppoâ—e a person sensible of much guilt many sinful commissions or â—omissions lay heavy and sore upon him he is grieved at heart that he hath so dishonoured God take them off he is not able and therefore he renounceth all in himself to Christ he goes and saith thus O blessed Lord
acts of faith are capable of weaknesse and also of opposition one man may more confidently trust and expect and another lesse sometimes the same man is more pure and high in the act of trusting and sometimes he hath much ado with his heart to get it to roll it self on Christ but yet he doth do it against many feares and against many corrupt reasonings now he lives by faith but then know it is an ill businesse instantly to reverse the acts of faith faint in it or but to suspect Jesus Christ himself either in his power or goodnesse or truth Fourthly to live by faith on Christ it is an extensive work it is to trust on him not for one thing only but for every thing which concerns the state of the soul The soul is a needy thing naturally it is so and so it is spiritually either it needs grace or more grace or strength or comfort or peace or mercy and pardon something or other it wants now Christ is an adequate supply to the soul he hath grace enough and righteousnesse enough and power enough and peace and plenteous redemption Now then as our wants appear or as they multiply so must faith appear and abound in its acts if we will be said to live by faith I will be righteousnesse to thee saith Christ and I will trust upon thee for it saith faith I will be sanctification to thee saith Christ and I will trust upon thee for it saith faith I will be redemption to thee saith Christ and I will trust unto thee for that too saith faith yea I will trust upon thee to be my continual propitiation continual intercession to be my continual sufficiency and strength for more grace for quickning for comfort for salvation for all Doth corruption work againe and I will to Christ againe to subdue it he will do it for me doth Satan renew his temptations and I will renew my addresses to Christ who will againe I trust bruise him under my feet my comforts are gone but I will to Christ I will live upon him he will come again and then my joy shall be full And indeed the life of faith as it is a multiplied work for it makes the soul to live upon Christ for its manifold grace so it is a repeated work it leads on the soul often and often even for the same kinds of supplies Obj. O saith the soul I did go to Christ and did beseech him to rebuke Satan and I trusted on him and followed my suit and found it so but now Satan tempts again now sin works again now my heart is down again dull and dead and feeble again Ans I say to such an one to live by faith is to keep house with Christ it is to be a daily guest it is to relie upon him it is so often to come as we have need it is to draw water often from the same fountain As if Christ did say to a person whatsoever thy soul needs come to me for it and whensoever yet come I will do it for thee and the heart goes confidently to the Lord of its life and hope of its salvation SECT IV. Quest 4. WHat Arguments to move us not onely to get faith in Christ but also to live by it Sol. They are so many that I know not well where to begin First If we consider our own condition this might put us upon the life of faith First the life of faith is congruous to our condition for what is our condition but a depending being such a being as subsists upon and by another Take us as creatures and so we are but beames of light which the sunne lets forth supports contracts drawes in We are like a glasse which God doth frame and hold in his own hand or else we cannot stand or like the flowers they must be set in the ground and then watered and fenced or else they live not our whole being and working and maintenance is from him that made us In him we live and move and have our being And take us as new creatures so shall we find that not only our natural breath but our spiritual being not only life but grace too depends not on him who hath it but on God who gave it Grace is a sweet streame but that flowes and runnes still because still fed by a living spring It is a fruitful branch but that branch doth stand and bear because upheld and supplied by a more fruitful root Hence is it that Christ is called the head and we the members he is called the root aâ—d we the branches he the foundation-stone we the buildâ—â—â— he is called the rock we the house built on that rock h◠〈◊〉 husband we the wife and spouse he the Lord and we thâ— sâ—râ—ants he the Shepheard and we the sheep he the nurse and we the babes All which do evidence this much that our life is in him upon him for we are dependants from him we live therefore upon him we should live Secondly the necessity of our condition our condition here below doth so shift and vary and faile go and come that if we do not live by faith we cannot honestly live at all Helpe failed me on every side said David all men forsook me said Paul We know not what to do said Jehosaphat God is pleased to call off all our comforts to gather up into his own hands of promises all our supports It is with us many times as with a Ship laden but on a sudden broken to pieces now the persons of necessity must swim towards the shore and to the rocks So God doth dash in pieces our lower confidences he cracks a full estate he separates very friends he gives not a heart to people to shew us compassions and sorrowes on all sides poure in themselves a man hath nothing in all the world left him but Gods bond is word of promise So for the estate of the soul it is frequently so clouded so darkned so checked so distressed so assaulted that all the meanes under heaven do not relieve it if the Lord doth not help if Christ be not the rock it cannot be delivered or supported Now in such cases where the condition is wholly reduced to the promises or unto Christ there can be no living but by faith The heart of a man is either broken with despaire and griefe or will break into the wayes of wickednesse if it lives not by faith in the cases of all sensibe sequestrations For 1. It is only faith which can espy something for the soul now Who is he that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50. 10. Faith can see the stars in the thickest night of darknesse there is nothing but faith which can tell the soul of rich mercy in the times of greatest sense of exceeding guilt and there is nothing but faith which can finde out fulnesse of grace in Christ
his God and hath undertaken for him and he who hath promised is faithful who will also do it Now Paul though I have not in hand yet I have in promise though I have not in the coffer yet I have in the bonds my estate is even all that is good for me and it lies in a sure hand in the hand of my good God who will not faile Hereupon I live to this I trust though others vex and fret and curse yet I sit down quietly Why because faith goes about what we see and it is able to see the estate large enough though lying in divine promises and this is to live like a Christian for this is to acknowledge a God and a Christ to some purpose 2. The life of faith it is the only comfortable life It is with our life as it is with fire which if it burnes faire and clear then is it pleasant and delightful but if it be dull and smoking it makes us weary both of it and the roome Whiles faith doth guide our lives by settling our thoughts and desires on God and Christ then the lamp is cleare life feels like life we can pray with joy and hear with delight and follow our callings with cheerfulnesse and lie down in peace But if you sever faith from the life that we dare not to trust on God nor rest on Christ we must possesse or else we cannot trust nor live Now the chimney smoaks the soul becomes displeasing to it self the soul craves help from the body and the body from the soul but neither is able to help either and therefore that is wanting and this is vexing The waves now get over the ship and sinks it with a load and deluge of worldly endlesse fruitlesse anxious vexing cares and feares And in sober-sadnesse tell me what you think of such a life wherein the head is disturbed and curiously tortured with variety of manifold and exquisite suspitions and thoughts and the heart is deeply racked with the continual breakings of trembling sighes and griefes That a man is not able to get nor yet patient to want he can neither give himself help nor will he trust him who can That his estate is burdened with many wants and all this is made unspeakably grievous by another worse burden of unbeleeving thoughts that a man sees he cannot beare and yet will not ease his shoulder by trusting That a man cannot begin to think but his thoughts throw him into a way of what ifs What if the Lord will not do me good what if I cannot have that what if such an one faile or what if it comes not on such a day c. So that he cannot think without tumults nor speak without discontents nor eat without dislike nor walk without slavishnesse nor work without distrustâ—ulnesse nor sleep without terrours nor awake without bitternesse nor rise without carefulnesse and amidst all this he hath no heart to duty nor no God nor to heaven nor earth nor to Christ nor to himself nor his for either he hath no faith or else will not live by it He dares not trust God or Christ There be three things which concur to make the life uncomfortable 1. One is a sense of want A man hath an extreame feeling of need no sâ—nâ—e or slight sense availe not to break our spirits 2. Another is a strong desire the heart pants and reacheth after the supply and this multiplies thoughts and cares 3. A third is palpable insufficiency that a man cannot for his life compasse his desires and supplies and therefore like Ahab who was impeached for Naboths vineyaâ—d he is dejected and grieved all which fall ordinarily into the life of unbeliefe But now to wheel about on the contray the life of faith is sweet and comfortable Foure things would make a mans life very comfortable 4. Things 1. One is if he were eased of all burdens 2. Another If he were secured from all prejudices 3. A third If what he had were very good and enough 4. A fourth If he were assured that whatsoever good he should need of that he should be without fail supplied in a fit time Now then the life of faith produceth all these 1. It easeth a man of all burdens There be but two burdens which we can well think of 1. One is the sinful burden 2. The other is the earthly burden The burden of guilt and the burden of cares But saith if a man could live by it takes them both off It lives upon Christ for the one and upon Gods providence for the other It sees a sufficiency and an accepted price in his blood to remit our guilt and it sees an alsufficient careful faithful providence to remove our care And I tell you that the soule comes to great ease which is released of both these Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes be forgiven thee Sinne shall be discharged therefore I am comfortable cares are gone therefore I am cheerful 2. It secures against all prejudices and why because it states the person in goodnesse it selfe in him who is nothing but goodnesse that is who is in respect of himselfe good and who will order all things for good to the Beleever nay and in his hands who is an absolute Lord. 'T is true that one change in our estate may be contrary to another and because we esteeme one of them to be good therefore we judge the other to be evil but then though changes be opposite in sense yet they are concordant in issue in the event all falls out for good As sicknesse though opposite to health yet it may fall out for the further preservation of life sometimes the Christian is high sometimes low sometimes he is in a freed state sometimes in a clouded state sometimes he is in conquest sometimes he is in conflict sometimes he is oyled in the mouths of men and sometimes traduced and torne in pieces as if the tongues of Christians were the teeth of Lions Paul gives a Catalogue of his changes in these and the like cases yet in all and after all the Christians condition is not prejudiced God still owns the person watching over his safeties Keeps all poyson from the heart and like a ship sometimes by a fair winde sometime by a rough storm he still brings him safe to harbour As Paul spake even of his bonds that they fell out to the furtherance of the Gospel So I say of the calamitous occurrences the sense sees nothing but misery yet faith can see the good end which God made with Job and therefore to rejoyce in troubles 3. It makes the present condition good and enough I will tell you one reason why the life of sense is uncomfortable namely because it is grounded on a short and empty good that which a man can see with his eye and hold in his hand is not halfe of that which he can desire with his heart no worldly thing can ever be enough to
his redemption which thou needest Why in him is plenteous redemption and in him is stâ—ong salvation and therefore his blood is called a precious blood Pet. 1. 19. His blood had not been able to have discharged the least sinne unlesse it had exceeded the merit of the greatest yea it is as able to crosse many debts as any sins may be distinguished into great and little into many and few but the blood of Christ the vertue of that is singular and infinite in the price and value of it Is it the good and vertue of his holinesse which thou needest Sanctification Why Joh. 1. 16. There is a fulnesse of grace in him 3. 34. He hath the Spirit without measure Therefore the holy vertues of Christ are stiled unsearchable riches Eph. 3. 8. You cannot comprehend the depth of them when you can easily come to the bottome of a thing then it is not unsearchable but where you sound and fatham and yet can feel no bottome so here c. yea and the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. The Col. 2. 3. Intercession Heb. 7. 25. Apostle hath said all that need to be said Heb. 7. 25. He is able to save them to the utmost which come unto God by him that is if you need his intercession to implead acceptance of your persons or of your requests Why there is none like him come unto God by him he is able to dispatch the greatest request Or is it sufficiency for duty which thou needest Why herein Obedience is Christ most able to supply thee If the duty be active he can enable thee to abundant fruitfulnesse Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit If the duty be Passive I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me said Paul Phil. 4. 13. Be it that thou of thy self art weak yet Christ is strong and he hath said my Grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2 Cor. 12. 9. 2. The ordination of Christ to this very thing viz. to supply the state of a believer God did purpose him and intend him and sent him and he came for this very end to do us good and to help us in time of need Eph. 1. 22. He gave him to be the head over all things to the Church ver 2. Which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all The Head you know is a thing for office and the offices of it is both dominion and influence for these was Christ given to the Church to rule the Church and to supply the Church 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made unto us of God wisdome and righteousness and Sanctification and redemption Heb. 7. 22. He was made a surety of a better testament Joh. 6. 27. Him hath God the father sealed Isai 61. 1. The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek He hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. Christ you will grant that he is an able Priest and an able Prophet and an able King he is sufficient enough to pacifie by his Blood to purifie by his Spirit to conquer by his Word yea but then consider yet further that he is ordained of God to be this and to do this for the believer If the King commits a mighty stock to a mans hands and sets him in the place of a treasurer and confirmes him by seal and all for this very end that he should supply such and such persons would they not come unto him for their supplies Thou art never able to be righteousnesse to thy self thou art never able to give grace unto thy self thou art never able to give strength to thy self but Christ is and God is even that God to whom thou doest so earnestly cry he hath ordeined his own Son for thy help even for thy help As if the King should say to a poor man petitioning Why Go to my Treasurer I have given him order for thee so the Lord to the beleever Go to my sonne I have ordained him to give thee grace I have ordained him to plead thy suits to rule thy heart to conquer thy sinnes and thy temptations I sent him into the world for that very end and purpose that he might be all in all unto thee I purposed his blood for thee and his righteousness and his fulness and his intercession all for thee 3. His services what he hath done in the behalf of a believer Give me leave in this a little and you shall see what reason we have then to trust upon Christ First though he was equall with God yet made he himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likeness of men Phil 2. 6 7. he laid aside his glory as it were and stooped down infinitely below himself into our nature to do service for us Secondly he was made under the Law obedient thereto in fulfilling all righteousness to redeem them that were under the Law that they might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4. 4 6. he did in our stead and as our surety perfectly satisfie the whole Law in all its commands for us Thirdly he did lay down his life for us he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse Phil. 2. 8. he did shed his heart blood to make our peace and to reconcile us unto his Father and have we not then reason to trust him and to beleeve that he will do us good Why single out a person who professeth sincerity unto us that he would lay out half his estate to do us good we would repose some confidence on him but if we knew that he did so heartily affect us that he would die for our good O say we you may trust on him you need not fear to go to him to request him for this or that courtesie Now then Christ hath not nakedly professed but hath really aâ—â—ed this he entred into bond as it were to satisfie for us he did shed his very blood and offered up his very life and soul for the beleever and yet wilt not thou for whom he hath done and endured all this yet wilt thou not trust in him for merit for righteousnesse for grace for strength c 4. His disposition Though a person were very able to do us good yet if he hated us we should I confesse have small encouragement to build our hopes upon him for two persons are not to be trusted viz. the professed enemy and the false friend But far be the thought of these things in us touching Jesus Christ He is graciously and lovingly affected towards beleevers Eph. 5. 2. Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet
selfe Christ doth much for professed enemies he leaves not himself without some testimonies of much kindnesse even to them What will he do much for strangers much for enemies and nothing for beleevers for his own members for his own spouse Will he heal the eare of one who came to take away his life and will he not think you heale the heart of him who hath accepted of him unto life would he pray for them that nailed his hands and pierced his heart Father forgive them and will he not do much more for thee who grievest for thy sins prizest him in thy judgement embracest him with all thy heart wouldest serve him with all thy might For thee who art bone of his bone will he not pray for thee Father forgive him Father supply him Father comfort him Father sanctifie him Father strengthen and preserve him 6. His invitation This addes to all the rest Behold he calls thee Rev. 3. 18. Buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the waters of life freely Heb. 10. 22. Draw neer in full assurance of faith But this I have touched heretofore therefore I spare to insist proposing onely one thing that the invitation of Christ is not onely to faith but to the life of faith not only to acceptance but to dependance also not only to take his person but to trust and rest upon his merit and to serve our selves of his fulnesse As if Christ should say unto a beleever I am thine and all that I have is thine now I pray thee in all thy necessities come unto me live upon my stock draw from my fountaine when guilt is upon thee make use of my blood when wants are upon thee make use of my treasure when temptations are upon thee make use of my power when infirmities are upon thee make use of my intercession c. 7. His assurances What is that will you say Why this it is he doth assure the beleever thar if he will make use of him he will not faile him but will be effectual unto him See a place or two for this Mark 11. 24. What things soever ye desire when ye pray beleeve that ye receive them and ye shall have them Joh 14. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that your Father may be glorified in the same There be foure things by which we may be perswaded that Christ will do us good if that we will live upon him by faith First his expresse promise which you see in that place alledged John 14. 13. Whatsoever ye ask in my Name that I will do Observe it well he saith not ask one particular onely but whatsâ—ever ye ask in my Name be it mercy or be it justification or be it holinesse c. again I will do it as if he should say ye shall not need to trouble your selves and do not you fear by reason of your unworthinesse I will take the matter upon my self I will see it done now brethren when he that can help saith I will help when he that can do all things promiseth us that he will do any thing for us have we not cause to trust Secondly his sealing of the promises The promises you know do plentifully undertake all the latitude of the soules estate and of the bodies too There is mercy for transgressions grace for sinfulnesse comfort for teares peace for trouble strengâ—h for weaknesse victory for assault c. All which promises Christ hath sealed and ratified by his blood and therefore his blood is stiled the blood of the Covenant See Heb. 9. 15 17. 13. 20. The principal reason whereof is to settle the hearts of beleevers and to encourage their souls to live upon him for the performances of them they being all in him Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. 3. His actual impetration of all that good which now we do enjoy Why O Christian art thou afraid to live upon thy Saviour for more good who was it that procured unto thee that same heavenly condition which now thou doest enjoy hast thou any relation to God as thy God Christ did procure it Is any one sinne subdued Christ hath done it Is any one sinne got off and pardoned Christ did procure it Is there any melting in thy breast any hatred of corruption any desires of grace any endeavour any strength Christ wrought them Thou doest seek them but Christ did work them Now this is to be learned that what special thing Christ hath done that is a pledge and an assurance that Christ is willing to do more Every gracious fruit and work points us to him the fountaine and cause upon whom we are to trust not only for the entrance but also for the progresse and compleatment of our spiritual estate 4. His personal donation He hath given himselfe unto thee and will he not do other things for thee which is greater 5. His offices All of them call upon us to live upon Christ by faith To what end was he Priest was it to satisfie for himself He needed not to satisfie for his own sinnes who was without all sinne Nor doth he make his own peace whom the father did and doth ever love Verily his satisfactions were for transgressors and if there be any scope and intention of the vertues of that satisfaction assuredly they look directly upon penitentiall beleevers so likewise his intercession which is another part of that office why is it think you for himself nay in that he is a Mediator and a Mediator is an Agent 'twixt two persons he hath no wants to be supplied he needs not to ingratiate himself assuredly brethren he ever lives to make intercession for us for us saith the Scripture and He ever lives to do that work He is continually offering and presenting the efficacy of his merit which as a sweet incense perfumes our continual Sacrifices so making them acceptable c. The like may be said of his Prophetical and Kingly offices he was invested with them as our Mediator and therefore for our good Now say what a blasphemous absurdity were it to conceive of Jesus Christ as of an Idol which hath eyes but sees not which hath eares but heares not which hath hands but handles not which hath feet but walks not That he should he a Priest to offer for sinne and yet we will not trust upon him for the pardon of the least that he should live to make intercession and yet we will not deliver any one request into his hands or relie on him to obtaine us any one good thing which we need or crave That he is a King able to subdue all his enemies a Prophet and able to teach any mans heart but we will not credit our souls upon him we will not
is really his as certainly he is thine as thy husband is thy husband so the Christian is obliged to assure his heart thereof Which I shall easily clear by Argument 1. We are bound to draw neer unto God in the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. Which is 〈◊〉 conceive in a cleare perswasion that we shall not faile but enjoy the good which he promiseth now this cannot be unlesse a man be assured and perswaded that God is his God and Christ is his Christ for as much as perswasion of audience doth always arise from a presupposed persâ—asion of personal and mutual interest I cannot by faith be perswaded that God wil give such a good thing or such unless I am first perswaded that he is my God that God is my God or Christ is my Christ It is a fundamental perswasion upon which all others are built for this gives life and settlement to my doubting soul I many times doubt but shall I have this thing which I ask yes sayes the beleeving heart but how are you assured of it I reply because God is my God he hath given himself unto me Ergo he will give this but how know you that God is your God Upon good ground why saith the beleeving soul of that I am abundantly perswaded I doubt it not hereupon the soul raiseth it self to that other assurance of acceptance and audience why then I will nor doubt of this I will be confident that then the Lord will heare for he is my God and David goes this way very often 2. We are bound all our dayes to give God thanks for his greatest mercies now I think that the bestowing of Christ upon the soule is as great a mercy as ever poore sinners had Obj. It is so but what of this Sol. But we cannot give God hearty thanks whiles we are doubtful of our particular interest in Christ Can'st thou go unto the Lord and say O Lord I blesse thee from my soul for all the mercies which thou hast conferred on me health I have and I know it for which I do thank thee riches I have and friends and this I know too and for them I thank thee too I thank thee also exceedingly from the bottome of my soul for that thou hast given thy own Sonne to me Jesus Christ but truly I know not whether thou hast given him to me or no I thank thee exceedingly for the pardon of my vile sinnes in this blood but verily I am not sure of this I rather think they are not pardoned Nay this will not runne smooth and the reason is because so much particular evidence as God gives a man of his personal interest in himself or Christ or his merits so much and no greater thankfulnesse will the soul be brought unto SECT IV. Quest 4. WHat Arguments to move beleevers to labour for the assurance of faith Sol. There are many 1. As he said to Job Do the consolations of God seem small unto thee That I say here doth assurance seeme a small thing unto thee Consider seriously the matters and things about which this assurance is conversant and thou shalt finde them of the greatest consequence in the world What doest thou think of Jesus Christ for a sinner Can there be a more excellent good then Christ I count all things but drosse and dung for the excellency of Christ said Paul Phil. 3. or can there be a more necessary good for thee then Christ Tell me in sad thoughts that if thou hadst all the pleasures of the world and all the honours ours of the world and all the riches of the world and yet wast Christâ—esse that is thou hadst no portion in Christ why what avails all this as long as thou art Christless as Abraham said seeing I am childlesse In whom is God reconciled unto thee but in Christ and how wilt thou stand before God if thou have not Christ by whom canst thou get salvation but by Christ and why then wilt not thou force thy soul to give all diligence to make thy part in Christ sure to thy soul that thou mayest come in all cases to that of Job I know that my Redeemer liveth and with Paul He loved me and gave himself for me Again what doest thou think of the pardon of sinnes verily the time was once even then when thy spirit did roare all the night and thou foundest no quiet in the day when thy moysture was turned into the drought of Summer and thy soul was disquieted within thee I say in that time thou couldest with many teares break out and say with David Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity O what wouldest thou have given to have beleeved that thy sinnes should be pardoned thou couldest then discover death in so unpardoned a state and life then in a discharged and absolved condition Why I pray you is pardon of sinne so precious a thing and is the assured knowledge thereof a small thing Is it not enough to have the pardon passe not onely the seale of the King but the eye also of the malefactor Yea yet further what think you of eternal life what is it O I cannot reach it by thoughts much lesse by words Life no such thing on the earth as it eternal life what thing in heaven more then it To see my God my Christ to be gloriously united to them to be filled with the perfections of holinesse brightnesse of glory to know him as we are known to love him in the transcendency of love I know not what I say for I speak of eternal life O! if the the glimpse of divine favour here be the admiration of our soules the perfection of our joyes the heaven on earth tell me what is the fulnesse of his favour what is the full evidence of his favour what is the everlasting evidence of his favour Now eternal life is all this all this alas I have said nothing of it yet Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath c. And is not this a matter to be determined and ascertained to our souls what to let eternal life hang in suspense verily though until we do mount and rise to the assurance of faith we leave for our part though the thing may be sure in it selfe even this also our eternal life as a thing doubtful Thou wile not hold the least quillet of thy land upon unevident and unsure term yet wilt thou c. 2. Assurance will marvellously settle and quiet the soul David expresseth so much Psal 4. 6. Lord life thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Ver. 7. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corn and wine increased Ver. 8. I will lay me down and sleep The ship at anchor is safe but in a calme
it is quiet faith makes our state sure and assurance peaceful Two effects he there delivers of this blessed assurance one is a transcendent joy and another is a compleat peace It glads the heart and it pacifies the heart It is most true that faith in its vital act of acceptation intitles us to both Every beleever hath cause of great joy sweet peace but it is faith in this eminent act of assurance which replenisheth the soul with actual joy and actual comfort For now the beleever sees and knows his happinesse He hath a Christ and knows it he hath pardon of sinne and knows it he stands in favour of God and knows it that which held up his soule is now opened all the causes of his comfort shine as it were and clearly discover themselves in a way of well grounded propriety As David said concerning his enemies Psalme 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid So the assured soule in this case can exult God is my God Christ is my Christ they have pardoned my sinnes accepted of my person what should trouble me what should disquiet me my soule doth now rejoyce in God my Saviour Who shall lay any thing to the the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Romans 8. 34. Sinne that is pardoned Justice that is satisfied my soul that is reconciled my person that is justified my prayers they are answered my heart that is pacified for God is mine and Christ is mine and I am his Before I am assured I see my sinnes look up to Christ and adventure my soule on him for pardon I trust on him yet I may feare but when I am assured I see my sinnes look up to Christ and my soule is quiet and rejoyceth As it was with the Israelites when they were Neere the red sea they looked back on their enemies and looked up to God but yet they were exceedingly afraid Afterwards when they had past through the read sea and stood upon the shore they looked back upon the same enemies but now as drowned and then their sighes were turned into joyes and their feares into peace They exceedingly rejoyed Why in assurance though we look upon the same sinnes yet not in the same manner Now we look upon them as drowned enemies as iniquities cast into the depths of the sea as pardoned iniquities Now though sin doth grieve the soule yet sinne pardoned doth quiet and rejoyce the soul 3. Assurance doth arme the heart against future temptations There are two sorts of temptations against both which the assurance of faith doth arme the beleever 1. To sinne Though assurance be a kinde of heaven upon earth yet in this doth the beatifical vision differ from a beleeving assurance that the one leaves no sinne at all but the other is a day of great comfort to a beleeving sinner yet even an assured person hath yet much of a sinning nature remaining in him Neverthelesse though assurance doth not wholly cast off feare yet it doth exceedingly keep off sinne A beleeving person shall not easily sinne whiles he is reading his pardon and looking his Christ in the face How can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God If the meere respect of a God was so prevalent with Joseph O how much more powerful is the propriety in a God How can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against my God Should such a man as I flee said Nehemiah so the assured Christian should such a man as I sinne Nay remember it Sinne is never more odious to the heart then when the heart is most assured The great and rich mercy of God in Christ it is the principal bane of a temptation The man who formerly would have stept out against the threats of justice having now obtained mercy trembles at the very thoughts of sinning 2 To despaire it is possible for an assured person to sinne and then this is probable and more then â—o that new sinnings will quickly cloud olâ— assurance Though a beleever looseth not his life yet â—e may loose his health and though he hath a Father 〈◊〉 yâ—t by sinning he looseth the sight of that Father 〈…〉 exceedingly humbled and repents â—â—d 〈…〉 cannot read his former Evidences he 〈…〉 cast off for ever and shall be remembred 〈…〉 yâ—t an ancient assurance well grounded 〈…〉 and preserve the soul against despair◠〈…〉 â—hat God will not cast off the soul Jer. 〈…〉 hath appâ—â—â—â—ed of old unto me saying I 〈…〉 an everlastâ—ng love therefore with loâ—â—ng 〈…〉 thee Ver. 4. Againe I will build thee and thou shalt be built So Psal 8â— 30. 〈◊〉 his children forsâ—ke my Law and walk not in my judgments Ver. 31. If they break my statuteâ— and keep not my commandments Ver. 32. Then will I visit their transgression with the red and their iniquities with stâ—ipes Ver. 33. Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utteâ—ly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Vâ—r. 34. My Covenant will I not break c. Sure mercies of David Isaiah 55. 3. So for Christ Ioh 13. 1. Having loved his own he loved them to the end 4. Assurance by faith sweetens all other blessing to us Job speaking of many outward mercies in â—â—s children in his plenty his honours Job 29. 5. 67. and ver 3. he recounts one which shadowed all of them his candle shinâ—d upon my head Aâ— if the evidence of Gods favouâ— were like the light which gives life and beauâ—y to all the colours in the roome and without which all our blessings lay dead and dark O what an enlivening matter is this to all that I enjoy and God is my God too and Chriâ—t is my Christ too and my sins are pardoned too here is a dear and loving husband yea and God is my God too here are teâ—der and observing children yea and Christ is my Christ too here is plenty of food and raiment and friends yea and my sins are pardoned too But the want of this may check all our blessings and is able to marre the very comfort of our comforts I am exceeding rich yea but I cannot yet say that God is my God I am greatly honoured by man yea but I cannot yet say that Christ is my Redeemer I have health and marrow in my bones and want not for any outward mercy yea but I cannot yet say that my sinnes are pardoned for ought I know that may yet stand upon record which may lose my soul for ever 5. Nay again it is able to sweeten all our crosses a crosse is more or lesse heavy to the Christian by how much the more or the lesse God appeares to the soul The Disciples may even in a storme rejoyce if Christ be in the Ship It was an excellent speech that of Job 29. 3. By his light I walked through
darknesse and David answers him in Psal 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me How triumphant is Paul and beyond both himself and all crosses and all because of his assurance and perswasion Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Ver. 37 Nay in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loved us Ver. 38. For I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor Height nor Depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Can more be said need we to adde See him againe in Romans 5. 2. We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Objection Who would not may some reply in so great a good Sol. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation also and who can do this but he who hath some measure of assurance Indeed faith can make the soul to submit in a crosse but it is assurance which makes the soul to rejoyce and to triumph What the Apostle spake of death that is true of all afflictions the sting of them is finne where the conscience is wounded and the sight of heaven is darkned there the crosse is heavy and bitter A man hath a burden on his shoulders and a burden on his conscience and yet a burden that he cannot see any to smile on him and comfort him But now when the spirit of a man is sound and the evidence of faith is cleare when a man feeles all to be right within all to be peace abroad that all stands faire 'twixt him and his God Nay and he can see God as his God the strength of this assurance doth not onely allay a burden but raiseth the heart exceedingly above it yet God is good to Israel and though I see the Olive to faile and the Fields not to yield and the flocks to be cut off yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength Hab. 2. 17 18. Sixthly it makes all kinds of duty to flow and to rise I wil instance briefly in some 1. In the Active 2. In the Passive 1. Active 1. Praise and thankfulnesse Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Verse 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Nay he is at it againe Psal 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take up the cup of salvation c. O the evidence and apprehension of so great a mercy and salvation it fills every vain of the heart c. Musick is highest and sweetest in the fairest weather He who disputes his mercy can hardly bless for it Now I see much forgiven and therefore I blesse much What! and all this forgiven to me and so freely and so fully also so many transgressions yet to cover all yet to be reconciled yet to put down the gracious pardon before mine eyes 2. Prayers There are two properties in these which will surely arise out of assurance One is confidence and boldnesse A man will come boldly to the throne of grace who is once assured by faith Now that of John comes in indeed 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have iâ— him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us Christ I remember teacheth his Disciples and in them all Beleevers to pray for many excellent things both for soul and for body but then he preferred he set this in the front Our Father as if he had clearly suggested this unto us that the assurance of God as our Father is that which gives unto the heart a strong confidence in all petitions why who will not come freely and confidently to a Father to his Father to his reconciled Father Another is quicknesse and life in the affections Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Observe it I will seek thee there is now diligence early will I seek thee there is quicknesse of affection and why I will seek thee early because O God thou art my God 3. Ordinances Now a man will flie to them as the Doâ—es to the windows it is the Prophet Isaiah's expression A man hath an heart to bow the knee when he knows that my God will help him A man hath an heart to heare the Word when he knows my God will teach him to profit and will speak peace unto him A man will with cheerfulnesse addresse himself to the Sacrament when he knowes this is the blood which was shed for the remâ—ssion of his sinnes and his salvation is there sealed The Apostle hath an apt passage in 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word and surely that is with much delight and with much earnestnesse for so do babes desire the milk of the breasts But what might stirre up this Ver. 3. If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious a taste of God of God as gracious yea this is it which whets the appetite this sets on the heart to the ordinances indeed 4. All obedience actuating the whole kinds of duty Why assurance in the soule makes all duty both cheerful and stedfast Psalme 26. 3. Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes therefore have I walked in thy truth Why is duty to good hearts sometimes so weary-some so slack so troublesome verily faith is weak doubts are strong feares are many could they once see God to be their God Christ to be their Lord and Saviour sinnes pardoned in his blood and all this to them Now even the lame would walk and the weary would runne the heart would set upon obedience with all its strength and all its care 2. The like may be said for passive obedience assurance enables it exceedingly The love of Christ constraineth us said Paul 2 Corinth 5. I remember the Apostle hath a notable passage Romans 5. 7. For a good man some will even dare to die That is for a bountiful man a man of eminent and singular good to preserve him for his sake a private man would lay down his life If the goodnesse and kindnesse of a man hath sometimes such a force with us what influence then hath the goodnesse of a God upon a beleeving heart the kindnesse the blood of a Christ upon a beleeving and an assured heart Who would not suffer reproach for Christ who suffered death for him who would not kiss the stâ—â—ke to bring him honour who shâ—d his blood to get his