there is a subjection arising from the sense of the sweetnesse and exceeding goodnesse of Gods call and promise Psal. 110.2 3. As a woman that is overcome with the words of her loving suitor the man is precious and hence his words are very sweet and overcome her heart to think why should such a one as I be lookt upon by one of such a place it is no presumption now but duty to give her consent so it is here when the Lord is precious and his words oh accept me oh come to me are exceeding sweet and hereupon out of obedience gladly yeelds up it selfe to the Lord takes possession of the Lord this is no more presumption then to sanctifie a Sabbath or to pray or heare the word because the Lords commands are herein very sweet If Repentance accompanies Faith t is no presumption to beleeve Many know they sinne and hence beleeve in Christ trust to Christ and there is an end of their faith but what confession and sorrow for sinne what more love to Christ followes this faith truly none nay their faith is the cause why they have none for they think If I trust to Christ to forgive them he will doe it and there is an end of the businesse Verily this hedge faith this bramble â—aith that catches hold on Christ and pricks and scratches Christ by more impenitency more contempt of him is meere presumption which shall one day be burnt up and destroyed by the fire of Gods jealousie Fie upon that faith that serves onely to keep a man from being tormented before his time Your sins would be your sorrowes but that your faith quiets you But if faith be accompanyed with repentance mourning for sin more esteem of Gods grace in Christ so that nothing breaks thy heart more then the thoughts of Christs unchangeable love to one so vile and this love makes thee love much and love him the more as thy sin increaseth so thou desirest that thy love may increase and now the stream of thy thoughts runne how thou mayst live to him that dyed for thee This was Maries faith who sate at Christs feer weeping washing them with her teares and loving him much because much was forgiven who though shee was accounted a presumptuous woman by Simon and Christ himselfe suffered in his thoughts for suffering of her to come so neare unto him yet the Lord himselfe cleares her herein and justifies her before God and men many a poor beleever thinks if I should beleeve I should but presume and spin a spiders web of Faith out of my owne bowels and hence you shall observe this not beleeving stops up the work of repentance mourning and love and all chearfull obedience in them and on the contrary if they did beleeve it would be with them as themselves think many times if I knew the Lord was mine and my sins pardoned oh how should I then blesse him and love him and wonder at him how would this break my heart before him c. now I say let all the world judg if that which thou thinkest would be presumption be not rebellion because it makes thee worse and stops up the Spirit of grace in thee Whereas that Faith which lets out those blessed springs of sorrow love thankfulnesse humblenesse c. what can it bee else but such a saving faith as is wrought by the Spirit because it lets in the Spirit more abundantly into a dry and desolate heart 2. The subject or matter of Faith This is the second thing in the description of Faith the soule of an humbled sinner is the subject or matter of Faith I doe not meane the matter out of which Faith is wrought for there is nothing in man out of which the Spirit begets it but that wherein Faith is seated I meane also the habit of Faith not the principle of it for that is out of man in the Lord Jesus who is therefore called our hope as wel as our strength the soule therefore is the subject of Faith called the heart Rom. 10.9 compared with Mat. 6.21 for we cannot goe or come to Christ in this life with our bodies we are here absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. but the soule can goe to him the heart can bee with him as the eye can see a 1000 miles off and receive the species or image of the things it sees into it so the soule inlightned by faith can see Christ a farre off it can long for choose and rest upon the Lord of life and receive the lively image of Christs glory in it 2 Cor. 3. ult If Christ were present upon earth the soule not the body onely could truly receive him Christ comes to his elect only by his Spirit and hence our spirits only are fit to receive him and close with him thousands heare Christ outwardly that inwardly are deafe to all Gods calls their spirits see not tast not feel not it is therefore the soule that is the subject of Faith and I say it is an humbled empty soule which is the subject for a full proud nbroken spirit cannot nay will not receive Christ as wee have proved and therefore Luke 14. the servant is commanded to bid the poore halt and blind and lame to come in they would not make excuses as others did they that were stung to death with fiery Serpents were the only men that the brasen Serpent was lifted up for them to look upon and so be healed Iohn 3.14 and therefore the promise doth not run If any man have wisdome let him aske it but if any man want wisdom Iames 1.5 so if any man want light life want peace pardon want Christ and his Spirit let them aske and the Lord will give away with your mony if you come to these waters to buy and take freely If any man would be wise let him be a foole saith the blessed Apostle an empty nothing a soule in a perishing helplesse hopelesse condition is the subject of faith such only feele their need of Christ are glad at the offer of Christ and therefore such only can and will receive Christ and come unto Christ by faith and truly if we had but hearts the consideration of this might be ground of great comfort confidence unto all Gods people whose soules come unto Jesus Christ for that which was in Thomas Iohn 21. is in all men naturally if we could see Christ with our eyes and feel him with our hands and embrace him as Mary did with our arms if we could heare himselfe speake we could then beleeve as they said if he will come from the Crosse so we say if he will come downe from heaven thus unto us we will then beleeve if we want this we fear we may be at last deceived because we want sense and cannot come to close with our eyes and hands the objects of our faith but oh consider this point we are made partakers of Christs life and salvation by him only yet
certainly by faith Now this faith is not by seeing him with our eyes comming neare to him with our bodies but comming to him with our soules the soule is the seat of faith Now this you may doe though you never thus saw him whom though you see not yet beleeving you rejoice this comming of the soule to Christ doth make a firmer union between thee and Christ then if thou wert bodily present with him in heaven For many touched and crowded him that never were truly united to him or received vertue from him If our soules were in the third heaven with Christ who of us would then doubt of our portion in him I tell you if your soules goe out of sinne and selfe unto Christ Jesus and there rest this makes you nearer to him then if your soules were under his wing in the highest heavens The poore Sea-man when hee is neare dangerous shores when he cannot goe downe to the depth of the Sea to fasten his ship yet if hee can cast his anchor twenty or forty fathom deep and if that holds this quiets him in the sorest stormes when we are tossed and cannot come to Christ with our bodily presence yet if our soules can come if our faith our anchor can reach him and knit us to him this should exceedingly comfort our hearts How and where should my soule come to Christ who is now absent from me Christ comes to you in his Word and Covenant of Grace there is his Spirit his truth goodnesse love faithfulnesse receive this you receive him embrace this you embrace him as among our selves we see great estates are conveyed and surrendred by Bond and Writings Act. 2.41 When they received the Word they received Christ. Ioh. 15.7 If my words abide in you i. e. if I abide in you by my words you shall be fruitfull By the Word let thine eye pitch upon the person doe not onely account the Promise true but with Sarah account him faithfull who hath promised and then let thy heart roll it selfe upon that grace and faithfulnesse revealed in this word leane upon the breast of this beloved and thus the soule by the chariot wheeles and wings of the Word is possessor of Christ in it and carryed up to Christs crosse as dying Gal. 3.1 and from thence to his glory in his Kingdoâ— by it Heb. 10.19 22. As a man that gives a great estate by some writing to us we beleeve it as if he were present and by this we doe not onely beleeve the writing to â—e true but the man to be be faithfull and loving to us and hereupon our hearts are carryed after the man himselfe though afar off from us Thus we ascend to Christ in the cloud of faith as Iacob though he could hardly beleeve yet as soone as he was perswaded Ioseph was yet alive his spirit presently revived and it was immediately with him before his body came to him so t is with faith the soule goes unto Christ before our bodies and soules both together shal have immediate communion with him 3. The forme of Faith This is the third thing in the description of Faith the comming of the whole soule out of it selfe unto Christ is the forme of Faith and that wherein the life and essence of it consists and which doth difference it from all other graces of the Spirit The first act of Faith as it unites us to Christ is not assurance that he is mine but a comming to him with assurance that hereby he is become mine Come unto the waters and so buy wine and milke i. e. now make them your owne The weary and heavy laden shall not have rest unlesse they come to Christ for it Faith doth nothing for life for that is the Law of Works it onely receives him who hath done all for it it comes out of all it hath or doth like Abraham that left his servants behind him when he went up to God in the mount unto Christ for life Conceive it thus Adam had a principle stock of life in himselfe in his owne hand and therefore was to live by this to live of himselfe and from himselfe and therefore had no need nor use of faith he lived by the law of works which the Apostle sets in a direct opposition to the Law of Faith but Adam being now falne hath lost his life and became not like the man that fell among theeves betwixt Jerusalem and Jericho stript wounded and halfe dead but wholly dead Ephes. 2.1 so that let any man seeke life from himselfe its impossible he should live for if there had been a Law that could have given life our righteousnesse should have been thereby Gal. 3.21 Hence it followes if any man will have life he must goe out of himselfe unto another viz. the Lord of life for it Iohn 5.40 Iohn 6.27 28 29. Now observe it this very comming this very motion of the soule to Christ a grace which Adam neither had nor had power to use is Faith the Spirit of Christ moving or drawing the soule the soul is thence moved and so comes to Christ Iohn 6.64 65. The soule by sinne is averted from God and turns his back upon God the turning or comming of the soule not unto duties of holinesse for that is obedience properly but unto God in Christ againe is properly and formally Faith All evill is in mans selfe and from himselfe all mans good is in Christ and from Christ. The soules of all Gods elect seeing these things forsake and renounce themselves in whom and for whom is all thâ—ir evill and come unto Christ in whom and from whom is all their good This motion of the soule betweene these extreames through that vast and infinite distance that is betweene a sinfull wretched man and a blessed Saviour is faith for by faith principally we passe from death to life Iohn 5.24 The soule of a poore sinner wounded and humbled sometime knowes not Christ and then cryes out as those Act. 2.37 What shall I doe Whither shall I go sometimes dares not sometimes cannot it hath no heart to stir or come it therefore looks up and longs and goes unto the Lord to draw it like poore Ephraim Ier. 31.18 Oh turne me Lord and then I shall be turned Lam. 5.21 and this is the lowest and least degree of faith But at some other time the soule mourning for want of the Lord the Lord comes unto it with great clearnesse glory and sweetnesse of grace and peace hence the soule cannot but come and close with him and cry Rabboni and say Oh Lord is it thy good pleasure to have respect to such a clod of earth to tender such riches of grace to one so unworthy and to bid nay to beseech me to come and take Lord behold I come This is faith Would you have proofe of it Consider therefore these particulars 1. Consider these Scriptures Iohn 6.35 I am the bread
in glory not having our loynes girt and lamps burning nor readinesse to meet the Lord in glory Mat. 25.1 2 3 4 5. c. oh that I were able therefore to give you a blush and a dark view of this glory that might raise up our hearts to this work Consider the glory of the place the Jewes did and doe dreame still of an earthly Kingdome at the comming of their Messiah the Lord dasheth those dreames and tells them His Kingdome is not of this world and that he went away to prepare a place for them that where he is they might bee John 14.2 3. and be with him to see his glory John 17.23 24. the place shall be the third heaven called our Fathers house built by his owne hand with most exquisite wisdome fit for so great a God to appeare in his glory Iohn 14.2 3. to all his deare children called also a Kingdome Mat. 25.31 Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared for you which is the top of all the worldly excellencie called also an inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 which the holy Apostle infinitely blesseth God for as being our owne and freely given to us being our Fathers inheritance divided among his sonnes which is a greater priviledge then to bee borne an heire to all the richest inheritances on this earth or to bee Lord of all this visible world for this inheritance hee tells us is 1. incorruptible whereas all this world waxeth old as a garment 2. T is undefiled never yet polluted with any sinne no not by the Angels that fell for they fell in paradâ—â—â— when Guardians to man whereas this whole creation groaneth under the burden and bondage of corruption Rom. 8. 3. This never fadeth away t is not like flowers whose glory and beauty soone witheâ—s but this shall be most pleasant sweet and ever delightsome after we have been ten thousand yeers in it as it was the first day we entred into it for this is the meaning of the word and so it differs from incorruptible whereas in this world suppose a man should ever enjoy it yet there growes a secret satiety and fulnesse upon our hearts and it growes common and blessings of greatest price are not so sweet as the first time wee enjoy them they clog the stomach and glut the soule but here our eyes ears minds hearts shall be ever ravished with that admirable glory which shines brighter then ten thousand suns the very fabrick of it being Gods needle-work if I may so say quilted with variety of all flowers in divers colours by the exactest art of God himselfe as the Apostle intimates Heb. 11.10 Secondly consider of the glory of the bodies of the Saints in this place the Lord shall change our vile bodies which are but as dirt upon our wings and clogs at our feet as the Apostle expressâ—th it Phil. 3. ult Paul was in the third heaven and saw the glory doubtlesse of some there see what he saith of them 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. 1. It shall be an incorruptible body it shall never dye nor â—ot againe no not in the least degree tending that way it shall never grow weary as now t is by hard labour and some time by holy duties nor faint nor grow wrinkled and withered Adams body in innocencie potuit non mori we say truly but this non potest mori it cannot dye and hence it is that there shall be no more sicknesse paines griefes fainting fits c. when it comes there 2. It shall be a glorious body it shall rise in honour saith Paul and what glory shall it have verily it shall be like unto Christs glorious body Phil. 3. ult which when Paul saw Acts 9. did shine brighter then the sun and therefore here shall be no imperfection of limbes scars or maimes naturall or accidentall deformities but as the third heaven it selfe is most lightsome Gen. 1.1 2. so their bodies that inhabit that place shall exceed the light and glory thereof these being more compacted and thence shining out in greater lustre that the eyes of all beholders shall be infinitely ravished to see such clods of earth as now we are advanced to such incomparable beauty and amiablenesse of heavenly glory 3. It shall be a powerfull strong body It is sowne in weaknesse saith Paul it shall rise in power it shall be able to help forward the divine operations of the soule which are now clogg'd by a feeble body it shall be able to beare the weight of glory the joy unspeakable and full of glory which our weake bodies cannot long endure here but we begin to burst and breake in pieces like vessels full of strong spirits with the weight and working of them and therefore the Lord in mercy keeps us short now of what else we should feele it shall be able to sing Hallelu-jahs and give honour glory power to the Lambe that fits upon the Throne for evermore without the least weariness 4. It shall be a spirituall body our bodies now are acted by animall spirits and being earthy and naturall growes feeds eates drinkes sleepes and hath naturall affections and desires after these things and â—is troubled if it wants them but then these same bodies shall live by the indwelling of the Spirit of God powred out abundantly in us and upon us and so acting our bodies and swallowing up all such natural affections and motions as those be here as Moses being with God in the Mount forty dayes and nights did not need any meat or drinke the Lord and his glory being all unto him how much more shall it bee thus then I doe not say we shall be spirits like the Angels but our bodies shall be spirituall having no naturall desires after any earthly blessing food rayment c. nor troubled with the want of them and hence also the body shall be able as well to ascend up as now it is to descend down as Austin shewes by a similitude of lead which some artists can beat so small as to make it swim we are now earthly and made to live on this earth and hence fall downe to the center but we are made then to bee above for ever with the Lord the Lord proceeding from imperfection to perfection as the Apostle here shewes not first spirituall and then naturall but first that which is naturall in this life and then that which is spirituall 3. Consider the glory of the soule now we know but in part and see but in part now we have joy at some times and then eclipses befall us on a sudden but then the Lord shall be our everlasting light Isa. 60.19 then we shall see God face to face 1 Ioh. 3.1 2. we shall then know and see those things that have been hid not onely from the wicked but from the deepest thoughts of the Saints themselves in this world 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul saw some things not fit to be uttered or that he could not utter we shall be swallowed up in
his owne heart and the secret sinfull practises of his life as if some had told the Minister or as if hee spake to none but him that he is forced to fall down being thus convinced and to confesse God is in this man 1 Cor. 14.25 Nicodemusâ—â—ay â—â—ay first see and bee convinced of the want of regeneration and thereby feel his need of Christ the Lord may set a man upon the consideration of all his life past how wickedly it hath been spent and so not one but a multitude of iniquities compasse him about a man may see the godly examples of his parents or other godly Christians in the family or town where he dwels and by this be convinced that if their state and way bee good his own so far unlike it must needs be starke naught the Lord ever convinceth the soule of sins in particular but hee doth not alway convince one man of the same particular sinnes at first as hee doth another whether the Lord convinceth all the elect at first of the sin of their nature and shewes them their original sin in and about this first stroake of conviction I doubt not of it Paul would have been alive and a proud Pharisee still if the Lord had not let him by the law see this sin Rom. 7.9 and so would all men in the world if this should not bee revealed first or last in a lesser or greater measure under a distinct or more indistinct notion and hence arise those confessions of the Saints I never thought I had had such a vile heart if all the world had told me I could not have beleeved them but that the Lord hath made me feel it see it at last was there ever such a sinner at least in heart which is continually opposing of him whom the Lord at any time received to mercy as I am 2 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of its sinne in particular but also of the evill even the exceeding great evill of those particular sins The Lord Jesus doth not onely convince of the evill sinne but of the great evill of sinne Oh thou wretch saith the Spirit as the Lord to Cain Gen. 4.10 what hast thou done whose sins cry to heaven who hast thus long lived without God and done this infinite wrong to an infinite God for which thou canst never make him amends That God who could have long since cut thee off in the midst of thy sins and wickednesse crusht thee like a moth and sent thee down to those eternall flames where thou now seest some better then thy self mourning day and night but yet hath spared thee out of his meere pity to thee That God hast thou resisted and forsaken all thy life time and therefore now see and consider what an evill and bitter thing it is thus to live as thou hast done Ier. 2.19 Look as it is in the wayes of holinesse many a man void of the Spirit may see and know them in the literall expressions of them but cannot see the glory of them but by the Spirit and hence it is hee doth not esteeme and prize them and the knowledge of them above gold So in the wayes of unholinesse many a man void of the spirit of conviction of sin may and doth see many particular sins and confesse them but he doth not cannot see the exceeding evill of them and thence it is though he doth see them yet he doth not much dislike them because he sees no great hurt or evil in them but makes a light matter of them therefore when the Spirit comes it lets him see and stand convinced of the exceeding greatnesse of the evill that is in them Ioh. 36.8 9. In the time of affliction which is usually the time of conviction of a wild unruly sinner he shews them their transgressions but how that they have exceeded that they have been exceeding many and exceeding vile Oh beloved before the Lord Jesus comes to convince we have cause to pray for a pity every poore sinner as the Lord Jesus did saying Lord forgive them they know not what they doe You godly parents masters how oft doe you instruct your children servants and convince them of their sinfulnesse untill they confesse their faults yet you see no amendment but they goe on still what should you now doe oh cry out for them and say Lord forgive them for they know not what they doe Their sins they know but what the evil of them is alas they know not but when the Spirit comes to convince he makes them see what they doe what is the exceeding evill of those sinnes they made light of before like mad men that have sworne and curst and struck their friends when they come to be sober againe and remember their mischievous wayes and words now they see what they have done and how abominable their courses then were Oh you that walk on in the madnes of your minds now in all manner of sinne if ever the Lord doe good to you you shall account your wayes madnesse and folly and cry out Oh Lord what have I done in kicking thus long against the pricks The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of the evill of sin but of the evill after sin I meane of the just punishment which doth follow sin and that is this viz. that it must dye and that eternally for sin if it remaines in this estate it is now in Rom. 4.15 The Law works wrath i. e. sight and sense of wrath Rom. 7.9 When the Law came sin revived and I dyed i. e. I saw my selfe a dead man by it so the soule sees cleerly God hath said The soule that sinneth shall dye I have sinned and therefore if the Lord be true I shall dye to hel I shall if now the Lord stop my breath and cut off my life which he might justly and may easily doe Death is the wages of sin even of any one sin though never so little whan then will become of me who stand guilty of so many exceeding the number of the haires on my head or the stars in heaven Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge the Minister hath said so the Lord himselfe hath told me so Heb. 13.4 I am the man my conscience now teares me and tells me so what will become of me The Lord Iesus will come in flaming fire to render vengeance against all that know not God and that obey not the Gospell This I beleeve for God hath said it 2 Thes. 2.7 8 9. and now I see I am he that hath lived long in ignorance and know not God I have had the Gospel of grace thus long wooing and perswading my heart and oftentimes it hath affected me but yet I have resisted God and his Gospel and have set my filthy lusts my vaine sports my companions cups and queanes at a higher price then Christ and have loved them more then him
and they heare and know their sins are many their estates bad and that iniquity will be there ruine if thus they continue yet all Gods light is without heat and it is but the shining of it upon rocks and cold stones they are frozen in their dregs be it knowne to you you have not one drop of that conviction which begins salvation Before I passe from this to the second work of compunction let me make a word of application If the Spirit begins thus with conviction of sin then let all the Ministers of Christ co-work with Christ and begin with their people here bee faithfull witnesses unto Gods truth and give warning to this secure world that the sentence of death is past and the curse of God lyes upon every man for the least sin Lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet was the Lords words to Isaiah Isay 58.1 and tell them of their sin Those Bees wee call drones that have lost their sting When the salt of the earth the Ministers of Christ Matth. 5. have lost their acrimony and sharpnesse or saltnesse What is it good for but to be cast out your hearers will putrify and corrupt by hearing such doctrines only as never search When the Lord inflicted a grievous curse upon the people Ezek. 3.26 the Lord made Ezekiel dumbe that hee should not be a reprover to them What was the lamentation of Ieremy thy Prophets have seen vaine and foolish things for thee and have not discovered thine iniquity how would you have the Lord Jesus by his Spirit to convince men must it not bee by his word verily you keep the Spirit of Christ from falling down upon the people if you refuse to indeavour to convince the people by your word Other doctrines are sweet and necessary but this is in the first place most necessary Beware of personating beware of bitternesse and passion but oh convince with a spirit of power and compassion and hee that shall bee instrumentall unto Christ in this or any other work for Christs sake unto him the Lord will be the principall agent and by him will attaine his own ends finish his great work gather in his scattered sheep who are in great multitudes throughout the Kingdome scattered from him if once they be throughly convinced that they are utterly lost and gone out of the way May not this also be sad reproofe and terrour to them that stand it out against all means of conviction and will not see their sin nor beleeve the fearfull wrath of God due to them for sin not a man scarce can be found that will come to this conclusion I am a sinfull man and therefore I am a dead I am a condemned man but like wild beasts fly from their pursuers into their holes and thickets and dens their sinfull extenuations excuses and apologies for sin and for themselves and if they bee hunted thither and found out there then they resist and article against that truth which troubles them They flatter themselves in their owne eyes untill their iniquities be found most hatefull Many a man dislikes the text the use especially the long use wherein his sinne is toucht and his conscience tost especially if it be his darling sin his Herodias his Rimmon especially if withall he thinks that the Minister meanes him he will not see it nor confeste it especially if hee apprehends he shall lose his honour or his silver shrines and profit by it he will not see his â—in that he may not be troubled in conscience for his sin that so he may not be forced to confesse and forsake his sinne and condemne himselfe for it before God and men Oh Lord I mourne that I can scarce meet with a man that either cares to be or will be convinced but hath something alway to say for himselfe their sins are not so great they are not so bad but have some good and therefore have some hope and if God be mercifull it is no great matter though they be exceeding sinfull or some such thing their mouths are not stopped to say nothing for themselves but guilty There is lesse conviction in the world in this age then many are aware of For I believe that all the powers of hell conspire together to blind mens eyes and darken mens minds in this great work of Christ Principiis obsta it is policy to stop Christ in his entrance in this first streake upon the soule but oh little doe you think what you doe herein and what woe you work to your selves hereby dost thou stifle and resist the first breathings of Christs Spirit when he comes to save thee what hurt will it be to know the worst of thy condition now when there is hope hereby of comming out of it who must else one day see all thy sins in order before thee to thy eternall anguish and terrour Ps. 50.21 When the Lord shall say to thee as unto Dives Remember in thy life time thou hadst thy good things remember such a time such a place such a sin which then you would not see But now thou shalt see what it is to strike an infinite God Remember thou wast forewarned of wrath to come but thou wouldest not beleeve thy selfe accursed that so thou mightest have felt thy need of him that was made a curse to blesse thee and therefore feele it now oh you will wish then that you had knowne this evill in that your day What dost thou talke of grace thou thinkest thou hast grace when as thou hast not the first beginning nay not the most remote preparation for it in this work of conviction what should wee doe for such as these but with Ieremy Ier. 13.17 if you will not heare my soule shall weep in secret for your pride Oh be perswaded therefore to remember your sins past and to consider of your wayes now All the prophanenesse of thy heart and life all the vanity of thy youth Eccles. 11.9 all your secret sins all your sinnes against light and love checks and vowes all that time wherein thou didst nothing else but live in sin thus Gods people have done Ezek 6.9 thus all the elect shall doe oh consider the Lord remembers them all and that with griefe of heart against thee because thou forgettest them Hos. 2.7 Hee that numbers thy haires and tels the sparrowes that fall numbers much more thy sins that fall from thee they are written down in his black book They are not trifles for hee minds not toyes the bookes must bee opened oh reckon now you have yet time to cal them to minde which it may be shall not continue long it is the Lords complaint Ier. 8.6 of a wicked generation that hee could heare no man say What have I done Winnow your selves as the word is Eph. 2.1 Oh people not worthy to be beloved I pronounce unto you from the eternall God that ere long the Lord will search our Ierusalem with candles he will
with them in the same way as they doe Suppose some Reprobates doe see sin yet the Lord puts a secret vertue in that work of conviction upon thee which makes thee cry to heaven for a Spirit of brokennesse for sin which without this sight of sinne thou wouldst never so much as have desired and this they have not However conviction is a work of the Spirit though it should be but common and wilt not be thankfull for common mercy suppose it be but outward how much more for this that is spirituall though it should be common especially considering that it is the first fundamentall work of the Spirit and is seminally all Sense of sin begins here and ariseth hence as ignorance of sin is seminally all sin Remember that the discovery of Faux in the Vault was the preservation of England we use to remember the day and houre of the beginning of some great and notable deliverance oh remember this time wherein the love of Christ first brake out in convincing thee of thy sin who els hadst certainly perished in it And thus much of this first work of Conviction now the second followes Compunction SECT III. The second Act of Christs power in working Compunction or sense of sin COmpunction pricking at the heart or sense and feeling of sin is different from conviction of sin the latter is the work of the understanding and seated in that principally the other is in the affections and will and seated therein principally a man may have sight of sin without sorrow and sense of it Dan 5.22 with 20.21 Iames 1.24 Rom. 2.20 21. Yet that conviction which the Spirit workes in the Elect is ever accompanied with compunction first or last For the better unfolding of this point let me open these foure things to you 1. That compunction or sense of sin immediately follows conviction of sin in the day of Christs power 2. The necessity of this work to succeed the other 3. Wherein it consists 4. The measure of it in all the Elect. That compunction followes conviction is evident from Scripture and Reason Acts 2.37 When they heard this that is when they saw and were convinced of their sinne in crucifying the Lord of life which they did not imagine to be a sinne before what followes next it is said They were pricked at the heart Loe here is compunction Ephraim also in turning unto God Ier. 31.19 hath these words After that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh as men in great calamity befallen 〈◊〉 use to doe I was ashamed even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth The men of Nineveh hearing by the Prophet they were all to dye within forty daies it is said they beleeved God in the work of conviction and then fell to sack-cloth and ashes in the work of compunction which did immediately follow Iosiah 2 Chron. 34.27 in his renewed returne unto God after hee heard the words of the law his heart melted and he wept before the Lord. For what is the end of conviction is it not compunction for if the Lord should let a man see his sin and death for sinne and yet suffer the heart to remaine hard and unaffected the Lord did but leave him without excuse nay the Lord should but leave him under greater misery under a more fearfull judgement viz. for a man to see and know his sin and yet unaffected with it and hardned under it hardnesse of heart is one of the greatest judgements to see sinne and not to be affected with it argues greater hardnesse For it is no wonder if they that see not and know not sin remain senselesse of sin alas they know not what they doe but for a man to be enlightned and see his sinne and yet unaffected Lord how great is this hardnesse and how unexcusable will such a man be left before God when the Lord shall reckon with him for his hardnesse of heart â— What is the end of that light the Lord lets into the understanding in other things is it not that thereby the heart might be affected throughly with it Why doth the Lord let in the light of the knowledge of Christ and of his will Is it that this knowledge should like froth float in the understanding and be imprisoned there No verily but that the heart might be throughly and deeply affected therewith And doe you think the Lord will in the light of conviction imprison it up in the mind is there not a farther end that by this light the heart might be deeply affected with sinne if any say that the end of conviction is to drive the soule to Christ I grant that is the remote and last end of it but the next end is compunction For if the understanding be convinced of misery and the heart remain hard the mind may see indeed that righteousnesse and life only is to be had in Christ yet the heart remaining hard the wil and affections will never stir toward Christ its impossible a hard heart remaining such wholly unaffeâ—ted with sin or misery should be truly affected with Jesus Christ but of this more hereafter What necessity is there of this compunction to succeed conviction I speak now of necessity in way of ordinary dispensation not of Gods unusuall and extraordinary way of working where hee useth neither Law nor Gospell as ordinaâ—rily he doth to work by Many have been nibling lately at this doctrine and demand What need is there of sorrow and compunction of heart A man may be converted only by the Gospell and God may let in sweetnesse and joy without any sense of sinne or misery and in my experience I have found it so others godly and gracious also feele it so why therefore doe any presse such a necessity of comming in by this back-doore unto Christ This point I conceive is very weighty and much danger in denying the truth of it yet withall there needs much tendernesse in handling of it lest any stumble and therefore before I lay downe the reasons to shew the necessity of it give me leave to propound these rules both for the clearing of the point and answering sundry objections usually made about this point In this work of compunction doe not think that the Lord hath not wrought any true sense of sinne because you find it not in such a measure as you imagine you should desire to have and that others feele sense of sin admits degrees I doubt not but Iosephs brethren were humbled yet Ioseph must be more he must be cast into the ditch and into the prison and the iron must enter not onely into his legs but into his soule Psal. 105.18 He must be more afflicted in spirit because he was to doe greater work for God and was to be raised up higher then the rest and therefore did need the more ballast some are educated more civilly then others and thereby have contracted lesse guilt and stoutnesse of heart
the bottome as may fit the soule for healing For 1. If the Spirit make a man feele sin truly the soule feeles it as it is it is not the name and talk of the danger of sin that troubles it but the Spirit ever making things reall loads the soule with it indeed and as it is now it is the greatest evill and therefore so it feeles sin Beleeve it you never felt sin indeed as it is if you have not felt it thus 2. Else no man will prize Christ as the greatest good without which no man shall have him 3. Else a man will live and continue in sinne If sinne had been a greater evill to Pilate then the losse of Caesars friendship hee would never have crucified Christ. If sinne had been a greater evill to Iehu then the losse of his Kingdome he had never kept up the two calves If sinne were a greater evill then poverty shame griefe in this world many a Professor would never lose Christ and a good conscience too for a little gaine profit or honour Beloved the great curse and wrath of the Lord upon all men in the world almost is this that the greatest evils should be least of all felt and the smallest evils most of all complained of What is death that onely separates thy soule from thy body to sin that separates God blessed for ever from thy soule and therefore the Lord Jesus will remove this curse from those he saves But you will say What is that evill the soule sees at this time in sinne that thus affects the heart with it as the greatest evill This is the last difficulty here There is a three-fold evill especially seen in sinne 1. The evill of torment and anguish 2. The evill of wrong and injury to God 3. The evill of separation of the soule from God The first may affect Reprobates as Saul and Iudas who were sore distressed when they felt the anguish of conscience by sin The second is onely in those that are actually justified called and sanctified who lament sinne as it is against God and a God reconciled to them and as it is against the life of God begun in them and hence they cry out of it as a body of death The third the elect feele at this first stroke and wound which the Spirit gives them the anguish of sinne indeed lyes sore upon them but this much more Christ is come to seek that which is lost The sheep is lost when First it is separated and gone from the owner Secondly when it knowes not how to returne againe unlesse the Shepherd find it and carry it home so that soule is properly and truly lost that feeles it selfe separated and gone from God knowing not how to returne to him again unlesse the Lord come and take it upon his shoulders and carry it in his armes this lyes heavy upon it viz. that it is gone from God and wholly separated from all union to him and communion with him You may observe Iohn 16.9 that the Spirit convinces of sinne how because they beleeve not in me i. Because they shall see and feele themselves quite separated from me they shall heare of my glory and riches of mercy and that happinesse which all that have me shall and doe enjoy but they shal mourne that they have no part nor portion in these things they shall mourne that they live without me and that they have lived so long without me I confesse many other considerations of the evill of sin come now in but this is the maine channell where all the other rivelets empty themselves And hence it is that the soule under this stroke is in a state of seeking onely yet finds nothing it seeks God and Christ and therefore feeles a want a losse of both by sinne for the end of all the feares terrours sorrowes c. upon the elect is to bring them back againe to God and into fellowship with God the onely blessednesse of man Now if the soule ordained and made for this end should not feele its present separation from God by sinne and the bitternes of the evil of it it would never seek to return again to him as to his greatest good nor desire ever to come into his bosome againe for look as sinne wounds the soule so the soule seeks for healing of it if onely the torment of sinne wound ease of conscience from that anguish will heale it So if separation from God wound the heart onely union and communion with God will heale it and comfort it againe The Lord Christ therefore having laid his hand upon the soule to bring it back to himselfe first and so to the Father being designed to gather in all the out-casts of Israel those he ever makes to feele themselves out-casts as cast away out of Gods blessed sight and presence that so they may desire at last to come home againe Reprobates not made for this end have not this sense of sin the means of their return And hence it is that the soules of those God saves are never quiet untill they come to God and communion with him but they mourn for their distance from him and the hiding of his face untill the Lord shine forth againe Whereas every one else though much troubled yet sit down contented with any little odde thing that serves to quiet them for the time before the Lord return to them or they enter into their rest in that ineffable communion with him Let me now make Application of this before I proceed to open the next particular of Humiliation This may shew us the great mistake of two sorts 1. Such as think there is no necessity of any sense of misery before the application of the remedy or their closing with Christ because say they where there is sense there is life all sense and feeling arising from life and where there is life there is Christ already And hence it is that they would not have the Law first preached in these dayes but the Gospell the other is to goe round about the bush I answer that for my owne part this doctrine of seeing and feeling our misery before the remedy is so universally received by all solid Divines both at home and abroad that I meet with and the contrary opinion so crosse to the holy Scriptures and generall experience of the Saints and the preaching of the other so abundantly sealed to be Gods owne way by his rich blessings on the labours of his servants faithfull to him herein that were it not for the sake of some weak and mis-led I should not dare to question it the Lord himselfe so expresly speaking that he came not to call the righteous but on the contrary onely to heale the sick who know and feele their sicknesse chiefly by the Law Rom. 3.20 Dost thou think therefore that there is spirituall life where ever there is any sense Then I say the devils and damned in
off Iohn Baptists head you that can be content to heare him gladly and doe many things but he must not touch your Herodias and make a divorce there but suffer him to come in the spirit and power of Eliah nay of Christ Iesus to beat downe your mountaines fill up your vallies make your crooked rough waies smooth that you may see the glory of the Lord Jesus without which he shall be ever hid from you Cry you faithfull servants of the Lord that All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man of sin of world is a withering flower that the Lord Jesus may be revealed ever fresh and sweet and precious in the eyes of the Saints The evidence of this truth in the generall put blessed and learned Pemble upon another way for when he perceived as himselfe confesseth that it is the generall doctrine of all Orthodox Divines viz. that actuall faith is never wrought in the soule till beside the supernaturall illumination of the mind the will be also first freed in part from its naturall perversenesse God making all men of unwilling willing hereupon he concludes that this is done by the spirit of Sanctification and one supernaturall quality of holines universally infused in all the powers of the soul at once so that the Spirit instantly first sanctifies us puts life in us then it acts in sorrow for and detestation of sin and so we come actually to beleeve And because he fore-saw the blow viz. that in this way Christians are sanctified before they be justified he answers Yes we are justified declaratively after this Others who follow him answer more roundly viz. that we are sanctified before we are really and actually justified herein differ from him Now when it is objected against this viz. that our vocation is that which goes before our justification sanctification being part of glorification following after Rom. 8.30 Hereupon some others treading in his steps affirme that vocation is the same with sanctification and not comprehended under glorification Others perceiving the evill of this errour viz. to place sanctification before justification good fruits before a good tree they doe therefore deny any saving worke whether of vocation or sanctification before justification And hence on the other extream they doe place a Christians justification before his faith in vocation or holinesse in his sanctification so that by this last opinion a Christian is not justified by faith which was Pauls phrase but rather as he said wittily and wisely faithed by his justification Before I come to cleare the truth in these spirituall mysteries let this onely be remembred viz. That Sanctification which Pemble calls out spirituall life may be taken two wayes 1. Largely 2. Strictly 1. Largely for any awakenings of conscience or acts of the Spirit of life and so t is true we are quickned by these acts and so in a large sense sanctified first 2. Strictly for those habits of the life of holinesse which are opposite to the body of death in us and that we are not first sanctified before we are justified in this sense we shall manifest by and by Onely let me begin to shew the errour of the last opinion first viz. 1. That a Christian is not first justified before faith or vocation may appeare thus 1. It is professedly crosse to the whole current of Scripture which saith We are justified by faith and therefore not before faith and to say that the meaning of such phrases is that we are justifyed declaratively by faith or to our sense and feeling in foro conscientiae is a meere device for our justification is opposed to the state of unrighteousnesse condemnation going before which condemnation is not onely declarative and in the court of Conscience but reall and in the court of Heaven For so saith the Scripture expresly Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already and verse 36. The wrath of God abideth on him and Gal. 3.22 The Scripture which is the sentence in Gods Court hath concluded all under sinne Hence a second Argument ariseth 2. If a man be justified before faith then an actuall unbeleever is subject to no condemnation but this is expresly crosse to the letter of the Text He that beleeves not is condemned already Iohn 3.18 and the wrath of God doth lye upon him The subjects of non-condemnation are those that be in Christ by faith Rom. 8.1 not out of Christ by unbelief Rom. 11.20 There is indeed a merited justification by Christs death and a virtuall or exemplary justification in Christs resurrection as in our Head and Surety and both these were before not onely our faith but our very being but to say that we are therefore actually justified before faith because our justification was merited before we had faith gives as just a ground of affirming that wee are actually sanctified whiles we are in the state of nature unsanctified Eph. 2.1 because our sanctification was merited by Christ before we had any being in him We must indeed be first made good trees by faith in Christs righteousnesse before we can bring forth any good fruits of holinesse God makes us not good trees without being in Christ by faith no more then we are bad trees in contracting Adams guilt without our being first in him God gives us first his Sonne offered in the Gospel and received by faith and then gives us all other things with him he doth not justifie us without giving us his Son but having first given him gives us this also 2. That sanctification doth not goe before justification may appeare thus 1. If guilt of Adams sinne goe before originall pollution Rom. 5.12 then imputation of Christs righteousnesse before renewed sanctification 2. To place sanctification before justification is quite crosse to the Apostles practise which is our patterne who first sought to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 in the work of union not having his owne righteousnesse in the work of justification which in order followes that that he may then know him in the power of his death and resurrection in sanctification here comes in sanctification if by any meanes he might attain to the resurrection of the dead in glorification the last of all 3. This is quite crosse to the Apostles doctrine which makes justification the cause of sanctification and therefore must needs goe before it Rom. 5. as sin goes before spirituall and eternall death so righteousnesse goes before spirituall life in sanctification and eternall life in glory the Lord holds forth Christ in the Gospel first as our propitiation Rom. 3.24 and then it comes dying to sinne and living to God in sanctification chap. 6.1 Holinesse is the end of our actuall reconciliation Col. 1.21 22. 4. If sanctification goe before justification by faith then a Christians communion with Christ goes before his union to him by faith but our union is the foundation of communion and it is impossible there should be communion without some precedent
before God What need or necessity is there of this Because 1. When the Lord hath wounded the hearts of his elect this is the immediate work of their hearts if the Lord prevent them not by his grace as many times hee doth they look to what good they have or if they find little or none they then seek for some in themselves that thereby they may heale their wound because they think thus that as their sinnes have provoked God to anger against them so if now they can reforme and leave those sinnes or if not repent and be sorry for them if now they pray and heare and doe as others doe they have some hope that this will heale their wound and pacifie the Lord towards them when they see there is no peace in a sinfull course they will therefore try if there be any to be found in a good course And look as Adam when he saw his own shame and nakednesse hid himselfe from God in the bushes and covered his nakednesse with fig-leaves so the soule not being able to endure to see its own nakednesse and vilenesse not knowing Christ Jesus and he being far to seek doth therefore labour to cover his wickednesse and sinfulnesse which now he feeles by some of these fig-leaves And hence Micah 6.7 they enquire wherewith they should come before the Lord should they bring rivers of oyl or thousands of lambes or the first borne of their body to remove the sinne of their soule Paul did account these duties gaine and set them at a high rate because he thought that God did so himselfe When the Lord hath wounded the soule the first voyce it speaks is What shall I doe Doe saith Conscience leave thy sins doe as well as others doe with all thy might and strength pray heare and confer God accepts of good desires and requires no more of any man but to doe what he can Hence the soule plyes both oares though against wind and tide and strives and wrastles with his sinnes and hopes one day to be better and here he rests And observe it look as sinne is his greatest evill so the casting away of his sins and seeking to be better is very sweet to him and being so sweet rests in what hee hath and seeks for what he wants and so hopes all will be well one day and so stayes here although God knowes it be without Christ nor cannot rest on him though hee hath heard of him a thousand times And hence it is if they cannot doe any thing to ease themselves then their hearts â—ink or it may be quarrell with God that he makes them not better But beloved it is wonderfull to see how many times men rest in a little they have and doe 2. But whiles it is thus with the soule he is uncapable of Christ for he that trusts to other things to save him or makes himselfe his owne Saviour or rests in his duties without a Saviour he can never have Christ to save him Rom. 9.32 it is said the Jewes lost Christs righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but â—ought salvation by their owne righteousnesse He that maketh flesh his arme as all duties and endeavours of man be when trusted to the Lord saith Cursed be that man Ier. 17.5 6. Onely the Lord doth not leave his Elect here he that is marryed unto the Law Rom. 7. cannot be matcht unto Christ till he be first divorced not from the duties themselves but from trusting to them and resting in them And therefore saith Paul I through the Law am dead to it that I might live unto God He that trusteth to riches cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven no more then a Camell through a needles eye because it is too big for so narrow a roome so he that trusteth to his duties and abilities is too big to enter in by Christ the Lord must cut off this spirit and lay it low and make it stoop as vile before God before it can have Christ in this estate the Lord must not onely cut it off from this selfe-confidence in duties but also so farre forth as that the soule may lye under God to be disposed of as he pleaseth And the reason is because such a soule as is unwilling to stoop is unhumbled and he that is so doth not onely on his part resist God but the Lord also resists him Iames 4.7 8. And hence you shall observe many a one hath laine long under distresse of conscience because they have either rested in their duties which could not quiet or because they have not so cast off their confidence in them so as to lye downe quietly before God that he may doe what he will with them being so long objects of Gods resistance not of his grace By what meanes doth the Lord worke this In generall by the Spirit immediately acting upon the soule for after a Christian is in Christ he hath by the habit of humility and the vertue of faith some power to humble himselfe but now the Spirit of Christ doth it immediately by its own omnipotent hand else the proud heart would never down For we are first created in Christ which is by Gods omnipotent immediate act unto good workes before we do from our selves or by the power of Faith put forth good workes Eph. 2.10 These acts of self-confidence may not be stirring in all Christians but in all men there is this frame of spirit never to come to Christ if they can make any thing else serve to heale them or save them and therefore the Spirit cuts off this sinfull frame in part in all the elect he hewes the roughnesse and pride of spirit off that it may lye still upon the foundation it is now preparing for Now though the Spirit works this yet t is not without the Word the Word it works chiefly by is the Law Gal. 3.19 I through the Law am dead to it i. e. from seeking any life or help from it that I might live unto God Now the Law doth this by a foure-fold act 1. By discovering the secret corruptions of the soule in every duty which it never saw before It once thought I shall perish for my sinne if I continue therein without confession of them or sorrow for them but it also did think that this confession sorrow and trouble for sinne will serve to save it and make God to accept of it but the Law while the soule is earnestly striving against his sinne discovering that in all these there is nothing but sinne even secret sinnes it did never see before hereupon it begins thus to think Can these be the meanes of saving of me which being so sinfull cannot but be the very causes of condemning of me I know I must perish for the least sinne and now I see that in all I doe I can do nothing else but sinne What made Paul alive without the Law You shall finde Rom. 7.7 it was because he
necessary here then the removall of the power of this which makes the soule in the sense of its owne infinite vilenesse and unworthinesse not to quarrel at the Lord and devil-like grow fierce impatient before and against the Lord in case he should never help it never pitty it never succour it the Lord will not forsake for ever if the soule thus lies down and puts its mouth in the dust Lam. 3.30 31. Which consideration is of unspeakable use and consolation to every poore empty nothing that feels it selfe unable to beleeve and the Lord forsaking it from helping it to beleeve And I have seen it constantly that many a chosen vessell never hath been comforted till now and ever comforted when now they never knew what hurt them till they saw this and they have immediately felt their hurt healed when this hath been removed In comforting Christians under deep distresse tell them of Gods grace and mercy and the riches of both you doe but torment them the more that there should be so much and they have no part nor share in it and think they never shall because this is not the immediate way of cure tell them rather when they are full of these complaints that they are as they speak vile and sinfull and therefore worthy never to be accepted of God and that they have cause to wonder that they have their lives and are on this side hell and so turne all that they say to humiliation and selfe-loathing verily you shall then see if the Lord intends good he wil by this doe them good and the weakest Christian that cannot come to Christ you shall see first or last shall see cause to lye downe and be silent and not quarrell though the Lord should never come to him And that this is necessary may appeare thus Otherwise 1. The Lord should not advance the riches of his grace the advancement of grace cannot possibly be without the humiliation and abasement of the creature the Lord not onely saves but calls things that are not that no flesh might glory 1 Cor. 1.28 29. 2. Otherwise the Lord should not be Lord and disposer of his owne grace but a sinfull creature who quarrells against God if it be not disposed of not as the Lord will but as the creature will If a stranger comes to our house and will have what he wants and if he hath not he quarrells and contends with the master of the house what would he say Away proud begger dost think to be lord of what I have dost draw thy knife to stab me if I doe not please thee and give thee thy asking no thou shalt know that I wil doe with my owne as I see good thou shalt lye downe on the dust of my threshold before I give thee any thing So t is with the Lord. It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy It is his principall name I will be mercifull to whom I will be mercifull and therefore if you will not beleeve me yet beleeve the Lords oath Esay 45.23 Vnto me shall every knee bow and doe you come to lord it over him and quarrell and fret and sink and grow sullen and vex if the Lord stoop not unto your desires No no you must and shall lye upon his threshold nay he wil make thee lay thy neck upon the block as worthy of nothing but cutting off and then when this valley is filled all flesh shall see the glory of the Lord Esay 40.5 Thus humiliation is necessary in this measure mentioned Not that I deny any subsequent humiliation after a Christian is in Christ arising from the sense of Gods favour in Christ then which nothing makes a Christian of an evangelicall spirit more ashamed of himselfe yet I dare not exclude this which is antecedent arising from the spirit of power immediately subduing the soule to Christ that it may be exalted by Christ 1 Pet. 5.6 It is true all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse are received by faith 2 Pet. 1.3 yet faith it self is a saving work which is not received by another precedent faith Faith therefore is to be excepted not onely as begotten in us but as it is in the begeâ—ting of it in the conviction and humiliation of every sinner Hence see what is the great hindrance betweene the mercy of God and the soule of many a man if it be not some sinne hardnesse of heart under it whereby he cares not for Christ to deliver him then t is some pride of spirit arising from some good he hath whereby he feeles no need of Christ hoping his owne duties shall save him or else is above Christ and not under him willing to be disposed of by him And hence the Lord makes this the high way to mercy Levit. 26.40 if first they shall confesse their sinne secondly humble themselves both which I know the Lord must worke then he will remember his Covenant Look as it is with a vessell before it can be fit for use it must first passe through fire and the earth and drosse severed from it then it must be made hollow and empty which makes it vas capax a vessell capable of receiving that which shall be powred out into it if O Brethren the Lord hath some vessells of glory which he prepares before-hand and makes capable of glory Rom. 9.21 22. if the Lord doth doth not sever you from sinne in compunction and empty you of your selves in humiliation you cannot receive Christ nor mercy you cannot hold them and if ever you misse of Christ by faith your wound lies here How many be there at this day that were once profane and wicked but now by some terrours and outward restraints upon them they leave their sinnes and say they loathe them and purpose never to run riot as they have done and hence because they thinke themselves very good or to have some good they fall short of Christ and are still in the gall of bitternes in the midst of all evill It were the happines of some men if they did not think themselves to have some good because this is their Christ. Oh you that live under precious meanes and have many feares you may perish and be deceived at the last But why doe you feare I know you will answer Oh some secret unknown sin may be my ruine It is true and you do well to have a godly jealousie thereof But remember this also not onely some sinne but some good thou thinkest thou hast and restest in without Christ and lifting thee up above Christ may as easily prove thy ruine because a mans owne righteousnesse rested in doth not onely hide mens sinnes but strengthens them in some sinne by which men perish Trusting to ones owne righteousnesse and committing iniquity are couples Ezek. 33.13 Nor doe I hereby run into the trenches of that wretched generation of the Familists denying all inherent graces
saved Now to beleeve with the heart as it doth not exclude assent so it necessarily includes the acts of the will and affections in relying upon him and comming to him And hence when Peter had made that confession Acts 16.16 Christ tells him Thou art Peter i. e. a stone resting upon the rock as some good Interpreters expound it and therefore Peters faith did not exclude these principall acts of resting on Christ cleaving to Christ but did include and suppose them 2. Some run into another extreame and make faith nothing else but a perswasion or assurance that Christ dyed for me in particular or that he is mine That which moves some thus to think is the universall redemption by the death of Christ they know no ground or bottome for faith but this Proposition Christ dyed for thee and hence make Redemption universall And hence the Arminians boast so much of their Quod unusquisque tenetur credere c. But 1. This is a false bottome for Christ hath not dyed for all because he hath not prayed for all Iohn 17. 2. T is a sandy bottome and foundation which when a Christian rests upon it shakes under him when the soule shall think though Christ hath dyed for me yet no more for me then for Iudas or thousands of reprobates now in hell Indeed after faith a Christian is bound to beleeve it as Paul did Gal 2.20 1 Cor. 15.1 2. I conceive therefore those holy men of ours who have described Faith by Assurance have not so much aymed at a description of what Faith is in it selfe as it possesseth us with Christ but of what degree and extent it may be and should be in us they describe it therefore by the most eminent act of it in full assurance and therefore consult with the Authors of this description and enquire of them Is there no doubting mixt with faith Yes say they mans doubtings sometimes are even unto a kind of despaire but then say they it should not be thus The Papists commend doubtings and deny assurance place faith in a generall assent our champions that were to wrastle with them maintained it to be a particular application and not onely a generall assent and that with a ful assurance of perswasion which being the most eminent act of faith excludes not other inferiour acts of it which as they are before it so may possesse the soule with Christ without it Although withall it is certaine that there is no true faith but it hath some assurance of which afterward Let me now come to the explication of the description given where note these five things 1. The efficient cause of Faith it is a work of the Spirit 2. The subject or matter in which it is seated viz. the soule of an humble sinner 3. The forme of it viz. the comming of the whole soule to Christ. 4. The end of it viz. for Christ and all his benefits 5. The speciall ground and means of it viz. the Call of Christ in his Word 1. The efficient cause of Faith Faith is a gracious work of the Spirit of Christ the Spirit therefore is the efficient cause or principall workman of faith the Spirit doth not beleeve but causeth us to beleeve t is not principium quod the principle which doth beleeve but principium quo the principle by which we doe the soules of all the elect especially when humbled are of all other things most unable to beleeve nay look as before compunction and humiliation Satan held the soule captive chiefly by its lusts and sinnes so now when the Lord hath burnt those cords and broken those chaines all the powers of darknesse strengthen themselves and keep the soule under mightily by unbeliefe What doe you tell me of mercy saith the soule t is mercy which I have continually resisted desperately despised why doe you perswade me to beleeve Alas I cannot t is true all that which you say is true if I could beleeve but I cannot see Christ I cannot come at Christ I seek him in the meanes but he forsakes me there and I am left of God desolate and here beloved the soule had not formerly so many excuses for its sinne as now it hath clouds of objections against beleeving the Spirit therefore takes fast hold of the soules of all the elect drawes them unto Christ and therefore it is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 and that by an omnipotent and irresistable power Esay 53.1 Who hath beleeved and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed that the soule must and shall beleeve now Compell them to come in saith the Lord of the Supper Luke 14.23 This the Arminians will not beleeve for say they the Question is not Whether we are enabled to beleeve by grace but Wheâ—her it be after this manner and by this meanes viz. modo irresistibile Consider therefore these Reasons to cleare this point 1. Whence doth our call and comming to Christ arise but from Gods immoveable and unchangeable purpose the Lord therefore must either alter his purpose or prevail with the soule to beleeve and over-power the heart thereunto 2. Is not Christ Jesus bound by office promise to his Father to bring in all his lost scattered sheep that so the Father and he may be glorified in them Iohn 10.16 Other sheep I have those I must bring home and they shall heare my voice You that complaine you cannot beleeve nay that you have no heart to beleeve the Lord must fetch you in and you shall heare the Bride-groomes voice with joy 3. Is not the act of beleeving wrought by a creating power Eph. 1.9 Eph. 2.10 Esay 57.18 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is near and a far off and is not a creating voice irresistible though there be nothing for it to work upon so though you have no ability heart head or strength to beleeve yet the Lord will create the fruit of the lips of Gods messengers Peace Peace 4. Doth not the Lord let in that infinite and surpassing sweetnesse of grace when he works the soule to beleeve standing in extreame need of that grace that it cannot but come and cleave to it Psal. 63.2 3. I long to see thee saith David for thy loving kindnesse is better then life is it possible for a man not to cleave to his life much more to that which is better then life the light is so cleare it cannot but see and wonder at grace the good is so sweet it cannot but tast and accept what God so freely offers and therefore the poor Canaanitish woman Mat. 15. could not be driven away though Christ bid her in a manner be gone but she made all the objections against her arguments for her as usually faith doth when under this stroake of the Spirit The violent take the Kingdome of heaven by force the Spirit puts a necessity upon them and irresistibly overpowers them and this is the cause
of it And is not this matter of great consolation to all those who feele themselves utterly unable to beleeve you think the Lord would give peace and pardon life and mercy if I could beleeve oh consider the Lord hath undertaken in the Covenant of Grace to worke in all his the condition of the Covenant as well as to convey the good of it Ier. 31.31 32 33 34. He hath done this for others by an irresistible power Heb. 12.1 2. Look up to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith he came out of his Fathers bosome not onely to give life by his death but to enable his to eat and close with him by Faith that they might never dye Iohn 6.50 so that the Lord may work it in thee it is true also he may not yet it is unspeakable comfort to consider that if the Lord had put it over unto thee to beleeve it is certaine thou shouldst never have beleeved but now the work is put into the hand of Christ that which is impossible to thee is possible nay easie with him hee can comprehend thee when thou canst not apprehend him this is exceeding sweet when thy body is sick and soule is deserted incredible things to be beleeved are propounded an impossible work to thy weaknesse urged upon paine of Gods sorest and most unappeasable wrath to consider it is not in me but in the Lords owne hand and it is his office his glory to work faith and as the Apostle speakes to shew mercy unto them that are shut up not onely under sinne but also unbeleefe Rom. 11.32 But why hath the Lord made thee feele thy inability to beleeve truly the end of our wants is not to make us sin and shift for our selves but to aske and seek for supply and the end of the continuance of those wants is that we should continue to aske and seek And dost thou thinke thou shalt seek to the Lord by his owne hand to create faith and fetch thee in and will not the Lord take his time to work it He that beleeves saith the Apostle Rom. 10.11 shall not bee ashamed why so because the Lord saith he who is over all is rich unto all that call upon him verse 12. If thou hast not a heart shut up from asking of it the Lord who hath power hath not a heart shut up towards thee from working it But withall be thankfull exceedingly all you whose hearts the Lord hath drawne and overcome he came to his owne people the Jewes and would oft have gathered them but they would not and therefore he forsook them and left their habitations desolate oh how oft would the Lord have gathered you and you would not yet the Lord hath not forsaken you but called you in whether you would or no the Lord hath taken many a man at his first word and left him at the first repulse shaken off the dust of his feet against him presently Mat. 10.14 without any more intreaties to accept of him yet though thou hast not only refused but even crucified the Sonne of God yet hee hath not been driven from thee but his bowels have been oft kindled together when he hath been ready to give thee up when thou hast been under the hedges and in the high-wayes that lead to death didst never think of him nor didst desire him yet hee hath compelled thee to come in hee hath made thee feel suâ—h an extream need of him and made himselfe so exceeding sweet that thou hast not been able to resist his love but to cry out Lord thou hast overcome me with mercy I am not able to resist any more nay which is more wonderfull when thou hast been gathered and gone from him and lost thy selfe and him also againe and it may be hast bin offended at him yet he hath gone before thee into Galilee and gathered thee up when thou hast been as water spilt upon the ground what should be the cause of this but only this the work of faith lies upon him both to begin and finish he must gather in all his lost sheep and therefore hee hath put forth an irresistible power of his Spirit upon thy heart which must carry thee captive after him I am afraid my faith hath been rather presumption a work of my owne power then faith wrought by the Spirits power how may I discerne that If you are wrapt up in Gods Covenant if any promise be actually yours it is no presumption to take possession by faith of what is your owne dost thou seriously will Christ and resolve never to give the Lord rest untill he give thee rest in him then see Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take of the water of life Dost thou thirst after Christ then read Esay 55.1 〈…〉 Iohn 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink When Christ saw their faith Mat. 9.1 2. what said he Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven the word signifies be confident It is no presumption to beleeve pardon of sinnes now thou art come unto me not onely for the healing of thy body but especially for pardon of sinne It is the great sin of many Saints when they doe thirst and beleeve and come to Christ and so are under the promise of grace yet they think it presumption now to believe and take possession of all those treasures that be in Christ but look that the Lord should first make them feele and then they will beleeve whereas faith should now receive and drinke in abundantly of the fulnesse of Christ shall it be accounted presumption for any man to eat his owne bread and drink his owne drink and put on his owne cloathes the promise makes Christ and all his benefits your owne therefore it is no presumption to apply them Suppose you cannot find your selfe within any promise and you see no reason to beleeve onely you have the Lords call and command to beleeve doe you now in conscience and obedience to this command or to Gods invitation and intreaty in the Gospell beleeve because thou â—â—rest not dishonour God by refusing his 〈◊〉 thou dost therefore accept oâ— it this is no presumption unlesse obedience be presumption nay the most acceptable obedience which is the obedience of Faith Iohn 6.38 For what was the ground on which those 3000 beleeved Acts 2.38 39. c. Peter said Repent that you may receive remission of sinnes now what followes they that gladly received the word were baptized Oh that word repent i. e. as Beza expounds it return to God and come in was a most sweet word to them and therefore they received it this was no presumption either for Peter to exhort them to repent or for them to take the Lord as that godly man said at his first word I know there is a subjection to the Gospell arising only from slavish fear and carnall hopes Psal. 66.3 Psal. 18.44 this may bee in presumptuous reprobates but
God yet within a little while after he gets into the Sanctuary of God and then loaths himselfe for such foolish and bruâ—ish thoughts and closeth with God againe saying Whom have I in heaven or earth but thee verse 25. All the out-runnings of the hearts of the faithfull and their disquietnesse of spirit thereby make them to returne to their rest againe and give them the more rest in the conclusion David was a Bird out of his nest for a time and therefore when he considered how the Lord had saved his eyes from teares his soule from hell returnes againe and saith Return to thy rest oh my soule Psal. 25.13 it is said his soule shall dwell at ease or as the word signifies shall lodge in goodnesse some hard work full of trouble some strong lust or sad temptation desertion affliction the Lord exerciseth the soule withall for some time and so long the soule is in heavinesse and much wearinesse of spirit as it is 1 Pet. 1.6 yet when this dayes work is done when the sin is subdued and the temptation hath humbled him then a beleevers soule shall lodge in goodnesse he shall have an easie bed and a soft pillow to rest on at night When have the faithfull sweeter naps in Christs bosome then after sorest troubles longest eclipses of Gods pleased face when doe their soules cleave closer to the Lord then when they are ready to forsake the Lord and the Lord them Certainly fire is wholly carryed upward when that which suppresseth it makes it at last break out into greater flame Peter falls from Christ yet he is Peter a stone cleaving most close unto Christ above all other the Apostles because his fall being greater his faith clave the closer to the Lord Christ for ever after it Solomons heart certainely never clave so unseparably unto the Lord as after his fall wherein he did more experimentally find and feele the emptinesse and vanity of those things wherein he did imagine before something was to be found but he that hath a double heart never enters into rest but the longer he lives the more common Christ his truth and promises grow they are but fading flowers whose beauty and sweetnesse affect him for a time but they wither before the Sun set and therefore the longer he lives the lesse savour he finds in these things and therefore takes lesse contentment therein the Lord Jesus and all his ordinances grow more flat and dry things to him and therefore though at first he might rejoyce as Iohns hearers Iohn 5 35. in these burning and shining lights yet it is but for a season at last he discovers himselfe not by a renewed returning to his rest but by a wearyish forsaking of it The Raven never returned to the Arke againe because it could live upon the floating carrion on the waters whereas the Dove finding no rest there returns againe Fourthly the end of Faith This is the fourth particular in the description of Faith The whole soule commeth to Christ For Christ and all his benefits and this is the end of Faith or of a beleevers comming unto Christ the end of faith is sometimes exprest by a generall word Life Iohn 5.40 but you must remember that hereby is meant the Lord of life first and so all the blessings of life The falsnesse and hypocrisie of Christs followers appeared in this Iohn 6.26 you seek me saith Christ for loaves that was their end as many a one in these dayes if they be in outward misery seek unto Christ for outward mercy corn in time of famine health in time of sicknesse peace upon any termes in time of warre and if they be in any inward distresse now they seek to Christ for comfort and quiet and so like many sick patients desire the Phisitian not to have him married to them but for some of his physick only to be healed by him but what saith our Saviour to these persons verse 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth what should be the end of their labour then he tells them but for that bread that endures to everlasting life what is this bread see the 33. and 35. and 48. verses he tells them I am the bread of life seek for me therefore come for me and look as none can have life from the bread unlesse he first feed upon the bread it selfe so none can have any life or benefit from Christ that comes not first to Christ for Christ. Conceive of this thus God in Christ is the compleat object of faith under a double notion First as sufficient in being all we want unto us Secondly as efficient in communicating all to us and doing all for us In the first respect he is Elshaddai in his promisâ— in the second respect he is Iehovah Exod. 6.3 in making good his all-sufficient promise hence faith comes to him for a double end first that he would give himselfe and be all to it Secondly that he would communicate all his blessings and benefits also and so doe all for it For in the covenant of Grace the Lord doth not onely promise a new heart pardon of sinne with the rest of those spirituall benefits but also himselfe I will bee their God and they shall be my people Hâ—nce Faith comes first for that which the Lord principally promiseth viz. God himselfe and then for all the rest of those heavenly and glorious benefits and hence it is if any man come for Christ himselfe without his benefits and regard not the conveyance of them as the Familists at this day doe who abolish all inherent graces and some of them all ordinances because Christ is all to them or if any come for the benefits of Christ without Christ himselfe as many among our selves doe who never account themselves happy in him but onely by some abilities they receive from him neither of these come with a single eye nor fixe a right end in their closing with Christ you must first come for Christ himselfe and so for all his benefits For establishing your hearts in which truth consider these things 1. Consider what drives any man to Christ. Is not sense of wants one main thing now what are a christians wants when the Lord hath humbled him are they not first want of Christ and secondly of all the benefits of Christ viz. righteousnesse peace pardon grace glory Iohn 16.9 If therefore the soules of all the elect feel a want of both doth not Faith come to Christ for both Iohn 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God i. e. the worth of him and thy want of him thou wouldest aske and hee would give thee water of life 2. What doth the Lord offer in the Gospell is it not first Christ himselfe and then all the benefits of Christ Isay 9.6 7. To us a Sonne is borne to us a Sonne is given in the receiving therefore of Christ by faith what should the soule aime at but that it may have the Sonne himselfe
other reason but because it is commanded and called to accept of it this puts an end unto all doubts all feares all discouragements and the soule answers as those Ier. 3.22 Behold we come for thou art the Lord our God As a man in great want of bread one comes and freely offers him bread to preserve his life the man takes it if you aske him Why doe you take it you are a poore fellow unworthy of it never did yet one houres work for it he answers T is true I am unworthy but yet because it is offered to me to preserve life I gladly take it the man doth not promise absolutely to me that this bread is mine and shall feed me but he tels me if I doe receive it it shall certainly be mine to feed me and this is the main ground of his receiving of it Just so it is in Faith Aske an humbled sinner Why doe you beleeve Why doe you take Christ as your owne Hath the Lord said absolutely that he is yours No saith the soule but the Lord freely offers himselfe unto me who am undone without him and saith if I doe receive him he shall be for ever mine to give life to me and therefore I thankfully accept of him this is the ground of Faith The Scripture sets out this in a lively similitude of a great Supper to which many were invited what was the ground of their comming to it Behold all things are ready if you come and eate they are not yours if you doe not come but if you come at my call and invitation then all things shall be yours And hence it is that they that came not were excluded they that came were received with welcome I know t is a question of some difficulty among some viz. Whether an absolute testimony of actuall favour and justification be not the first ground of Faith They that make Faith to be an absolute assurance of Gods favour must of necessity maintain this assertion and then these things will follow 1. That a Christian must be justified before he beleeve for the cause of Faith must goe before Faith This proposition Thou art justified reconciled is according to this assertion the cause of faith for no proposition can therefore be true because we are perswaded that it is true but it must be first true before I am perswaded of it the wall is not white because my eye sees it so but it must first be white and then I see it so Now to make actuall justification before faith is crosse to the whole current of Scripture We beleeve that we might be justified Gal. 2.16 we are not justified that we might beleeve We passe from death to life by faith Iohn 5.24 we are not in a state of life before faith When the Lord Iesus saw their faith Mat. 9.2 he then said Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee The Word saith He that beleeveth not is condemned already Iohn 3.18 and therefore unlesse the Spirits witnesse be crosse to the Word it doth not say to one that beleeveth not that he is absolved already To be justified by faith and to be justified by Christs righteousnesse is all one in the Scriptures phrase and meaning Gal. 2.16 17. Add therefore we may as well say that we are justified before and without Christ as before and without faith And indeed this doctrine of being justified by faith and by this meanes to have remission of sinnes the Apostle Peter affirms to be the doctrine of all the Prophets Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeve in him shall receive remission of sinnes not that they had remission of sinnes before they did beleeve I know not any one Protestant Writer that maintaines our justification before and without faith except learned Chamier who not knowing how to avoid the blow of Bellarmines horned argument that if Faith be an assurance of our actuall justification then we are first justified before we beleeve he affirmes we are justified before faith and therefore that when the Scripture saith we are justified by faith the reason of that saith he is not because our faith doth efficere justificationem i. e. is a cause meaning instrumentall of our justification but because efficitur in justificato i. e. is wrought in a justified person but if that be the reason of the phrase we may affirme our justification to be as well by love and sanctification and holy obedience as by faith because these are wrought in a justified person also Then no mans ministry nor the doctrine delivered by the faithful Ministers of Christ froÌ„ out of the Scriptures can be any ground of faith for before faith no Minister of Christ can say to any man in particular or any men in generall that they are already justified and reconciled and therefore beleeve it but to deny that doctrine which is opened out of the Scriptures by the Ministers of Christ to be the ground of Faith is expresly crosse to the testimony of Scriptures and the end of the Ministery and of the messengers of Christ who have the keyes of office given to them that what they bind on earth is bound in heaven what they loose on earth is loosed in heaven whose sins they remit they are forgiven whose sins they retain they are retained Mat. 16.16 Ioh. 20.23 Most excellent for this purpose is the Apostles dispute Rom. 10. You need not go up to heaven nor down to hell to fetch Christ himselfe to tell you whether you shall be justified and saved ver 6 7. For the word is nigh them verse 8. that opens Christs heart unto thy heart But what word might some say is this Is it not the internall word of the Spirit onely The Apostle answers It is that word which we preach hereby you shall know whether you shall live or no but what is that word Paul preached is it not an absolute testimony that all your sins are already pardoned by Christ and therefore beleeve it No but If thou beleevest with thine heart that God raised up Christ from the dead thou shalt be saved vers 9.11 12. What can be more full yet consider tâ—at one place more Iohn 17.20 I pray for all them that shall beleeve on me through their word What is the ground or meanes of beleeving in Christ It is said here expresly Their word Is it not the word of Christ rather then the word of the Apostles and of their successors in the doctrine they delivered is it their word Truly that which thâ—y delivered was the word of Christ and that which is opened from their doctrine in the Scriptures is the word of Christ yet as they open it and apply it so t is their word and this Word is the ground by which all that Christ prayes for doe beleeve in Christ the bare Word I grant cannot perswade without the Spirit yet the Spirit will not give ground to Faith without the Word but as
he sees no iniquity in Iacob chastisements they may now have after justification but no punishments crosses not curses such as destroy their sins no punishments to destroy their soules hence those phrases in Scripture scattering sins as a mist blotting them out remembring them no more setting them as farre as East is from the West for Christ being made sin for his people and this being imputed he abolishing all sin by oxe offering Heb. 10. hence all are forgiven and hence it is that there can be no suit in Law against a sinner the Law being satisfied and the sinner absolved nay hence sin is condemned and the sinner spared Rom. 8.3 as Christ dyed for us so he was acquitted for us and wee in him we in him in redemption we by him in actuall faith and application Whether all sins past present and to come are actually forgiven at the first instant of beleeving I will not dare not determine this is safe to say 1. That the sentence of pardon of all thy sins is at an instant Rom. 8.1 but not the sense nor execution of pardon Actuall sentence of pardon not actuall application of pardon till they be actually committed Col. 2.13 Heb. 9.12 Heb. 10.1 2. Rom. 3.25 There is a pardon of course some say for sins of infirmities I say there is also a pardon of course for sins of wilfulnesse all manner of sins but not sense of pardon alwayes Hee accepts and accounts as perfectly righteous Rom. 4.3 Faith is accounted for righteousnesse not the act of Faith as the Arminians would but the object of it apprehended by faith Rom. 5.17 The Lord accounts us as righteous through Christs righteousnesse as if wee had kept all the Law suffered all the punishments for the breach of it Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect whom God hath justified saith the Apostle Rom. 8. Satan may answer Yes I can for the Law saith The soul that sins must dye Christ answers but I have dyed for him and satisfied the utmost farthing to justice in that point True may Satan say here is satisfaction for the offence but the Law must be kept also the Lord Christ answers I am the end of the Law for righteousnesse I am perfectly holy and righteous not for my selfe for I am common person but for this poore sinner who in himselfe is exceedingly and wholly polluted and hence the Lord covers sinnes as well as pardons sins cloathes us with Christ as well as remits sin for Christs sake and as we are accounted sinners by imputation of Adams legall unrighteousnesse so are we accounted righteous by the second Adams legall righteousnesse and that unto eternall life Rom. 5.17 18. Thus you see the nature now the Lord open your eyes to see the glory of this priviledge you that never felt the heavie load of sin the terrors of a distrested conscience arising from the sense of an angry God cannot prize this priviledge but if you have you cannot but say as he did Oh blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sin is covered and again Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin Psal. 32.12 The Lord pity us how many bee there in these times that know there is no justification but by Christs righteousnesse and yet esteem it not let me therefore give you one glimpse of the glory of it in these particulars 1. This is the righteousnes by which a sinner is righteous the Law shewes you how a man may be righteous but there is not the least tittle of the Law which shewes you how a sinner may become righteous this never could have entered into the thoughts of Angells how this could be it is crosse to sense and reason for a man accursed and sinfull in himselfe to be at that very time blessed and righteous in another to say Lord depart from me for I am a sinfull man Luke 5.8 is the voyce of naturall conscience awakened not only concerning God out of Christ but even when God appeares in Christ as he did then to Peter but that the Lord should become our righteousnesse when we think no sinners like our selves no cases no afflictions no desertions like ours who can beleeve this yet thus it is the very scope of the fourth Chapter to the Romans is not to shew how a just man may be made righteous but how a sinner may our owne duties works and reformation may make us at the best but lesse sinfull but this righteousnesse makes a sinner sinlesse 2. By this a sinner is righteous before the judgement seat of God what man that hath awakenings of conscience but trembles exceedingly when hee considers of the judgement seat of God and of his strict account there but by this wee can look upon the face of the Judge himselfe with boldnesse It is God that justifies who shall condemne Rom. 8.32 can Christ condemne hee is our Advocate Can sin condemn why did Christ dye and was made sin then can Satan condemne if God himselfe justifie us if the Judge acquit us what can the Jaylor doe can the Law condemne no the Lord Christ hath fulfilled it for us to the utmost Oh the stings that many have saying what shall I doe when I dye and goe down to the dust may not the Lord have something against me at the day of reckoning that I never saw nor got cancelled oh poore creatures is Christ now before God without spot hath he cleared all reckonings verily as he is before him so are you through that righteousnesse which is in him for you By this you have perfect righteousnesse as perfectly righteous as Christ the righteous 1 Iohn 2.1 2. and 3.7 All your owne righteousnesse though it bee the fruit of the Spirit of grace is a blotted stained righteousnesse very imperfect and little but by this the faith of David Peter Paul was not more precious then thine is because thou hast the same righteousnesse as they had 2 Pet. 1 2. What sincere soule but esteems of perfect holinesse more then of heaven it selfe oh consider thou hast it in this sense I now speak of in the Lord Jesus By this you have continuall righteousnesse what dost thou complaine of dayly is it not because thou feelest new sins or the same sins confessed and lamented and in part subdued nay some to thy feeling wholly subdued but they return upon thee againe and the springs in the bottome fill thy soule againe that thou art weary of thy selfe and life oh but remember this is not a cisterne but a fountaine opened Zach. 13.1 for thee to wash in as sin abounds so grace in this gift of righteousnesse abounds much more the Lord hath changes of garments for thee Zach. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. by meanes of which there shall never enter into the Lords heart one hard thought toward thee of casting thee off or of taking revenge upon any new occasion or fall unto sin By this you have
our heavenly Father in Sanctification because we are under grace Hence it comes to passe that we are freed from the raigning power of sin Rom. 6.14 so that our Sanctification followes our Justification and Adoption goes not before it In justification we have the love and righteousnesse of the Son in reconciliation the love of the Father in Adoption the love of a Father and presence of the Spirit assisting witnessing in Sanctification the image of our Father by the same spirit and this I conceive with submission is the seale of the Spirit mentioned Eph. 1.13 the seale sealing is the Spirit it selfe the seale sealed consists first in the expression of it in Adoption Secondly in the impression of it in Sanctification and that hee only shall passe as currant coyne that hath both these I know the most full and cleare expression and testimony of the Spirit is after all Gods work is finished in glorification but the beginning of it is here in Adoption a fuller measure of it in Sanctification Gods seale is ever set to some promise as mens seales to some bond not to blanks the Lords promise of actuall justification and reconciliation pertaines onely to men sanctified or called in Adoption therefore we receive the Spirit which lookes both wayes testifying either thou sanctified art justified or thou called art justified and reconciled I speak not now of externall sanctification by outward shew and profession and common illumination and operation of the Spirit upon men from which many fall away Heb. 10.29 but of internall and speciall the nature of which you may best conceive in these three degrees 1. It is the renewing of a man So that by it a man is morally made a new man another man All things are become new he hath new thoughts new opinions of things new desires new prayers and praises new dispositions regeneration not differing from it 2. It is a renewing of the whole man 1 Thess. 5.23 for as every part and faculty of man is corrupt by the first Adam so they are renewed by the second Adam not that we are perfectly renewed in this life by Christ as we are corrupt by Adam but in part in every faculty Rom. 6.19 and from hence ariseth our spirituall combat and warfare with sin yea with all sin it is not because of our sanctification simply for if it were perfect we should warre and wrastle no more but from the imperfection of it And this renewall in part is in every part even in the whole man and as the first Adam propagates sin chiefly and radically in the soule especially into the heart of man and from thence it diffuseth it self like leven into the whole lump of our lives so the Lord Jesus chiefly communicates this renewall into our hearts and thence it sweetens our lives and hence it is called the inner man Rom. 7.22 Eph. 3.16 You see a little holinesse in a Christian I tell you if he be of the right make there is a kind of infinite endlesse holinesse within him from whence it springs as there is a kind of infinite endlesse wickednesse in a wicked man from whence his sins spring if a man bee outwardly holy but not within he is not sanctified no more then the painted Sepulchres of the proud Pharisees if any man say his heart is good though he makes no shew in his life he speaks not the truth if the Apostle may bee beleeved 1 Iohn 1.6 for sanctification is a renewall of the whole man within and without it is not for a man to have his teeth white and his tongue tipt and his nayles pared No no the Lord makes all new where he comes 3. It is a renewall unto the Image of God or of God in Christ an unsanctified man may bee after a sort renewed in the whole man his outward conversation may be faire his mind may bee enlightened his heart may tast of the heavenly gift c Heb. 6.4 5. he may have a forme of godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 he may have strong resolutions within him unto godlinesse Deut. 5.29 and hence with the five foolish Vâ—rgins may be received into the fellowship of the wise and not discerned of them neither till the gate is shut but they are never renewed in their whole man after the Image of God i. they doe not know things and judge of them as God doth they doe not love and will holinesse and the meanes thereto as God doth they hate not sin as God doth they doe not delight in the whole Law of God it is not writ in their hearts and hence they love it not as God doth and this is the cut of the threed between a sanctified and unsanctified Spirit by sanctification a man is renewed unto Gods Image once lost but here again restored Eph. 4.24 Iohn 1.16 we receive from Christ grace for grace as the seale on the wax hath tittle for tittle to that in the seale it selfe we are changed into the same Image of Christ by beholding him in the glosse of the Gospell by Faith 2 Cor. 3.18 I delight in the Law of God in my inward man Rom. 7.23 and hence a Christian by the life of sanctification lives like unto God at least hath a holy disposition and inclination the habits of holinesse so to doe Gal. 2.19 I live unto God he calleth us from darknesse into his marvellous light that we might shew forth his vertues and that this is true sanctification may thus appeare because our sanctification is opposed to our originall corruption as our justification to our originall and contracted guilt of sin now as originall corruption is the defacing of Gods Image by contrary dispositions to sinfulnesse so our sanctification can be nothing else but the removall of this pollution by the contrary habits and dispositions to be like unto God againe our sanctification is to be holy Levit. 20.7 our holinesse hath no other primary pattern but Gods holinesse so that our sanctification is not the righteousnesse and holinesse in as it is inherent in Christ for that is the matter of our justification and therefore sanctification must be that holinesse which is derived unto us from Christ whereby we are made like unto him and thus Christ is made sanctification unto us 1 Cor. 1.30 There should be no difference betweene Christ our righteousnesse and sanctification if that holinesse which is in Christ should be both unto us Hence also Sanctification is not the immediate operation of the Spirit upon us without created habits of grace abiding in us as the spirit that came upon Balaam and mightily affected him for a time but left him as destitute of any grace or change of his nature as the Asse he rode on No no it renewes you unto the image of God himselfe if you be truly sanctified And therefore let all those dreames of the Familists denying all inherent graces but onely those which are in Christ to be in the Saints let them
5.9.16 when she was asked what her beloved was above others shee sâ—ts him out in every part of him and concludes with this he is altogether lovely because thy loving kindnesse saith David is better then life my lips shall praise thee and I will blesse thee whiles I live Psal. 63.3 4. can it stand with this life of love to be alway speaking about worldly affayres or newes at the best both week-day and Sabbath day in bed and at boord in good company and in bad at home and abroad I tell you it will be one maine reason why you desire to live that you may make the Lord Jesus knowne to your children friends acquaintance that so in the ages to come his name might ring and his memoriall might be of sweet odour from generation to generation Psal. 71.18 if before thy conversion especially thou hast poysoned others by thy vaine and corrupt speeches after thy conversion thou wilt seek to season the hearts of others by a gracious sweet and wise communication of savory and blessed speeches what the Lord hath taught thee thou wilt talke of it unto others for the sake of him whom thou lovest In being oft in his company and growing up thereby into a familiar acquaintance with him can we be long absent from those we love intirely if we may come to them can we love Christ and yet be seldom with him in Word in Prayer in Sacraments in Christian Communion in Meditation and dayly Examination of our owne hearts in his providences of Mercies Crosses and Tryals for Christ is with us here but those two wayes in his Ordinances or Providences by his holy Spirit Lord saith David I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Psal. 26.8 The ground of which is set down vers 3. Thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes my soule longeth for thee as in a land where no water is that I might see thee as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary the reason of it was because thy loving kindnesse is better then life Psal. 63.1 2 3. In doing much for him and that willingly did not Jacob love Rachel how did hee expresse it his seven yeares service in frost and snow in heat and cold by day and night were nothing to him for her sake whom hee loved Shall I serve the Lord saith David of what cost me nothing And when he had prepared many millions for the building of the Temple yet he accounted it a small thing for his sake whom hee loved 1 Chron. 29.3 he gave it out of his poverty as he speakes this is love to keep his Commandements and those are not grievous 1 John 5.3 In suffering and enduring any evill for his sake I confesse it is not every degree of love that will carry a man hither yet where there is great and singular love for a good man one may be willing to dye Rom. 5.7 assuredly if there be any love to Christ it will in time increase to this measure it will think ten thousand lives too little to lay down for Christs sake that laid down his precious life for him What tell you me saith Paul of bonds and imprisonments I am ready not only to be bound but to dye for the sake of Christ at Jerusalem my life is not dear to me no more then a rush at my foot that I may finish my course with joy for thy sake we are killed all the day long Rom. 8.36 I tell you the love of Christ will make you fall down upon your knees and blesse the Lord that he will accept of such a poore sacrifice as thy body is though it be burnt to ashes and thou wilt blesse him againe and againe that whereas he might have left thee in thy sinnes to have troden him and his glory and grace under foot as he hath done thousands in the world yet that he should call thee to share in this honour not only to doe but to suffer for his sake Now the good Lord perswade all our hearts unto this fruitfull obedience and life of love Oh you young men you have a faire time before you to doe much for Christ in how pleasing will it bee to him to see such young trees hang full of fruit You aged men have now one foot in your grave and you have forgotten the Lord Jesus most of your time and your time which now remaines is very little and then your lampe is out your Sun is almost set and all your work is yet to be done for Christ oh therefore awaken now at last before you awaken when it is too late you rich men have abilities and wherewithall to set forward Christs Kingdome in the Townes and Villages where you live you poore men may doe much by ardent and instant prayers day and night for the advancement of the Lord Jesus You Husbands Wives Masters Servants remember if you are not good in your places you are not good at all what ever your profession be a good woman but a froward wife a good man but a haire-braind curst husband a good servant but a very sore tongue these cannot well stand together If you have any love to Christ the life of love will make you move best in your proper place oh therefore love much and so think much and speak much of and converse much with and doe much and suffer much for the Lord Jesus Christ content not your selves with doing small things for him that hath done and suffered much for you if you can doe but little yet set God on work by being fervent and frequent in prayer not only that Christ may be honoured in your selves but also in your families and in all Churches and Kingdomes of the world If you cannot doe much yet maintaine alive a will to doe much which is accepted as if you did 2 Cor. 8.12 If thou art a poore man and hast nothing to give yet keep a heart as liberall as a Prince if you can doe but little your selves yet encourage others that may thou art not a Preacher called to convert soules yet doe thou encourage the messengers of Christ in their worke by thy prayers counsell help and at last day the conversion of soules shall be attributed unto thee as well as unto them if thou canst not doe any good yet prevent what evill thou canst in thy place to keep oft judgments at least to delay them mourne thou for other mens sins as if they were thine owne that so the Lord may pity and pardon them and it may bee convert them who shall doe more good it may be then ever thou canst doe let the Lord Jesus be in thy thoughts the first in the morning and the last at night doe what thou canst nay goe continually to him to enable thee to doe more then thou of thy selfe canst and mourne bitterly and lament dayly what thou hast not done either through want of ability or will remembring his love to thee
that he came out of hâ—s Fathers bosome for thee wept for thee bled for thee powred out his life nay his soule to death for thee is now risen for thee gone to heaven for thee sits at Gods right hand and rules all the world for thee makes intercession continually for thee and at the end of the world will come againe for thee who hast loved him here that thou mightest live for ever with him then But is this our life in these evill and luke-warme times How many bee there that beleeve in Christ that they may live as they list If to drink and whore and scoffe and blaspheme if to shake a lock and follow every fond fashion if to crosse and cringe before a piece of wood if to be weary of the Word and outwardly zealous for long prayers if to seek for purity of ordinances in Churches and to maintain impurity in hearts in shops in families if to set our hearts upon Farmes and Merchandizes and so to bee covetous if to set up our owne selves and parts and gifts with a secret disdaine of Gods Ministers if to cry downe learning and set up ignorance if to set up Christ and destroy sanctification and obedience if to be a sect-master of some odde opinions if to cracke the nut of some superlunary and Monkish notions and high-flown speculations if to heare much and do little if to have a name to 〈◊〉 and yet dead at the heart if this be to liâ—e the life of love we have many that live this life the Lord Jesus wants not love if this be to love But oh woe unto you if you thus requite the Lord foolish people and unwise The Lord knowes we may complaine as Paul did Every man minds his owne things and none the things of Iesus Christ none in comparison of that huge number that thinke they are religious enough if they be baptized and say that they beleeve in Jesus Christ verily the time drawes neere wherein the Lord will come for fruits from his Vineyard and if he findes it not assuredly he will not be beholding to us for obedience he can raise his glory out of other people and there carry his Gospel to them who shall bring forth the fruits of it the Lord will shortly lay his axe unto the root of our tree and if wee will not serve the Lord in this good Land in the abundance of peace and mercy we shall serve our enemies in hunger cold and nakednesse if we will not serve him in love we must serve our enemies in feare doe not think that the Lord will bee put off with venerable names and titles shadowes and pictures what is most mens profession at this day but a meer paint which may serve to colour them while they live but will never comfort them unlesse conscience bee asleep when they come to dye Oh â—yâ—e heed of such formality I can never think enough of Davids expression Psal. 119.167 I have kept thy Commandements and I love them exceedingly should he not have said first I have loved thy Commandements and so have kept them Doubtlesse hee did so but he ran here in a holy and most heavenly circle I have kept them and loved them and loved them and kept them if we love Christ we also shall live such a life of love in our measure and his Commandements will be most deare when himselfe is most precious FINIS A TABLE OF the principall Contents A. ADoption what it is pag. 280 The manner thereof 282 B. Beleevers in a blessed condition 251 C. Conviction of sinne wrought in every Beleever 6 What that sin is which the Lord first convinceth of 9 How the Lord doth convince the soule of sinne 23 What measure and degree of conviction God workes in all his 32 Conviction of sin to be first preached 34 96 A sad thing to stand out against conviction 36 Meanes of conviction 39 Compunction immediately followes conviction 45 The Necessity thereof 48 Rules observable about compunction 49 Wherein it doth consist 65 What measure of compunction God workes in the Elect. 84 How and where the Soule should come to Christ. 177 Meanes of enabling the Soule to come to Christ. 239 In what manner we should come to him 248 E. What evill in sinne God most affects the heart withall 89 A three-fold evill of sinne 91 F. Feare of Gods displeasure necessary to conversion and wherein it consists 66 The nature of Faith 156 The efficient cause thereof 163 The subject matter of Faith 173 The Forme thereof 178 The end of Faith 198 The ground and meanes of Faith 215 How to discern Faith from presumption 169 Whether an absolute testimony of actuall favor and justification be not the first ground of Faith 227 G. Glorification what it is 313 Greatnesse of mens sinne in not comming to Christ. 246 H. Humiliation for sinne what it is 125 What need there is of it 126 What meanes the Lord useth to worke this 129 What measure of Humiliation is necessary 138 Wherein to expresse Humiliation 150 I. A Christian is not justified before faith is sought 107 Sanctification does not goe before justification 109 What true justification is 253 Who is it that justifieth and why 256 The meanes whereby the Father justifieth 257 Who are the persons the Lord doth justifie 261 L. Loosening from sinne how wrought in the soule 88 A life of Love requisite in beleevers 328 The life of Love appears in 5. things 338 The Law not to be slighted 334 P. How Christ doth save by his Power 4 Audience of Prayers a speciall priviledge 305 What are those Prayers that Christ will hear 306 Why God heareth Prayers 311 R. A double Resistance of grace in men 100 Regenerate and unregenerate how differenced 194 Reconciliation with God wherein it consists 274 S. What is it to see sinne 43 Sense of Mercy cannot turn a soule to Christ without the Sight of sinne 59 Sorrow for sinne accompanies Conversion wherein it consists 73 Separation from sin wrought in Beleevers 82 What true Sanctification is 289 The benefits thereof 294 V. Union unto Christ goes before Communion with him 101 Whether Vocation doth not goe before Iustification 102 Vocation is not all one with Sanctification 113 The nature of true Vocation 217 The necessity thereof 224 How it is a ground of Faith 225 W. The Whole soul goes to Christ in conversion 183 How to know when the Whole soule comes to Christ. 190 FINIS See the Sincere Convert Quest. Answ. Quest. Ans. Con. 1. Rom. 3. Quest. Answ. What those particular sinnes are which the Lord convinces men of in theiâ— conversioâ—â— â—on 2. â— Con. 3. Answ. Luk. 19 4â— Esay 6.9 How God gives a reall sight of sinnes Hâ—s 4.4 Psal. 51.3 Lam. 3.51 Job 33.16 17. Vse 1. Lam. 2.14 Prov. 1.23 Vse 2. Psal. 36.2 Vse 3. 1. Help 2. Help 3. Help 2 Cor. 5.10 Vse 4. 1 Sam. 25.32 33. Joh. 16.7 Levit. 19.17 Obj. Ans. 1. 2. 3. â—onah 3.5 Answ. 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. Rule 5. Rule 6. Rule 7. Rule 8. Rule Joh. 16.20 Hos. 6.1 2 3. Reas. 1. 2 Cor. 7.10 1 Cor. 5.2 1 Cor. 15.17 Pro. 28.13 Obj. Ans. 1. 2. Cor. 7.1 2. Reas. 2. Mat. 9.21 Jer. 2.31 Luke 14. Luke 15.17 Ram. 5.6 7 8. Col. 3.7 2 Cor. 5.14 Reas. 3. Mat. 9.13 Luk. 4.18 Luk. 15 7. Reas. 4. Quest. Answ. Acts 9.6 Acts 16. Psal. 10.5 Acts 16. Psal. 9.20 Rom. 8.15 Amos 3.8 Luk. 23.40 Judg. 2.1 Jer. 31.18 Hos. 6.1 2. Zach. 12.11 Cap. 13.1 Eccles. 7.26 Psal. 38.1 â— Prov. 18.14 Psal. 32.2 3. Psal. 40.12 Jer. 31.19 Daâ— 9.12 Jer. 3. ult Matth. 10.37 Hos. 6.1 2. Psal. 51.8 2 Chron. 53.11 12. Lam. 3.44 Psal. 39.10 11. Esay 5.8.5 Esay 58.5 Prov. 28.13 Jâ—b 33.15 16 17. Answ. Hos 6.1 Joh. 5.40 Quest. Answ. Jer. 8.11 Quest. Answ. Mat. 10.37 Acts 3.26 Quest. Answ. Luk. 15.7 Esay 33.6 Heb 7.25 Esay 56.8 Vse 1. 1. Cons. Scho. orth Spec. cap. 30 31 32. 2. Cons. 3. Cons. 4. Cons. 5. Cons. Jer. 4.3 4. Vind. grat p. 7 11 13 John 14.3 4 5. Gal. 2.20 Vse 2. Vse 3. Esa. 43.4 Vse 4 Jer. 30.15 Esay 57.16 Answ. Answ. Phil. 3.7 Gal. 2.19 Answ. Rom. 7.9 10 11. Lam 1.16 1 Cor. 11.31 Levit. 10.3 Answ. Vse 1 Vse 2. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. Vse 3. Deut. 6.19 4. Answ. Rom. 10.9 10. Rom. 8.28 Ps. 36.7 Object Answ. 1. 2. 3 Acts 10.43 1 Pet. 1.8 John 6.64.65 Heb. 4.18 19 20. Object Answ. Heb. 11.11 Esay 55.1 2. Mat. 21.28 Psal. 62.5 Psal. 81.12 13. Quest. Answ. Heb. 4.1 Object Answ. Ps. 116.7 Eph. 3.14 18. Object Answ. Ps. 25.11 31.9 Psal. 40.11 12. Hos. 6.1 2 Obj. 1. Answ. Hos. 6.2 3. Rom. 1.17 Rom 8.30 1 Pet. 2.9 2 Thes. 2.14 Joh. 20.31 1 Cor. 1.21 with 26 Joh. 5.29 2 Thess. 2.12 13. Isay 55.1 2. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Mark 16.15 Luc. 14 17 Vse Joh. 1â— 22 Answ. 1. 2. 3. Act. 2.39 13.47 4. 5. Quest. Answ. Quest. 1 Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Answ. Esay 43.25 4. Answ. 2 Cor. 5.20 5. Answ. 6. Answ. Rom. 4.5 Esa. 4.1 2. Isa. 54.10 1 Cor. 3.22 Isa. 56.5 Mat. 6.31 32. Rom. 8.14 Tit. 3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 2.28 2. 1 Pet. 1.14.15.16 Act. 9.31 Mic. 4.5 Deut. 18.18 19. Col. 3.3 Rev. 4.10 11. Prov. 3.17 Quest. Answ.
and so all his benefits with him 3. Can any man have eternall life that not only hath not the benefits flowing from the Sonne but that wants the Son himselfe I am sure the Apostle expressely affirmes it 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life Faith therefore must come for Christ himselfe as in marriage the woman consents first to have the man and so to have all other benefits that will necessarily follow upon this 4. The happinesse of all the Saints consists in two things First union to Christ Secondly communion with Christ. Faith therefore pitcheth first upon Christ himself that it may have sure and certaine union to him for our union is not unto any of the benefits flowing to us from Christ we are not united unto forgivenesse of sinnes nor peace of conscience nor holinesse c. but unto the person of the Son of God himselfe and then secondly commeth for the communication of all the benefits arising onely from union as Paul Phil. 3.9 10. esteems all things dung and losse first to be found in him that so he might have his righteousnesse in justification and feele the power of his death and resurrection in sanctification c. in one word Faith first buyes the pearle it self and then seeks to be inriched by it it finds the treasure of grace glory peace mercy favour reconciliation in Christ but then buyes the field it selfe that it may have the treasure also Mat. 13.44 the Lord Christs great desire is that all his might be with him to see his glory Iohn 17.24 and Faith desires first to have him and be for ever with him and so to partake of that glory the Lords great plot is first to perfect the Saints in Christ Col. 2.10 yee are compleat in him then to make them like to Christ by communicating life grace peace glory from him Col. 3.3 4. 1 Iohn 3.1 2. Faith therefore first quiets it selfe in him then seeks for life from him it comes first for Christ and then for all the benefits of Christ. Oh that this truth were well considered how would it discover abundance of rotten counterfâ—it faith in the world some seeking for peace and comfort and caâ—ching at promises without seeking first to have the person of Christ himselfe in whom only all the promises are Yea and Amen Others despising the benefits of Christ especially grace holinesse and life from him because say they Christ is all in all to them Ask them Have you any grace change of heart c. tush what doe you tell them of repentance and faith and holinesse they have Christ and that is sufficient they have the substance what should they doe now with shadowes of Ordinances Ministeries or Sacraments they have all graces in Christ why should they look either for being of or evidence from any grace inherent in themselves they have a living holy head but Christs body they say is a dry Skeleton a dead carcase and they are but dry bones is it so indeed then look that God should shortly bury thee out of his sight assuredly you that want and dâ—spise the bâ—nâ—fits comming from him shall never have part nor portion in him at the great day of Account Christ is a Saviour to save men from their sins not to save men and their sins Christ is King and Priest of his Church holy and separated from sinners Heb. 7.26 and if you have any part or portion in him he hath made you Kings and Priests also to God and his Father and hath not left you in your pollution but washt you from it in his owne blood Rev. 1.5 6. The law of God is written on the heart of Christ Psal. 40.8 with Heb. 10.5 6 7. and if ever hee wraps you up in the covenant of grace he will write his law in your hearts also Heb. 8.10 Let all deluded Familists tremble at this that in advancing Christ himselfe and free grace abolish and despise those heavenly benefits which flow from him unto all the elect Let others also mourne over themselves that have with much affection been seeking after Christs benefits peace of conscience holinesse of heart and life promises to assure them of eternall glory but have not sought first to embrace and have the person of the Lord Jesus himselfe Oh come come therefore unto the Lord Jesus for Christ himselfe and for all his benefits I say for All his benefits This is that which the Apostle prayes for with bended knees for the Ephesians that they might not take in a little but comprehend the height depth length bredth of Christs love that so they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God This is that which our Saviour expresly with much vehemency calls for Iohn 7.37 Let all that thirst come unto me and drinke not sip and taste a little as Reprobates and Apostates doe Heb. 6.4 5. but drinke and drinke abundantly as it is Cant. 5.1 And observe it that upon these very termes the Lord tenders grace and mercy Rom. 5.17 the Apostle doth not say They that receive alittle but abundance of grace shall reign by righteousnesse unto eternall life Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal. 81.11 12. And most certainely this is one principall difference between the faith of the Elect and Reprobates and if I mistake not the principall the elect close with Christ for that end for which the Father offers him which is that they might possesse his Sonne and all his benefits and therefore come poore and empty for all the reprobate come not for all but for so much and no more then will serve their owne turne in misery they would have Christ to deliver them but what care they for spirituall mercies in trouble of conscience or after their foule falls into filthy lusts and sins they come to Christ to forgive them and comfort them but what care they for holinesse and a new nature some sinnes they would have Christ save them from but they regard not redemption from all they cannot come to Christ that all the powers of darknesse may be perfectly subdued that their owne sinnes and selves conceits and wills may be led away captive by this mighty Conquerour that Christ in all his authority grace peace life glory might be for ever advanced in them and by them It was Austins complaint in his time of many of his hearers that Christum assequi to have Christ was pleasing to them but sequi Christum to follow Christ this was heavy To close with Christs person is sweet to many but to close with his will and to come to him that he would give them a heart to lye under it this benefit they desire not All Christ is uselesse and needlesse but something from Christ is precious to them for the Lord Iesus sake beloved take heed of this delusion if any thing hath been bought for us at a deare rate and cost much if