and mistake about beleeving Thirdly the bitter danger and sure misery of not beleeving in Jesus Christ 1. The difficulty of beleeving is increased by the singularity of so strange and wonderful a goodnesse It is so great and so unparalell'd that a man can hardly believe it to be true To have an estate in Christ in God freely all at once How can this be The depth of gilt I am an enemy God is Just I have runne into such high forfeitures so unnecessarily lost my self provoked God so often and the threatnings are planted against sinners there is no hope no probability if a small debt c But for the difficulty of it that it is not so easie a thing to beleeve in Christ Jesus this shall appeare in divers particulars First there is no natural principle of justifying faith now in man An act or motion or quality which hath a rise and bottom within the subject may spring forth with some ease a stone having a natural propension and impetus to descend Simile if you do but quit the hand of it it will down but now to make a mighty stone to mount the hill to get up into the air there being no natural aptnesse to this it is a hard and difficult attempt 'T is true that a man hath an understanding and will but the Obj. Mystery of Jesus Christ is a riddle to the natural understanding Sol. the faculties naturally considered have no elevation to this object unlesse the Lord by his Almighty power begets and works faith in the soul The soule thinks not on him neither can it draw it self to him Like the needle untill it be Simile touched it will not start up towards the pole so unlesse the Lord doth touch our hearts by his blessed Spirit we shall never close with Christ So then this is one thing to shew the difficulty of beleeving the habit of it is out of our power out of our sphear it cannot be produced by any strength of nature but by the sole Arme of God Hence that of the Prophet Isa 53 1. Vnto whom is the Arme of the Lord revealed who hath beleeved our report The testimony of the Gospel concerning Christ will not be beleeved unlesse the Lord doth reveale his own Arme that is until he doth put forth his own Almighty strength 2. There is a natural principle of infidelity and unbelief in every mans heart If the paper were faire if there were no precedent blurs and blots then it were not so hard to imprint some legible Characters Or if the wax were soft and the iron heated now it were easie to engrave what kinde of armes the Artifier pleaseth But when the wax and the iron are hard and cold now the impression is difficult because the resistance is strong if there were in our hearts any obediential principles which could before hand temper the minde and frame the will then when God offers Christ little a do would serve the turne But our hearts naturally bend the other way there is in us a natural unaptnesse nay an enmity to beleeve Enmity to the habit and nature of faith blindnesse errour pride stubbornnesse disobedience in our hearts We have such slow and untoward hearts so armed with all sorts of corrupt reasonings so consulting with sense and rational evidences so ready on every inevidence to mistrust doubt question gainsay that all Arguments will not perswade us that God will give us Christ and pardon our sinnes You know that when the Lord Jesus was personally on earth and did preach himself and in that manner that none spake with that Authority as he and confirmed the truth of his Divinity and Mediatorship by Scripture and miracles yet very few beleeved historically that he was the Christ that he was the Sonne of God Take me now a person who is sensible of his sinful guilts Tell him of the need he hath of a Saviour he will grant it represent unto him the sufferings the excellency the tendernesse of the Lord Jesus that he is the Mediator the Propitiation for sinnes that Remission of sinnes is in his blood both intensively for the great degrees and aggravations of sinne and extensively for the several kindes of sinne Tell him that the Lord Jesus came to seek such a lost person as he that he came to loose such a captive as he that he came to binde up such a broken spirit as he is that he came to ease and refresh such a burdened and laden soul Yea and answer objection after objection doubt after doubt fear after fear that the person cannot put by the arguments why he should beleeve nor urge and reinforce his reasons why he should hold off from closing with Christ and putting his soule on him yet this we finde he cannot when all is said he cannot beleeve Vnbelief doth throw up so many mists and so many feares and is many times so unreasonable that yet it will hold off the heart Neither the goodnesse of God nor the truths of God nor the mercies of God nor the freeness of them nor the person of Christ nor the merits of Christ nor the tendernesse of Christ nor the gracious offer invitation command threatning of Christ will make the heart to come in unto him 3. There is a natuâ—al opposition in the Heart against Christ and therfore it is hard to beleeve on him The opposition is manifold First to his Person the Lord Jesus Christ is an holy Person and A fourfold opposition none can take him in truth but must take him so to be holy as he is holy He is the holy one of God and he is called the holy Child Jesus and an holy undefiled high Priest separated from sinners Now the heart naturally is in love with sinne and Christ tells us that this very thing is a cause why men beleeve not See John 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light Christ comes thus to a man I am he who will save thy soule if thou wilt take me but then know that I am an holy person if thou wilt have me thou must let go thy sinnes Now this breaks off the match hinders the bargain this goes to the heart A man naturally will as soon part with his life as with the sin of his love Secondly to his condition There is a double condition of A double state of Christ Christ one is Triumphant another is Militant Gloria in excelsis that is the triumphant condition Tubulationes in Terris that is the militant condition the Crown of Glory that is the triumphant condition the Crown of Thornes that is the militant condition Now the heart naturally is unsuffering It is a terrour to it to speak of afflictions sorrowes reproaches losses We are willing to enjoy the world to taste of pleasures to handle profits to rest in ease to walk at liberty to rejoyce with our Friends to be spread abroad
any such displeasures nor torments that thus it shall be indeed Now how can the soul be inclined to believe in Christ to part with its deare lusts with its worldly advantages and pleasures and to submit it selfe to the Lawes and Scepter of Christ when as it doth expressely or vertually deny the nature of God and the power of his truths Didst thou indeed beleeve that there was a God didst thou indeed believe that his revelations of mans sinful misery and of his singular mercy in Christ were true and real Didst thou believe that God hath wrath and blacknesse of darkness and vials of vengeance for ever to be poured on the unbeliever and that the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone must be thy assured portion as God hath spoken how couldst thou sit still content thy heart neglect thy salvation by Christ stand off from the wayes and endeavours for faith Therefore to remove this impediment beg of God to forgive and cure the Atheisme of thy Spirit Strive to set up the true God in thy understanding and to believe that he is the Lord who will not lye Whatsoever he hath revealed himself to be and to do Why that he is and that he will performe that it is thy duty to return from sinne to him in Christ and if thou dost returne he will in mercy spare and deliver thy soul from the pit because he hath found a ransome but if thou wilt not return he wil bathe the sword of his flaming justice for ever in the blood of thy soul 2. A second impediment to the getting of faith is grosse ignorance Whatsoever is contrary to knowledge that same is contrary to faith for though faith sees not its ground in natural reason yet it must have divine evidence to shew it its object and way and causes or else it cannot be wrought in the soul The soul must have light for all its apprehensive operations for the eye to see and the understanding to perceive and for the heart to embrace Now this is it which keeps men off from beleeving they are extreamly ignorant First of their own sinful condition they do not know their nativity and conception what sin is nor what belongs to sinners â—â—w abominable and vile their natures are without all good and like a fountaine full of all wickednesse how dead in trespâ—sses and sins how totally defiled from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot How perpetually rebellious against every precept of heaven and how slâ—ghting of the tenders of salvation and mercy Secondly of Gods just disposition towards the sinful person They see him not armed and setting out against them in all the threatnings and curses of his Law as Balaam in his passage he adventured on for he saw not the Angel of the Lord with a sword in his hand ready to cleave him asunder So men rest securely in their natural state talk what you will of Christ and of God and of sinne and of faith they are not moved they know not the fearful issues of a natural and unbeleeving condition they know not that God will judge them and condemn them for ever Thirdly of the excellencies of Christ what he is whither God or man or both even as it pleaseth him but favourly what he is in respect of his Natures in respect of his Offices in respect of his Actions in respect of his Passion in respect of his Benefits in respect of his Vertues they understand not these things How God hath manifested love in Christ how Christ manifested love to them to what end he was made man why Ministers preach him so much what is more in him then in any other Alas they think not of these things they know them not Now brethren how is it possible for the soul to believe or to be perswaded to believe in Christ or to labour for this precious faith which is a stranger to it self to God to Christ Didst thou indeed know thy condition to be the condition of death wouldest thou not make out for the Lord of life didst thou indeed know thy condition to be the condition of enmity wouldest thou not strive to get unto the Prince of peace So againe as Christ spake to the woman If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water John 4. 10. O if men did know what a gift Christ was If heaven and earth men and Angels had studyed the helps of a poore sinner they could never have imagined such a remedy as God found in giving his own Sonne Now if men did know him aright what a Redeemer what a Lord he is what living water is in him That in him only there is life for the dead recovery for the sinner satisfaction for guilt sanctification for the soul atonement for trespasses comfort for distresses balme for wounds salvation for their persons Why how could it be but that they should ask of him for a drop at least of water for some faith to receive him who is the fountain of grace and life 3. A third impediment to the endeavours for faith is a vain confidence of natural righteousnesse This was it which kept off many of the Pharisees the Text saith That they trusted to their own righteousnesse Yea this is called the stumbling of the Jewes it cast them flat that they doted so on legal abilities When a base heart hath proud imaginations of Christ and peace and safety from something within it self why It will never look after Christ A proud person who hath mony in his house he scornes to be beholding to his neighbour the proud sinner who conceives that all is well 'twixt him and God and that he hath done no man wrong and none can say black is his eye he is neither whore not thief and his heart is as good as the best and his meanings are alwayes honest and none can tax him for injustice and he hath kept all Gods Commandments as well as ever he could and he hath had a good belief he thanks God ever since he was borne I tell you such a person will not be beholding to God for Christ for he in his opinion being so whole needs not the Physician neither shall you perswade him to mourn for his sinnes or to repent and to part with all for Christ to deny himself and all his own vaine confidences and to put himself only upon Jesus Christ he trusts to be saved by his good deeds and by his good meanings Ah foolish and seduced soul Who hath bewitched thee to forsake thine own mercies Thinkest thou that God would have sent his onely Sonne and to poure out his own soule for sinners if that yet there had been ability in sinful man to have purchased his own safety and happinesse And doest thou see no sinne in thy self which may therefore for ever thrust thee off from
Thou shalt see there all thy good set freely open that God stands not for this nor for that and it matters not what thou hast been there is mercy enough for what is past and there is grace to renew thy heart for the present and strength for the future and thou mayest sue out the Lord for this faith of which we now speak and he will surely give it unto thee 3. Study the main hinderances of distance twixt Christ and the Covenant and thy soul There is one thing above all the rest which keeps thee off and that is unbelief For God doth not require any other thing of thee in the entrance of Christ but only to accept of him He doth not say if thou hadst never offended me then I would have bestowed my Sonne on thee or if thou hadst not offended me so much or if thou canst bring any singular nature and excellent qualities of thine own then I will give my Sonne unto thee or then I will give thee leave No but all that he requires is this Beleeve and accept of my Sonne to be thy Lord and Saviour and I will in him give thee pardon Why now brethren this is the last and sore check of the match our hearts are unbelieving we will not condescend to this condition but fly hovering after some unknown and devised method of our own 4. Study much the sinfulnesse of unbelief that it is a sinne and a great sinne and that in thee What! after all sense of misery to hold off from remedy not to close with Gods great love as if God were not wise enough to shew thee the way of salvation or as if he were not true that thou darest not to venture and fasten thy soule and state upon his Word 5. Study well wherein the nature of faith doth consist Many Obj. persons seeme to complaine that they have no faith and Sol. cannot believe Why they are not right in the doctrinal part of faith they mistake faith exceedingly thinking it to consist in a full assurance and in a sensible taste of Gods love in Christ and in a sensible and clear perswasion that their sins are pardoned which because as yet they never had they therefore perplex themselves much about faith Therefore inform thy self what faith in Christ is It is the hearty accepting of Christ upon his own conditions if thy heart and soul are willing to accept of Christ as the only Lord to rule thee and as the only Redeemer to save thee and to cleave unto him for better for worse through all the changes which may befal thee for Christs sake why this is faith viz. An accepting of his person and a reposing of the soul upon him for its safety and a cleaving to him upon all states If thou canst finde thus much that there is no one sinne which shall rule thee to the love and obedience of which thou wilt resigne thy selfe but Christ is he whom thou choosest for to be thy Lord And there is no Name in heaven and earth upon which thou wilt put confidence for thy righteousnesse and discharge and salvation but only in Christ. And upon him thy soul entirely and unfainedly desires to rest it self thou hast true faith 6. Know this and convince thy self of it that thou shalt never hurt thy self nor offend God if thou couldest believe wherefore hath God given Christ and wherefore hath Christ given himselfe and wherefore is he now offered to sinners and wherefore are we commanded to beleeve if yet to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to consent to the acceptance of his person upon his own condition were a sinne 7. Withal this beg fervently of God that he would perswade thy heart to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour and to rest thy soul upon him No man comes to me saith Christ except the Father draw him Now then O Lord draw me and I shall runne after thee O subdue this unbeleeving heart and give unto me the Spirit of faith and love and obedience Lastly look for this gift of faith to be wrought in thee by the Spirit of Christ in the Ordinances and wait upon God there continually Thou shalt in time perhaps sooner perhaps later finde thy soule touched and thy feares answered and thy soule made exceedingly willing to accept of Christ as thy Lord and to put it self upon him as thy Saviour Yea hold on in waiting and seeking and thou shalt not only have Christ formed in thee and faith formed in thee but thou shalt come to know him whom thou hast accepted and trusted This is a sweet and safe course for a sensible sinner viz. 1. To present up his request unto God in the Name of Christ earnestly beseeching him to declare this Almighty working of his Spirit in causing the heart to beleeve 2. Then to stand in the wayes of grant and come to the Ordinances wherein God doth reveale his arme and give faith and so enclines and unites the soul with Christ What thou doest earnestly seek in a private way that God doth ordinarily answer and bestow in a publick 3. Then wait and expect not to limit God just to this time nor to this preacher nor to cast off all confidence of answer upon present denials but to look up from day to day from week to week if at length God will give thee faith I never reade or heard of any whose hearts were thus set but God hath found a time to give unto them the desires of their souls He hath repâ—enished their souls with his salvation and loving kindnesse Therefore go on cheerfully in the use of these meanes whatsoever befals thee yet it shall be well with thee He that hath found Christ cannot but say that this way is good and he who is thus seeking of him shall say it was not in vaine to follow it SECT IV. Fourthly The Objections NOw I proceed to the resolution of those Scruples which do entangle the soul of a sinful sinner and hinder him from beleeving which beget extream fears and doubts that he may not lay hold on Christ and that God will never bestow Christ on him neither would he take it well of the soul to be so busie and forward Obj. 1. Why saith the sensible sinner my sinnings have been so great and transgressions so mighty that I may never look up with any confidence upon the rock of salvation nay it is not Satan onely but my own conscience which doth testifie against me the manifold numbers and the high exceedings of my rebellions I tell you you would tremble to think of such lewdnesse whereof I have been and now do stand guilty and the sensible consideration of them makes my heart to sink and checks me with shame and blushing when I think of laying hold on Christ Sol. For the assoyling of this Objection consider these particulars First the greatnesse of sinning should be a strong reason to compel in the soul
paine but when a patient is recovering he is full of sense and complains his head is weak his stomack sick his bones lame all is amisse There is more hope of one sensible sinner then of a thousand presumptuous and hardned wretches And God seldom or never gives a man a sense of Christ who hath not had first a sense of his sinfulnesse There is a double sense of sinne 1. One is meerly judicial which is the feeling of the guilt of sinne when God awakens the conscience to apprehend its former sinnings and imprints some degrees of wrath upon it as the fruits of guilt and now the sinner is broken and crushed for he feeles a kinde of hell in himself for his former sinnings 2. Another is more then judicial It is something more grievous and that is when a man doth not only feele the guilt of sinne as pressing but the nature of sinne as an oppressing burden He sees and feels the inclinations and motions of his heart as most repungnant to the will and glory of God and therefore is exceedingly afflicted and disquieted This now is an admirably hopeful Symptome Secondly Vnbelief is no oure to the strength of sinne whether thou conjecture the strength of sinne to consist in hardnesse of heart Why unbelief will never soften thee or whether thou conjecture the strength of it to consist in the approbation of sinne Why unbelief will never condemn and disapprove it or whether thou conjecture though not rightly its strength to consist in meere inclinations why why unbelief will never alter them or whether thou thinkest its strength consists in frequency of actions or motions why unbelief will never remove or lessen them or whether thou thinkest its strength consists in commands and power why unbelief will never conquer them Vnbelief is a sin it self and therefore can be no cure of sinne for nothing cures the sinner but that which is contrary unto sin Nay unbelief keeps off the soul from its cures from its helps the help of a sinful soul is in heaven but unbeliefe knows not the way upward the heart of unbelief will depart from the living God Thirdly Christ is a Physician for a sick sinner and he hath said that the whole need not the Physician but the sick Why The sick person is no unsutable object or present for a Physician his calling is to heale distempers and sicknesses and thou mayest confidently go to Christ to have thy sick soul healed We cannot brethren we cannot and Christ knows it well enough we cannot come to Christ but we must be beholding to him for two things One his merit to get our sins pardoned Another is his Spirit to get our sinful natures changed And therefore Christ is appointed of God not only to be Redemption but also to be Sanctification as he is the Author of salvation to us so he is the Authour of Sanctification in us We cannot come to him and bring good natures O no the grace which we want is in Christ in our Head as water in the Spring and from his fulnesse must we receive grace for grace None can change that vile heart of thine but Christ His wings are healing and to him art thou appointed to come as the sick person to the Priest in the Levitical Law The Covenant of grace you know is an undertaking not only for pardon but for changing and all the Covenant is made good in Christ As if God should say unto a sinner I know thou art a guilty person ful-well and besides that thou hast a filthy and abominable nature but go to my Son accept of him there is thy pardon in him and there is thy change in him he shall justifie thee from thy guilt and he shall sanctifie thy nature from its vile corruption Fourthly Jesus will not loath thee because of thy sinful nature but will help thee because thou art a sick person Remember it for ever the more vile thou art in thine own eyes the more precious thou art in Christs opinion I never read of any person who came to Christ thou Lord heale me but he was sent away cured Fifthly What doest thou think of beleeving what is thy opinion of faith what as if faith were an enemy or hinderance to holinesse That it will either increase or suffer lewdnesse in the heart far be it from thee so to think O no Faith is the singular way of encreasing and getting all grace to thy soul it deals altogether with holy principles God Christ the Spirit and with holy wayes the Word the Sacraments Faith engageth all the goodnesse and strength of heaven for thy change and for the renuing and subduing of thy sinful heart Rom. 6. 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle and why for ye are under grace Mark it under grace that is under a gracious Covenant wherein God and Christ have engaged themselves to their ayd and strength yea but what makes us to be under this grace Verily it is faith in Christ in whom all grace is ensured to the soul Nay if thou couldest by faith accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour now mightest thou confidently go unto him to expresse the vertues of his Sovereignty and goodnesse to thee Now mightest thou plead with him for the excellencies of his Spirit Lord Jesus I have bestowed my self on thee and thou didst invite and assure me that thou wouldest be not only righteousnesse but sanctification also unto me I beseech thee send forth the rod of thy Scepter the vertues of thy grace and change by thy holy Spirit this unholy heart of mine subdue mine iniquities cast down every imagination exalting it self against thee bring into captivity O my soul desires to be captivated to thee yea by the every thought c. There is a pregnant difference 'twixt presumption and faith presumption is but the birth of an idle fancy like a dreame of great matters which yet hath no real bottome but only flies out of a multiplying imagination which is full of deluding acts But faith conjoynes the soul with a lively principle with a true fountaine of grace with a root of holinesse even with Jesus Christ himselfe without whom we can never be made holy and by whom being ingraffed into him by faith we shall be sanctified throughout Look as the defiling qualities of our nature are first in Adam and then in us his posterity so changing and sanctifying qualities are first in Christ the second Adam and from him derived to us his members And then know that there is not such a Ligament to tie us in Vnion with Christ as Faith nor is there any such instrument to draw out the vertues of Christ into the soul as faith You read of those in the Gospel who brought diseased bodie to Christ and yet when they believed they went away with cured and healed tempers what doth this intimate unto us but that the sensible sinner weary of his sinful nature should
make his addresse unto the Lord Jesus for cure and health and that he should by faith accept of him and trust upon him for the healing of his soul and the subduing of his sins and then verily you shall finde vertue to come from Christ raising a greater hatred of sin war with it in the very fountaine watching and praying against it and the power of the ordinance successively weakening and crucifying the power of sin Lastly know this that the time of contrariety is the time for faith to work When a man sees death then is it the time for faith to believe life When he sees the grave then is it the time for faith to believe a resurrection when he sees guilt then is it the time for faith to believe pardoning mercy when he sees himself a sinner then is it the time for faith to believe a Saâ—iour when he sees strong corruptions then is it the time for faith to believe great grace when he sees great discomforts then is it the time for faith to believe strong consolations the exigences of sense and the reliefes of the promises are quite contrary what I feel is one thing what God doth promise is another thing That which the patient observes in himself is sicknesse and that which he hopes for in the medicine is health Hath God made thee sensible of thy sins dost thou finde thus much that al that thou canst do wil not become a rebuke of corruption thou art able now to see the strength of thy sinfull nature but to remove it thou art utterly unable Why what is now to be done truly as in the sense of the guilt of sin we must then flye by faith to God and put our soules upon his free mercy for pardon so in the sense of the filthy strength of sin we must to heaven by faith and put our soules on Gods faithful promises in Christ for the healing and subduing of it This is the way and therefore strive to walk in it you may try other waters but they shall not help you and perplex your own thoughts but they shall not availe you the cure of the sinful soul is only in heaven and it is faith only which can lift up a soul to God and Christ which puts it into the Pool When sin is felt then let faith work If thou canst finde any one promise which God hath made of sanctifying and healing and subduing Why here 's ground for faith yea for thy saith for in these promises are the cures of thy sinful nature and faith it is which will apply the healing medicines to thee 8. Obj. Yet I am not satisfied saith the sensible sinner and fearfull soul Why Because First I cannot finde an heart to duty to pray and seek of God and surely if God did purpose and mean any good to me he would in some measure frame and encline and excite my heart towards him Secondly yea and againe though I do sometimes seek and entreat yet I observe that what I was that I am nothing comes of it how then can I may I should I be enduced to believe Sol. Here are two sore and real scruples which do indeed vehemently beat upon a sensible sinner I shall endeavour to assoyle them successively 1. I cannot finde an heart to any duty to pray for faith c. I Answer 1. As the inability to holy duties depends on natural corruption so the indisposition towards them depends exceedingly upon unbelief There is nothing disheartens a man more towards God then it For bâ—sides this that unbelief in its own nature is a departure from God it is a bias drawing the soul downwards This also is true of it that it represents God to the soul in all the appearances and methods of discouragements It makes the soul to see nothing in God or from God which might encline it to him O saith unbelief there is such holinesse and purity in him that he will never endure thee there is such truth and justice in him that he will surely be avenged of thee There is such strength and power in him that he will certainly meet with thee and lay load on thee There is I confesse a mercifulnesse in him but alas his tender bowels of compassion his ready forgivenesse extends not to thee there are many sweet intimations in his promises but they concern not thee there is a mighty salvation in Christ and powerful intercession to ingratiate some persons and their services but what of this to thee He is a God hearing prayer yea but he will not regard the cryes nor tears of some but their Sacrifices are an abomination unto him And thus doth unbelief set up God utterly against the soule so that the poor soul conceiving of God as an enemy dares not come neer it flies off it is even afraid to speak to him It is perswaded by unbeliefe that God will frowne upon all that is done whereupon the spirit sinks the affectionâ— are flatted I have no minde nor heart am like a lump a stock a stone Secondly it is faith which will fetch up the soul Psal 27. 13. I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord c. As if he should say my spirits were even breathing themselves out I was even sinking down giving up all unlesse I had beleeved but that confidence of Gods goodnesse towards me that did put life into me that did fetch me again that did put heart into me You see now the spring is coming on that those seemingly dead branches of the trees they begin to thrust out some hopeful sproutings and put on another colour of freshnesse why because the root is now more fed and warmed It is faith which will put colour into our faces and spirit into our hearts and life into our duties For 1. Faith sets open the mercy-seat It represents God to the Two reasons of it soul in all his attributes of graciousnesse not as an hard tyrant but as a good God willing to give audience to the humble requests and suit of a poore sinner Nay willing to dispatch and grant his requests What is thy request said Ahashuerus to Queen Ester it shall be granted thee c So saith the Lord What wouldest thou have of me Is it mercy I do promise it unto thee Is it grace I promise that unto thee Is it strength is it comfort is it deliverance whatsoever it be if thou beleeve on me I will not fail to give to thee Nay I will do it freely nay cheerfully with all my heart and with all my soul Jer. 32. Yea this makes the soul to come unto God as the ship into the haven with full speed and stretched sailes O the soul bends the knee with cheerfulnesse when it sees it shall be raised up with kindnesse a man may have some heart to pray when he knows My God will hear me that God hath a readiness to answer 2. Faith sets the soul in
and now I labour to be assured now I come to be perswaded having subscribed to all the propositions and articles of the Gospel that now Christ is mine and I do by the Word convince my soul that so it must be For thus I argue with my soul whosoever repents and believes and endeavors to walk in Christ assuredly Christ is his and he is Christs but I do this Ergo Christ is mine I cannot make so short a cut as the presumptuous person doth Christ died for sinners therefore for me God is merciful therefore my sins are pardoned without any more ado O no there is an orderly progresse in true assurance It doth not saltum facere stride over to extreames As if a man should see a Lease drawn and presently concludes the houses are mine the lands are mine No but he must hear and understand and weigh things and subscribe and seal to the conditions and then he may safely and boldly say that they are his So must the soul hearken to the tenor of the Gospel understand both the precious offer and the peculiar conditions of Christ then he must consent unto them and accept of Christ to be Lord and Saviour and resolve to forsake every sin and to yield up his heart and life to the obedience of Christ and earnestly seek the Lord by his Spirit to perswade him of his particular interest in Christ and look up stedfastly and waite upon the Lord in the use of the ordinances and other consecrated meanes Thus is the assurance of faith wrought in the soul and upon these grounds doth it settle the mind 5. Lastly Assurance of faith concerning which we speake directs man even to a personal evidence of his particular interests in Christ and his benefits There is you know a double evidence One is real and respects the thing or object to be believed Another is personal and respects the state of him who doth believe Now assurance of faith consists in the determining of the minde about the particular goodnesse of that thing which it assents unto in the general as most true viz. That Jesus Christ is my Lord and my God that he is salvation for me it opens the eyes as it were to see what Christ is to me and what he hath done for me and what he will do to me And thus briefly have you had a short explâ—cation of the nature of this assurance a most heavenly thing it is and only believers have it though all reach not yet unto it I now proceed to another enquiry SECT II. Quest 2. VVHether such an assurance of faith may be had Sol. The Papists will not hear of it by any meanes some of them unlesse in an extraordinary way They conceive that faith is notable to raise the minde beyond a moral hope and conjecture and many lewd and lazy Protestants shake hands with them in that opinion But I will cleare it unto you that every believer may come to this assurance It is a possible thing I dare not say that every believer de facto is assured yet he may be assured of his particular interest and this I will evidence easily 1. The believing soul is not uncapable of perswasion They say that faith doth not destroy but elevate the understanding and that same is a truth for it doth new temper the understanding and the will but not overthrow their substantial natures and abilities Now this is undeniable that the power of reflexion is natural to the understanding It is such a faculty which is able to look upon its own actings and its own state yea and perswasion by way of certainty the understanding is capable of it forasmuch as it is by knowledge and sense and experience made most assuredly certain about many objects and conclusions Now because faith doth not destory but elevate the minde it may by faith come to a perswasion and reflexion 2. Againe to urge things as yet in a rational way Faith can see as strong reason and argument to perswade and settle the minde and assure it as the Phylosopher can to raise the minde to a certainty of his conclusions The mindes perswasion depending naturally upon strong evidence and the power of argument Now faith can bring as strong arguments to convince and perswade the minde for its arguments depend upon two strong testimonies One of the infallible Word of God the other on the voice of a renewed conscience Ergo 3. God would not promise that to a believer in this life which is impossible for the believer to rise unto Forasmuch as promises are of things as future they are the undertaking of good things which shall come to passe and be performed now every future thing is a possible thing that which shall be we may coâ—fidently affirme of it that it may be But this personal evidence or assurance it is a thing which God hath promised Ezek. 34. 30. They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will c. Verse 23. I will say unto them thou art my people and they shall say thou art our God 4. I spare to adde the strength of the divine Spirit in its reflections on the soule as also that perswasive vertue in a renued conscience and the many experiences in many Christians who have attained unâ—â—â—his assurance all which doth clearly evidence that it is a thing possible That which the Spirit is able to force in a beleeving soul that which many a beleeving soul hath attained unto that same is a possible thing but c. Ergo. SECT III. Quest 3. VVHither every Beleever should strive to the assurance of faith Sol. I will premise onely a thing or two One is that some duties concerne all men at all times and immediately as to repent and to beleeve Other duties concern some men and those in an order and mediately As to be assured of a mans particular interest in Christ it is not an immediate duty it doth not concern a man meerly as an absolute sinner for a man who is unconverted and yet unbeleeving is not bound to be perswaded that he is Christs and Christ is his unlesse we will say that he is bound to be perswaded of a lie no but he must first be a beleever he must accept of Jesus Christ upon his own termes and being a beleever I say he is bound to labour for particular assurance Not to let the real interest of Christ in him and of his soul in Christ to hang hovering and in dispute but to determine them by particular and personal evidence Againe premise this it is one thing to speed de facto what every beleever hath and it is another thing to speak de jure what every beleever should have It is true that every one who hath Christ cannot be yet assured and say that Christ is mine but then as Christ
word of application If salvation be the maine enquiry of a truly troubled soul Vse then verily many people have not yet been truly troubled for their sinnes why Because they strive not how to save their soules The Psalmist speaks of some that God was not in their thoughts and we may say of some that Salvation is not in their mindes He who hath abundance hath this question who will shew us any good and he who is in want hath this question what shall I do But what shall I do to be saved few think of this it is a marvelous thing that so noble a creature as man who carries in him the singular stamp of heaven a spiritual and immortal soul should so infinitely forget both himself and his errand into this world I am a miserable sinner said Saint Hicrome and born only to repent We are born transgressors from the wombe and with hell at our heeles God is pleased to draw out the threed of our life and to vouchsafe to give us this hint that we are sinners and must dye and if we change not our condition we perish forever And besides that he hath addressed the wayes of Salvation to our hands so plainely that he who runnes may read Yea and there is something implanted in men which secretly inclines them to be affected with a generall desire of Salvation nevertheless to observe men how variously they flye off how little they minde that which most of all concerns them how infinitely one drudgeth for riches how illimitedly another pursues pleasures so that when we come to dye we have hardly thought wherefore we were borne There is a Salvation and a way tending thereunto but we forget that all our dayes We have other employments but let us soberly recall our selves Is there any thing better then Salvation Is there a nearer thing then the soul Is there not a necessity to be working in the way if ever we would attain unto the end O then let this take us up let heaven take us up let our souls take us up but let not our sins let not the world take us up Vbi pompa said Saint Augustine ubi exquisita convivia ubi gentiorum ambitio ubi argenti auri pondus immensum Transient omnia ab oculis ejus putatur requiesere corpus ejus habitat in inferno anima ejus multiplâ—cavit agros plantavit vineas implevit horrea yet saith he Sâ—ulâ—e hac nocte He enlargeth his Fields plants his vines fills his Barnes loseth his soul The like saith Saint Bernard Dic mihi ubi sunt amatores seculi qui jam diu fuerint Dic quid eis profuit inanis gloria Brevis laetitia mundipotentia Quid carnis voluptas quid falsae divitiae ubirisus ubi jocus ubi jactantia Hic caro eorum vermibus illic anima ignibus deputatur infernalibus I say no more but labour to save that which if it be lost the world cannot procure it and believe it that the soul can never be saved by that which is not worth a soul Another conclusion from the words of the text may be this That persons rightly sensible are as throughly resolved for the meanes and wayes as for the end and scope The Jayler doth not say I desire Salvation barely but what must I do to be saved as if he said I desire Salvation and I do conjecture that it is an end and therefore means there are leading to it now whatsoever they are point them out unto me that I may apply my self for the prosecution of the end There are two things which deceive a mans heart One is presumption which is a skipping over the lesson and taking forth before we have learned our part my meaning is this that it is an opinion of our happinesse without any use of meanes As if a man went to heaven as the Ship moves in the Tyde whether the Master wakes or sleeps Another is hypocrisie which is an inquality of the heart to all the wayes of Salvation No hypocrite will apply himself to every thing which may indeed save him But where the heart is rightly understanding and truly sensible there is not only a consideration of meanes but an illimited resolution for all the wayes of Salvation whatsoever course God doth by his Word reveale and prescribe for that it is resolved and purpâ—sed though they may be contrary to my proud reasoning and capacity though they may be contrary to the bent of my affections though they may require much time and employment c. What the Princes speak with a disembling heart that the sinner rightly sensible of his condition affirms with a plaine spirit of true intention The Lord be a true and faithful witnesse between us if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or whether it be evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God He who will be saved must come to this to deny his own will to crucifie his own affections to captivate his own imaginations to resigne up his own desires and pleasures to afflict his heart for his sins to give up himself to the rule and command of Gods Word to draw off his heart from the world to settle all his confidence upon Jesus Christ to watch over his own spirit To love the Lord God with all his soul and with all his might These and other things are required as the way to life and unto them all doth a sinner rightly sensible yield up himself with all readiness and gladnesse For as much as though there may be some difficulty in these yet there is Salvation by them yea and there is a singular help for them as well as a special reward but the present and former condition and way of sinne is engraven with much paines and sore horror and death and hell But I pass on Another conclusion from the words is this When God doth throughly work upon mens consciences personall injuriousnesses must be forgotten by them who are to deale with them You see here that Paul and Silas speakes not a word of this cruel usage towards them but instantly addresse themselves to the direction of his safety and comfort Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ c. We read of the Father of the Prodigall that when his son came humbling and bewailing his fore-past miscarriages of Prodigality and Luxury He saw him a far off and ran to meet him and kissed him and put the raiment on him and a gold Ring He did not rate and upbraid him Nay I will not look on thee I will not accept of thee go now to thy Harlots amongst whom thou hast riotously wasted all that goodly portion which I put into thy hands O no he accuseth not him whom he heares to accuse himself and reviles
she yea the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table As if she might say Be it so Lord Jesus I am no better then a dogge an unworthy creature yet let me have the compassions to a dogge though not plenty yet the crumbs Now what saith Christ of her Then Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith Remember it that the faith which can bring up the soul which can lead it up to heaven against discouragements Though God doth not answer yet I will seek though he kill me yet I will trust in him I say such a faith is strong an expostulating faith a faith which will make the soul to presse on after denials Job after suspensions it is come to a great measure of faith which will not be answered or will not be gone a faith that will not let God go or Christ until it speed Jacob was as a wrestler he would not let God go except he blessed him A faith that can dispute it much with God which will in a holy reasoning take and urge God with God and will so enforce the promises on him which he hath made that God is even faine to yeild Be it unto thee as thou wilt this is faith ripened 3. The more entirely the soul is carried to expectation from the sole strength of a Divine promise the greater and the stronger is that faith As in Abrahams case He wanted a sonne and God promised him an Isaac Abraham did not now stagger through unbelief he did not consult the truth of it from his own natural abilities How unable he was that he neglected but how able God was to perform his own word upon this his faith did pitch And for this the text saith that he was strong in faith Rom. 4. 20. Remember this that the more sensible helps the soul needs to draw out the act of beleeving the weaker is the faith as the man is judged to be very weak who cannot go without many crutches and holdings But the more strength a naked promise hath with the soule when it alone puts life and quietnesse into us now faith is grown As David said The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me So when we can quash all our troubles with the sight of a promise I have Gods word for my pardon his word for my help his Word for my comfort I desire no better pay-master then God no better security then his own promise though all things stand contrary in sense and feeling yet all is sure in Gods promise and there I will settle this argues a great faith 4. The more ability a man hath to deny himself in neare and great occurrences the greater is his faith Abraham in leaving of his countrey parting with Isaac The more easily we can beleeve great things and part with great things the stronger is our faith There is nothing more hard then to give up a mans self There is a threefold self First his sinful self in respect of old and dear sins Secondly his natural self in respect of the separation of soul and body Thirdly his temporal self in respect of the comforts of this life And it must be a strong faith which must enable to strong denials of our selves when a thing comes nearer to the quick either when God denies a man a special comfort or draws off from him a special comfort now to submit now to be quiet I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me said Paul I know how to want and how to abound to be exalted and to be abased I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be contented To have the heart pleased with Christ alone and satisfied with his presence mark it the more entirely that the soul makes up its state in Christ and the lesse power that the world imprints upon the heart in its changes this imports the faith is come to strength Strong faith is like a strong tree which holds its body unmovable against great tempests but weak faith is like a plant which every winde makes almost to touch the ground Fifthly the weaker the arguments of distrust grow in the heart this is a signe that the faith is got to a strength This I conjecture that the strength or weaknesse of faith is not to be judged by the multiplicity of distrustful arguments but by the force and efficacy of them It is possible that manifold arguments of feare and doubts may present themselves to the minde of a strong beleever as well as unto the judgement of a weak beleever but then if faith be strong it doth weigh them down it doth prevaile over them that is it brings the soul to Christ it cleaves still unto him The soul maintaines its title to Christ and owns God in his promises it will not cast away its hope nor its strength wherein the soul can habitually foyle the reasonings which crosse its way and can cleare up and vindicate its state what God is to it and Christ is to it and what it hath received from them this is an argument that it is not weak but strong Sixthly the more easie compliance with change of a mans condition is an evidence of a faith which is more strong There are several changes incident to mans temporal life the Moon sometimes is ful and anon it is in the Eclipse our sea doth ebb and flow sometimes prosperity like the candle of the Lord shines upon us by and by adversity like the winde blows out the candle sometimes we abound and our mountaine seemes strong anon we are stript and our mountaine is shaked one while health and presence of friends another while sicknesse and losse of all Now in these changes not to be changed like the ship right up in a calme but tossing and reeling in a storme but to be as the rock fixed and setled holding up and rejoycing in the God of our salvation and encouraging our selves in the Lord our God and willing to be any thing in any condition yea to blesse God for all as Job did If I die I shall go to God If I live I will serve my God If I enjoy I will be fruitful If I want I will be thankful The more Passive the heart is the more active and strong the faith is Paul had been learning that lesson In every state therewith to be content O when a Christian can comply with contrary states not through an insensiblenesse of Spirit but from an apprehension and approbation of divine wisdome goodnesse love and authority his faith is singularly cleared and well improved 7. The more satisfaction and quiescence that the soul hath in Christ alone the greater is the faith when a naked Christ is the centre and loadstone and the All in all As the Sunne to make day I desire to know nothing but Christ crucified said Paul 1 Cor. 2. 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there
at the Pool and so will weak faith it will be at the meanes of strength It loves to be doing about Christ and to be where the strength of Christ is revealed It is wise to observe the grounds of its fears and doubtings and carefull to remove them O how earnest is the weak believer to heare what God will speak unto him and if at any time the soul can get by the assistance of the Word to close with mercy and Christ it is revived with joy of tears and falls down with thanks Lord what is thy servant Nay if it hath apprehended but a hint but a crevise if it be enabled but a little to step above its dark doubtings to apprehend but a darting beame any perswasion that all is well or will be so it is refreshed and saith that God is good I observe that the weak childe will be much after the breasts and the weak man will handle his staffe much and the weak believer will be much at the places and ordinances and wayes of more strength It is with faith as it is with a blade of corn at the first the eare of graine is quite skinned over yet it breaks open aside and at length is the very top of the stalk So faith at first is swathed over with doubtings none but a tender and merciful God can see that little mustard-seed but at length it opens to more adherence on God and Christ and promises and in time it can triumph against its former feares and suspitions Or it is like a weak man recovering if he can but stand it s well then if he can set on in a few paces with his staff then if his motion can be single then if longer then if stronger so is it with faith if it can make the soul to look upon Christ then if it could look on him as mine then if so without fear then if so with joy then if so with strength and stedfastnesse It will not rest in weakness though it begins in weakness but like the weak Ivie which is winding up the tree so will faith be winding up the soul higher and higher into Christ by the help of his Spirit of his Promises of his Word and of his Sacraments 5. Weak faith will yet venture the soul upon Christ though it cannot cleare its title nor answer its feares nor to it s own sense rely on Christ yet if the soul be put and determined to one of these either to renounce all hope in Christ and so to be lost or to put it self upon Christ though it hath no inward encouragement from it self I say at such a time even weak faith will discover it self it will not renounce its hidden interest in Christ but will roule the soul on him If I perish I perish yet I will cleave to Christ yet I will cast my soul on him and on his blood and righteousnesse SECT VI. THe third general which we observed to the former scruple 6. The concordance of all faith in foure things was the concordance of all faith which is true whether strong or weak in fundamentall comforts First every believer hath a sure interest in Christ It is with the members of Christ as with the members of the body though they are not all of equall strength in a comparison one with the other yet they are of equall conjunction in a relation of all of them to the head So one believer exceeds another in a special measure of faith yet every believer is a member firmly and surly knit to Christ the head of all believers Christ is not the Saviour and Lord only of the strong but also of the weak not only the old man nor only the young man but also the children the little children to whom Saint John wrote they are all in Christ 1 Joh. 2. There is a wide difference 'twixt reflexive certainty and 'twixt real certainty of interest strong faith hath the pre-eminence of weak faith in respect of a reflexive and sensible certainty but not in respect of a reall certainty this is univocal the union 'twixt Christ and the soul doth not depend upon the strength but upon the truth of faith If my will consents unto Christ if my heart accepts of him upon his own tearmes if I take his whole person and his whole condition the match is truly made 'twixt Christ and me he is surely mine and I am surely his Although I am not in an assured condition yet I am in a sure union Christ doth certainly own that soul which by faith doth truly embrace him All mine are thine and thine are mine saith Christ Joh. 17. 10. He speaks of the Disciples and of all the Elect who were the fathers in respect of a gracious election and gift and Christs in respect of a tender affection and union So that here is one concordance of all faith in respect of fundamentall comfort viz. that the objective unity is one and common the weak and the strong eye meet in the same colours as the object and weak and strong faith are two different hands yet both of them upon one and the same Christ Secondly every believer hath a beneficial interest in Christ that iâ— weak faith hath an interest in the benefits of Christ as well as the strong faith I will instance in some special and choise benefits First Redemption from the Malediction of the Law Christ took that off He was made a curse for all that believe on him He did not stand in the room only of eminent but of every believer and endured the wrath to the utmost for every one who doth believe on him Thou art freed from a cursed estate by the least faith every degree of true faith makes the condition to be a state of life and passeth us from death and condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. Secondly Remission of sinnes what Christ said to that impotent person Sonne be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee that is true of every beleever Christ hath purchased a pardon for him Acts 13. 38. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sinnes Ver. 39. And by him all that beleeve are justified c. If any believer went without his discharge then probable it is that the weakest should be he but the Scripture speaking of the weakest faith makes it an hand holding a pardon in it 1 John 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake though children though little children yet pardoned children and mark it the cause of that pardon was common to them with the stronger men viz. for his Names sake a man is not pardoned for the strength of his faith nor debarred of it for the weaknesse of his faith but both th' one and the other enjoys it for his Names sake that is for Christs sake Nay observe it that
a right answer of great means To whom much is given of them much is required Pharaohs leane kine are called ill-favoured because in a great and large pasture All is not right when the breasts are full and the child is still weak The Gospel should be revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 3. The greater faith is the greater perfection every degree of farther grace is like a star of greater magnitude which differ in glory from another an addition of faith to faith is an adding to the treasury an enriching of the soul a farther clarifying of it The lesse of grace the more of corruption and the more of corruption the more of imperfection 4. The greater faith the greater comfort the Minde will have fewer doubts Will hath fewer fears Conscience more settledness the soul more sights of God and tastes of Christ Experiences in life and confidence in death 5. The greater faith will be the greater help in times of desertion in times of tryal in times of temptation in times of affliction and greater help to all active duty and passive changes Thou knowest not what may befall thee in evil times then thou wouldest be able to commit to submit to conquer to suffer to do much better if thy faith were much greater CHAP. XVI Exhortations to labour for saving faith IF to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ be the way to be saved Then be exhorted to labour Vse 4 for and to get this saving faith Let not the consolations of God seeme small unto thee said he to Job so say I let not the salvation of thy soul seem a light thing unto thee If a man were wounded deeply and there were but one plaister which could cure and this were presented unto him would he not put out his hand to receive and apply it the love of life would easily incline him Why brethren not a man of us but hath a deadly wound by sinne and there is no remedy for the sinful soul but in the blood of Christ O if the love of life will constraine us much let the love of eternal life the love of our souls of our salvation perswade us much more to get faith which gets Christ who gets salvation for our souls There are divers things which I will touch upon in the finishing 4. Branches of this Use viz 1. The Motives to perswade and draw the heart to put out for this saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 2. The impediments and hindrances which stop the soul from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ which we must assay to answer and remove as he did the body of Asabel which stayed the people in their pursuit 3. The means or adjuments and furtherances to breed this believing quality in the souf 4. The resolutions or answerings of several doubtful grounds and arguments which intangle the heart of a sensible sinner and which he holds out as strong pretences why he should not by faith close with Jesus Christ Now that great and holy God who is the Author of faith and finisher thereof whose word is the word of faith and by whose Almighty working the hearts of men are perswaded to believe let him so direct me in speaking and all of us in hearing that after all his gracious and manifold revelations and offers of our Lord Jesus Christ our unbeleeving hearts may be subdued and true faith may be wrought in us all to receive the Lord Jesus Christ to our eternal salvation SECT I. First the Motives I speak this day to an understanding and sensible people to whom the doctrinal parts of our natural misery and of our purchased felicity are not hidden mysteries and therefore I trust that the succeeding arguments and motives shall finde little stop in your understandings but shall the more easily and powerfully passe down into your hearts and affections to perswade and excite you to lay out all your strength and that speedily to get this faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Thus then First sadly and seriously consider the state of Positive infidelity A twofold indelity Divines observe a twofold infidelity One is Negative which is amongst the Heathens to whom Christ is not revealed and therefore they do not believe it consists both in the absence of the quality of faith as also in the object and doctrine of faith This Sunne of the Gospel hath not risen unto them and therefore they sit still in the regions of darknesse and for ought we know in the valley of death Another is Positive which is incident unto us Christians to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed Christ is manifested as the body of the Sun by the beams of light so he by the brightnesse and evidence of the Gospel and yet the soule knows him not receives him not doth not take him both as Lord and Saviour Of this there are several degrees and all of them fearfully dangerous to speak the truth plainly damnable 1. A carelesse neglecting of the Lord of life a not minding of that singular mercy and goodnesse which God hath treasured in Christ and reveales and offers to sinful men 2. A slighting of him and his excellencies which is a preferring as it were Barrabas before him a bestowing of our hearts and studies and labours and delights and services not on him but either on our sinnes or upon the world in the rivers of its pleasures and in the mountaines of its profits 3. A refusing of his Articles and Covenants which is a breaking off and vile disliking of those tearms upon which he offers himself to be ours we would bring him to termes of competition with sinne or the creature we would abridge his holy and Lordly Scepter like what we please do what we list have him to be our Saviour and sinne to be our Ruler we would bestow our safeties on him and our services upon the world we will not freely and fully consent to all that he is nor submit to all that he proposeth or may befall us with him and for him And so like the vaine Merchant we misse the pearle because we will not go to the price We enjoy our selves still and our sinnes and our world too but we forsake our mercies for lying vanities the soul is Christlesse still because thus sordidly unbeleeving 1. But then know of all estates in the world none so fearful so damnable as the unbeleeving estate A man may lose every farthing of his inheritance and yet faith will bring him to heaven he may lose every friend that he hath and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may lose every spirit in his members and every drop of blood in his body and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may be as poor as Job as distressed as David as sick as Lazarus as forsaken as Paul as derided as Christ and yet faith may bring his soul to heaven But if a man had as much wisdome as Solomon greatnesse as Nebuchadnezzar strength as
are very strict in it I will only present my thoughts amidst the crowd of conjectures First how punctual Gods day of grace is in the offer of Christ so that if a man doth not take it in the first moment of tender I think none can tell Secondly to say of this or that particular man that he is gone beyond his day for ought I know goes beyond our commission Thirdly that at any time when the Gospel is published then it ought presently to be embraced To day if you will heare his voice c. Fourthly God doth not take away from a man his day alwayes immediately upon his first refusal if so perhaps it would have been night with all the world ere this Fifthly it is probable that the day of grace is not closed against a particular person when his heart begins to be broken for former refusals for when men out-stand this day usually they are given up to a seared conscience to a reprobate minde to a sensible stupidity and to the works of sinne with greedinesse they grow worse and worse being not only destitute of all softning qualities but being more hardned by the Gospel which they refused and despised The man who out-stands his day is either deprived of the sound of the Gospel or else he hath only the judicial power of it working upon him 3. The sense and grief of the heart for former standings out this I say proclaimes that thy day is not set nay this is thy singular and special day Dâ—vines do distinguish of the day One is General like the rising of the Sunne the very rising and publishing of the Gospel makes a day Another is special which is like one of the twelve houres in the day when the Spirit of God begins to make day within the heart and Christ is dealing and secretly parling with the soul by conviction of its former refusals by sweet humblings and meltings for such proud and erroneous denials That the Prince of my peace should be refused that the Lord of my life should be refused that the termes of righteousnesse and mercy should be refused O how the heart judgeth condemns rents and afflicts it self for it falls down at the feet of Christ not worthy O Lord to look upon thee whom I have so often undervalued This is a special day here 's a season for thee thou mayest go to Christ Christ hath dealt with thee effectually this is the acceptable time 4. If thou hast stood out against Christ hitherto thou hast therefore now the more reason to come in and not to refuse the offer yet continued Observe two things First that former rebellions are never taken off by by new and continued For this is to make sinning much the worse perhaps thou didst refuse Christ heretofore through ignorance thou didst not see his excellencies nor thine own necessity or perhaps through inadvertency or carelesnesse thou didst not wisely and seriously heed that great salvation in him But now thou art convinced now thou seest thy refusals and carelesse pretermissions to be sinful Why is this the way to cure the former by adding more refusals Didst thou well to refuse him upon his own termes if thou didst ill then cease refusing labour to accept of them Thou canst never please God by continuing in a sin nor help thy self by pleading against thy duty Secondly thy obligation and present duty ceaseth not because of former refusals It was thy duty to have received Christ at the first and to this very day doth that duty lie upon thee former miscarriages should cause our humblings but they never disannul our duties Why the Gospel is yet in its revelation of Christ and yet in its tenoer of Christ unto thee and yet in commanding of thee to refuse him no more but to hearken and to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour Obj. Oh why what should I do faith a soul that hath stood out Sol. I answer thou shouldest look back on thy withstandings with hearty grievings and shouldst presse on towards thy duty with fervent requestings now lay down thy weapons and strive to give up thy self to Christ not to harden thy heart any longer but beg of God day and night to forgive thy refusals and to give thee now a heart to beleeve and to yield 5. Christ will accept of any man who is willing to lay down his weapons Object 'T is true that Christ saith These mine enemies who will not have me to reigne over them bring them forth and slay them before me If a man will be still an enemy if he will not accept of Christ to be his Lord to govern him then Christ wâ—ll be a Judge and enemy to that man he shall perish Sol. But it is as true that if we accept of reconciliation if we would lay aside former enmity if we come unto Christ and cast our selves down at his feet and give up the sword which fought against him if we confesse our rebellions and beseech him to accept of us into his service and into mercy If we heartily desire now to be the servants of righteousnesse to take Christ to be our Lord and to serve him alone assuredly he will not refuse us Therefore if any here this day have their spirits entangled with this scruple that they now have refused Christ and are past their day but withal they finde their hearts bleeding for this and they do now judge of Christ as the chiefest of ten thousands and it is the desire of their souls to be reconciled and to put themselves under the government of the Lord Jesus I say unto such fear not come and accept of Christ he will be reconciliation to thee Though thou hast been an enemy yet if now thou wilt accept of the termes of peace the Son of peace will certainly accept of thee 7. Obj. Yet the sensible sinner is not satisfied for all this I am afraid Why because I finde not only former guilts in a manifold number but present corruptions in exceeding strength no man living hath an abominable heart as I surely the Lord Jesus will loath me and depart from me a sinful wretch I cannot think otherwise how then should I beleeve Sol. For some resolution of this scruple observe a few particulars First the sense of the strength of sinne is no unhopeful symptom nor prejudice to faith Of all tempers the hardned is most dangerous and sinne hath the greatest strength where there is the least sense A man seems to be nothing else but a lump of sinne when he is so wholly leavened and sowred that not a part in him can reflect upon it self and feel its filthinesse where the guilt of sinne is no burden and the nature of sin is no trouble that soul is in an ill case But the sense of the strength of sinne imports something else in the soul besides sin When the patient is deadly sick he saith he is well and feels no
Jesus thou didst shed thy precious blood for the remission of sinnes thou hast offered me thy self and all thy precious purchases and benefits I have by faith accepted of thee of thee alone with all my soul to be my Lord and Saviour Now none in heaven or earth can procure me the pardon of these sins but thy self and thou canst do it I beseech thee that thy blood may be mine atonement to thy father yea I will and do cast my soul upon thee thee alone for the pardon and I will trust unto thee for the discharge of my many of all my transgressions Thy blood is the price that I will trust to and rest upon This is to lâ—ve by faith in Christ in that particular yea though the sense of guilt be great and the truth of it undeniable yet to believe the pardon in Christ and to offer his satisfactions yea to adventure and to roll the soul upon him for it for Christ hath called me and he hath said that he will ease me c. So againe suppose that thou feelest corruptions strongly working and temptations grievously assaulting now to live by faith on Christ is to come unto him knowing the Kingly power of his grace and to beseech him to subdue iniquities for thee and to send forth the rod of his Scepter the power of his gracious Spirit to mortifie thy lusts yet more and to trust upon him that he will do this for thee and therefore thou wilt apply thy self with patience and confidence to the use of all consecrated wayes and meanes through which Christ will manifest that power unto thy soul I thank God through Jesus Christ said Paul Rom. 7. As if he should say I am not able for my life to root out to beat down these vile motions but I cast my self upon Jesus Christ I trust unto him and verily beleeve he will deliver me the like may be said of all the other exigences but I cannot repeat all Consider that the habit or quality of faith is one thing and the use or exercise of faith is another thing the soul then lives by faith on Christ when it improves its interest in Christ when it can trust to him to supply all its wants a man is said to live by bread not when he hath it in his Cupboard but when he takes and eates it and a man is said to live upon his money not when he lets it to lie dead in his chest but when he turnes and windes it for his benefit and support So here to live by faith on Christ is to put faith to work my works are in my self but the supplies of my soul are in Christ as I go to divine providence and put my self on its faithful powerful goodnesse for my body so I must go to the Lord Jesus and put my self on his gracious and certaine fulnesse for my soul Yet observe a few things for the clearer opening of 4. Things this 1. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meere complaining of our wants or an acknowledging of his fulnesse To see scarsity in the house and plenty in the Market this may be and it may be vaine unlesse we go forth to fetch in the promises Whiles the soul keeps home it lives not by faith The life of faith lies abroad a man may have grace to see his wants and yet he lives not by faith till he can get out unto Christ I will go to the Prophet to the man of God said the woman who had a troubled spirit for her dead child Yea this recovered her child againe If I can but touch the â—hem of his garment I shall be whole said she in the Gospel you must bring the pitcher to the well if you will have water and the childes mouth must be applied to the breast if it would have milk and the soul must go unto Christ it must approach unto him or else it is but a fruitlesse trouble it is not a living by faith on him 2. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meer going to Christ though the motion of the soul out of it self be required yet that alone is not sufficient If I go to a man for to lend me an hundred pound if either I will not speak to him or trust him this is labour loft so though we do addresse our selves to Christ for help but will not trust upon him for supply this is not yet to live by faith For The life of faith on Christ is raised by three things First his fulnesse Secondly his goodnesse Thirdly his faithfulnesse and all these enduce the soul to trust unto him he is able enough Ergo I will trust him he is ready enough therefore I will trust him he is faithful and will certainly do me good therefore I will trust him So that to live by faith it is to live by trust one is said to live by trust when he hath nothing from another but his word or his bond I think him honest or I have him fast bound therefore I will trust him Thou hast the Word of Christ and the Promise of Christ which is a sure truth to which if thou doest trust thou doest live by faith If I feel and do not complaine if I complaine and do not pray if I pray and do not trust this is not yet to live by faith so farre as I can trust upon Christ that he will supply and help my soul so farre I do live by faith 3. Nay Thirdly to live by faith is not onely to trust upon Christ for supply but it is to expect the performance There is a great difference 'twixt the life of sense and the life of faith Sense is opposite to expectation it is only for the present what it hath that makes it up it lives upon no stock but that in hand but faith reckons its estate more from what lies in bonds then what the person findes in the purse It findes the greatest part of the souls estate yet in the promises and yet in Christ and in both graciously and assuredly undertaken whereupon it doth make the soul not only to go to Christ but to trust him and not only so but to expect and waite patiently he doth hear me he will do me good he will not suffer sin to have dominion he will send forth the rod of his power he will make all grace to abound he will not leave nor forsake me he will satisfie for me his intercession shall be effectual I shall yet feel the power of his death the vertue of his resurrection As to pray and not to trust so to trust and not to expect to trust and then to murmur to trust and to untrust whiles we are speaking to get the soul to put it selfe upon Christ and before we have done speaking to pluck of the soul againe to deface our own fealing to cast away our confidence this is ill very ill It is true that the
THE Humbled sinner RESOLVED What he should do to be Saved OR Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation for sensible sinners DISCOVERING The quality object acts seat subject inseparable concomitants and degrees of justifying faith The agreement and difference of a strong and weak faith the difficulty of beleeving the facility of mistake about it and the misery of unbelief The nature of living by faith and the improvement of it to a full Assurance Wherein several Cases are Resolved and Objections Answered By Obadiah Sedgwick Batchelour in Divinity and late Minister of the Gospel in Covent Garden Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest LONDON Printed by T. R. E. M. for Adoniram Byfield at the Bible in Popes-head Alley neere Lumbardstreet 1656. To The RIGHT HONOURABLE William EARLE of BEDFORD Barron of Thornaugh OBadiah Sedgwick in Testimony of his real thankfulnesse for all his singular Respect unto him and great incouragement in the work of the Ministery in Covent-Garden and of his Pious care in settling so able and faithful a successour to carry on the work of the Gospel in the said place Presenteth this ensuing Treatise TO THE Reader Christian Reader IT is sufficient commendation to the ensuing Treatise to let thee know that it was Written and compleated by Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick in the time of his health It hath now pleased God by sicknesse to disenable him for publick service in the way of preaching and if by Printing that he hath formerly preached he may become further useful to the Church of Christ as it will be much comfort to him so I doubt not but it will be matter of much rejoycing and great benefit unto many others These Sermons handle the doctrine of justifying faith and if they shall prove instrumental either to work or increase faith in thee Let God have the glory and the Authour thy fervent prayers for his recovery Thy Servant in the work of Christ EDM. CALAMY To the READER Good Reader THis Treatise commendeth it self to thy acceptance upon a double account the one is the known worth of the Author the other is the great usefulnesse of the subject matter The Authour is Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick no novice in the things of God but one that for a long time both beyond the seas and at home in City and in Countrey hath kept up the vigour of a convincing Ministery which the Lord hath abundantly prospered to the converting of some and building up of others and no doubt to the conviction of many more who shall one day know that a Prophet of the Lord hath been amongst them Besides one of an exemplary godlinesse and long experience in the wayes of God of whose excellent spirit the world hath had a sufficient taste in those choise Treatises that are already published under his name certainly from such an able head and holy heart nothing can be expected that is cheap and mean 'T is a losse a losse that cannot enough be bewailed that so eminent and useful an instrument is now by bodily weaknesse and prevailing indispositions taken off from his publick Ministerial labours there is no murmuring against the hand of God but the wasting of the old stock of our able Ministers should be more laid to heart alas we that are to succeed in the Lords work I am sure I can accuse one with what a weak and unequal pace do we follow their great examples and being too too early by the removal of such choise instruments put upon publick services no wonder if we faint under the burden 'T is some recompense for this losse that this worthy servant of God is yet alive not only to honour his own Ministery which was most consolatory by his private discourses full of faith and spirit and patient yea cheerful submission to the Will of God concerning him but also to single out such Treatises of his own as may be of most use to publick benefit and edification The other reason is the usefulnesse of the subject matter Of all graces faith is the chiefest of the most universal and constant influence on the spiritual life we work by love but we live by faith in the chaine of graces described 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. the first link is faith as giving strength and efficacy to all the rest what is the grace that yieldeth the Lord the glory of his mercy veracity and power but faith it honoureth God more then an uniforme entire obedience to the whole moral Law in innocency could possibly have done and pleaseth him more then he was displeased with the sin of Adam All graces keep time and pace with faith if faith be weak love cannot be strong nor obedience carried on in an even tenour the back of patience will soon be broken and temperance exercise but a weak and feeble restraint on our lusts and passions till we learn to counter-ballance present delights with future enjoyments Faith is the eye of the soul to see things to come and the hand of the soul to receive Jesus Christ and all benefits in him Faith But I will not digresse into the common place certainly no Treatise of Faith can be unwelcome to a gracious heart especially such an one as this is where matters are carried on with such evidence and demonstration of the spirit and as to the stile with a sweet eligancy and yet tempered with gravity and judgement I could speak more but to avoid suspicion of partiality and private affection to my worthy Predecessour and Father I shall only adde this 't were pity that so excellent a Treatise should come forth in an age pestred with such a throng of needlesse Writers but that it is likely to be found out by its own lustre and brightnesse like a sparkling diamond among an heap of pibbles and common stones The Lord continue the life of and if it be his gracious will restore so much of strength to the Authour that he may increase the Churches treasure by publishing those excellent Discourses concerning the Covenant of grace and other such like spiritual arguments which he hath in store by him Reader I am Thine in all Christian offices THO. MANTON The humble sinner resolved what he should do to be saved Acts 16. 30 31. Sirs What must I do to be saved And they said believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house CHAP. I. The Dependance of the words PAul and Silas on their journey make a step to Philippi a chiefe City in Macedonia vers 12. They had a special call for it ver 9. Being there the next Sabbaâ—h they apply themselves to Praying and Preaching ver 13. and each of these was crowned with a blessed effect By the former Lydia is converted ver 14 15. By the latter the Devils is dispossessed out of a Damosell ver 16 18. The Word and Prayer are the great power of God to change
the understanding by solid demonstration of infallible principles or else by the undeniable evidence of sense and experience as thus that every natural body hath power to move or that the Moon will suffer an Eclipse or that the fire is naturally apt to ascend and the water to moisten c. These things have both a naturall certainty and truth in themselves and there is an undoubted evidence and certainty in the minde of the person truly knowing them and so certaine and full is the perswasion of the minde about them that there is no scruple of doubt remaining to discuss as any uncertainty whether the things be so or no. Another is opinion which is an inevident evident assent if I may so phrase it My meaning is the understanding doth so assent and yield to the things as that yet it sees some contrary reason to suspect and question whether the thing be so or no for as much as in opinion the grounds are not fully evident to the minde but they are only probable and therefore the assent by opinion is but conjectural As take a man in a case of a scrupulous conscience there is to that man some evidence of argument which doth seem to warrant his action or attempt and yet that argument is not so entirely convincing of his judgment but on the other side there starts up a medium or argument which renders the practice probably sinful whereupon if you come to demand of him May you do such a thing he answers I do not certainly know that is I am not entirely and absolutely resolved of it yet I think I may I think it is lawful and this thinking which is opinion is alwayes accompanied with some fear and suspition so that the minde is like a paire of Scales tottering and tilting to either side Things are partly cleare and partly obscure partly evident and partly inevident and therefore the assent of opinion is alwayes doubtful Another is beliefe which is an assent unto things not from any evidence of the things themselves but only from the relation or testimony of another If I feel the fire to burne my hand I do not call this a believing but a sensitive knowing if Ahimaaz comes and tells David that his Son Absolom is hanged and slaine though this be knowledg in him who saw it yet it is belief in David who did heare and credit the tidings so that to be brief belief differs from knowledge in this that knowledge depends on the evidence of things themselves but belief though the things be certainly true to which it doth assent yet it assents unto them for the testimony or authority of him who relates and reports them Though this be most true That Jesus Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary and that he is the Messias and Saviour yet I beleeve it to be true because God hath given testimony or report thereof in his Word unto me Again Belief differs from opinion in this that opinion is an indifferent probable hazarding and difficultly inclinable assent but in believing the assent is firme certaine and fixed especially where testimony and authority is sufficient Believing as it is restrained to a theological and divine consideration that is in the generall an assent of the soul to the truth and goodnesse of all divine revelations upon divine testimony Here much might be said as for instance First that all divine revelations are the object of belief as supernaturally inspired Secondly that the ground of believing them is Gods own testimony Faith hath sufficient reason to believe all things there to be true in their relation because of his truth and authority who doth say so viz. God himself Thirdly of the generall nature of believing which is an assent unto all spoken by God as most true and credible Secondly particularly of justifying Faith Faith as you well know hath a double aspect one is to the whole revealed Word of God another is to God in Christ or to Jesus Christ I am not now to speak of it as an eye which may see all colours but as an eye fixing it self on some singular and special object viz. on Jesus Christ in respect of whom it is called justifying faith The believing on whom may be thus described CHAP. V. Faith in Christ what described IT is a singular Grace of God whereby the heart and will of a sensible sinner doth take and embrace Jesus Christ in his person and offices and doth wholly or only rest on him for pardon of sin and eternal life There are many things to be opened in this description forasmuch as all the force of true faith cannot at once in a few short words be clearly expressed SECT I. COnsider therefore the spring or fountaine of this faith is at heaven Gods eternall decree is the radicall cause of it so Causa Acts 13. 48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed And the instrumental cause of it is the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And the immediate and singular cause of it is the Spirit of God Gal. 5. 22. there it is an expresse fruit So Joh. 1. 12. speaking particularly of believing on the Name of Christ he addeth verse 13. men come to this not being borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God That the will or heart of man should be brought off from it self and to abhor its own condition and sufficiency and to take Christ as God propounds him to be the only rock upon which I must built my salvation to be the only Lord to whose Law and Will I must resigne up my whole soul and to cleave unto him in a conjugall union and affection This I say ariseth not from naturall principles nor from the wisdome of a mans free will nor from any endeavour or action which can find footing in man himself It is observed that there are two sorts of habits Two sorts of Habits 1. Some which are acquired by the industry of the person and through a right use of a segacious and understanding mind and such may be purchased by practise and use as the Scholar by writing gets the habit of writing and the Apprentise by his wise and honest observation and industry gets into the skill of his trade and calling Now faith is no such quality we can send forth no such singular acts or operations which are able in time to ripen or beget so excellent a Grace in the soul 2. Others are plainly and entirely infused Faith is not water in the Earth which a man may pump out but it is even in the fulnesse or littlenesse of it in the allnesse of it as the drops or showers of raine which come from heaven Though the subject of it be below yet the cause of it is above it is man who doth believe but it is Gods Spirit alone who gives him that faith to believe
it is the will of man which doth take and receive Christ but it is Gods Spirit who doth bestow that grace of faith by which he doth take and receive That a man hath a will none can deny who know that they are men Nay and that the will is able to send out its own actions it is willingly confessed but infinite is the difference 'twixt the naturall actions of the will and the supernatural qualities and operation of Gods Spirit in the will It is true a dead carcase is able of it self to send forth a stinking smell but it is not able to quicken and enliven it self That the will can will I grant but that the will can of it self enliven it self to that great part of life I meane believing it is not only a vehement injury and dishonour to the fountaine and freenesse of grace but also a most foolish and senselesse error the will of man being naturally so opposite to believing and believing being an act so every way unsutable and disproportionable to the inclination and ability of the will No verily faith in God comes from God and so faith in Christ from Christ none ever could see Christ in a justifying and saving way who had not that eye of faith put into him by the Spirit of Christ No grace cōe◠from any but the God of Grace Vnto you it is given to believe Phil. 1. 29. SECT II. THe subject of this faith is a sensible sinner I do not as yet speak of the immediate subject of inhesion which respects Subjectum those parts of the soul wherein this grace is seated of this I shall speak anon But of the subject of denomination and this subject is a sensible sinner There are two sorts of sinners Two sorts of sinners 1. Some generally corrupted both in their natures and in their lives and they are as unsensible as they ere sinfull They do not know in any powerfull degree of true reflection and feeling their own vilenesse accursednesse and miserablenesse of persons being so and remaining so in an unsensible condition of sinfulnesse I dare confidently affirme that though they may have most able and strong presumptiors yet they have not as yet the least degree of justifying and saving faith How can any man by Faith look upon Jesus Christ as his Physitian who is whole in his own opinion The unsensible sinner as he cannot close with Christ so he will not care for Christ for what should now move such an heart is it this holinesse of Christs person Good Lord How ridiculous is that motive to a profane and gracelesse heart or is it the sutablenesse of Christs Office Why what is Salvation to him by another who as yet sees no ground or reason of condemnation in himself 2. Others sensibly experienced who know thus much that they in particular are sinful and there is no Salvation no hope of it from themselves but it is to be found onely in Jesus Christ I confesse there are severall degrees of this sensiblenesse neither dare I to assigne the height and latitude of it unto the tearmes of horror and terror that is that a person must be alwayes and necessarily anguished with extremities of amazement and dejections before he can believe in Christ No though these sharp throwes are manifest in some yet I dare not make them a rule for all only this I say that the heart believes not it looks not towards Christ till it feel it self to be sinful and lost by reason of sin and that there is no possibility of subsistence in it self And now there is room for faith when I feel my self a sinner now there is reason for me to look upon a Saviour and when I am sensible of my own vilenesse now is there reason to look upon another righteousnesse and when I perceive my own lostness now is there cause to look after that salvation which God hath put in the Lord Jesus Christ. Me thinks that of Christ he came not to call the righteous but sinners that he is sent to finde that which is lost that the whole need not a Physitian but the sick that he is sent to preach liberty to the captives do abundantly confirme this truth Yea and our own experiences gives in a clear evidence that not only in the beginning but in the progresse of our conversion our eyes are then most upon Christ to look after him and to prize him when we are most sensibly acquainted with our own sinfulnesse and miserablenesse of condition SECT III. THe Seat or babitation of faith is the heart or will Scriptures are copious in this Rom. 10. 10. with the heart man Sedes believeth unto righteousnesse Acts 8. 37. And Philip said if thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Rev. 22. ver 11. whosoever will let him take the water of life freely There be who distinguish 'twixt three kindes of faith First Credere deum which is a universall and large conception of a God when the understanding is perswaded beyond Atheisme to believe that there is a God Secondly Credere Deo and this is such a disposition of the understanding by which it gives credit or belief to that God speaking and revealing as to one who is truth and cannot lye Thirdly Credere in Deum which is not only a credence to God as true in his Nature and Word but a reliance on him with the will and embracing of him and his truth and goodness with the affections Now justifying faith or faith in Christ is comprehended in this latter kinde of believing For the better apprehending of this observe a few things viz. First the things which God doth propound unto us are of different ends and uses some are propounded meerly to be known of which sort some conjecture many historicall pasages in the Word and many predictions and many Genealogies Some are propounded not only to be known but also to be done as the Divine Precepts or Commandments some are propounded to be known and to be avoided or declined as all the comminations and threatnings in the Word against sinners Some are propounded to be known and to be embraced with the will and affections of which sort are all the Promises of God and Jesus Christ our Lord. All those parts of the Word which conteine our good and our good to be embraced They have a necessary and naturall reference to the will of man which is planted in us by God to be conversant about all that which respects our good Since then Jesus Christ is our good both personally considered and also vertually considered faith therefore as conversant about him must naturally be planted in the will That there are two parts as it were of faith One is imperfect and in compleat yet is it a necessary ingredient unto faith and this respects the understanding when we are supernaturally illightned to see the
God to salvation not only in respect of revelation because it doth manifest and declare the sole means of reconciliation 'twixt God and man but also in respect of operation and efficacy because it doth communicate and produce that faith in Iesus Christ by which we are saved 2. Another is that it comprehends the righteousnesse of God which faith only doth take By the righteousnesse of God he understands that righteousnesse whereby a man is justified in the sight of God and it is called the righteousnesse of God because God is the Authour and giver of it it is wrought and given by God in Jesus Christ and also because it is approved and of force with God at his Tribunal and judgement-seat See another place Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation He in the precedent verses doth enumerate many singular and heavenly blessings amongst which Christ was one and he doth in this verse expresse the order and manner how they come to be interessed in him viz. by trusting or believing and they come to that trusting and beleeving by the Gospel which he stiles a word of truth and a message of salvation Tell me seriously is not salvation the great scope and aime of your most choise and sober thoughts and can any attaine that but by Christ and can you have Christ without faith How preciously deare then unto you should the Ministry of the Gospel be which is the instrument of God to produce that faith which layes hold on that Christ by whom only we are saved Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God so the Apostle Rom. 10 17. and John 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me He is an enemy to his own salvation who slights the preaching of the Gospel and he is an enemy to the salvation of others who labours to oppresse and extinguish it for if salvation be by faith in Christ and that faith depends on the Gospel Then For our parts let us blesse God for his Gospel Let us for ever honour and respect the message of the Gospel yea let us heartily embrace the Doctrine and power of the Gospel Let the feet of them which bring the glad tydings of salvation be acceptable unto us for as much as salvation and Christ and faith are all of them annexed unto the Gospel 2. Then hence it will follow that a meer hearing of Christ and his doctrine will not save if beleeving be the only way There are divers sorts of hearing One with incogitancy when perhaps the Ear is open but the Three sorts of hearing minde is asleep and heeds not that precious object revealed Another with Reluctancy when the eare is open and the mind attentive but the heart striving against the truth and goodnesse of the word Another with Conformity when the ear heares and the understanding yields and the heart embraceth Now it is this latter kinde of hearing which brings to salvation That hearing which consists only in the delivery of the message which brings something from God to us this will not save but such an hearing as brings back something from us to God which is accompanied with beleeving which turnes home the soul to the acceptance and embracing of Iesus Christ this is the only hearing to save our soules A motion made and tendred doth not conclude a match but a motion consented unto and embraced 3. If beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way of life then Iesus Christ should be the main scope and mark of all our preaching and studying 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified It was the maine theame and subject upon which that blessed Apostle did spend himself Look as it is with a Physician that though he doth sometimes lance and sometimes make very sick and sometimes restraine to strictnesse of diet and sometime binde and trouble the patient and sometimes relieve him with precious cordials though these actions are different among themselves yet they do concenter in one end which is health and life So whether Ministers preach the knowledge of sinne or whether they strive to make men sensible of sinne or whether they let flie the arrows of Gods threatnings upon the conscience of sinners or whether they touch on the mercy Seat all the end and scope is or should be to bring men to Christ to make Christ more glorious in the eyes of sinners and to incline their hearts to accept and embrace him Christ may be preached two ways Either Explicitly when he in his person or offices or benefits Christ preached two wayes is the only matter which is handled and published Or Virtually when he is the end of that matter which is delivered One of these wayes Christ still to be preached Do I meet with a broken and afflicted spirit groaning under the load of sinful Nature and life panting after the Prince of life and peace willing to yield up it self to all the conditions of God in Christ Here now I am to lift up Christ on his Crosse to spread his armes to shew unto that broken Spirit the very heart blood of Jesus Christ poured out for the remission of sinnes to be a propitiatory Sacrifice for his soule Do I meet with an obstinate and proud spirit which dares to defie justice and presumtuously to areign mercy Here I open the indignation of God against sinne of purpose to awaken the conscience to cast down the high and lofty imaginations and for no other end but this That such a person being now come to the sense of his misery may fitly be directed and seasonably encouraged to the sight and fruition of his remedy in Christ CHAP. IX Iustification only in Iesus Christ FOurthly If that beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way to be saved Then this Informes us where to finde our justification viz only in Iesus Christ For there only is the righteousnesse which can satisfie justice and in his blood only is remission of sinnes Now because this is a fundamental point 'twixt us and the Papists and it is the great bottome of comfort to a beleeving soule give me therefore leave to improve the remainder of the time in a brief and distinct explication of it Where First of the word and title Justification Secondly of the nature and definition of it together with some Arguments to evince that it is only by and for Christ and some Answers to the choisest Objections SECT I. FOr the word justification it hath a double acception amongst Writers 1. One Intrinsical and so it signifies to make a man just by an act of infusion that is by the implantation of sanctified or holy qualities 2. Another Forinsecal and so it signifies to repute or pronounce a man just by an act of jurisdiction that is a judiciary sentence to pronounce him righteous and free
alwayes hold If the Sunne be up it is day But this now Learning is or should Simile be an Antecedent to preferment it should go before it yet it is not an infallible truth that every one who gaines learning should enjoy preferment Thus is it in the nature of faith There are some Antecedents there are some things which must of necessity go before faith yet they alone do not formally and assuredly conclude that a man hath faith as for instance A man cannot beleeve in Christ he cannot receive Jesus Christ with all his heart he hath some historical evidence of Christ he must have some knowledge of Christ what he is and what he hath done or else he cannot take him to be his Lord and Saviour Yet this knowledge doth not infallibly conclude justifying and saving faith for as much as the Devils and Hypocrites may see much of Christ they may have a high degree of intellectual apprehension Again a man cannot by faith take Christ to be his Lord and Saviour unlesse he hath some sensiblenesse of his sinful condition our heart will not look towards Christ it cannot conceive of his excellencies nor of his own necessity until we feel our sinfulnesse and lostnesse and vilenesse The whole neither need nor look for a Physician yet a person may be sensible of his sinful condition he may not only by the light of natural conscience apprehend some broader and stirring enormities but he may by a smart and quick light let in by the Ministry of the Word discern heaps of wickednesse in his life and heart for which his conscience may sting him with wonderfully bitter accusations and yet such a person possibly may not rise from trouble to faith as is evident in Cain and Judas So then remember this that in the searchings and trials for faith you do not conclude the presence of the habit from the common antecedent of faith for as much as faith is but a contingent consequent of them sometimes it doth follow sometimes it doth not As in Marriage sometimes it doth follow the motion which is made and sometimes it doth not so the espousing of our soules to Christ by faith sometimes it doth follow knowledge sometimes it doth not sometimes it doth follow the preaching of the Word and yet sometimes it doth not for all have heard yet who hath beleeved said the Apostle Rom. 10. sometimes it doth follow the motions and inward excitations of the Spirit and sometimes it doth not 2. There are some things which faith only doth produce yet because it doth not produce them alwayes a man therefore must not negatively conclude from the absence of them the absence of faith You know that holy and spiritual joy it is the sole fruit of faith therefore faith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 8. Beleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious There is nothing which can present to the heart of a Christian such full cause of joy as faith such a God such a Christ such a love such a blood such a mercy such happinesse such unmixt and proper and sutable good There is a carnal joy which sparkles from the cup of pleasure and there is a glistering joy which the raies of gold may produce and there is a beastly joy which the fulfilling of sinful lusts may send forth and there is a flashing and transient joy which the pride of hypocrites may dart out but sound and weighty and holy and pure and spiritual joy which is a well grounded and not to be repented affecting of the heart that comes only from faith Yet it comes from faith as a separable effect look as trouble and sorrow is a Contingent antecedent so even in actu imperato true joy is a separable fruit of faith Though the branches and green leaves do sprout out of the living root only yet this color doth not appeare at all times Though the blade comes only from the graines cast into the earth yet you cannot alwayes observe the blade Though the flesh and natural complexion flows only from health yet there may be sad occasions which though they do not extinguish health may yet fowle and blubber the complexion So even the beleeving person may sometimes have a tear in his eye an handkercheif in his hand a sigh in his breast and yet have faith in his heart He may sit down in ashes and feed on tears as David did and for all this he may be a true beleever He is not alwayes able to see the causes of his joy nor to break through the contrarieties to his faith nor to remove the quashings of his comforts Therefore when you are to try your selves about your faith do not make a negative inference from separable evidences 3. There are some things which faith only doth produce not as essential properties but as magnificent testimonies The moral Phylosophers distinguish 'twixt the effects and acts of liberality as it is absolutely considered and as it is eminently considered being raised to magnificence To give a farthing according to the rules and circumstances of morality even this is an act of liberality but to build a Colledge this is now an act of liberality grown into the greatnesse of magnificence So is it in the matter of faith there are some fruits of faith which come from it absolutely considered according to the vital constitution of it And there be other fruits which come from it eminently considered faith is come to an height to a strength when it sends them forth Though a child cannot bear a burden of an hundred pound weight yet he can desire the breast and suck the bearing of such a burden belongs to strength and yet the very sucking shews that he hath life Though a Christian be not able in all respects at all times with all moderation and silence to passe presently through every heavy occurrence which shews strength of faith yet his heart may most affectionately cling about Christ which shews the truth of faith Assurance is a fruit of an eminent faith and so is a more habitual 3. Eminent fruits stedfastnesse of quiet submission and confidence in all estates conditions and so is that maintenance of the heart upon Gods promises in the times of strong contrarieties Now as Divines should warily open their lips so should you wisely distinguish of the evidences of a true faith some being if I may so terme them essential and others being eminent some there are which discover the truth others which testifie the strength of faith It is one thing to shew unto you the properties of a man another thing to shew unto you the properties of a strong man Many a poore Christian hath been deeply gravell'd â—â— others and extreamly afflicted by his own spirit for want of this distinction of the properties of faith Because he reades and hath heard what admirable and singular fruits and effects faith hath sent out as Assurance and full assurance and with these some glorious
acts of self-denial as in Abraham and his unstaggering embracing of a promise against which both reason and sense and nature might have disputed and urged O say they we have no faith Abrahams faith wrought full assurance removed all staggerings our hearts are still doubting we can hardly be perswaded we reel and stagger like the waves now on the shore and then instantly off now we beleeve anon we let go our hold and doubt And hence they uncomfortably conclude against their own souls the utter absence of faith from the defect of some particular and eminent expressions of faith not absolutely as faith but of faith as strong and exceedingly ripened we must not conclude negatively from the degrees to the habit As if one should conclude that he hath no silver in his purse because another hath a bank of many thousands or that he hath no legges to go because he is not so swift as Asahel or that the Sparrow flies not because he cannot mount up to the Sunne with the Eagle or that a child is no man because he cannot expresse the acts of a strong man 4. There are and will be many inward contrarieties to the intrinsecal acts and fruits of faith notwithstanding faith be truly in the soul and works there Faith though it hath the preheminence of other graces in respect of its office being the only Embassador as it were of the soul to Christ yet it hath no priviledge above them in respect of the subject that is in respect of the act and workings of it there but look as every other Grace hath some or other particular corruption opposite to its particular nature and its particular actings So even faith it self hath infidelity and unbelief opposing it both in the quality and in the several exercisings or actings of it There may be flame of the smoak and a hand with shaking and a tree trembling and a faith of doubting Yea if any grace hath the hardnesse of a more general and 〈◊〉 opposition then faith is it it being a grace of general 〈◊〉 and use to fetch in more grace and more strength against aâ—l sinne Now in our trials for faith it will be with us as with the Artificer in his search for the little raies of gold It 's true he shaâ—l finde much drosse here and there and yet if he can finde a very little peece of gold though amidst an heap of drosse he will say this is gold and will preciously esteeme of it and lay it up So when we are searching our hearts by the light of Gods Word for true faith without all doubt we shall meet with many doubtings much unbelief yet if we can finde any one degree of true faith which is more precious then gold we may not cast it away because it is found amongst its contraries but we must cherish and embrace it because the touchstone of the Word hath approved it to be a precious faith For and mark this we are not able to give you any evidences of faith or any other grace by way of abstraction but by way of existence that is not what may discover faith in a notional and the most singularly conceivable profession of it but such testimonies you have to discover faith as faith is now abiding in sinful persons who though they may have true faith yet as long as they live in earth will have many things in them contrary to faith There is a double contrariety to faith A double contrariety One is natural and this more or lesse will be in the soul of any beleeving person tell you can utterly raise the heart and eject sinne by the alteration of glory So long as we have flesh and spirit there will be a conflâ—cting 'twixt faith and unbelief As there was a mixtuâ—e of joy and sorrow at the erecting of the Temple Another is approved when a man neither doth nor will beleeve he neither doth accept of Christ nor will he have Christ to reigne over him and he likes his unbeleeving condition this is a fearful estate But though the contraries to faith do arise yet if they be not approved yet if they be resisted we must not conclude that we have no faith because of the opposition but rather assure our selves that we have it because of the resistance of that opposition We must not conclude against faith because of opposition inward or outward This inequality of acts conclude not an absence of the habit of faith Distinguish of 1. Radical habits 2. Actual exercisings which are sometimes more sometimes lesse sometimes clear sometimes interrupted sometimes the soul is free sometimes oppressed and violently carried by temptation to misjudge the condition The censure of our faith must not be allowed as is given in the time of our temptation and passion c. I said in my haste Psalme 116. Obj. But you will say we grant all this But how may a man know that his faith in Jesus Christ is a true and lively faith Sol. I answer SECT II. FIrst A true love of Christ is an infallible and essential evidence of a true faith in Christ There are foure things which will clear this as a lively testimony 4. Things of true faith If we can prove First that love is not separated from faith Secondly that there is no beleever in any degrees of faith but he hath a love of Christ Thirdly That there is no time or circumstance into which the beleeving soul is cast but still he loves Christ Fourthly that no unbeleeving heart can and doth love Christ I say if we can prove these foure conclusions then it will be most evident and certaine that the love of Christ is an infallible Argument or Testimony of a true faith in Christ Thus then 1. Love is not separated from faith If you peruse the Scripture you shall finde them go hand in hand Gal. 5. 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcission availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which works by love that is Christ is not mine because I am a Jew nor is he mine because I am a Gentile but he is mine because I am a Beleever and if my Faith in him be true it will expresse it self by love I Thes 1. 3. Your work of faith and labour of love in our Lord Jesus Christ Faith and love are like a warm hand faith is the hand and love is the warmth in it faith cannot be the hand to take Christ but love will be the warmth to heat our affections unto Christ 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Ghrist Jesus Faith and love are like the husband and the wife and faith and love are like the mother and the daughter See 2 Tim. 1. 13. and Phil. 5. And indeed it stands with unanswerable reason that faith and love cannot be divided for as much as faith in Christ First represents the absolute and effectual cause of love to Christ
so the second Adam derives pardon and holinesse therefore he is called a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. It is not 'twixt Christ and believers as 'twixt a root and a dead limb which hangs on but hath no life nor sap Christ hath really no such members in his body he is not like Nebuchadnezzars image whose head is of gold and the feet of clay for a man to boast much of his head of Christ of gold and yet he to remaine a piece of clay he to have a nature utterly heterogeneous unto Christ this man deceives himself For every plant every graff that is inserted into Christ hath the aliquality of his nature Hence those who in John 1. 12. are stiled Beleevers they are said in the next ver 13. to be borne of the Will of God Now as in the natural birth there is a new forme so in the heavenly there is a supernatural and holy frame of grace ingenerated Thirdly No man hath a changed nature but a Beleever Why Because no man hath grace but from Christ and none have Christ but Beleevers Again it is impossible for a man to be lovely in the eyes of God without faith but if any man might have a changed and sanctified heart and yet want faith then one might be lovely in Gods eyes wanting faith for as much as God loves and delights in an holy heart So then this is most evident that if faith goes not without a change and if every Beleever hath a change and no unbeleever hath it I say this will follow Therefore if a man can finde a change of his heart he then hath the truth of faith Now then enquire is there vertue gone from Christ to make thy dark minde seeing thy stubborn judgement yeilding and prizing thy proud heart humbling thy filthy heart cleansing thy hard hard relenting and mourning thy carnal affections to be heavenly thy sinful soul to be holy be confident of this that it is sound faith Though there be yet remainders of corruption yet if the inclination of the soul be châ—nged by grace doubt it not thou hast faith But for such as talk of a faith which stands in opposition to hoâ—inesse and please themselves in a gracelesse faith in such a faith as hath no society or companâ— of graces in the soule O farre be such a faith from any one of us An unholy beleever is as proper a phrase as an holy devil Presumption is a most confident work but it is a very loose quality 1 Cor. 6. 9. Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde verse 10. Nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkarks nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Ver. 11. And such were some of you but you are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Do not abuse thy soul with a conceit of faith and justification if thou hast no change of heart by sanctification SECT IV. THirdly a third tryal of true faith in Christ Jesus is this It will stoop to Christ as well as rise to him It enters the soul into a new service it takes Christ and him only to be its Lord. You read that there was a Marriage feast to which some did come and there was the Kings son sent out to rule and reigne but few yeilded unto him Many men will come to Christ to finde a feast but few come to Christ to bear his Scepter they would come under the safe-guard of his blood who flie the Authority and dominion of his sword they like Christ the Priest but not Christ the Lord. I will briefly shew you two things to clear this tryal 2. Things First no unbeliever will accept of Christ to be his Lord only because 1. His heart hath another Lord It hath set up some sinne or other or some part of the world or other to which it gives service as to his Lord. He is our Lord to whom we give service and his servants we are whom we do obey Now the unbeleeving heart either serves the world or obeys sinne in the lusts thereof Let the commands of sinne and Christ come into an ordinary and usual competition let the commands of profit or pleasure and Christ come into competition Now you shall see that the unbelieving heart will go after its Lord it will not hearken to Christ it prefers sin before him it will easily adventure Christs displeasure to fulfil its own lusts 2. Againe his heart cannot choose Christ it cannot like him for a Lord Why because the dominion of Christ is holy and heavenly and directly opposite to the fordid principles and affections and wayes of an unbeleeving heart It is a burden yea a very vexation to such a heart to heare but the report of the holy Laws of Christ and of their power and authority to oblige the inward man and the outward conversation Psal 2. 2. They take counsel against the Lord and against his anointed saying ver 3. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us 'T is true whether wicked men will stoop or no Christ is a Lord in respect of designation but he is not their Lord in respect of approbation They will not have this man to rule over them Secondly Every Beleever admits of Christ to be his Lord as Thomas said My Lord and My God John 20. 28. see c. and so 1. Faith sets up the Scepter of Christ and sweetly frames the soul to a willing subjection 2. Again faith takes whole Christ and therefore Christ is the only King and Lord to faith 3. Again faith knows that the whole person is Christs purchase his blood hath bought us and so passed us into the entire dominion of Christ ye are bought with a price ye are not your own said the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Now then try your selves in this who is your Lord why brethren Thus it is faith gives the propriety and title and disposition of our hearts and wayes to Christ Obj. 'T is true before we were called to faith in Christ we were disobedient we served divers lusts we set up our sins and the world Sol. But now being made partakers of rich mercy and grace in Christ we shall surely rebel against other Lords but Christ that is against all other Lords whose commands are contrary to Jesus Christ Our hearts are his and our affections his and our strength his and our service and submission his Obj. I deny not but sinne will be stirring even in a beleeving heart it will be assaulting it will now and then usurp upon the soul and vex and captivate Sol. But the rebellion of a sinful nature is one thing and the dominion of it is another thing Sinne will stir as an enemy where Christ doth reign as a Lord But it is one thing for thee to be a combitant with sinne
enemy to deal with It is thy Father to whom thou art bending the knee 3. He hath a mighty intercessor look as Jesus Christ is the mighty Redeemer for the persons of men so he is the mighty intercessor for the services of men and he ever lives to make intercession If thy wants be never so great yet thy God is able to supply them and if thy infirmities be never so many yet thy intercessor is able to cover and expiate them Thy services as thine â— carry with them a prejudice there was iniquity in the holy offering but then Aaron did bear the iniquity of them so thy Priest thy Christ thy intercessor he doth take off by the Application of his merits whatsoever is amisse and offensive and he doth ingratiate thy requests and procures audience and acceptance for thee Therefore now if thou be a beleever then in thy prayers come confidently to God if thou canst finde a promise and a Christ and a faith thou mayest cheerfully put up thy petitions to heaven What should hinder us from being confident Is God unwilling No he hath engated himself unto thee Is God unable Why He is able to do abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think Doest thou feare thy own distance Why but thou comest to a Father and thou comest by the blood of a gracious of a beloved of a powerful Mediator and Intercessor Hebrews 4. Having such an High Priest we may come boldly to the throne of grace See Heb. 10. Doest thou feare because of enmity Christ hath slaine that or because of infirmity Christ will cure that CHAP. XV. The Agreement and difference of strong and weak faith BUt now some may reply These are sweet comforts Obj. to beleevers but as the Eunuch to Philip of whom speaks the Prophet this of himselfe or of some other So here why to whom are these comforts to all or to some choice beleevers are they common comforts to every beleever or peculiar to the eminent and strong only This scruple hath made way for a singular point I will satisfie it by opening four particulars Sol. 1. The common unity of all true faith in respect of the habit yet the intensive diversity in respect of acts and degrees 2. The proofs of a strong faith with the instances of a weak faith in truth 3. The concordance of faith in all fundamental Comforts 4. The inequality of strong and weak faith in many true yet not essential consequences and consolations Concerning the first which respects the common unity of faith in respect of the habit and the diversity of it in respect of the acts and degrees Observe these things for the unity of faith SECT I. FIrst that all true faith though in a comparison of faith with faith in several subjects it may admit of several diversities and differences yet they consent and agree in these things viz. First in the immediate and special cause weak faith as faith comes not from one cause and strong faith from another cause but both the one and the other from one and the same cause viz. the blessed Spirit of God Not onely the flames but the sparks of fire are kindled by that Spirit which blows where it lists As in the Orchard the tree which stands strong and the tender plant which stands trembling both of them were at first set by one and the same hand so the faith which is now well grown and that faith which is as yet tender and full of doubtings both of them are the peculiar fruits of Gods sanctifying Spirit Though this childe in the cradle cannot runne and move as well as that in the field at work yet the father begat the one as well as the other and owns them both by vertue of one equal relation The day of small things are not despised by God who sees weaknesse in the strongest Faith and Truth in the weakest and is the Parent both of this and that 2. In the remote and singular cause You know that Gods free grace and love is the first wheele of all singular good unto men out of it came that great gift of Christ and that great work of Election from whence doth flow all the graces which sanctifie and bring to glory As many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Now all faith is a drop out of this fountaine the weak faith is a fruit of that great love of God Acts 13. 48. electing us in Christ as well as the strong and is though not so sensibly evident yet as really a true testimony of our election The reason whereof is this not grace restrictively considered but grace in the whole latitude of it is the fruit of Gods election my meaning is this not only Graces as eminent as raised and elevated to some more perfect quality and pitch but grace in the whole compasse of it from the conception of it to the perfection of it from the dawning to the full day from the nature to the act from the acts to the degrees all of it in nature in parts in totum solidum all of it whether more or lesse strong or weak all is out of the same grace of Election It was not one love which elected him who is therefore now strong in beleeving with Abraham and another love which elected him who is now weak in beleeving with the father of the childe No but it was one and the self-same love which produced this and that faith yea that electing love was intensively one in producing of both It was as equally high towards this person as towards that and was as equally causative of the faith that is weak as of the faith which is strong being habitually considered and also in relation to the grace of Gods love in election 3. In the ordinary and usual instrumental cause the same womb of the word brought them both forth being efficaciously assisted by that Almighty Spirit That word which discovered misery and impotency and necessity to the one did so to the other That word which revealed the Covenant of grace and mercy in Christ to the one did so to the other beleever also That word which did assure the one that if he would come in and accept of Christ be should be saved did also of this assure the other That word which did encline the heart of the one to trust upon Gods promise and so to accept of Christ did likewise being quickened with the same Spirit draw and perswade the other 4. In the lively nature of beleeving look as the strong and weak man though they do differ in the measure of power yet they do agree in the nature of man though they differ in respect of working yet they agree in respect of being And as the sick man and the healthy man though they vary in their temper yet they agree in their nature though they differ in livelihood yet not in life So though the strong and weak faith differ exceedingly in
its own estate for soundnesse As Gideon said in another case If the Lord be with us why is all this evil befallen us so where the faith is weak the soul is often in suit with God yea but if God were my God had I an interest in Christ were my estate good could it be with me thus could it be thus within me thus without me thus upon me c. 3. The more quick and hastening that the soul is for answer and satisfactions the more impatient of Gods delayings this is a signe that it is now weak in faith For did it throughly beleeve it would not make haste were it perswaded fully of Gods goodnesse which makes the promise of his wisdom which will take the fittest time for the grant it would now quietly wait and expect But an over-hastening when the soul will scarce allow any time 'twixt the petition and the speeding of it but I must presently have it or else God is not my God or else my state is bad I say hasty eagernesse to be answered and quick conclusions from Gods silence do shew much weaknesse of faith in the soul There is an importunity which may come from faith and this is a holy pressing of a promise yet with submission and patience And there is an hastinesse which comes from feare As if God would not alwayes be in a good mind towards us as if the present testimonies must be the only arguments of his love and intentions These two things will usually meet in a man whose faith is weak One is he will be hasty to be answered Another is he will be faint if delayed 4. The more inclining the heart is to the life of sense the weaker is the faith like Thomas unlesse he seeth the print of the nails c. he will not beleeve John 20. 25. So unlesse Christians have promises budding they will hardly beleeve that there is fruit growing on them unlesse I feele the sensible favour of God I will not beleeve that he loves me unlesse I reade my pardon I will not beleeve mercy unlesse I discerne sensible meanes I will not beleeve helps unlesse I feele sin slaine in me I will not beleeve that God will subdue it All these in promises affect not and support not the heart It is a signe of a weak childe that must still be carried in the armes When a mans perswasions cannot be wrought by the naked word of promise without some sensible pledges and pawne he is very weak When he is puzling his heart in an endlesse maze of disorder viz. he would have the things of the promise and then beleeve the fidelity of the promise this argues weakness The abstractions of things from sense when God gathers up all a mans estate or any particular good only into his promise into his own hand and saith now canst thou beleeve that I will be good unto thee I promise thee to be thus and thus wilt thou now trust me wilt thou adventure thy soule now upon my word of pardon and mercy upon my word of graâ—e and help so to do would evidence much strength Now you may observe a manifest difference 'twixt strong and weak faith If strong faith seeth its estate in the promise it hath enough it goes away rejoycing if weak faith hath not some of the estate in its own hand as well as in Gods hand it is troubled and afraid 5. The more hardly a beleever comes to be perswaded and assured of Gods undertakings in Covenant his faith is weak When one word of God is not enough but God must say it once and twice and yet againe more clearly As Gideon would have one signe the fleece must be wet and the earth dry and then another signe the fleece must be dry and dew lie upon all the earth Judges 6. 37 39. This shewed weaknesse in his faith so doth it in a Christian when not one or two promises and scarce all of them with all the arguments in God and in Christ can perswade him that God will be merciful to him or that Christ belongs to him 6. The more easie the soule is to let go that assurance the weaker is faith in it when a soul is like a weak hand clasping a staff and the staffe is easily wristed out so the soul le ts go that promise which did revive it and that Christ which seemed to embrace it this argues weaknesse as in Peter when he beleeved that it was Christ on the sea upon Christs Word he ventures out but when the waves met him he begins to sink his faith was weak Why didst thou doubt O thou of little faith said Christ to him Though Christs Word drew him out of the ship yet it did not hold him up all alone And the Disciples We trusted it had been he who should have redeemed Israel So when a temptation comes upon a soul and the soul is ready to be led by it to credit it against Gods promise and Gods testimony in the conscience this aptnesse to let go our hold argues much feare and much feare argues weak faith 7. The more apt the soul is to insist on personal and inherent qualities and abilities as media fiduciae meanes of perswasion this shews that the faith is weak when something in us makes us the more confident as when it is unapt to beleeve unlesse it can discerne such an inherent strength of graces to mourne and to pray or to keep down sinne or keep off temptation Object It is true these abilities are testimonies but yet they are not Media Sol. They are evidences of a solid faith but they are not meanes or causes of beleeving The means or causes are Gods promises which ought alone to be our foundations and encouragements Now when a person is unapt to beleeve that God will do these things for him unlesse these things be done this is weaknesse Good things when they are done they are matters of thankfulnesse and when they are promised they are matters of faith They say in Logick that demonstratio à posteriori is the weaker demonstration that à priori is much stronger for this depends on the cause and that on the effect So is it in beleeving A beleeving à priori from the perswasion of what God saith from his goodnesse and truth is more strong then a beleeving à posteriori that is from a fruition or apprehension of what God doth 8. The more dull and uncheerful the heart is this shews the faith to be weak A sad Spirit and a weak faith usually are companions for a strong faith breeds much peace in the conscience Rom. 5. 1 2. and rejoycing 1 Pet. 1. 8. In whom though now ye see him not yet beleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory such a faith as this hath got to much assurance but uncheerfulnesse of heart argues either as yet the want of all assurance or assurance very weak 9. The more anxious and careful the soule is
Christ and a glad heart too the other hath a good Christ but yet a very heavy heart His possession is doubtful and therefore his heart is sorrowful 2. The weak beleever hath not that sweet peace that the strong believer hath where faith is weak there the conscience is not throughly setled Peace in the conscience is as it were the harmonious tuning of Peace whâ—t the soul it is a heavenly tranquility a serenity a gracious quieting and pacifying of the spirit of man springing from a perswasion of Gods love in Christ Now the weak faith hath strong scruples it hath many troubles it is not sure that all is right and all is cleare It may be that God is my God and it may be he is not it may be Christ is mine and perhaps not it may be my sins are pardoned and it may be they are not it may be that God is my friend and reconciled and it may be he is not You know that the peace of a Christian must be seen ratified in a double Court or else the soul will not be quiet One is in the Court of heaven another is in the Court of conscience Nay and the peace in this lower Court is not cleare til it comes from the higher Court conscience cannot be quiet till God be quiet it cannot give testimony and discharge untill God hath begun If God hath not yet dismissed the soul if he holds up the case of a sinful soul without release conscience cannot acquit and free that soul But weak faith sees its suit and tryal yet depending in the high Court of heaven a weak believer doth not yet see or know that God will assuredly pardon him that God is reconciled to him that God will indeed do good unto him here are his doubts and fears and therefore here are his troubles and perplexities The strong believer is like David in Psal 4. 8. I will both lay me down and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety The weak believer is like David in Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou thus disquietted within me The one is like the Mother which hath the child in her armes or at her breasts with many smiling delights and satieties the other is like the mother now in labor and travaile with the child which hath many bitter throwes and panges one succeeding the other The one is like a man standing upon a rock where his foot stands unmoved and steady but the oâ—her is like a man in a safe ship upon unquiet waters tossed up and down Weak faith is in a safe ship which is Christ but tossed upon variety of waves which are our doubtings sometimes faith and hope anon faith and feare sometimes I may have confidence anon I am cast out of his sight now I will look up to God as mine in Christ by and by surely this is presumption God will not accept of me Such a storme and such a calme is there in the weak believer such an unsetled setling The day of his small comforts doth easily sit and the night of many troubles abide long upon him You shall seldome see a weak believer without a teare at his eye a sigh in his breast and a fear in his heart yet I fear all is not sure O that God would once assure me that he is my God! I know not what to do or what to say or what to think I cannot see the hand writing yet blotted out nor the heavens opening and do you think there is any hope for me Thus the weak believer But strong faith can answer many arguments and uphold its evidence against many temptations It can more easily place and stay the soul upon its rest it hath seen and tasted more then weak faith it knows whom it hath trusted and that he will be its God and guide for ever that he hath pardoned transgressions and will remember iniquity no more where faith is great there the war is strong with sin and the love high to God and the peace more large and setled in the conscience The weak believer hath not that sweetnesse in communion with God as the strong believer hath Take him in the way of Ordinances or in the way of Duties in both his conversings with God are more brackish and flat When any threatning is opened and applyed his heart presently misgives him may not this concerne me and I fear this is my portion When any precepts and graces are revealed and differenced he is usually apt to charge want of them or hypocrisie under them upon himself either I am not thus as God requires or if so yet not in truth When the Box of ointment is opened I mean the blood of Christ and the tender of rich mercy and spacious promises of God yet the savour of them is mixt to his soul he doth more dispute his right then can close with their goodnesse yea but how know I that I am intended and answers I am not ripe for such consolations my wounds have not bled sufficiently I am not fitted I doubt I should presume if I should apply Againe in matter of duty here he hath not a sweet communion For duties with God neither Sometimes so over-borne that he thinks it in vaine for him to pray or look up and therefore is ready in a fit of temptation to lay aside the work yet he cannot but pray but then the knee is bended with such suspitions and conclusions perhaps this shall be but to harden me more and God will not heare me or if the soul can gather any degrees of better confidence that it shall finde some grace and acceptance then instantly it questions all this and suspects even the very grants and answers as well as its own heart and petitions conjecturing them to be rather the deluding fancies of a deceitful heart wishing well to it self then the sincere resolutions and satisfactions of a good and gracious God who heareth prayer And thus is the weak believer for a long time kept in bitternesse he cannot taste the goodnesse of God which he desires to embrace nor relish those promises which he desires to apply but in all communions with God either dis-heartens his way before or displaceth his comforts afterwards either he is not fit to pray or else not fit to enjoy either he cannot desire what is good or else still he is questioning what is true So that oft-times even the wayes of his own comfort are uncomfortable to him and the very method of peace is his usual trouble and vexation The reasons of all which may be Not only the nature of unbelief which is an uncomforting ingredient and disquieting impedient to the soul in all holy communion But also the properties of this unbelief causing the soul to look more on it self then God and raising more feares for present want then hopes for assured and promised helpes besides the limittings of God to present
streames on the Spring or the beames on the Sun and the fruitfulnesse of both depends upon the richnesse of faith Though the habits of grace depends immediately on Gods Spirit and not on faith yet the measures of grace depend instrumentally very much on faith it being the Conduit pipe that which draws grace for grace from Christ A weak believer cannot have such a strength of affection nor vigor of actions as the strong He is not so thankful you shall for ever finde this to be true that what is a weakening to faith that is a lessening to thanks No mans tongue is more in praise then he whose heart is filled with perswasion God hath but cold thanks from him who is yet disputing and questioning his receipts where the mercy is fully cleared there the heart is exceedingly enlarged But till the soul sees it self indeed a debter it will prove but an ill and slow pay-master How can I fully thank God that he hath expressed that Mirandum of love to give Christ to me when yet I do in my soul suspect and question whether this be so or no How can I fully blesse and praise God for his rich mercy in the pardon of my sinnes whiles my soul doth yet suspect that the book is uncrossed and the controversie of guilt is not yet taken up 'twixt God and me But where faith is strong there praise is great when the Moon is fullest of light then the tydes are higher in their returnes so the more clear apprehensions of Gods love to us in Christ even raiseth affections to a greater flow of thankful retributions Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits See how he chargeth and rechargeth his soul to praise but why Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Ver. 4. Who crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and mercies 7. The weak Beleever will be more puzled to die then the strong believer It is with the strong believer as with Simeon who held Christ in his armes Now said he lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He may easily desire death to let him out of a miserable world who hath assuredly got and hath Christ the Authour of a better life Or as with Paul having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know if our earthly house c. we have a building of God For the strong believer knows that Christ is to him in life and death advantage By him we shall go to the God of all mercies and to the Father of all consolations He shall go to that mansion which his Saviour hath provided and there have a glorious union with God and society with Saints for ever But the weak beleever will perhaps stagger and his heart will divide it self I would not yet die if I must what shall I do Christ is he whom I have loved and served but I am not sure that he is mine Heavenly glory is the wages for our service but I am not sure that I shall go into it matters are yet doubtful and my heart is yet fearful I know not whether such sinnes are yet taken off and how will God look upon me if I die of whose loving favour I have not been assured whiles I have lived I hope the best and yet I see cause to fear death may do me good yet I had rather live to clear accounts 'twixt God and my soul that so then I might give up c. 8. The weak beleever hath not such cheerful expectations nor quiet submissions as the strong believer The strong believer is at it as the Church in Micah My God will hear me and if he denies a particular good yet he can sit down and sing when he is going to prayer he chears up his heart with a confidence on God and when he findes God determining and revealing his will there he blesseth God and follows his calling But the weak believer is apt to forestal a mercy he cannot see a plain way for his grant nor an easily quiet heart after his denial 9. The efficacy of temptations doth more intangle the weak beleever then the strong like the weaker vessel at sea amidst the greater waves Satan doth cousen his soul with ease and ever and anon disrobes him of his comforts like a lewd subtile enemy he forceth the weak believer often to try and clear his title and increaseth mistakes in all passages 'twixt God and the soul 1. If he doth cast himself on mercy then it is presumption If he holds off then it is infidelity and rejecting of Christ 2. If he doubts then it is despaire and a forsaking of God 3. If he sinnes then it is unpardonable because since knowledge and mercy 4. If he findes distractions in dutie then this is hypocrisie in the heart 5. If he meets with hellish suggestions of which Satan is only the Author O then who could be in Christ and have such abominable thoughts 6. If the Ordinances do not presently comfort O then they are sealed up and there is no faith else the Word would profit 7. If every corruption be not subdued in every degree and motion and act O then vertue is not gone from Christ the heart is still nought and the faith unsound 8. If not the same constant tenor of smart affections why then there was never any true love of God no reverence of him now nor fear nor duties but the soul is dead utterly hardened and God hath no pleasure in it 9. If God doth answer the soul yea but that is but an imagination If he doth not answer why then it is cleare that God neither doth nor will ever regard you 10. If I do not go to the Sacrament why then thou slightest Christ and his blood If I go and come away with tears O then thou wast unbeleeving or else thou hadst been sent away with joy and increase 11. If I do not put on for grace then thou art wicked If I do put on for grace then thou art so wicked that God will not bestow it on thee Thus doth Satan involve and distresse and set the soul of a weak Believer like a man at chesse forward and backward he makes him to suspect every mercy and every grace and every affection and every duty and every promise and every Ordinance so violently doth he tosse though he cannot totally sink the heart of a weak believer SECT VIII Motives to strive to greaten thy faith 1. THis is a signe of truth True grace is rising dead things do moulder and artificial things remaine the same but the living childe is growing to a full stature Phil. 3. Not as though we had already attained the graine of mustard-seed grows and the smoaking flax will flame Presumption hath all its perfections at first 2. This is
then nothing and in the mean time to lose eternity a soul a Christ a heaven yet thus it is the poor creatures at the best but our servants have goâ— our hearts whiles Christ complaines against us we withhold our souls from him our just Lord and best Master But if there were not more glory in Christ then honour in the world if there were not more gaine in Christ then profit in the world if there were not more love in Christ then friendship in the world if there were not more comfort in Christ then discouragements in the world if there were not more safeâ—ies in Christ then dangers in the world nay if the real and â—rue exceedings of infinite betternesse were not on Christs part iâ— durst not so to encline your hearts for saith in him c. Sixthly the cunnings of naâ—ural unbâ—l of are a great impedimâ—nt I will not speak of al of them only I wil discover a few all which are hindrances Imaginations of impossibiâ—iâ—y it cannot be that if I should labor for faith that ever I should get it the intentions of mercy lie not that way nor do the streames of graâ—iousness â—un towards such a deeply sinful and guilty soul my sins are grown to such a vastnesse of provocation as if all the Angels in heaven should be senâ— unto me I could never credit their relation of hope or peâ—câ— unto me Now when the heart is thus forestalled with a strength of conceit that God never did nor wilâ— bend the â—uâ—ement of the blood of Christ towards the soul Why the bands sink no man will be perswaded to compasse impossibilities Apprehensions of difficulty Vnbelief sets upâ—â— Lyon in every paâ—â— and so keeps off from all endeavour First I shall never be able to pare time I shall never be able to pray I shall never be able to keep on in such a course I shall never be able to leave such society I shall never be able to deny the world I cannot take such paines I cannot waite I cannot tell how to get off these sinnes to change this heart to bring it to yield to Christ Discourse of carnall reasonings which try all the promises of God at a humane bar disputings against just precepts by unjust practices and the undertakings of a great and faithful God by the shallownesse of a blind and proud and weak understanding throwing up infinite exceptions Instances of sense and feeling Why if a man will judge of God by what he alwaies hears and feels within himself he shall never believe Yea if I were now sure I should have mercy that Christ were mine that my sins were pardoned if I could see my heart changed and sins dispersed and subdued then I would put out for faith and then I would look up to Christ And wouldst thou have thy cure before thy plaister thy health before the Physick thy life before thy soul the portion before the person thy nonefast before thy meal the benefits of Christ the vertues of Christ before Christ himself SECT III. Thirdly the Meanes NOW I come to direct you unto the use of such meanes by which God workes this saving faith in the hearts of men Where premise with me some particulars 1. There is no natural power in man to produce a cause within himself This great grace of faith is no fruit of the wisdome of the flesh nor is it the birth of a corrupt will if it were possible for a natural heart to see all the excellencies of Christ if it were possible for him to draw out and behold all the arguments of Scripture yet could he not by his own strength make his own heart to believe 2. The immediate and sole cause of faith is the Spirit of God He it is who is greater then the heart and who can perswade and draw the heart and who can change and renew the spirit which till it be renewed by him will never be moved to beleeve in Christ 3. There are meanes appointed by God and which God doth ordinarily blesse for the production of faith as he hath ordained meanes for the revelation of Christ so he hath likewise consecrated meanes to lead the soul unto him to implant faith 4. Now the great and ordinary meanes by which God workes faith in the hearts of men I speak of such as are come to ripenesse of years is the preaching of the Word So Acts 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many as were ordeined to eternal life believed Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation That the Word is the Ministerial instrument which God useth to beget faith in Christ may thus appeare 1. It is that which discovers unto the soul its extreame misery and great need of Christ nothing quickens the conscience to that reflexive evidence to the cleare and true sight of the natural state which pricks the soul which in a sort compels the soul to look after the Redeemer of the world as the Word doth You see it hath been thus formerly that when men have heard it it hath unfolded their state unto them it hath broken all their proud imaginations it hath driven them to their feet it hath made them to cry out men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Yea and we find it in experience to be so that the preaching of the Word it opens the eyes of sinners it frames in them the sense of sinfulnesse and accursednesse it makes them indeed to feel the need of a Physician of such an one as Christ 2. It is that which discovers a share for a broken ship which doth reveale and proclaime to poor sinners Articles of peace in Christ it makes known the great love of God and Christ and how that Christ is the Sonne of God and was sent by God and satisfied for sinners and this was accepted 3. It makes the soul to confesse those things as most true and good in themselves It convinceth a man that of a truth God meanes graciously to men that his Sonne was a Sacrifice was a propitiation that he did purchase pardon and salvation for sinners 4. It is that which casteth down all the reasonings arguments and dâ—sputes of the minde against the conditions of Christ and râ—nders all the termâ—s of Christ upon which he will be taken as most equal and faire and reasonable 5. It is that which clears the way for the soul against all its feares and unbeleeving doubts from the freenesse of Gods mercy from the fulnesse of Christs redemption from the willingnesse on Christs part and requests unto us to accept of him 6. It is that which doth powerfully renew the disposition of the understanding and will and so incline them to esteeme of Christ as the highest truth and to bend after him as
in thy stead and answered Justice for all thy sins 3. Divine justice will not desire a double satisfaction It will not require satisfaction from thee and from thy surety too The quarrel ceaseth 'twixt thee and God for Christ hath by his own blood taken that up As Elihu spake of uprightnesse that I say of believing in the Lord Jesus if thou doest then the Lord will be gracious unto thee and will say deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransome Job 33. 23 24. Obj. But I who am I so totally unworthy there is nothing in me to move Christ to engratiate me he will never bestow himself on such an one as I am will ever Christ look on such a dead dog as I am I answer to this 1. Personal unworthinesse it is no prejudice You read in Mat. 7. Things 8. 8. that the Centurion came to Christ for his servant and believed on him and sped well Yea will you say but he was worthy nay he professeth the Obj. contrary Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Sol. as if he should say I have nothing in me to demerit and challenge this gracious act of thine nothing and yet I believe that thou canst and wilt heal my servant so the Prodigal I am not worthy to be c. 2. Nay the humble sense of our unworthinesse it is a furtherance Christ doth not expect any excellencies and meritorious motives from thee thou must come unto him as an empty vessel the full soul and the sound spirit is not for him bring a soul to Christ which is spread all over with misery and need why such a soul is a proper object for mercy to deal with bring a soul to Christ which is all over with lostnesse with poverty with sicknesse with unworthinesse why this is the soul upon which Christ will look It s never well with a man untill he can take Christ upon his knee upon a bare knee with an empty hand that is till he be brought to be poor in spirit that he is nothing and deserves nothing and begs of Christ to accept of him even for Christs sake The Lord be merciful to me a sinner went home justified when the thank God I am not as other men returned as he came a proud Pharisee You shall finde it thus that God looks most on him who looks least on himself The humble and contrite spirits which are broken out of themselves and can cry out O Lord I am really vile and mostly unworthy These the high God who inhabits the lofty places doth behold And Christ is ready to take him by the hand who thinks himself unworthy to touch his feet There are two tempers which like Christ well one is a beleeving heart and another an humble soul 3. Personal worthinesse is not the motive nor designed ground for faith in Christ The ground of belief that which invites the soul to draw on it self to Christ is no deserving or eminent quality in our selves but the goodnesse and fidelity of the promise and the gracious offer of Christ himself to the soul Behold he calls thee why this is enough if thou canst finde God holding forth the golden Scepter offering Christ unto thee upon such and such termes and thou consent unto them with all thy heart thou mayest confidently close and lay hold on Christ by faith This is the wise skill of a Christian truly to observe the proper rise of faith When God promised Abraham a son the text saith he did not consider his own body Rom. 4 19. that is he did not consult with the strength of his own nature what an able principle there was in himself to compass such an effect but he was fully perswaded that what God had promised that he was able to performe The ability and fidelity of Gods promise exceedingly enclined his heart to believe So is it here about faith in Christ if thou doest consider thy own body thy own deserts thy own excellencies thou shalt never beleeve for faith can finde no ground in these to encourage the soul but the ground of faith is without our selves Why God offers me Christ and Christ calls me unto him being heavy laden and he saith that he who beleeves in him shall have eternal life Now this is a word of truth and this word of his is worthy of all acceptation I will venture my soul upon it It is with faith as with a bird cast him into the water he cannot flie that element is too grosse for him he cannot gather and beat his wings there and therefore is kept down but cast him into the aire which is a more pure element then he can clap and â—pread the wings and mount why faith is the wing of the soul and the promise is that spiritual element that aire which breaths a life and motion to faith faith is raised by it alone and it is checked and hindered whiles the soul would force it to act it self upon those poor and grosse excellencies in our selves Faith desires no better object then Christ nor suâ—â—r pawnes then Gods promâ—se Fourthly to receive Christ by faith it is not a matter of merit but a point of duty When God commands a sinner to repent and to forsake his sinnes and take him he shall have mercy iâ—â—e will do it This may not now be said O Lord I am not worthy to obey thee in this duty if I were worthy to repeâ—t I would repent nay but O man divine commands are to be obeyed it is thy duty to repent So God commands the soul to beleeve in Christ to accept of him The soul now looks on the excellencies of the gift but forgets the obligation of duty It s true Christ is a most excellent gift and blessing there is not such a thing in all the world for a poore sinner as Christ but then know that his excellencies may not take thee off from thy duty This is his Commandment that we beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Brethren you are mistaken to beleeve in Christ being proposed unto us in the Gospel it is not a matter of indifferency I may or I may not nor is it a matter of curtesie as if we did a work of supererogation more then God requires nay but it is a matter of conscience a man sinnes he violates a command an evangelical precept if he doth not beleeve It is not a dispute of worthinesse or unworthinesse but it is obedience to the Command which thou art to look upon 5. Christ is given out of rich grace and mercy and love and therefore none can receive him but the unworthy There is this difference 'twixt the reward of Justice and the gift of graciousnesse Justice hath an eye upon the disposition and acts of the person and according unto their qualities and degrees doth it commensurate reward or punishment But graciousnesse hath an eye only upon it self the free
the very behaviour of the father of the Prodigal brake the heart of him with more thawings and kindly mournings then ever did his former misery and hardship O this that though he was an ungracious spend-thrift a stubborne childe a lewd companion Luke 15. yet his father should run to meet him that he should fall upon his neck and kisse him the kindnesse of those lips wounded his heart with the deeper sense and judging of his own unkindnesse So when a sinner shall by faith see Christ steping forward in the Gospel puting forth the hand to him calling him come thou hast done evil as thou canst hast wronged my father me my spirit my servants thy selfe I will get thee pardon for all feare not nor be dismayed I will will take upon me the discharge I will be thine my blood thine my righteousnesse thine O this melts the heart thou canst not take Christ but thy heart will break nor read thy pardon but thine eyes will melt what for me Lord yea for thee what after such deep rebellions yea after all and that most freely and willingly Good Lord how the soul weeps now c. Secondly faith sees sin in the greatest vilenesse It is one thing to see sin Hell-gates and another thing to see sin if I may so allude at Heaven-gates there I see it in its reward which causeth feare here I see it in its proper nature which causeth hatred when I can see sin as the wrong of a righteous and holy will as a rebellion against a holy and just Law as a provocation of a great and holy God as the speare thrusting through the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ as the basest quality and vilest abuse and indignity to love and mercy and blood now now I begin to melt to grieve a God is wronged a Father is wronged a Saviour is wronged 3. Faith melts the promises and the promises melt the heart Why brethren our soft and mourning hearts are not first in us and then in the promises but first in them and from them they come down into us The heart of flesh is first in that promise Ezek. 36. I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh and thence it comes to the person for to fashion and mollifie his heart But what draws the promises Is it not faith It is the only hand which reacheth out unto them and receives them whence it doth fully follow that beleeving will be no prejudice but a great furtherance to thy mournful humblings and softnings Obj. I grant it when a man can indeed beleeve this beleeving will much abate and perhaps remove the actuals of an horrible stumbling that is a man shall not now feel such a desperate terrifying bitter hopelesse anguish as before but yet it doth open a full veine within the soul which drops with vitall sorrows with gracious lamentings with hearty displeasures with hopeful tears and though under them the soul is not so hurried yet it weeps bitterly as the wife which holds the lately reconciled husband by the hand or as the child which is newly pardoned and embraced This is a truth that faith can heale the teares of a slave and breed the tears of a childe It can rebuke the ragings of the sea and yet continue its flowing courses It can still a raging conscience and yet beget a streame of godly sorrow it can both quiet a troubled spirit and raise within us a soft and mourning heart Yea to speak plainly a man never till then begins to mourn as a childe till he hath faith to see God as a father and the gracious looks of Christ which only faith espies they upbraid our sinnings more and no such springs of grief as they 6. Obj. But I have stood out my day and have refused many invitations and offers as now I may not beleeve I am sure that Christ will never regard me because of my former proud refusals of him in his gracious offers and invitations Now the day is gone It is too late Sol To this I answer 1. That not only the positive refusals but also the slighting pretermissions of the voice of the Gospel are undoubted sinful for if disobedience to the Law then much more unto the Gospel is very bad no man can refuse his remedy but he makes his wound the greater 2. Again it is granted the greater kinde of refusal adde a greater measure of guilt the refusals of light against light is a more dark condition that is when a man knows the Gospel to be the voice of Christ and to propound heaven and mercy upon the only termes and yet he is not gathered this is sinne in more degrees then the passing over it then ignorance and inobservation againe the more wilfully a man refuseth his opportunity and invitations this also makes the refusal more hainous and calls upon the soule for greater humblings But then know 5 s Things 1. That Christ is not alwayes so quick to break off for ever for some refusals It is not an uncapable condition a sealed state if a man hath stood out against many particular invitations This simply is not the sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore it is pardonable and if the sinne be pardonable then the sinner is capable of Christ in whom alone sin is to be pardoned 2. Scarce any beleever who is called after the ripenesse of yeares but hath often refused before his conversion many invitations by grace and mercy It were an horrid harshnesse for any Minister to send all them to hell who once refuse the news and tender of heaven Nay we see that Christ hath several seasons of conversion some he brings home to himself at the night at the later end of the day who questionlesse refused him in the former part of the day nay that grace which doth gather a man to Christ conquers our refusing hearts Ergo meer refusing is not an eternal prejudice It is true that whiles I do refuse I cannot beleeve yet though I have formerly refused I may yet beleeve There is a double refusal of Christ and the invitations of the Gospel one is malitious this is fearful another is temerarious and this is pardonable That is accompanied with a despitefulnesse of spirit this depends much upon rashnesse temptations inadvertency Againe there is a double refusal one is total but temporary A man doth not hearken though Christ doth call he will not subscribe though Christ propounds but goes in his own way and course yet at length with Paul he may be struck to the ground and yeild up himself to Christ Another is total and final which is an impenitent rebellion A man holds out against the voice of Christ for ever there is no hope for such a person 2. No broken and grieved heart for former refusals can justly say that it hath stood out its day and it is too late to beleeve This is a thing of some concernment and many
for a soul which is bitterly sensible of its wonderful and continual emptinesse Till the Angel came and opened Hagars eyes to see the fountaine she gave up her child for dead so unlesse we have faith to open our eyes to see the fountain of grace and mercy in God and Christ I tell you that in many of our exigencies we shall throw away all all as dead and lost and hopelesse 2. Againe It is nothing but faith which gives spirit unto us from a bare promise one word of God is security enough to faith If a Marriner can get to the top of the Mast and descry but a point of land he is now glad all is well faith is said to see the promises afar of Heb. 11. well saith faith to the soul now as Paul to them which sayled with him be of good cheer thou shalt yet do well grace and mercy and help will come God hath promised it and Christ will make all the promises Yea and Amen and now the soul lives because of that good and faithful word c. Secondly If we consider God himself there is sufficient reason why we should live by faith There be six arguments which we may behold in God to envite 6. Things and perswade us to live by faith First his Alsufficiency I am God alsufficient said he to Abraham What 's that That is I am an absolute and independent essence in respect of my self infinitely perfect and enough and have enough and enough to satisfie all the world Take all the particular creatures in the world and view into their natures and conditions you shall finde every one of them to be imperfect to be depending to be replenished with wants even one man for his own particular is covered over with innumerable wants the wants of his soul are many so of his body so of his estate what then and how many are the necessities of every man But now God is alsufficient that is he hath enough to supply every man He can open his hand fill every living thing Thou openest thy hand said David Ps 145. 15. and satisfiest the desire of every living thing and he is able to make all grace abound saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 9. 8. He is rich to all that call upon Rom. 10. 12. He is able to do Eph. 3. 20. exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Phil. 4. 19. The Sunne you see hath light enough for a whole world and a fountaine hath water enough for a whole countrey Why all good is in God both originally and eminently and causally that is he is goodnesse it self and all goodnesse fulnesse without want strength without weaknesse holinesse without blemish yea and the universal cause of goodnesse and therefore infinitely able to supply and help and do good there is no one necessity but he is able infinitely to succour it and many yea all necessities are not to be compared to the unfathomed greatnesse and exceedingnesse of his fulnesse and alsufficiency 2. His Command As God is an absolute and full good all our helps do center in him as in their compleat cause so he hath commanded us to live upon his alsufficiency by faith How often do you read those charges Trust upon the Lord commit thy way to the Lord rest upon him stay upon the God of Jacob cast thy care on him As if God should say unto the sons of men I am he and there is none else besides me who can do you good there is not any good in all the world which you want but I am able to supply it I am alsufficient for wisdom for holinesse for mercy for power for grace for comfort for peace If you want water you would go to the Spring and if you want light you would look up to the Sunne and if you want any good why will you not look up to me who am goodnesse it self I tell you that I am a God and have the greatnesse and the fulnesse of a God Nay and I charge and require you when you need any thing come to me for it I am the Master of all the families of the earth and the Lord of all good It is my expresse will that you come unto me and that you put your trust on me that you beleeve on my alsufficiency that you live upon that stock which is in my fulnesse Nay I shall take it exceeding ill if you rest your selves or live on any other 3. His Promises Consider this two wayes 1. Generally his promises of good wherein is ground to trust 2. Particularly His promises to them that will and do trust Psal 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and verily c. Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee So Isa 57. 13. This puts life to all the rest for though God were never so able to do good and though his commands were never so urgent to live on him for all our good yet if he had not made over this good unto us we might maintain secret feares and discouragements But now God hath promised all good unto us that is he hath firmly and graciously made it over As if he should say all the good that I can do I will do it for thee all the ample fulnesse in me is to replenish thee it is to supply thy wants and necessities and I assure thee in the Word of a God it is so Psalme 84. 11. The Lord is a Sunne and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Ver. 12. O Lord of Hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee There is not any one particular want which is fit to be stiled a want and fit to be supplied in this life for soul but God hath by promises particularly engaged all his sufficiency to help and supply it Doest thou want an holy heart a returning heart an heart to hate sinne to mourn for sinne a beleeving heart an upright heart a meek and patient heart a joyful heart doest thou want any grace more grace pardon of sin assurance of pardon strength against sin strength for any duty active or passive wantest thou any convenient and fit good for thy body for thy name for thy estate for thy children for thy family any good for life at death after death Not any one of these which God hath not distinctly promised If you knew a man to be sufficient to have an estate worth ten thousand pounds and all free you will presently trust him for an hundred pounds or if such an one should command any in his need to come to him and borrow this would draw many to him but if he should take a man out particularly and say to him Friend my estate is thus great I have a great estate and I pray thee if
live by faith Take a place for either Ier. 17. 5. Thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. As the Lord of Samaria ver 6. For he shall be like the heath in the desart and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Psal 37. 39. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in the time of trouble ver 40. And the Lord shall keep them and deliver them c. and save them because they trust in him The soul oft-times bitterly complaines that as yet it hath not that good thing it sticks yet in the hands of God Christ can do it if he will Why but if ever thou wouldest speed thou must trust I dare not trust though saith the soul how then canst thou speed Why then doest thou complaine God and Christ undertakes thy good but then he requires this of thee do but trust me for it and thou shalt speed I will not fail thee I have sworne by my self that I will not alter nor repent The poor man comes to Christ and cries out for help Mark 9. O Lord saith he if thou canst do any thing c. Why saith Christ I can do any thing I am able enough and willing enough that 's not the thing this is it which will make thee to speed canst thou believe darest thou to trust upon me he answered Lord I believe I do trust and you know that his son was presently healed The childe comes to the father father supply me I will saith the father but I will have it instantly if he had asked and trusted his father he might have sped but because he doth ask and murmur with his father he is therefore justly denyed There are two things which mightily oblige a person to the doing of a kindnesse one is his own promise another is his friends confidence who hath upon the security of his word adventured so here besides the very inclination of the divine goodnesse to make good its own undertakings this also adds not a little to our speed and furtherance that we rely onely on God It is a common complaint that we cannot be answered I reply it is a common fault that God nor Christ can be trusted It is not how many wants thou feelest nor how many promises thou readest nor how many prayers thou makest If with all this thou doest not ask in faith think not O man to receive any thing from the Lord. I will give you three reasons why the life of faith is the only way to thrive First because it puts a man upon the only way of blessings As none can blesse but God and he can blesse so the blessings of God are to be expected only in the wayes of God and nothing so skilful in Gods wayes as faith Secondly it makes all the promises to yield It is true as God is infinitely above all and his power is greaâ— so faith in a qualified sense is above God himself he is not able to stand against it Be it to thee as thou wilt said Christ to the believing woman Thou shalt have the desires of thine heart said David Psal 37. 3. 4. Thirdly God himselfe and Christ and all become ours If we dare to trust and live by faith Thou wants outward supplies I require no more of thee saith God but to walk uprightly and diligently and to trust on me and thou shalt have it Thou wants spiritual supplies for thy soul I require no more of thee but to come to me to trust to me and go to my Ordinances stand in my wayes and thou shalt have them Fourthly it is the only stedfast and abiding life when other lives are broken and crushed they are gone down yet this life by faith like the Starres which shine in the night remaines firme I will clear it by Argument The stability of all sorts of lives is according to their principles and motives The life which depends upon a failing cause it is a fadeing life and the life which depends upon a constant cause is a constant life Now the life of faith is bred by a living principle and is fed by constant and abiding motives you know that the grounds of this life of faith are in God and Christ and the promise now all changes reach not to them our changes are below in other things but they are not in the promises nor in God above as changes are not in the heavens but in the aire Look upon things at hand and so they appeare with variety and with much unlikenesse but eye them in the Covenant in the Promises there you have the same faithful God still tender father still all sufficient Saviour still the Promises are yea and Amen Christ is the everlasting father the Covenant of God an everlasting Covenant Gods love and immutable love he is as able still as willing still his how abides in strength and underneath are his everlasting armes Though Davids father and mother forsake him yet the Lord will take him up and though all forsook Paul yet God stood by him so true is it that faith can cast a sure Anchor in all states and in all changes it can look upon the same God and the same Christ and the same promises Though the Marriners when they put to sea quickly lose sight of Land yet they never loose sight of heaven how far soever they saile and in what tempest soever yet still they may look upon the heaven the same heaven Faith never loseth sight of its rock of its salvation of its helpes that which it eyes it may eye for ever and that upon which it trusts it may trust upon for ever thou hast friends and this springs up thy spirit thy friends dye and now thy spirits sink thou hast parents and children in these thou rejoycest and settlest thy confidence both the one and the other embrace the dust and thy heart is utterly broken for help and comfort O Lord what have I more E contra thou hast a God and he is the same for ever a Christ and he yesterday to day and the same for ever Promises and they are a word setled forever in heaven But when all sensibles flie off yet if we live by faith we are at no degree of losse what can he lack who hath him who is all in all and what can he lose who hath him that knows no change at all Fourthly let us consider Jesus Christ himself There are diverse things which should perswade us to live by faith upon him There are nine things in him which may move us 1. The exceeding plentifulnesse of our supplies in him Thou art not approaching to a dry Cisterne but to a full fountain what may do thee good he hath and he hath that in a most eminent fulnesse Is it the good and vertue of
is really his as certainly he is thine as thy husband is thy husband so the Christian is obliged to assure his heart thereof Which I shall easily clear by Argument 1. We are bound to draw neer unto God in the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. Which is 〈◊〉 conceive in a cleare perswasion that we shall not faile but enjoy the good which he promiseth now this cannot be unlesse a man be assured and perswaded that God is his God and Christ is his Christ for as much as perswasion of audience doth always arise from a presupposed persâ—asion of personal and mutual interest I cannot by faith be perswaded that God wil give such a good thing or such unless I am first perswaded that he is my God that God is my God or Christ is my Christ It is a fundamental perswasion upon which all others are built for this gives life and settlement to my doubting soul I many times doubt but shall I have this thing which I ask yes sayes the beleeving heart but how are you assured of it I reply because God is my God he hath given himself unto me Ergo he will give this but how know you that God is your God Upon good ground why saith the beleeving soul of that I am abundantly perswaded I doubt it not hereupon the soul raiseth it self to that other assurance of acceptance and audience why then I will nor doubt of this I will be confident that then the Lord will heare for he is my God and David goes this way very often 2. We are bound all our dayes to give God thanks for his greatest mercies now I think that the bestowing of Christ upon the soule is as great a mercy as ever poore sinners had Obj. It is so but what of this Sol. But we cannot give God hearty thanks whiles we are doubtful of our particular interest in Christ Can'st thou go unto the Lord and say O Lord I blesse thee from my soul for all the mercies which thou hast conferred on me health I have and I know it for which I do thank thee riches I have and friends and this I know too and for them I thank thee too I thank thee also exceedingly from the bottome of my soul for that thou hast given thy own Sonne to me Jesus Christ but truly I know not whether thou hast given him to me or no I thank thee exceedingly for the pardon of my vile sinnes in this blood but verily I am not sure of this I rather think they are not pardoned Nay this will not runne smooth and the reason is because so much particular evidence as God gives a man of his personal interest in himself or Christ or his merits so much and no greater thankfulnesse will the soul be brought unto SECT IV. Quest 4. WHat Arguments to move beleevers to labour for the assurance of faith Sol. There are many 1. As he said to Job Do the consolations of God seem small unto thee That I say here doth assurance seeme a small thing unto thee Consider seriously the matters and things about which this assurance is conversant and thou shalt finde them of the greatest consequence in the world What doest thou think of Jesus Christ for a sinner Can there be a more excellent good then Christ I count all things but drosse and dung for the excellency of Christ said Paul Phil. 3. or can there be a more necessary good for thee then Christ Tell me in sad thoughts that if thou hadst all the pleasures of the world and all the honours ours of the world and all the riches of the world and yet wast Christâ—esse that is thou hadst no portion in Christ why what avails all this as long as thou art Christless as Abraham said seeing I am childlesse In whom is God reconciled unto thee but in Christ and how wilt thou stand before God if thou have not Christ by whom canst thou get salvation but by Christ and why then wilt not thou force thy soul to give all diligence to make thy part in Christ sure to thy soul that thou mayest come in all cases to that of Job I know that my Redeemer liveth and with Paul He loved me and gave himself for me Again what doest thou think of the pardon of sinnes verily the time was once even then when thy spirit did roare all the night and thou foundest no quiet in the day when thy moysture was turned into the drought of Summer and thy soul was disquieted within thee I say in that time thou couldest with many teares break out and say with David Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity O what wouldest thou have given to have beleeved that thy sinnes should be pardoned thou couldest then discover death in so unpardoned a state and life then in a discharged and absolved condition Why I pray you is pardon of sinne so precious a thing and is the assured knowledge thereof a small thing Is it not enough to have the pardon passe not onely the seale of the King but the eye also of the malefactor Yea yet further what think you of eternal life what is it O I cannot reach it by thoughts much lesse by words Life no such thing on the earth as it eternal life what thing in heaven more then it To see my God my Christ to be gloriously united to them to be filled with the perfections of holinesse brightnesse of glory to know him as we are known to love him in the transcendency of love I know not what I say for I speak of eternal life O! if the the glimpse of divine favour here be the admiration of our soules the perfection of our joyes the heaven on earth tell me what is the fulnesse of his favour what is the full evidence of his favour what is the everlasting evidence of his favour Now eternal life is all this all this alas I have said nothing of it yet Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath c. And is not this a matter to be determined and ascertained to our souls what to let eternal life hang in suspense verily though until we do mount and rise to the assurance of faith we leave for our part though the thing may be sure in it selfe even this also our eternal life as a thing doubtful Thou wile not hold the least quillet of thy land upon unevident and unsure term yet wilt thou c. 2. Assurance will marvellously settle and quiet the soul David expresseth so much Psal 4. 6. Lord life thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Ver. 7. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corn and wine increased Ver. 8. I will lay me down and sleep The ship at anchor is safe but in a calme
pardon and to crown him with eteâ—nal glory Beleeve it assurance will make thy life more fruitful and thy heart more suffering Faith will make holy duties to be no harden and assurance will make it a delight Faith will make a man to bear the Câ—osse â—nd assurance will make a man to triumph under it We are more then conquerours said perswaded Paul Seventhly Assurance of faith it is a bathing spring to all our graces Shall I instance in some 1. The mourning heart doth much depend upon the assured minde No man ever did or ever shall take God by the hand as reconciled to him or look on Christ as redeeming him or read his pardon with assurance but his heart shall be full of joy and his eyes full of teares They shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourne as a man mournes for his only childe Zach. 12. 10. There is nothing softens the heart so well as faith and which melts it so much as assurance The powers of the greatest kindnesse and most gracious love do open the fountain of godly sorrow within the soul 2. Love kindles in the heart upon assurance To whom much is forgiven the same will love much said Christ Luke 7. 47. We love him because he loved us first said John The love of God to us is the cause of our love to him againe and againe and the more that love is cleared to us the more is our love rekindled to him goodnesse is a cause of love here it is bountifulnesse is a cause of love here it is knowledge of both a special provocation of love in assurance here it is What a thing is this that God should give his Covenant to me his Sonne to me his Mercies to me his loving kindnesse to me his glory in heaven unto me I love a man who defends my Name I love a man who gives me a book I love a man who gives me my ransom I loue a man who gives me a meales meat Ah! poore things in comparison how do I then infinitely exceed in love to my God who I know hath pardoned hath justified hath accepted will save me for ever More might be said of all particular graces whatsoever 8. Assurance by faith doth but ease us of the world and mounts the soul above it 1. It easeth us of the world How can he walk with cares who is indeed perswaded that God is his Father he that gave him Christ will give him all other things freely God will not stand for a little earth who hath bountifully given a whole heaven and he will surely finde me food and rayment for my body who found mercy and the blood of his own Sonne for my soul 2. Nay it mounts us above the world they do observe that these lower things grow little and lesse by how much the higher a man is seated If a man could be elevated to one of the celstial orbes the whole world would seeme but a narrow spot of ground unto him In one point this is most true the neerer God draws unto the soule the more nothing doth this world appeare O the blessed favour of God! the evidences of our union with Christ This is like the light of the Sunne which puts out the light of ten thousand candles Thou wouldest never complaine of too little in the world if thou haddest so much as made up a true assurance of heaven 9. Lastly Assurance will breed comfort in life and confidence in death Object Why are Gods people afraid many times to die they cannot say with Christ I will go to my Father They have the bond but see not the seale They are not assured of Reconciliation of pardon of salvation But if they could with Simeon Take Christ into their armes if once they could be assured Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He who by assurance looks Christ in the face may with cheerful confidence look death in the face I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ said Paul Phil. 1. 23. How so verse 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gaine But how knows he that 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day So 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens SECT V. Quest 1. NOw I come to the last inquiry by what means the soule mâ—y get up to this assurance Sol. I shall only 〈◊〉 be such rules as reach a beleeving person Thereâ—oâ—e 〈◊〉 1. If thou be a bâ—â—eever and wouldest be assured then preserve the sense of thy own natural wretchednesse and of the darknese of thy souls state without assurance Christ came to Mary when shee was weeping and the Great God looks down upon thâ— broken Spirit The highest mountaine hath the first sight of the Sunne but the lowest Christian hath the first sight of God When the people of God were mourning then saith God Comfort ye comfort ye my people and say unto them your sins are pardoned You shall finde this That the truely sensible heart hath Note three properties in it which envite the Lord much to gratifie it with assurance viz. One that is very humble Another that is much in the prizing of Gods love and mercy And a third that it is exceeding thirsty after a good look from God after some taste of Christ and God will satisfie all these 2. Be no strangers to the Ordinances you shall finde this that the ripening of faith belongs to them as well as the seeds of it The word you know is the soule of faith it was that which did incline the heart to yeild which did make it to accept of Christ and it is that also which can make us to know our possessions 1 John 15. 13. These things have I written vnto you that beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life So 1 John 1. 4 These things we write unto you that your joâ— may be full More plainly In whom after you heard the Word of truth ye beleeved in whom also after that ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephesians 1. 13. For look as the Word hath promises which draw the soul to Christ so it hath promises to clear the soul in its interest in Christ to answer all doubts and feares and to answer the feare about acceptance so it removes doubts which strive against evidence and propriety The Sacrament you know it is the Seal of righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. Look as a Seale doth distinguish and confirme and settle the minde so is the Sacrament ordained to satisfie and perswade the heart of a beleever God appointed this
heart p. 178 Our natural condition what to be convinced of about it p. 179 Need. We have extream need of a Lord Jesus Christ p. 163 Christ is every way fitted to our need p. 164 O Offended A heart apt to be offended at the estate of Christ shews faith is weak p. 135 Opposition A manifold opposition against Christ his person condition Scepter and government and his righteousnesse p. 8. 82 83 Ordinances Ordinances are meanes to grow up unto assurance p. 280 P Peace Peace in the conscience what it is p. 148 Peace of a Christian must be ratified in a double Court p. 148 The difference betwixt the peace of a strong and weak believer p. 148 Power No natural power in man to produce faith p. 176 Persevering Persevering vertue from Christ p. 144 Preaching Preaching the Word the ordinary means by which God works faith p. 177 Prayer Prayer a meanes of assurance p. 281 Priest Christ anointed to be a Priest p. 21 A satisfactory Priest p. 21 An expiatory Priest p. 21 22 Christ how the Priest and Altar p. 23 The efficacy of his Priestly sacrifice p. 24 Christ a Priest by way of intercession vid. Intercession Prophet Christ anointed to be a Prophet p. 26 What it implies p. 27 Presumption vid. Faith Presumption a most confident work but a very loose quality p. 100 101 A pregnant difference betwixt Presumption and faith p. 208 209 Promise A Divine promise entirely rested on an Argument of strong faith p. 126 Many promises believed at once the stronger is our faith p. 130 Discouraging objections about the promises answered p. 235 Vid. Truth R. Receive It is very unequal and unreasonable not to receive Christ so offered p. 166 Redemption Redemption all beleevers have a share in it p. 140 141 Refusal Former refusals of Christ should not keep us off from present accepting of him p. 20 The sinfulnesse and danger of such refusals yet even such have encouragement to beleeve p. 201 202 Such have the more reason to come in and not to refuse any longer p. 204 Relation A near relation betwixt Christ and a beleever p. 253 A special Relation gives special title and a special obligation and hath a special affection p. 254 Remission Remission of sins what it is p. 48 74 The soul sensible of sinne puts it self on Jesus Christ for remission of sin p. 49 Remission of sinnes belongs to justification p. 74 How far remission of sinnes extends in Justification p. 75 Remission of sinnes every beleever hath an interest in it p. 141 Righteousnesse A twofold Righteousnesse inherent and imputed p. 51 Faith rests only on imputed Righteousnesse for justification p. 51 The Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is that by which only we are justified p. 76 What is meant by the righteousnesse of Christ p. 76 Several objections against the imputation of righteousnesse answered p. 76 77 Whether this righteousnesse imputed be the passive or active and passive reasons of the latter p. 78 Christ bestows his righteousness upon us the comfort of it p. 113 Confidence in natural righteousnesse an impediment to faith p. 171 S Sacrifice vid. Priest Sacraments Sacraments meanes of assurance p. 281 Salvation Salvation some things have reference to it by way of proper causality and some things by way of order p. 54 Vid. Grace Salvation is conferred in such a way wherby God only may have the glory of it p. 63 Salvation is not sure but by beleeving p. 64 Sanctity vid. Change Satisfaction Satisfaction of soul in Christ alone an Argument of a strong faith p. 129 Saviour Christ is a singular Saviour how p. 14 Difference betwixt him and other Saviours p. 14 A General Saviour in what sense p. 15 A mighty Saviour how this appears p. 16 A perfect Saviour in what this consists p. 16 The alonenesse fulnesse and efficacy of his Salvation p. 16 Scorners Scorners will become troublers p. 3 Seeking Many seekings and yet nothing comes of them should not discourage from beleeving p. 213 Efficacy of seeking wherein it consists p. 213 Right seekings shall alwayes come to something p. 214 A double answer to the seeking of the soul p. 214 Something may come in upon every faithful seeking p. 215 Self-denyal Self-denyal in near and great occurrances an argument of strong faith p. 127 A threefold self to be denyed p. 127 Sense Sensible A double sense of sin p. 206 Sensible sinners are inquisitive p. 5 Reasons of it p. 6 Sinners some hardned some made sensible p. 5 Sensible sinners are resolved for the meanes as well as for the end p. 9 Two sorts of sinners generally corrupted and sensibly experienced p. 34 Several degrees of sensiblenesse in sinners p. 35 Some sensiblenesse of our sinful condition must go before faith taking Christ as a Lord and Saviour p. 91 What is a sweet and a safe course for a sensible sinner p. 183 The truly sensible heart hath three properties in it that do invite the Lord to gratifie it with assurance p. 280 Sick Christ is a Physician to a sick sinner p. 207 Christ will not loath thee because of thy sinful nature but will help thee because thou art a sick person p. 208 Sin Sinning When sin decayes in strength faith is strong p. 129 The league of the heart with sin an impediment to beleeving p. 153 Greatnesse of sinning a strong reason to compel the soule to Christ p. 184 Sorrow Sorrow for sin and faith in Christ go together p. 108 Soul None have right to thy soul but God and Christ p. 166 Christ out-bids all Merchants for thy soul p. 166 How shameful and unreasonable it is to keep the soule from Christ p. 167 Spirit Spirit of God the immediate and sole cause of faith p. 176 177 Studied What things to be principally studyed by him that would get a beleeving heart p. 178 179 Strength Present corruptions in exceeding strength no prejudice to faith p. 205 206 Suspect To suspect Gods favour and Christs love a signe of weak faith p. 132 T Taking Taking of Christ is of all Christ p. 46 It is only of Christ. p. 46 This taking is freed from mistaking p. 46 Vpon what grounds the soul takes Christ p. 47 This taking is resolved against untaking p. 47 Two grounds of taking Christ to be a Lord compulsory and ingenuous p. 47 48 Thanks What is a weakning of faith is a lessening of thanks p. 153 Temptations Two sorts of temptations against which assurance doth arme a beleever p. 272 Temporary vid. Faith Tendernesse Gods tendernesse most towards weak beleevers p. 146 Troubled A troubled soul looks mainly how to save it self p. 6 Reasons of it p. 7 They are not troubled for sinne who do not strive to be saved p. 8 Troubled soules must be directed to Christ p. 12 Reasons of it Ibid Truth Truth and fidelity as applyed to promises consists in three things p. 236 V Vertue Vertual A vertual interest in Christ every Beleever partakes of