question not only the habit of Faith that a man or woman be a believer but also the very acting and exercise of Faith is requisite for our profitable partaking of this Ordinance The Grace of Faith is necessary for the giving of us a right to partake of this Ordinance for a Man must have life or else meat will do him no good set the daintiest meat before him that is dead he will be never a whit the better for it the meat cannot nourish him so if we have not a principle of spiritual life which is infused into the heart by Faith in Christ if we have not spiritual life spiritual food will do us no good therefore there must be the Grace of Faith Again This Ordinance of the Lords Supper it is a sealing Ordinance to seal and confirm and ratify the Covenant of Grace and the benefits of the Covenant now if so be we be not in the Covenant then this Ordinance cannot seal to us the blessings and benefits of the Covenant no we do but set a seal to a blank and that signifies nothing therefore I say it is necessary there should be the Grace of Faith the habit of Faith that those that do partake of this Ordinance should be Believers But this is that which I am to speak to that though only such as are Believers are to partake of this Ordinance yet it is not sufficient for us that we are Believers but if we would partake of this Ordinance so as to please God we must act and exercise Faith also about it For I pray consider 1. It is possible for those that are Believers to partake unworthily to eat and drink unworthily says the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.29 He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself Who doth he speak to there He writes to Believers Believers then may eat and drink unworthily How comes a Soul then to eat and drink worthily to partake worthily of this Ordinance Truly by the acting and exercising of Faith for though he have the habit of Faith he may partake unworthily What is the reason that divers Believers come to partake of this Ordinance some partake worthily and some unworthily The reason is because some partake in the exercise of Faith and they partake worthily and some partake without the exercise of Faith and they partake unworthily And mark how the Apostle goes on says he it is requisite that those that partake at the Lords Table that they should examine themselves Let a man examine himself vers 28. and so let him eat Examine himself concerning what why among other things about his Faith What whether he be a Believer or no Yes that is one thing he must examine whether he do truly believe or no whether he have the grace of Faith or no but that is not all suppose that be out of doubt and question that he is a Believer yet he must examine himself still about the acting and exercising of Faith in this Ordinance and therefore this Duty of Examination of a mans self doth imply that there must be an actuating and exercising of Faith in the partaking of this Ordinance Further says the Apostle they that come to this Ordinance must discern the Lords Body vers 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body I may speak something by and by concerning that to help you to understand that but for our present purpose discerning the Lords body How shall a man or woman discern the Lords Body We do not discern the Lords Body by our bodily eye by looking on the Bread and Wine the outward Elements but it must be by the acting of a spiritual eye and what is that but the eye of Faith Faith then must be acted and exercised in this Ordinance or else we do not discern the Lords Body and if we do not discern the Lords Body then we eat and drink unworthily and so do not please God therefore there is required the exercise of Faith in the partaking of this Ordinance I might add further still that the Blessings and Benefits that are held forth and conveyed by this Ordinance are all spiritual Blessings and therefore they must be partaken of by the exercise of our spiritual sences It is not for a man or woman to come and take the Bread and Wine and savour it by the exercise of his bodily sense of tasting no but there must be the spiritual sences exercised so as to partake of the spiritual blessings that are held forth and conveyed by it Well then it is granted now that it is requisite that there must be not only the grace of Faith or the habit of Faith but there must be the actual exercising of Faith in the partaking of this Ordinance or else we cannot please God Quest Well then the great Question is how a Man or Woman should so exercise Faith in the partaking of the Lords Table that so he may please God in his partaking of it Answ There are four or five Directions that I shall briefly lay down to help you in the partaking of this great Ordinance in Faith and oh that we might be serious in attending to them that we may hear for the time to come First The first Direction is this If we would exercise Faith in our partaking of this Ordinance then we must look upon this Ordinance as a great Ordinance and Institution of Jesus Christ that he hath appointed as the means of our Communion and fellowship with him I pray mind it I say Faith doth help the Soul to look at this Ordinance as a great Institution of Jesus Christ that he hath appointed for the means of our Communion with him Two things here we are to take notice of 1. First of all that we are to look at it as the great Ordinance and Institution of Christ People for the most part especially those that do not act Faith they look at the outward elements and they come and partake of the Bread and Wine but they do not look at it as such an Ordinance of Jesus Christ now Faith doth help a Soul to look at it as the great Institution of Jesus Christ one of the greatest Ordinances that ever Jesus Christ did institute and appoint it was one of the last things that Christ did when he was to leave the World when the time of his suffering did approach and draw near the same Night in which he was betrayed he did institute this Ordinance Certainly it is an Ordinance of very great concernment that Jesus Christ should institute it and appoint it when he had such weighty matters laid upon his Hand when he was to take his farewel of the World yet then a little before he was betrayed he did institute and appoint this Ordinance If People did but rightly consider this that this is a great Ordinance and Institution of Jesus Christ it would make them serious about it and
in a State of enmity till such time as he comes to believe on Christ then indeed the enmity is taken away but till he come to believe on Christ he is an enemy to God and he hates God in his Soul and whatever he doth he doth but dissemble if he comes and confess his sins and give thanks to God and make petitions and supplications to God all this doth not please God he doth but Flatter and play the Hypocrite and Lye to God to his Face How then can a Man or Woman please God without Faith that is the Second demonstration Take one more Thirdly Without Faith it is impossible to please God why because all that ever a man or Woman doth that is an unbeliever is all but dead works all is Stinking Dead a dead Service and a dead Sacrifice whatever he brings to God it is dead his Prayers and Thanksgivings are dead and his Supplications and Petitions are all dead his Reading and Hearing the Word is all dead all that he doth is dead Now do you think that the living God can or will be pleased with dead services can this be pleasing to him all is dead because it comes from a dead principle every unbelieving man and woman in the World is spiritually dead and therefore all that comes from him must be dead they are all dead works as the Apostle calls them in Hebrews 6.1 Leaving the Principles of Repentance from dead works saies he and so in Hebrews 9.14 How much more says he shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself to God without spot purge your Concience from dead works c. when the Blood of Christ comes to be sprinkled upon the Soul by Faith then he is cleansed from dead works but before all is dead his faithfulness in his calling his thanksgivings his prayers and all is dead and how can this please a living God Can a man gather Grapes of Thorns and Figs of Thistles No. So can any thing that is lively and acceptable to God come from a dead Heart No. Can God be pleased with that which is dead that which is dead is displeasing to you if they give you dead Drink dead Beer or dead Wine doth it please you No you will say you had rather drink Water All the services that an unbeliever can perform they are all but dead in the savour of God they are all stinking loathsome things therefore how can these things be pleasing unto God This is the state of every unbeliever he is spiritually dead and all that he doth is dead nothing that is living or lively can come from a dead thing a dead thing cannot produce a living action but now by Faith a soul comes to be made alive when a soul comes to receive Christ he receives a principle of Life but every unbeliever is dead and therefore nothing that he does can be pleasing unto God So now you have heard the point demonstrated to you That it is impossible for any man or woman to please God without Faith We come now in the next place for the further clearing this truth and for your more distinct understanding of it to remove some objections that possibly may be made against it As first what is nothing pleasing to God without Faith You will say did not the Elect please God from all Eternity did not God chuse the Elect and set his love upon them did not they please God yet they had no Faith then it seems it is possible to please God without Faith Indeed if the Arminians were to answer this they would easily answer it for they make election to be upon foreseen Faith that God did foresee that such and such a man would believe and therefore he elected him and if so then the elect cannot please God without Faith but we do not joyn with them in that thing there was not any thing foreseen that did move God to elect one or another In Romans 9.11 the Apostle there instances in the two Children Jacob and Esau For the Children being not yet born having done neither good nor evil God did not consider them as having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth It was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger God doth not consider that in point of election for election is not the effect of Faith foreseen but Faith is the consequent of Election he hath chosen us that we should be Holy that we should believe in Eph. 1.4 and in Acts 13.48 And as many as were Ordained to Eternal Life believed Election is antecedent to Faith and believing God was not pleased with the Elect because of their Faith no but they were chosen to Faith and then did not they please God without Faith there is the objection still Answ I answer shortly That the Elect did not please God but God was pleased out of his free Grace to set his Love of Benevolence upon them and thereby did intend in time to shew Love and Friendship to them I say it was not because they pleased God that God chose them and elected them but God was pleased out of his infinite free Grace and Love to ordain them in time to manifest his love of friendship to them so that it was not for Faith nor without Faith for they did not please God Obj. But then you will say Did not Adam in innocency please God if he did then it is possible to please God without Faith for Adam had no Faith in innocency Now before the fall Adam did please God was there not a sweet intercourse between God and Adam was there not a covenant made between God and Adam Did not God come and speak in a familiar way to Adam Surely Adam pleased God Adam had not Faith then it is possible to please God without Faith For Answer to this First In a word Adam had a Faith though not such a Faith as believers have now yet Adam had a faith of Affiance of Trust and Confidence and Dependance upon God which was required in the first Commandment and Adam had all the Commandments of the Law written upon his Heart 2. But Secondly This Truth doth presuppose man in a sinful fallen state Adam after his fall and so all the posterity of Adam now there is no Son nor Daughter of Adam since the Fall that can ever please God without Faith Adam himself since the fall if ever he pleased God it was by Faith for the Apostle speaks of those that are supposed to be Sinners and Enemies against God That without Faith it is impossible for them to please God Obj. But you will say Have not some that have been unbelievers by doing of those things that God hath required pleased God Look into the example of Jehu 2 Kings 10.30 You know that God commanded Jehu to go and cut off all the House of Ahab that was his Message
and good works they are not Faith and without Faith it is impossible to please God Reckon what you can reckon and say what you can for your selves yet consider is this Faith or no If it be not Faith it cannot please God Possibly you may desire and endeavour to walk in the strictest way of profession and worship God in the closest way suppose you do so you desire to walk in Church-fellowship with the Saints but this is not Faith still and without Faith is is impossible to please God I pray consider the Apostle Paul saies Paul before he was converted and was brought to believe on Christ in Acts 16.5 says he After the most straitest sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee And says he in another place in Phil. 3.7 8 9. As concerning the righteousness which is in the law I was blameless says he at verse 6. But now mark says he this was not faith though when he comes to believe on Christ Now says he I look at all that ever I did as nothing and I count all but dung that I may win Christ Brethren whatever we do without faith it is impossible for us to please God But possibly you will say to me I hope I do believe If you do it is well But I pray do you know what it is to believe ask this question to your own hearts Do you know what it is to believe It is not to believe that every thing that is spoken in the Gospel is true no no this Faith whereby we come to please God is another manner of Faith But suppose now that you do believe indeed and in truth I pray have you done all that ever you have done in a way of Faith and believing truly without Faith you see it is impossible to please God even you that are Believers without acting of Faith in what you do you cannot please God Quest But you will say to me then How shall a Christian man or woman so perform duties in Faith so as they may be pleasing unto God As suppose now the duty of Prayer How shall we perform the duty of prayer so as it may be pleasing unto God or for hearing the Word How shall we so hear the Word in Faith that it may be pleasing unto God and how shall we partake of the Lords-Table in Faith so as to please God I cannot come to answer this now but possibly if the Lord please I may speak something to that at some other time all that I have to say for the present is this You see Friends Brethren and Beloved what cause we have all of us I speak not only to unbelievers but to those that are believers as for unbelievers what cause have they to go home and bewail and bemoan their condition before the Lord Look back upon all that you have done throughout your whole lives and you may write this upon it all you have displeased God you have made many Prayers and confessed many Sins and given thanks to God often you have read and heard the Word and have done this and that and yet in all that you have done you have never pleased God because without Faith it is impossible to please God Go and bewail it before the Lord that you have led such a course of life that you have done nothing that hath been pleasing unto God And you that are Believers have you done all that you have done in Faith have you prayed in faith have you heard the word in faith and have you partaked in other Ordinances in a way of faith we have all cause to go home and in private fal down before the Lord and acknowledge that we have displeased God in every duty and service that we have performed But thus much shall suffice for this time SERMON VI. Hebrews XI 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please Him THe words as you have heard are an intire Proposition Doct. That without Faith it is impossible for any Man or Woman by all that ever they can do to please God You have heard it opened at large we came the last day to touch upon a word of Application and that was to shew what a sad and uncomfortable condition every unbelieving person was in that nothing that ever he hath done or can do or shall do whilst he is in this state can be pleasing unto God For Without Faith it is impossible to please Him Whatever Duties we perform whatever Ordinances we partake in if all be not done in Faith it cannot be pleasing unto God Quest You will say unto me then How shall we so act in Faith in the performance of all Duties and in the partaking of all Ordinances that so we may please God in what we do This is a great Question and I shall desire through the Lords assistance to speak something to this at this time And O Brethren this is a matter of very great concernment to do all that we do in Faith to pray every Prayer in Faith and every time we hear the Word to hear it in Faith and if we partake of the Lords-Table every time to partake in Faith or else we do not please God in any of these Duties Let me therefore a little stir you up to it that you may be provoked if possible to do all that you do in Faith Briefly Let me hint three or four words that way to shew you that it is of very great concernment for every one of us to perform every Duty and to partake of every Ordinance in a way of Faith For first of all else all that ever we do all our labour all our endeavours all our pains in our duties and performances will be all in vain And would a wise man be willing to do any thing in vain to take pains and all in vain Have ye suffered so many things saies the Apostle Gal. 3 4. in vain Truly so may we say to those that do not exercise Faith in their duties and performances have you done so many things in vain Would any of you take pains in your Callings willingly in vain and loose all your labour Are you willing that all your labour and travel and pains from day to day should be lost and all in vain You would count it a very grievous and uncomfortable thing if any of you should take any great Voyage by Sea and all your Voyage and Hazard should be in vain or if you should take any great Journey by Land in heat and cold in wet and dry through thick and thin and all your Journey should be in vain and nothing at all come of it what a grief and vexation would it be to your hearts Now Brethren I pray Consider of it if we perform duties take pains in duties day by day perform Duties in our Families and in our Closets every day presenting our Prayers and Supplications before the Lord and frequently in season and out of season atrending upon the Word of God
there stood by me this night the Angel of the Lord whose I am and whom I serve saying Fear not Paul thou must be brought before Cesar and Lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee Wherefore sirs saies Paul be of good cheer for I believe God that it shall he even as he told me Paul had a promise that none that were in the Ship should be drowned but that all should come safe to shore now did Pauls Faith make him careless in looking after the means for his preservation no for mark now the Mariners and Seamen they thought their case was desperate and they under pretence to make use of the Boat did intend to have gotten away Now Paul knew that the ordinary means for their preservation was to have the Mariners to stay to look after the Ship and when they under colour as though they would have cast Anchors out of the foreship let down the Boat into the Sea and were about to flee out saies Paul to the Centurion and to the Soldiers vers 31. Except these abide in the Ship ye cannot be saved What! had he not a promise that they should be all saved Yes but yet saies Paul if you do not use the means dilligently and carefully you cannot look to have the Mercy Faith puts us upon diligence in the use of means whereas presumption doth take a man off from the use of means and make him careless and slothful about the means but Faith doth make a man diligent in the use of the means to attain the end which is the blessing that God hath promised So in this case God doth require in order to our right participation of this Ordinance that we should prepare our selves before hand for this Ordinance now it is the proper work of Faith to set us to work to be diligent in our preparation for it in those ways and means which God hath appointed and what are those Briefly amongst others this is one Namely self-examination saies the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat c. Examine himself about what Briefly let a man examine himself if he will partake worthily especially about three or four things First What are the special ends of this Ordinance and this indeed is to discern the Lords Body for if so be we do not understand wherefore we come to this Ordinance we do no discern the Lords Body that is we do put no great difference between the Bread and Wine in this Ordinance and common Bread and Wine and so we do not discern the Lords Body therefore I say this is one thing in the examination of our selves consider and examine what are the special ends for which Christ hath appointed this Ordinance And amongst the rest they are these 1st Christ hath appointed this great Ordinance to have us to keep in remembrance his Death his laying down of his life for us his shedding his Blood for us we are very apt to forget this great kindness of Christ and therefore Christ hath appointed this Ordinance for this great end amongst others that we may remember his death 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come It is a memorial of the Death of Jesus Christ 2dly Another end of it is this namely that we might have Communion with Jesus Christ in his Death and in the merits of his righteousness It is appointed for that end The Bread which we break saies the Apostle is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ and the cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ Hereby now we profess that we have Communion with Christ and it is appointed for this end we must understand this or else we do not discern the Lords Body we must examine wherefore we come to partake of this Ordinance 3dly Another end is for the sealing up of the Covenant of grace to us it is a Seal of the righteousness of Faith as Baptisme and Circumcision was and it seals up that righteousness to our Faith that is held forth through Christ 4thly Another special end of this Ordinance is to profess our near union with all Believers our love to and our union with all Believers Saies the Apostle We are all but one Bread 1 Cor. 10.17 All moulded up into one Body and Christians should be of one heart and one Soul when they come to partake of this Ordinance Now I say if we would come in Faith we are to prepare for it by examining our selves concerning the ends for which Christ hath appointed this Ordinance 2ly We are to examine our selves not only about the ends of this Ordinance but also concerning our Faith whether we do truly believe in Christ or no or what grounds we have to hope that we do truly believe in Christ or that we have an interest in Christ we are to examine our selves concerning that and also about our acting and exercising Faith on Christ and if so be we find our Faith weak as I said it may be so weak as that there may be nothing sometimes but hungerings and thirstings and desires after Christ therefore we should search and examine what our Faith is the weakness of it and thereby be the more desirous to come to this Ordinance that our weak Faith and weak Graces might be strengthened and confirmed And so 3dly Again We are to examine our selves concerning our repentance Namely concerning our judging of our selves for former failings and miscarriages we should be mourning and humbling of our selves for our turnings aside and warping from the Rule and Law of God and so we should desire and endeavour and resolve through the strength of Christ to walk more closely with God and uprightly for the time to come this is the nature of true repentance as to be humbled for sins past so to resolve through the strength of Christ against sin for the time to come And then 4thly Again We are to examine our selves concerning our charity and love to all to consider wherein our love is defective and whether we can be truly reconciled and at peace with all whether we have no grudgings nor no envyings for private and particular offences against one or another and that we are ready to go and seek peace and reconciliation with them that have offended us we are to consider our Love with the weakness of it wherein we are defective in it these things are required of us before our coming to the Lords Table in a way of preparation Now therefore if you would act and exercise Faith remember this Direction which Faith will put us upon namely to be diligent in the use of those means that are required of us in order to the right participation of it And if we be not diligent to prepare according as the Rule doth require we do not act in a way of Faith in it 5thly and
and now there comes a powerful Light into the heart to reveal Christ so as to enable the Soul to see Christ held forth in the Promises and to receive him The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Now the Soul saith It is so indeed 't is worthy of all acceptation the Soul now is wrought by the Spirit to approve and like this way of Salvation and heartily close with it Now the Understanding is enlightned and the Will rectified and brought to embrace Christ It is the Lord that makes this change He worketh in us to will and to do Phil. 2.13 Every one that is converted receives Christ Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed on his Name Though it may be that the Souls receiving Christ at first is scarce discerned but afterwards by renewing acts of Faith upon Christ and by the effects of Union with Christ we may come to see that we have received Christ and are made partakers of Spiritual Life There is a certain moment of time when a man hath Spiritual Life put into him he heareth the voice of the Son of God and liveth But the work is so secret and mysterious that it is hard for us to say that just such a day such an hour we heard the voice of the Son of God and lived Though some may be able to know the time yet not all that are made alive by Christ But we find by degrees the acts and effects of Spiritual Life whereby we may know that we have heard the voice of the Son of God and live When we receive Christ then we are made alive indeed for wheras we were under the sentence of death by the Law now we are forgiven all trespasses and have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us And those that receive this gift of Righteousness are not only freed from Hell but shall reign in life by Jesus Christ Rom. 5.17 When we truly receive Christ we are sanctified also Together with the Faith that the Lord gives us to receive Christ for our Justification he also gives his Spirit to work in us a Principle of Holiness and new obedience that we may be both in repect of Justification and Sanctification alive from the Dead Application Use 1. Here we may see the miserable estate that every man and woman is in that hath not heard the voice of Christ. Brethren and beloved do you believe this that dead sinners are made alive by hearing the voice of the Son of God Then those that never yet heard the voice of the Son of God they are yet dead in Trespasses and Sins If you never yet heard the voice of Christ then you are dead men all your sins are upon you you are under the sentence of death by the Law and if you never come to hear the voice of the Son of God this sentence of Death will be upon you for ever And if you never yet heard the voice of Christ to put spiritual life into you then you are dead also as to any Life of Grace and Holiness Those works that you are ready to be proud of and glory in they are all but dead works and you do not truly serve the living God But you will say we hope we have heard the voice of Christ we have heard many able Ministers many good Sermons we have had the Word opened to us Answer This is a Priviledg indeed to have the Word Preached to you but it is not the voice of a man no nor of the Angels of Heaven if they should speak to you that can put Spiritual Life into you except withal you hear the voice of the Son of God Therefore If you never yet heard the voice of Christ to make the Preaching of the Gospel effectual to your Souls I say unto every such person as God said to Abimilech Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man thou art a Sinner and the wages of Sin is Death thou art a condemned man and thou hast no Life of Holiness neither Therefore consider your case and condition Examine your selves Whether the Word Preached hath had that power upon your hearts to draw you to Christ and to turn you from your Iniquities Objection If that we hear the Word Preached by men yet you say that except we hear the voice of the Son of God we cannot live then to what purpose should we attend upon the Preaching of the Gospel Answer It is your Duty to hear what God the Lord speaketh by his Servants and Ministers and though the Word Preached cannot Convert you without the Voice and Power of Christ yet it may please the Lord at one time or other to make the Preaching of the Word effectual upon your hearts as he hath done to others Use 2. See the exceeding greatness of Christ's Power He is able to make dead Souls to live he is able to quicken those who are dead in Trespasses and Sins a work which neither Men nor Angels can do Yea know and take notice That it is no labour no difficulty to Christ to make dead Souls live He can do it easily and suddenly He can do it with a word He can do it as easily as you or I can speak a word The Text saith That the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Use 3. Of Direction to those that have heard the voice of the Son of God and are now quickned and are made alive 1. Bless and praise the Lord stand and wonder at what the Lord hath done for you If any of you had been dead and in the Grave and Christ had said to you as he did to Lazarus come forth and so you had been raised but from a bodily death to live again this had been a great wonder But this is a far greater wonder O! therefore bless the Lord say this my Soul was Dead and is alive I was under the Sentence of Death for the Breach of the Law and now I am pardoned I was without any life of holiness and now the Lord hath given me a new Heart a new Spirit Thus when I lay in my Blood the Lord said unto me Live 2. Love the Lord Jesus who hath delivered your Soul from Death Love him because he first loved you and said to you when you lay in your Blood Live Love him and love the word of his Grace by which he quickened you Never forget his Word the Word of his Grace by which he hath quickned your Souls Love his Word and Ordinances wherein he hath put forth the Power of his Grace to youâ— Souls 3. Trust in the Lord to perform all things for you If you have heard the voice of the Son of God and Live then you have had experience of the Power of Christ indeed
Abraham still So by Faith Sarah conceived it pleased God to give her conception when she was 90 Years old she had her infirmities and weaknesses she told a Lye in the hearing of the Angel but yet for all that she pleased God and so I might instance in others David pleased God by Faith David had his failings and did sometimes displease God but yet by his Faith he did please God And so look upon all those that have been believers by their acting and exercising of of Faith they have all of them come to please God and therefore we may take it up for a general conclusion and may be confident of it that by Faith we shall please God 2. The Holy-Ghost doth testifie in the Scripture again and again that a man or woman by Faith doth live What Life not a natural but a Spiritual life Now to live is not only to have the life of Justification and the life of Sanctification but to live is to have the favour of God to have God pleased with a person that is to live saies Abraham to God in the 17th of Genesis Oh that Ishmael might live in thy Sight what did he mean by that what that his Life might be lengthned out No but that he might find favour in thy Sight and saies the Prophet in Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life And so in Isaiah 6.55 Hearken unto me and your Soul shall live that is you shall please God and be accepted of God Now then this is frequent in Scripture that all that are Believers do live The just shall live by Faith both the Old Testament and New-Testament bear witness to it the same thing is in the Old-Testament Habakkuk 2.4 and repeated again in the new Hebrews 10.38 The just shall live by Faith therefore it is out of doubt and Question 3dly By Faith a Soul comes to have the guilt of sin taken away I pray what is that whereby a Man or Woman doth displease God Namely by his Sin guilt doth displease God Now then Faith is a means and instrument to take away that which is displeasing to God to take away the guilt of Sin In Acts 10.43 saies Peter there to Cornelius To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleiveth on him shall receive remission of sins And so in Chapter 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that beleived are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses By believing on him we come to receive remission of sins And so in Acts 26.18 That they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified through Faith which is in me Now then if so be that all believers all that have Faith in Christ and do exercise their Faith in Christ be justified from the guilt of sin then they are freed from all that makes them displeasing to God then by Faith they come to please God because by Faith the guilt of sin is removed which is the matter of Gods displeasure 4thly and Lastly to have done By Faith a Man or Woman comes to please God because by Faith now the very heart which is a fountain of uncleanness comes to be made clean this is the only way to have our hearts purified and cleansed Purifying their hearts by Faith saies the Apostle Acts 15.9 so in 1 Timothy 1.5 saies the Apostle there Out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Faith unfeigned is the means whereby the Conscience and the Heart is purified and truly hence it is that believers are called clean all that have Faith in Christ and do exercise their Faith in Christ they are all pure and every thing is clean to them Titus 1.15 To the pure all things are pure Who doth he mean by pure mark now by the contrary But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but their very conscince is defiled By Faith now a mans heart comes to be pure which is the Fountain of all his actions all that he performs and does it must come from the Heart if the heart be clean if the Fountain be clean then the water that flows from the Fountain is clean so now the Heart being purified by Faith now the Actions come to be pure in the sight of God through Christ To a believer every thing is pure all that he meddles with and undertakes if he doth act Faith in it he pleaseth God So now you have seen the 4th thing opened how we may be sure that by Faith we come to please God Now there is a further question remaining But may not a Man or Woman please God without Faith by doing the thing that God hath commanded as now to pray and perform duties to walk uprightly c As the generality of the World do think that this is the way and means to please God I do not deny but we should do those things and the things themselves as to the substance of them are pleasing to God but yet still without Faith it is impossible to please God How that appears follows to be spoken to in the next place and then come to the Application But thus much shall suffice for the present SERMON V. Hebrews XI 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please Him YOU have heard the dependance of these Words upon the foregoing we came directly to open the Proposition as it lay before us in the Words Doct. That without Faith it is impossible for any Man or Woman alive ever to please God We have shewn you first what it is for a Man or Woman to please God Secondly we have proved to you that this pleasing of God is a matter of very great concernment it is a thing very desirable for a Man or Woman to be found pleasing God And then in the third place we came to enquire what Faith that is without which it is impossible to please God And then fourthly we came to clear it up to you that by Faith a Soul doth please God Thus far we have gone 5. Now we come in the fifth place to give you some demonstrations to make it evident to you if the Lord please to set in with it that it is impossible for any Man or Woman ever to please God without Faith It is not only said here that without Faith a man hath not pleased God or without Faith no man ever shall please God but he speaks a greater word without faith it is impossible to please God This is such a thing that it will hardly enter into the hearts of men and women to be perswaded of it What! not please God by doing what God requires why if I be diligent and faithful in my calling doth not that please God! if I perform the Duties that God requires doth not that please God! if I give