acquiesce in this compleat mediation of his This is to beleeve on him to rest on him Ioan. 3 18. 1 Pet. 2 6. as an alsufficient help This is to cast the burden of a brocken covenant of a guilty conscience of deserved wrath of the curse of the law c. upon Him that He may bear away those evills from us This is to put on the Lord Iesus in part Rom. 1â—… 14 to cover ourselves with his righteousnesse from the face of justice to stand in this armour of proof against the accusations of Law Satan and an evill conscience This is to flee to him as to our city of refuge that we may be saife from the avenger of blood This is to make him our refuge from the strome of Gods anger and a shadow from thâ—… heat of his wrath Esa. 25. 4. and our hideing place from the winde and a covert from the tempest and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Esai 32 2. When we hide ourselves in him as the compleat cautioner that hath fully satisfied justice and desire to be found in him alone not having our owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3 9. This is to lay our hand on the head of the sacrifice when we rest on this sacrifice and exspâ—…ct salvation through it alone This is to cast our selves in Christs armes as peremptorily resolving to goe no other way to the Father and to plead no other â—…ighteousnesse before Gods barr but Christs That is faith yea the lively acting of Iustifying faith Thus then is Christ made use of as the way to the Father in the point of Iustification when the poor wâ—…kened sinner convinced of his sin and misery of his owne inability to help himself of the insufficiency of all meanes beside Christ of Christs alsufficiency readinesse and willingnesse to helpe of the equitie and reasonablnâ—…sse of the conditions on which he is offered and life through him is now content and fully satisfied with this way actually renunceing all other wayes whatsomever and doth with heart and hand imbrace Iesus Christ take him as he is offered in the gospell to make use of him for all things to leane to him and rest upon him in all hazards and particularly to refuge it self 〈◊〉 his wings and to rest there with complacency satisfaction delight and hide it self from the wrath of God all accusations Yet it would be knowne that this act of faith whereby the soul goeth out to Christ and accepteth of and leaneth to him is not alike in all for 1. In Some it way be more lively strong active like the centurious faith that could aâ—…gue syllogistically Matth. 8 8 c. which Christ looked upon as a great faith a greater whereof he had not found no not in Israel vers 10. and like the faith of the woman of Canaan Mat. 15 21. c. that would take no nay say but of seeming refuâ—…eals did make arguments which Christ commended as a great faith vers 28. But in others it may be more weak and fainting not able to reason aâ—…ight for its owne comfort and strength as Mat. 6 30. â—…ut is mixed with much feare as Math. 8 26. yea and with much faithlesnesse so that the soul must cry Lord helpe my unbeleef Mark 9 24. 2. In some the acts and actings of this faith may be more clear and discerneable both by themselves and by spirituall on-lookers In others so covered over with an heape of doubts unbeleef jealousie other corruption that the actings of it can hardly or not at all be perceived by themselvs or others so that nothing shall be heard but complaints feares doubtings and objections 3. In some this faith may have strong and perceptible actings wreastling thorow much discouragment and opposition and many difficulties as in that woman of Canaan Matth. 15. runing thoâ—…ow with peremptory resolutenesse saying with Iob. Cap. 13. 15. though he stay me yet will I trust in him and thus taking the kingdome of heaven with violence In others it may be so weak that the least opposition or discouragement may be sufficient to make the soul give over hope almost dispaire of overcomeing and wining thorow be as a bruised reed or a smoaking flax 4. In some though it appeare not strong violent or wilfull in a manner in its actings yet it may be firme fixed resolute in staying upon Him Esa. 26 3 4. and trusting in Him Psal. 125. 1. resolving to hing there and if it perish It perisheth In others weak bashful 5. In some it may be yet weaker going out in strong vehement hungerings Mat. 5 6. The man dar not say that he doth beleeve or that he doth adhere to Christ and stay upon him yet he dar say he longeth for him and panteth after Him as ever the hart doth after the waâ—…ter brooks Psal. 42 1 2. he hungereth and thirsteth for him and cannot be satisfied with any thing without him 6. in some it may be that weak that the soul can only perceive the heart looking out after Him upon little more ground than a may be it shall be helped Esai 45 22. They look to Him for salvation being convinced that there is no other way and resolved to follow no other way they resolve to lye at his door waiting and looking for à sight of the kings face and to lye there waiting till they die if no better may be 7. In some it may be so weak that nothing more can be perceived but a satisfaction with the tearmes of the covenant a willingnesse to accept of the bargane and an heart consenting thereunto though they dar not say that they actually close therewith yea nor dar say that they shall be welcome Revel 22 17. 8. In some it may be so weak and low that they cannot say that they have any right hunger or desire after Him nor that their heart doth rightly and really consent to the covenant of grace yet they would faine be at it and cry out oh for a willing heart O for ardent desires O for a right hunger and they are dissatisfied and can not be reconciled with their hearts for not desireing more hungering more consenting more so that if they had this they would think themselvs happy and upmade And thus we see their faith is so low that it appeareth in nothing more manifestly than in their complainings of the want of it So then the poor weak beleever needeth not be so far discouraged as to dispaire and give over the matter as hopelesse lost let him hang on depend and waite a week faith to day may become stronger within a short time He that laid the foundation can and will finish the building for all his Works are perfect And a weak faith when true will prove saving and lay hold on a saving
Him in a day of tryall Confession of Him must be made with the mouth as with the heart we must beleeve Ro. 10 9. Let corruption speak against this what it will because it is alwayes desireous to keep the skinne whole yet reason cannot but say that it is equitable especially seing He hath said that whosoever confesseth Him before men He will confesse them before his Father which is in heaven Mat. 10. 32. And that if we suffer with Him we shall also reigne with Him 2 Tim. 2. 12. Is He our Lord and Master and should we not owne and avouch Him Should we be ashamed of him for any thing that can befall us upon that account What Master would not take that ill at his servants hands Hence then we see that there is nothing in all the conditions on which He offereth Himself to us that can give the least ground in reason why a poor soul should draw back and be unwilling to accept of this noble offer or think that the conditions are hard But there is one maine Objection which may trouble some and that is They cannot beleeve faith being the gift of God it must be wrought in them How then can they goe to God for this and make use of Christ for this end that their souls may be wrought up to a beleeving consenting to the bargan and hearty accepting of the offer To this I would say these things 1. It is true that faith is the gift of God Ephes. 2 8. and that it is He alone who worketh in us both to will to do Phil. 1 29 and none cometh to the son but whom the father draweth Iohn 6 44. and it is a great matter and no small advancement to win to the reall faith and through conviction of this our impotency for thereby the soul will be brought to a greater measure of humiliation and of despaireing of salvation in it self which is no small advantage unto a poor soul that would be saved 2. Though faith be not in our power yet it is our duty Our impotency to performe our duty doth not loose our obligation to the duty so that our not beleeving is our sin and for this God may justly condemne us His wrath abideth on all who beleeve not in his Son Jesus and will not accept of the offer of salvation through the crucified mediator And though faith as all other acts of grace be efficiently the work of the Spirit yet it is formally our work we do beleeve but it is the Spirit that worketh faith in us 3. The ordinary way of the Spirit 's working faith in us is by pressing home the duty upon us whereby we are brought to a despairing in ourselves and to a looking out to Him whose grace alone it is that can work it in the soul for that necessary 〈◊〉 and breathing without which the soul will not come 4. Christ Jesus hath purchased this grace of faith to all the elect as other graces necessary to their salvation and it is promised and convenanted to Him that He shal see his seed and shall see of the travell of his soull Esai 53 10 11. and that by the knowledge of him that is the rationall and understanding act of the soul griping to and laying hold upon Him as he is offered in the gospell many shall be justified Ibid. Hence he sayeth that all whom the father hath given to Him shall come unto Him Ioh. 6 37. and the Apostle tels us that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Him Ephes. 1 3. 5. Not only hath Christ purchased this grace of faith and all other graces necessary for the salvation of the elect but God hath committed to Him the administration and actuall dispensation and outgiving of all those graces which the redeemed stand in need of Hence He is a Prince exalted to give repentance and forgivenesse of sinns Act. 5 31. all power in heaven and earth is committed unto him Mat. 28 18 19. Hence He is called the author and finisher of faith Heb. 12 v. 2. and He telleth his disciples Iohn 14 13. 14. That whatever they shall ask in his name He will do it He is made Prince and a Saviour having all judgment committed unto him Iohn 5 22. and He is Lord of all Act. 10 36. Rom. 14 9. 6. Hereupon the sinner being convinced of his lost condition through sin and misery of an utter impossibility of helping himself out of that state of death of Christ's alsufficiency and willingnesse to save all that will come to Him and of its owne inability to beleeve or come to Him for life and salvation or to lay hold on and leane to his merites and satisfaction and so despaireing in himself is to look out to Iesus the author of eternall salvation the foundation and chiefe corner stone the author and finisher of faith I say the sinner being thus convinced is thus to look out to Iesus not that that conviction is any proper qualification prerequisite as necessary either to prepare dispose and fit for faith or far lesse to merite any manner of way or bring on faith But because this is Christ's methode to bring a soul to faith by this conviction to the glory of his grace The soul naturally being averse from Christ and utterly unwilling to accept of that way of salvation must be redacted to that straite that it shal see that it must either accept of this offer or die as the whole needeth not a physitian so Christ is come to save only that which is lost and his method is to convince the world of sin in the first place and then of righteousnesse Iohn 16 8 9. 7. This looking out to Iesus for faith comprehendeth those things 1. The Souls acknowledgement of the necessitie of faith to the end it may partake of Christ and of his merites 2. The souls satisfaction with that way of partaking of Christ by a closeing with Him and a resting upon Him by faith 3. A sense and conviction of the unbeleefe and stubbornnesse of the heart or a seeing of its own impotency yea and unwillingnesse to beleeve 4. A persuasion that Christ can overmaster the infidelity wickednesse of the heart and worke up the soul to a willing consent unto the bargane 5. A hope or a half hope to speak so that Christ who is willing to save all poor sinners that come to Him for salvation and hath said that He will put none away in any case that cometh will have pity upon him at length 6. A resolution to lye at his door till he come with life till He quicken till He unite the soul to Himself 7. A lying open to the breathings of his Spirit by guarding against every thing so far as they can that may grieve or provok Him and waiting on Him in all the ordinances He hath appointed for begetting of faith such as reading the scriptures hearing the word conference with godly persons and prayer
with clouds and doubteth of its interest in Christ it would then put it out of doubt by fleeing to Him for refuge from the storme of God's indignation and lay hold on Him as He is offered in the gospel and thus renew its grips of Him as the offered alsufficient Mediator and frequent direct acts of faith will helpe at length to a reflex act The soul that is daylie running to Christ according to the covenant with all its necessities and laying hold on Him as only able to helpe will at length come to see that it hath beleeved on Him and is made welcome by Him and accepted through Him So that rëterated acts of faith on an offered Cautioner and Salvation will dispel at length those clouds of darknesse that trouble the soul. 7. Such souls would beware of making their bands stronger and their darkness greater by their â—…olly and unwise carriage for this cause they would beware 1. To cry out in despondency of Spirit as if there were no hope and to conclude peremptorily that they are cut off and it is in vaine to waite any longer for this course will but darken them more and multiply the clouds over their head 2. To run away from Christ through unbeleef and dispaire for that will make their case yet worse 3. To walk untenderly and not circumspectly for the moe sins appear the lesse light will be had O but souls would be tender in all their conversation at that time and guaird against the least sin or appearance of evill 4. To fret and repine against God because of that dispensation for that will but entangle the soul more and wreath the yock straiter about its neck and put it self furder out of case to be relieved and to receive light 8. Lastly such would do well not to limite the holy one of Israel but to waite with patience till his time come to speak-in light to the soul knowing that such as waite upon Him shall never be ashamed Esai 49 23. because He waiteth to be gracious and therefore blessed are they all that waite upon him Esai 30 18. Quest. But what if for all this I get no outgate but my distress and darkness rather grow upon my hand Ans. That such a thing may be I grant the Lord thinking it fit 1. To exercise their faith dependence patience hope and desire more 2. And to discover more unto them their own weakness faintings faithlesness 3. To shew his absolute power and soveraignity 4. To make his grace and mercy more conspicuous remarkeable at length and. 5. To traine them up in away of dependence on him in the dark and of leaning to him when walking in darknesse yea and in a way of beleeving when they think they have no faith at all and for other holy ends Yet the soul would not despond for there are several things that may serve to support and beare up the heart even in that case as 1. This is not their case alone Others have been in the like before and many have had the like complaints in all ages as is known to such as have been acquanted with exercised souls 2. It may yeeld peace and comfort to know that they are about duty when looking to Him and depending upon Him and waiting for his light 3. The promises made to such as waite for Him may support the soul and yeeld comfort 4. The distinct knowledge and uptaking of their condition though it be comfortable and refreshing yet itis not absolutely necessary A soul may be a saved soul though those clouds should continue to its dying day and though as long as they lived they should never get a clear discovery of their gracious state but spend their dayes in mourning complaineing and crying out of darknesse c. 5. Such a soul should think that its much that he is keeped out of hell so long and sure the thoughts of what he is and of what he doserveth may make him sober and not to think much though he reach not so high as to see his name written in the book of life 6. They would know that full assurance of hope and of faith is but rare and even such as have it do nor ordinarily keep it long So that it should not much trouble them if after all their paines they cannot win at it 7. If they win to any real ground of hope how small so ever they should think much of that for many dear to Christ live long and never know what so much is 8. It is no small matter that they are not sincking in the gulfe of inconsideration and plagued with an indifferency in these matters but are made to value Christ and an interest in Him at such a rate 9. Their going to Christ with all their wants laying all on Him and their making that their daylie exercise may keep up their hearts from fainting yea and fill their souls with joy for that is really the exercise of faith And the great and gracious promises are made to such as beleeve and not to such only as know they do beleeve I grant such as know not that they do beleeve cannot draw comfort from these promises yet it is as true that one may by reflecting on the actings of his own soul see and know that really he is going out to Christ forsaking himself casting his burden on Him waiting and depending upon Him when yet he will not say that he doth beleeve and when he seeth this working of soul toward Christ he is obliged to beleeve that he beleeveth and thereupon rejoyce in the hope of the great promises And however the very sight and knowledge of this acting and motion of soul may give them some comfort though they shall not take it for faith because it is the way of duty and it is the thing which the gospel calleth for and because they cannot show an instance of any one soul that did so and perished But the truth is the right understanding of the nature of faith would cleare many doubts and prevent many questions I come to speak a little to the last case which I shall handle which is CHAP. XVIII How we shall make use of Christ as the Truth that we may win to right and suteable thoughts of God This is a case that much troubleth the people of God They cannot get right and sutable thoughts of God which they earnestly desire to have nor know not how to win at them And certane it is He only who is the Truth and came out of the bosome of the Father can helpe here Therefore for our use making of Him for this end It would be remembered 1. That the minde of man through the fall is nothing but a masse of ignorance and blindenesse that the understanding is darkned Ephes. 4 17 18. And naturally we are in darknesse 1 Iohn 2 9 11. Yea under the power of darknesse Col. 1 13. And which is more our mindes naturally are filled with prejudice