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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92854	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.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.	1657 (1657)	Wing S2375; Thomason E900_1; ESTC R203520	234,690	315

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

bountifulnesse of its own nature is the reason of its gifts and acts Suppose that a King executes a malefactor this is an act of justice and findes cause in the rebellion of the offendor Suppose that a King pardons a malefactor this is an act of graciousnesse and findes its reason only in the breast of the King and not in the worthinesse of the delinquent Thou stand'st upon thy worthinesse O if I were worthy of Christ why but is not Christ a gift he is often said to be given yea but is he not a gracious gift See Ephes 2. 7. God did shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Jesus Christ As if he should say if ever there were a gift free-given it is Christ If Christ be a gracious gift then he is not bestowed on the worthy but on the unworthy not on him who can challenge and say Lord there is good reason why I should have Christ and thou shouldest do me wrong if I have him not O no but he is a gracious gift and therefore the broken sinner may come in and say O Lord though I am unworthy yet give me Christ graciousnesse doth not expect any motion out of it self and therefore though in respect of my desert shame and confusion be my portion yet thy gifts of grace are free for thy exceeding riches of grace and mercy and love give me thy Christ If I meet an old decrepit poor beggar and seeing misery and poverty in his face I freely draw my purse and say there is a shilling for thee O no saith he Sir I am not worthy I am a poor man and ready to starve give it to that Gentleman yonder who is in gay cloathing and hath thousands in his chests for he is worthy what a proud folly were th●s why my almes was a gracious dole and if any man in the world had it he had who doth need but doth not deserve it So c. 6. Christ is worthy your taking though thou be unworthy of receiving 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief As if he should say this is so necessary a thing so good a thing so admirable a thing for a sinner so meet for him to hearken unto and to embrace What if the choisest Prince in the world should this day present himself to the foulest ill-favoure'dst neglected woman one without all beauty without all parts without all estate and assure her if she will consent to his termes he will bestow himself upon her Though she be totally unworthy to heare of such a thing yet the person is worthy and the acceptance of the motion is worthy all the world sees reason enough that she should hearken So it is Jesus Christ the Prince of peace the Lord of life the Authour of salvation comes to a sinful soul utterly naked and void of spiritual excellencies over-runne with all the spots of inglorious deformities exposed to all kindes and degrees of present and future miseries calls and invites that soule to accept of him upon his own termes yet that soul stands off and excep●s I am not worthy Thou wor●hy saith Christ what do I esteem of thy worthinesse Not for thy sake be it known unto thee is it that I offer my self unto thee not for any beautiful or ingratiating ornaments and gifts is this but for my own sake Am I worthy the receiving if so then accept of me Christ hath worthinesse enough and as our helps in the promises draw us thither so the treasures in Christ should do Obj. But you will say Christ hath let fall a word which tels me that there must be a subjective worthinesse as well as an objective worthinesse in me as well as a worthinesse in him Matthew 10. 13. If the house be worthy let your peace come upon it Sol. I answer that there is indeed a double worthinesse First one of the object when it is so every way excellent and necessary and sutable to the exigencies of a person so Christ worthy Secondly another of the subject which to restraine it now to the place alledged is a worthinesse of judgement and affection not a worthinesse of qualities and action Then a man is said to be worthy in reference to Christ not because he hath any taking and inviting qualities but when he judgeth worthily of the Lord Jesus and his affections draw after him as most worthy of all acceptation Lastly what is that which makes thee unworthy It is nothing in the world but sinne all the debasings of the soul are our sinnes and so there is a twofold unworthinesse 1. Meritorious 2. Excluding But then mark two things could never be if meer sinnings did effectually prejudice the soul with an excluding unworthinesse one is That Christ could never have been a worthy gift Another is That faith could never have beleeved truths in Christ It could never take Christ as a Saviour nor beleeve in him for the sure pardon of sins if that sinnes absolutely did involve the soul with such an unworthinesse as should for ever exclude it from partaking of Christ O no Though sinnes make unworthy yet Christ came to call sinners and though ungodlinesse makes unworthy yet Christ justifies the ungodly 4. Obj. But I am not sure that Christ is willing to bestow himself on me or that I should lay hold on him else I should I think be able to beleeve Sol. To this I will returne two things 1. One is clearing Christs willingnesse 2. The order of a Christians assurance First That Christ is willing I shall but light a candle to the Sunne in endeavouring to manifest the willingnesse of Christ to accept of sinners Why 8. Things what can possibly expresse a willingnesse which is not espiable in Christ First when thou wert a sinner and an enemy yet then did Christ shed his blood and die for thee Rom 5. 8 10. Nay he did not do this through constraint but through consent it was a free-will offering therefore is he said to offer himself and lo I come and to give himself and to lay down his life and to pay a price nay to be straitned till it were accomplished Luke 12 50. His death was the putting of the seal to the bond It ratified all the Covenant which it had not done had not Christ been willing Why he knew thee long before and saw thee in thy blood before he shed his own and had he been unwilling to have done thee any good or that thou shouldest have received any good from him he would never have cloathed himself with such a nature as he did assume neither would he have anguished his righteous soul nor have suffered such a tormenting and accursed death Verily if I would lay down my life for a person this would sufficiently argue and declare that I were willing to bestow my self on the perso

find eternal life So that you may from this take notice of three things One That to be assured of Christ as mine is no ground for to move a man to believe but it is a consequent of it Another that to be assured that Christ is willing and ready to be mine and to accept of me this is a sweet motive and an encouraging ground for the soul to believe A third there is no better way to feel the sweetnesse of Christs being willing to bestow himself upon a man then by believing first on him for it is faith in Christ which opens to a man all his interests in Christ And if this be sure that Christs willingnesse prevents thine if therefore thou be willing to accept the very nature of the treaty and match assures thee sufficiently that Christ was ready long ago 5. Obj. But then saith the sensible sinner I am not prepared and humble enough Christ is to binde up the broken hearted but my heart is still hard and Christ is to open the prison for them that are bound but I am not at least in sufficient bondage and he is to give the oile of joy for mourning but I have no melting nor mourning spirit and therefore I may not believe on him nor take him for I am distinguished Sol. I shall not need to say much to this because I have touched heretofore upon in the Exposition of Mal. 1. 1. yet I will touch a little at this time 1. There is a twofold humbling according to a double cause of it One is in the exceedings beating of the conscience with inward terrors and feares springing from the Power of the Law which quickens the conscience and wounds it with the expresse sense of former guilt and which presents God in all the glories and terrors of his justice and as the great and sure avenger of an unrighteous person When the soul is in this kinde of humbling it is filled with exquisite sense and exquisite torment like a man with a burning arrow in his thigh or like a thief hearing the sentence of death pronounced upon him by the judge Now this kinde of humbling though sometimes it may be an antecedent to faith in Christ for God doth many times bring a man to heaven by the gates of hell he doth bruise and wound and even kill him by the terrors of the Law and then revive him with the workings and tender goodnesse of the Gospel yet it may be possibly without any future accesse of the soul to Chr●st For this mark that though God doth many times graciously superad another work of conversion to this of legall affliction yet he may and doth many times distribute these sorrows in wrath and they are but the testimonies of his pure and displeased justice even in this life to begin an hell of anguish in the conscience of a proud and daring sinner Another is in the tender abasings and sweet bathings or mournings of the affections when there is a fountaine of sorrow set open within the soul giving out it self in severall streames of melting because of sin and transgression Now this latter is not an antecedent but a consequent of faith in Christ as you shall hear presently A man cannot rightly judge of his fitnesse to lay hold on Christ by the meer strength or measure of any legall humbling but by the Issue and event of them If instead of one item from conscience thou shouldest now heare an hundred and instead of one lash from conscience thou shouldst now feel a thousand though thy heart were broken into as many pieces as the glasse which is dashed against the wall though thy spirits did even fry within thee for the heat of horror and that thou didst roare day and night for the disquietment of thy guilty conscience yet couldst thou not confidently affirme by all this I am now for Christ and Christ will assuredly accept of me I shall not misse of him Reasons whereof are these 1. Because these may be Gods tokens of just vengeance on thee meer punishments and judicial acts 2. The soul under these may be rather taken up with the stinging guilt and feares of sin then with the foul vilenesse and base nature and acts thereof standing in contrariety to the holy and good will of a gracious God 3. The thus afflicted soul may cry out for Christ meerly out of self-love to ease the burden but not to cure the nature to deliver it from paine but not to heal it of the sinfull inclination Therefore this I would say to any legall broken spirit do not judge of fitnesse meerly by the strength or depth of teares there is a threefold enough 1. Intensive for the degree 2. Extensive for the time 3. Dispositive for the efficacy therefore do but observe what disposition attends and follows these There be five things which if they follow upon legall humblings may be subordinate encouragements to the heart to put it self upon Christ First if quite driven out of ones self Secondly if sin comes to be felt as the basest evil as the guilt of it hath been found the sorest paine A third is if the heart finds it self any way loosened from the league of iniquity yea and that a secret war is begun now 'twixt the soul and the sinner Fourthly an high estimate and valuation of Christ as the only and choisest good of my soul and hope c. An active and fervent desire to put the soul under the Government of the Lord Iesus Whether thy legall humblings be great or small long or short more or lesse that 's not the thing but if they be thus attended thou mayest safely venture thy soul upon the Lord Jesus thou mayest believe and he will in no wise refuse thee 3. Faith in Christ will not hinder the humblings or meltings of thy soul I observe when there is a Thunder-clap then there is such a hurry in the cloud that fire flasheth out and the cloud is brust insunder and a mighty deluge of water is thrown down and you may likewise observe that the Sun doth though there be no storme draw up and sweetly open and pierce the clouds which thereby give down the most seasonable and refreshing showres of rain The Law is like a Thunder-clap it doth many times so tosse and hurry and vex the conscience that infinite sighes and feares and teares gush out But then faith makes the Sun of righteousnesse to arise within the soul and nohing melts the heart more then Christ apprehended by faith Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son and they shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born For faith First sees the greatest love the sweetest kindnesse the freest pardons 3. Reasons of it the readiest acceptations all which do even me it the heart into a river and works the greatest mournings I doubt not but

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 grea● 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

us p. 153 God The actions of God of several sorts p. 72 How many things in God encourage to live by faith as Gods alsufficiency p. 231 Gods command p. 232 Gods promises p. 233 Gods power p. 234 Gods truth and fidelity p. 236 Gods performance to them that have lived by faith p. 237 Goodness Hatred of goodnesse precipitates evil men to acts of injustice p. 2 Gospel The preaching of the Gospel is of necessary and singular consequence p. 65 Ghost Holy Ghost how he may be said to justifie p. 71 Grace Salvation is only by grace p. 63 The best graces are but imperfect excellencies p. 113 H Habits Two sorts of habits acquired and infused p. 33 Hasty A soul hasty to be answered is weak in faith p. 132 Heart Heart or will the seat of faith p. 35 Hearing Meer hearing of Christ and his Doctrine will not save p. 66 Divers sorts of hearing Ib. Historical vid. Faith Holinesse Inherent holinesse cannot justifie and save p. 56 Inherent holiness is defective and imperfect p. 57 The conscience dares not rest upon it p. 58 Actual holinesse no meritorious efficacy in it p. 58 Humble humbled Faith makes the heart humble p. 103 A soul that thinks himself not humbled enough answered p. 197 A twofold humbling according to a double cause of it and the workings of each p. 197 198 Fitnesse for Christ not to be judged by the measure and strength of legal humblings the reasons of it p. 198 Some things which if they follow upon legal humblings may be subordinate encouragements to the heart to put it selfe upon Christ p. 199 Humblings and meltings of soul not hindred by faith Ibid But furthered by it p. 200 I James James what kind of faith he speaks of p. 104 105 Ignorance Grosse ignorance an impediment to getting faith p. 169 170 Ignorance of our sinful condition of Gods justice and of the excellency of Christ impediments to getting faith p. 170 Imputed vid. Righteousness Infidelity The dangerous state of positive infidelity p. 158 The degrees of positive infidelity p. 159 Intercession vid. Priest A twofold intercession p. 24 25 Christs intercession what is meant by it p. 25. Inherent Inherent qualities and abilities insisted on as means of perswasion argues weaknesse of faith p. 134 Joy Spiritual joy the sole fruit of faith p. 92 Several sorts of joy whence they spring p. 92 Joy an inseparable fruit of faith p. 92 Joy three wayes considered p. 146 147 Justifie Justification There is not a co-operation of faith and other graces to justifie yet there is a co-existence of them in the person justified p. 55 Justification only in Jesus Christ p. 68 Justification the word opened p. 69 The nature of it designed p. 70 Justification an action in God p. 71 The kinde of this action p. 72 The meritorious cause of it p. 71 The applying cause of it p. 71 Whether Justification be before faith p. 73 Justification not a divided act p. 75 Whether it be one transient act or one continued act p. 75 Justification of a sinner a gracious and just action p. 78 Justification by imputed righteousnesse all beleevers have an equal interest in it p. 142 Justice Gods Justice should constraine us to believe p. 187 K King Christ ancinted to be a King p. 27 His Kingly office what it imports Ib. Knowledge Knowledge how one beleever differs from another therein p. 121 L Law No ability to keep the whole Law wholly Reasons of it p. 60 Life Living A heart inclined to the life of sense is weak in faith p. 133 Of living by faith p. 216 What it is in general to live by faith p. 218 To live by faith is to commit all to God Ibid To live by faith is to depend upon God for all p. 219 Living by faith extends to two sorts of life p. 220 To live by faith on Christ described p. 221 The several exigencies and conditions of soule in which we had need to live by faith p. 221 222 Encouragements from Christs fulnesse to live by faith in those exigencies p. 223 224 The conjunction of our own exigencies and Christs fulnesse is the very living by faith upon Christ p. 225 To live by faith on Christ is more then a meer complaining of our wants or an acknowledging of his fulnesse p. 226 To live by faith on Christ is more then a meer going to Christ p. 227 To live by faith on Christ is not only to trust on Christ for supply but to expect performance p. 227 To live by faith on Christ is an extensive work p. 228 Arguments to perswade to live by faith p. 229 The life of faith is congruous to our condition p. 229 The necessity of living by faith in all sensible sequestrations p. 231 Six arguments from God himself to perswade to live by faith p. 231 The life of faith is the only Christian life p. 238 The life of faith is the only comfortable life p. 240 What things make the life uncomfortable and what makes it comfortable p. 241 The life of faith easeth of all burdens and secures against all prejudices p. 240 The life of faith makes the present condition good enough and assures of universal and reasonable supplies p. 244 The life of faith is the only getting and thriving life p. 245 The Reasons of it p. 247 Divers arguments from Jesus Christ himself to perswade us to live by faith on him p. 248 Vid. Christ Lord. True faith takes Christ only to be its Lord. p. 101 No unbeleever can accept of Christ to be his Lord only Reasons of it p. 191 Every beleever admits of Christ to be his Lord Reasons of it p. 102 How to know whether Christ or sin be our Lord. p. 103 Weak faith will honour Christ as a Lord though it be not sure that he is its Saviour p. 136 Love True love of Christ an infallible evidence of true faith p. 96 Love is not separated from faith p. 96 Reasons of it p. 97 True love to Christ three tryals of it p. 98 Every beleever hath an equal interest in Gods special love p. 145 The love of God in giving Christ and the love of Christ in giving of himself p. 161 M Ministers Ministery The best Ministers do most good and finde most affliction p. 1 Good Ministers and covetous hearts cannot agree p. 2 Ministers better esteemed when the heart is changed p. 5 Ministers must forget personal injuries when they deal with sensible sinners p. 10 How Ministers must deal with stout and resolute and how with bleeding and afflicted sinners p. 11 How preciously dear the Ministery of the Gospel should be unto us p. 68 Miracles vid. Faith N Natural No natural principle of justifying faith now in a man p. 79 80 A natural principle of unbeliefe and infidelity in every mans heart p. 80 There is a natural opposition in the heart against Christ. p. 81 Natural condition throughly studyed a way to get a beleeving

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 ●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 su●●r pawnes then Gods prom●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 i●●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 repe●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