for it Fourthly Faith â—â—seth with Christ as the efficient and workâ— of all our mercies all our enjoyments thâ—â— are far from him as the efficient cause that He is the worker of all these things in 〈◊〉 it is his precious fingers that must accomplish that blessed work of grace and they are from Christ as the dispenser of these things Christ is the great Steward of Heaven that doth communicate unto Believers all the Treasures of the Higher House For Him hath God the Father sealed O but that word that Christ once spake is much verified by Himself It is more blessed to give then to â—eciâ—ve Christ is that fountain and treasure 〈◊〉 whom all our gifts and graces are treasured â—p for before the blessing come to Believers â—hey come to Christ as the Head according â—o that word 2 Tim. 1 9. Which grace was â—iven to us in Him before the foundations of the â—orld were laid It was given to Christ beâ—â—e the world was made and for that end â—â—at it might be communicate unto all his â—embers and so out of His fulnesse we all â—eive and grace for grace But secondly The Text holdeth forth â—ore particularly this excellent object of â—â—th to be the Name of his Son That ye â—â—ieve in the Name of his Son And here â—â—eed we may be at a stand It is long â—â—ce Agur did non plus all the world â—â—th that question What is his Name and â—â—at is his Sons Name if thou canst tell â—â—ow little a thing can be known of Him â—â—d O how brutish is this generation that â—â—w so much lesse then might be known Him in such a day of the Gospel But â—t we may speak a little according to our â—â—k measure of Faith as closing with the â—â—e of Christ. His Name is His glorious â—â—â—uâ—es by which he revealeth so much of Himself in the Scriptures as poor mortals can take up Wee did shew you before that there was three of these that were the main pillars of justifying Faith Faithfulnesse Omnipotency and His infinite Love and Mercy And how from these may bee answered all the objections of sense of câ—rnall reason and of misbelief arising from convictions of unworthinesse And certain it is that Faith in all its conflicts maketh much use of the Names of Christ. And there is not an objection that a poor tempted soul can make but Faith can frame an answer to it out of some of these excellent Nameâ— of God or of his Son Christ. It would bee a more longsome work then I intend to let you see this in all But I shall onely instance in that One glorious Name of God by which he proclaimeth his glory Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truthâ— Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquitâ— transgression and sin and that will by no meanâ— clear the guilty c. I think there are seveâ— ordinary objections which may bee answereâ— from that place First It is an ordinarâ— objection which misbelievers do make thâ—â— they are under the strength of their corruption that they are black as the Tents of Kedaâ— and not beautifull aâ— the Curtains of Solomon And doth not the first letter of that Namâ— answer this that he is a mercifull Lord thâ— one importing his ability to save and 〈◊〉 bring down every high imagination Thâ— other importing his infinite delight to hâ—â— those who have no strength and are under the power of their adversaries the power of God being of no larger extent then his love There is that second objection of misbelief that wee have nothing to commend us to Christ But all that wee have to boast of are infirmities and imperfections And this is abundantly answered from that second letter of his Name that he is Gracious which importeth the freedom of the dispensations of his love that hee walketh nor with us according to that rule of merit but according to that golden and excellent rule of Love It is a great dispute whether Mercy or Grace be the greatest wonder Whether the love of Christ or the freedom of it bee the greatest mystery Sure both these put together make up a matchlesse wonder Thirdly Misbelief will object that wee have forsaken him dayes without number and that wee cannot trace back our apostasie unto the first day of its rise And is not that abundantly answered from that letter of his Name that hee is long suffering This being that Glorious attribute in God the glory of which hee desireth to magnifie above all his Name Fourthly Misbelief doth ordinarily propose this objection that wee have multiplied our transgressions and have committed whoredoms under every green tree and have given gifts to our lovers even hyring our idols So that wee may take up that lamentation is not our sin great and our transgression infinit And is not that also answered from that letter of his Name that hee is abundant in goodnesse That though sin abound in us yet grace doth much more superabound in him Wee confesse indeed that there are some that may walk under that condition that if they had no other exercise throughout eternity but to make confession they might confesse and never make any needlesse repetition And truely in some respect it is a mercy that we are mysteries unto our self for if wee did know compleatly the seven abominations of our hearts and those mysterious actings of the body of death we would be in hazard to choise strangling and death rather then life Yet may not one glimpse of that abundant goodnesse satisfie us and calm the storm Fifthly Saith misbelief wee know that we have broken our Vowes and Covenants with God and that all these things that wee have taken on have been but as flax before the fire of tentation so that wee have no hope that he will have mercy upon these that have broken wedlock and have not been stedfast in his Covenant But is not that abundantly answered from that letter of His Name That hee is abundant in truth which speaketh That though wee deny our selves yet he abideth faithfull and doth not alter the word that hath gone out of his mouth It is the infinite blessednesse of man that though hee bee changeable yet they have to do with one that is an unchangeable being Sixthly There is that objection That notwithstanding all these things are matters of encouragement to some yet they know not whether or not the lot of everlasting love have fallen upon them And whether their names be in the ancient records of Heaven But this is answered from that letter of His Name hee keepeth mercy for thousands which sheweth us that great number of those upon whom the lot of everlasting love shall fall And if there were no other sentence in all the Scripture â—his might be a sufficient matter of a Song and might make us cry out Who is like unâ—o him whose compassions have no end And who desires to
some hours upon it according aâ— other necessary imployments would permit And now having sought out all the Notes of these Sermons which we could finde from other hands and compared them with the Copie abovementioned wee do again present them unto the Lords People not with any confidence that our pains hath put any new lustre upon them only wee have some hopes that the whole subject being now before them and these things in the way of expression helped which either might seem to be somewhat unpleasant or liable to mistakes they shall not nâ—w be lesse edifying nor lesse acceptable then formerly they were We did not think fit to make any considerable alterations â—â—â—o the method or other things of that kind lost â—aply by straining his excellent purposes too much to shape them to the ordinary Rules or to reduce them to that order which might best have pleased our selves we should have wronged the matter it self at least have put these to a losse who did hear him Preach and it may be â—ow upon their reading things in that same order as they heard them will be the more readily brought under the impressions of that livelinesse power and weight which it may be formerly they felt upon their hearts when he was speaking If the method do not altogether satisfie some spirits or the explication seem not so fult or â—f they finde some introductions which possibly â—ead not in so close or seem not so sib to the subject of the Sermon or happly now and then there bee some little digressions from the main purpose wee shall desire that this may not at all bee constructed to bee the Authors ignorance of Rules and Method or his want of abilities in humane Learning it being known to these who were best acquaint with him that hee had indeed a Scholastick spirit and was in reading far beyond his age and opportunities for Studying But as to all these wee shall intreat you rather to consider 1. His age and that his gift was but in the very moulding and breaking as wee speak in the point of order and method when the Lord was pleased to call him home from his work 2. That every man hath his proper gift of God whâ— in his great wisdom and certainly for the good of His Church doth so order that there is somewhat singular and peculiar almost in every mans way as to these things 3. For any thing we know hee had never that high esteem of this or any other of his labours as to design anâ— of them for publick view and these are buâ— Notes taken from his mouth 4. We are perswaded hee studied more his hearers than himself Ye will easily perceive when ye have buâ— read a little that hee hath been a man of a verâ— zealous temper that the great â—ensil of hiâ— spirit and that which hee did wholly spend himself about was to make people know their dangerous condition by nature and by all means tâ— perswade them to believe and lay hold upoâ— the Great salvation And truely that a maâ— in such a frame should lesse attend to these lesse things is not to be wondered at And indeed though these things be good in themselves and worthy to be looked to in their own place yet for a Minister of the Gospel in all Auditories and upon all occasions to pin up every purpose to such a method and insist into such a measure of Explications and Criticismes upon words it is but to â—etter himself and to starve his people 5. Consider the dulnesse of the most part of hearers in this age and how hard a thing it is to awake a sleeping world and to get them but to think that it doth concern them to hear in earnest And possibly it was not a small piece of spiritual wisedome in him and it may be not unfit to be imitated by others to begin or end all his Sermons with an awakening word concerning Heaven or Hell or Iudgement and the danger of choising the evil and refusing the good 6. For digressions the truth is that his soul was so filled with such longings after Heaven and Glory and so inflamed with the love of Christ especially towards the latter end of his race that when he fell upon these subjects upon which ye will see most of these digressions are he could not well contain himself nor easily bring off his own spirit A thing not unusual to the Saints in Scripture And howbeit such things might seem somewhat singular in the time and not so coherent yet now we have grounds to apprehend that they were often strong influences of the Lords Spirit stirring up a lamp as it were into a sudden blaze that was not to burn long in his Church But now we shall detain you no longer only this we may assure you of That although these Sermons are neither so exact nor so full as doubtlesse they would have been if they had come from the Authors own pen yet as we dare say they were studied with Prayer Preached with Power and backed with Successe so also if ye shall read them with consideration meditate with Prayer and Practise with diligence ye shall neither find your time nor pains ill bestowed but shall have cause to blesse the Lord for this amongst other helps that he hath given for making you meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light That it may be blest to this end is the earnest desire and prayer of your servants in the work of the Lord Ro. Trail Jo. Stirling The Mystery of Faith Opened up SERMON I. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ c. THis everlasting Gospel in which there are drawn so many precious draughts and divine lineaments of the transcendent beauty of a crucified Saviour and of the riches of his unsearchable grace is a most precious and excellent thing not onely because it doth contain most absolute and sublime precepts and commands in the exercise and obedience of which we do not only attain unto the highest pitch in holinesse but likewise because it containeth most rich and precious promises in the possession and fruition of which wee are advanced to the highest pinacle of eternal blessedness this is clear in the grace of Faith for what doth more purifie the heart and stamp it with the Image of the invisible God then this grace of Faith And what richer promises are annexed to any duty then to this duty of believing to wit everlasting life and fruition of God So that if we have dwelt fourty dayes at the foot of Mount Sinai and had been under the greatest discovering and condemning power of the Law we may yet come with boldnesse to mount Sion and there imbrace Jesus Christ who is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to such as believe Upon which Mount hee standeth holding forth the golden Scepter of his peace desiring us to imbrace him and is crying
pierced as for an only Son Yet in the beginning of the 13. Chapter he maketh mention of a Fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleannesse Which may intimate unto us that although we have washed our selves with our own tears yet there is use of the bloud of Christ and that we must bee washed in that fountain even from our own righteousnesses which are but as filthy rags Thirdly Consider that great and monstrous sinfulness that is in this sin of unbeleif we will strain at a gâ—at but many will easily swallow down this Camel we will tith Mint and Anise and fast twice in the week but neglect faith and love and judgment which are the weightier things of the Law And indeed there are these things which speak out the sinfulnesse of unbelief 1. That when the holy Ghost is sent to convince the world of sin Ioh. 16. 9. he pitched upon this sin as though there were no other sin of which the world had need to be convinced He will convince the world of sin because they believe not on the Son of God and no doubt there is more sinfulnesse in that sin than in many breaches of the Morall Law it being a sin against matchlesse love and against that which is the remedy of sin 2. That it is called by way of eminency disobedience as is clear from Heb. 4. 11. Lest any of you fall after the same example of unbelief or as the word may be rendered Lest any of you fall after that example of disobedience Eph. 2 2. 3. That among all these that shall be eternally excommunicate from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power these that are guilty of this sin of unbelief they are put in the first place Rev. 21. 8. And 4. that unbelief doth contradict and deny these three precious and cardinall Attributes of God 1. Doth not unbelief contradict his faithfulnesse and make him a liar 1 Ioh. 5. 10 2. Doth it not contradict the infinitenesse of his power And 3 the infinitenesse of his love and supposeth that there is something too hard for him which his power cannot reach nor his infinite love overcome We may reduce many of our questions and disputings of his good will to this original viz. to the disputing of his power No doubt if we belong to him we shall once sing that note of lamentation over our unbelief This is our infirmity for changes are from the right hand of the most High And lastly to enforce this precious command of Faith consider that it is His Command which speaketh forth this that we must not take an indulgence or dispensation to our selves to believe or not to believe at our pleasure And is it not a strange thing that Christians are lesse convinced of the breaches of the Commandements of Faith then of other commands They think misbelief to be but a Zoar a little sin And it proceedeth either from this that the convictions of other sins as the neglect of prayer or the sin of swearing or committing adultery do arise from a natural conscience for there is somewhat of natures light to make us abominate and hate them when yet the light of nature will not lead us to the convictions of the sinfulnesse of misbelief it being a Gospel and more spiritual sin Or it proceedeth from this that unbelief doth ordinarily passe vail'd under the vizard of some refined vertue as humility and tendernesse though that rather it may be said that it is pride and ignorance cloathed with the garments of humility And no doubt Christ doth account it obedience to this Commandement of Faith the greatest act of humility as is clear from Rom. 10. 3. where it is called submission they submitted not to the righteousnesse of God Or else it proceedeth from this that we conceive that the commandment of Faith is not of so large extent as other commands and so doth not bind us to the obedience of â—t But know this that it shall be the condemnation of the world that they have not believed on the Name of the Son of God And no doubt but it is Sathans great design and cardinall project to keep us back from obedience to the commandement of Faith and that we should not listen to the precious promises of this everlasting Gospel but should reject the counsel of God against our selves and refuse his precious and divine call The second previous consideration that we would give shall bee to show you what are the causes that there is so much disputing of our interest and so little beleiving that we are unstable as water marring our own excellency spending so much of our time in walking under a cloud and are so seldom admitted to read our names iâ— these precious and eternall records of heaven No doubt these things have influence upon it viz. 1. That we are more judging of God by his dispensations then by Hiâ— word supposing ever the change of his dispensations to speak forth the change of ouâ— state This is misbeliefs divinity that wheâ— sense cannot read love in his face but he appeareth to frown and to cast a cloud oveâ— it then it is presumption saith sense tâ— read love in his heart or in his word Buâ— know it was a self denying practice of Believing Iob to cry out Though he shoulâ— kill me I will believe in him Thereforâ— make not dispensations your Bible other wise ye will stumble at the noon-ride of thâ— day and shall halt in your way Knew yâ— never what such a thing as this meaned to ascend in overcoming thoughts of his love notwithstanding any thing that his dispensations might preach We conceive that if the eyes of our faith were opened we might see infinite love engraven on the darkest acts and most dismal-like dispensations of his to us though it bee oftentimes written in dark and â—im characters of sense 2 There is this likewise which hath inâ—â—uence upon our so much disputing and misbelieving viz. a guilty conscience and the â—ntertainment of some predominant lust which oftentimes occasioneth our walking in darknesse and having no light This is â—lear from 1 Tim. 1. 19. where that precious â—ewel of Faith can bee holden in no other place but in a pure conscience that is that â—oyal palace wherein it must dwell And â—o doubt if once wee make shipwrack of a â—ood conscience wee will erre concerning our â—aith A bosome idol when it is intertained â—oth exceedingly mar the vigorous exercise â—f these graces which are evidences of our faith And certainly grace rather in its â—egrees than in its sincerity or simple being onely is that which giveth the clear evidence of Faith Therefore when we find not love â—â— its high and eminent actings wee hardly win to make it any clearly concluding demonstration of our Faith 3. As likewise a bosome idol when it is â—ntertained maketh use to lose much of our â—igh esteem and reputation of Jesus Christ which
the harlot It is certain that grace when 〈◊〉 is the object of our Faith it doth provoke God to blast the lively exercise thereof and to make a Christian oftentimes have thâ—â— complaint Wo to me my leannesse my leaâ—â—esâ—â— testifieth to my face I will tell you thrâ—â— great mysteries of Christianity about grace The first is to ride marches between theâ—â— two not to deny what they have anâ— yet to bee denyed to what they have maâ—â— times there is grace-denying and not selâ— denying but this is that wee would presâ—â— upon you to bee denyed to grace according to that which is recorded of Moses his faâ—â— did shine and he knew it not hee did misâ—eâ—â— as it were and did not at all bee puffed â—â— with it for so the words wee conceive mâ—â— run Secondly it is a great difficulty fâ—â— a Christian to bee denied to his self denial 〈◊〉 â—ee humble in â—his being humble for if priâ—â— â—â—n have no other foundation it will build â—â— self upon humility and a Christian will â—â—ow proud in this that hee is growing humble Thirdly It is a difficultie for a Christian to examine his growing in grace and not bee puffed up It is certain a Christian ought to examine his growth in grace humbly according to that Psal. 63. 8. My â—â—ul followeth hard after thee thy right hand â—â—holdeth mee Hee doth not only take notice â—f this that his soul did follow after God â—ut of the measure of that pursuit my soul â—â—lloweth hard after thee and yet sweetly acknowledgeth it was not his own feet which â—â—rried him nor his own hand that kept him â—â—om falling 3. Yee are not to build your Faith upon â—our works and upon the righteousnesse â—f the Law I need not stand long to reâ—ure â—â—at practicall Popery that is amongst us â—â—at thinketh wee can go to heaven through 〈◊〉 Covenant of Works I told you not long â—â—â—e what your going to heaven through Covenant of Works speaketh even this â—â—râ—id blasphemy That it was an act of â—onstruous folly to send Christ to die for â—â—ers for if you can go to heaven withâ—â—t him was not Christ then crucified in 〈◊〉 And I would tell you now that â—â— is speaketh out your damnable ignorance 〈◊〉 the weaknesse and deceitfulnesse of your â—â—n hearts O yee that are so great deâ—â—ders of Salvation by the Covenant of â—orks I beseech you What is the reaâ—â—â— that yee break the Covenant of Works oftner then any for there is none thâ— thinketh they will go to heaven this way but these that are the greatest breakers of thâ— Covenant of Works And is not that inconsistent and most contradictory divinity yoâ—â— faith contradicting your practice and youâ— practice telling you that your faith is a lie Fourthly We must not mix our owâ— righteousnesse with Christ as the object oâ— our believing This is indeed an evill thaâ— often lodgeth in the bosome of the most refined hypocrite when Satan cannot prevaâ—â— to exclude Christ altogether then he is content with that whorish woman to divide thâ— childe and let the object of our faith be haâ— Christ and half of self And the truth iâ— many of these poor unwise sons who stâ—â— long in the place of the breaking forth â—â— children do willingly hearken to this oveâ—ture for fear it be presumption for such poâ—â— wretches to meddle too boldly with the righteousnesse of Christ but it were good sucâ— weak ones would consider that word Râ—â— 10. 2. where the Holy Ghost calleth thâ— making use of His righteousnesse an act â—â— submission They have not submitted saith hâ—â— unto the righteousnesse of Christ. O will yâ—â— not lay this to heart that our Lord will taâ—â— your believing or your putting on his righteousnesse for an act of great humility aâ—â— will take your misbelief as a marvelous act 〈◊〉 the highest pride and presumption Fifthly We are not to make providencâ— the object of our faith I know there â—â— some that ask the ground of their right 〈◊〉 heaven they will tell us that God hath been â—ind to them all their dayes I would only â—ay to such He may be feeding you unto the day â—f slaughter and no man knoweth love or hatred â—â—y any thing that is before him This much of â—he object of Faith negatively And now to speak to it positively we see â—he Text holdeth out Christ himself as that excellent and compleat object of Faith This â—s his Commandement that we believe on the â—ame of his Son and thus Faith closeth with Christ in a fourfold consideration First It â—oseth with God in Christ not with God immediatly and nakedly for hee dwelleth in â—â—ght inaccessible that no man can approach unto He is higher then the heaven what can we do â—nd deeper then hell what can we know Job 11. â—herefore wee must approach unto Him â—hrough a vail even the vail of Christ His â—esh Heb. 10 God is a consuming fire and of â—â—rer eyes then that he can behold iniquity and therefore we must first cast our eye upon that â—essed Days-man that laid his hand upon us â—â—th and look upon God as in Christ reconâ—ling the world to himself and so draw near â—nto him through a Mediator who is the first â—â—d the last and he that liveth and was dead â—â—d is alive for evermore able to save to the â—termost all that come unto God by Him â—eing he liveth for ever to make intercessiâ—n for them Secondly Faith closeth with â—hrist as tendered freely in a Covenant of â—omise We could have had nothing to do â—â—th Christ if he had not been given of the â—ther and offered himself in a free Covenant of promise but he being thus holdeâ— forth upon tearms of free love which dotâ— utterly abominat hyre and so nodle a proclamation issued forth under the great seâ— of Heaven That whosoever will may come anâ— drink of the water of life freely Upon thâ—â— the poor creature draweth near by vertue 〈◊〉 a right and stretching out the armes of moâ—â— enlarged affections doth run upon him witâ— that joyful shout My Lord and my God anâ— then maketh an absolute resignation of it seâ— unto him which is holden out in the Scripture by that sweet expression of kissing 〈◊〉 the Son And there are three parts of Chrisâ— blessed Body that the Christian must endeavour to kisse and imbrace the mouth â—â— Christ the hand of Christ and the feet â—â— Christ the kissing of his feet importing thâ— exercise of love the kissing of his hands thâ— exercise of subjection and the kissing of hâ—â— mouth the exercise of communion and fellowship with him Thirdly Faith closeâ— with Christ as the purchaser and meritorious cause of all the good we receive He is the person that hath purchased all these thiâ—â— unto us and there is not one blink of lovâ— there is not the smallest enjoyment that Christian meeteth with but it is the price the blood of Christ Christs precious bloâ— was laid down