the account of their own righteousness meeting with such commendations of the practice of holiness they are much confirmed in their carnal confidence in such ways as these 1. Hence they think their own righteousness does draw the heart of God unto them they think that their holiness does attract the affection and good will of God unto them they imagine that their holiness does work them into Gods love that the beauty of their holiness does captivate the affections of God and their cries and carriages do work upon divine compassions and make God willing to bestow salvation upon them and indeed a self-righteous man doth attribute more to his own righteousness than a Saint does to the righteousness of Christ a godly man neither does nor ought to make the righteousness of Christ the foundation of Gods sove Christ has purchased the favour of God and reconciliation with him but he did not purchase the good will and love of God there was no need of purchasing that God could love sinners freely there was no possibility of purchasing that that was too great a thing to be 〈…〉 Christ procured the effects of Gods love but not the love it self Gods love was the cause of Christs coming not the effect thereof but the self-righteous man imagines a vertue in his own righteousness to draw the heart of God to him and engage the love of God. 2 Hence they think their own righteousness does make amends for their miscarriages that they have made are atonement for themselves for their former sins they think their repentance makes up that breach that sin had made and that out of a respect unto that God forgets what they have done amiss they imagine that there is a reconciling vertue in their reformations and good services that they satisfie God for what has been past And herein they attribute more to their own obedience than we ought to do to the active obedience of Christ Christs active obedience was not sufficient to satisfie for sin it purchased the blessings of the covenant but it did not deliver us from the curse active obedience to the Law has merit in it if it be perfect but it has not any satisfying vertue it is something of another kind that God requires for satisfaction the Law threatens death for sin Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death so that Christs active obedience could not satisfie for sins if he undertake to satisfie for sins he must bear the punishment of death 3. Hence they think that out of a respect to their own righteousness and upon the account therof God will bestow salvation upon them they think that this is that which interests them in all the good of the covenant their own prayers and reformations and affections and zeal in the cause of God is that which makes them heirs of glory and gives them a title to the eternal inheritance They look upon their own righteousness as the price of heaven and think they have done something to the earning of glory they are at work for God and look upon heaven to be their wages And herein they attribute that to their own righteousness that ought to be attributed unto the righteousness of Christ This was the very design of the active obedience of Christ to give us a claim to glory because we were very unworthy and could not fulfil the condition of the Law Jesus Christ undertook for us and has performed the righteousness of the Law and merited eternal life Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3. Another temptation to make men depend upon their own righteousness and seek salvation in that way is the seeming excellency of their own righteousness there is a real excellency in true holiness it is the perfection of mans nature sin is a vile thing but holiness does advance and perfect mans nature holiness is the glory of man The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour the Righteous are called excellent ones Psal 16.3 and though all the righteousness of self-righteous men is but hppocrisie and therefore an abomination in Gods sight yet they themselves do imagine that there is an excellency in it and from hence they make it a ground of confidence imagining an excellency in it they think God is taken with it and that it is meritorious they do from the excellency of their carriage promise salvation to themselves And there is a four fold excellency which they are wont to take special notice of 1. The moral excellency of their carriage they count their carriage excellent because they live according to principles of honesty and sobriety and piety they are no Drunkards nor Oppressors not Railers nor Sabbath-breakers nor Swearers c. but they have a good conversation they do not live a prophane nor sensual life are not blemishing themselves by vicious courses they have an amiable lovely and justifiable carriage their outward carriages are according to principles of reason and religion their behaviour is equal and honourable they walk without blame the Pharisee was lifted up with that he was no Extortioner unjust person nor Adulterer the young man was taken with that that he had been moral from his youth Mat. 19 20. Paul speaks of that as a thing which men build much upon that as touching the righteousness of the Law they are blameless Phil. 3 6. 2. The religious affections that they feel working in their hearts Sometimes such men have great affections they have melting affections under the considerations of their sins and Gods mercies outward salvation the sufferings of Christ for sinners and the like they have a delight in Ordinances strong desires after Christ and holiness they have a zeal against the sins of the times and for the better party the Scripture is plentiful in instances of such affections in unconverted men as Saul the stony-ground hearers and others and they count these sincere and are highly taken with them they look upon these to be the very spirits of religion things which do greatly ingratiate them with God. They look upon these affections as blessed frame of heart these they think are the things that God does especially delight in they count these heavenly frames of heart they are much affected with their affections now they reckon they have a suitable frame of heart to spiritual things 3. The difficulties that they go through in serving of God which raises the price of their services and makes them more available they mind that they take a great deal of pains in serving God in reading and praying and taking spiritual opportunities they dont gratifie a slothful spirit but are laborious in religion and they hope God takes notice of that so they are at considerable expense they spend of their Estates in works of piety and charity and on that account value their duties highly so they are much in fasting and in that way afflict their bodies so they upon the account of Religion have displeased
that presents it self for his relief is the reformation of his sins and diligent applying himself unto the duties of Religion and they are travelling this way after peace sometimes many years with a neglect of Christ men ought indeed to seek their peace with reformation but not by their reformations but men are mightily wedded to this way of seeking salvation by their own duties this is one of those things that make the work of conversion so exceeding difficult it is a difficult thing to bring men to be earnestly seeking salvation and when they are brought unto that it is very difficult to bring them to seek it in the right way they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9.32 but men have no ground at all for this it is safe appearing before God in the righteousness of Christ but it is no ways safe for men to trust in their own righteousness when men make their own righteousness the ground of their confidence they do but flatter themselves and please themselves in a vain delusion their own works can never procure their acceptance with God. In prosecuting this Vse let us consider 1. Who they are that seek salvation by their own Righteousness 2. What righteousness they do attain unto 3. What are their temptations to seek their salvation in this way 4. What confidence they have in their own righteousness 5. How they do to hide it from themselves that they trust in their own righteousness 6. The vanity of mens trusting to their own righteousness The first thing to be considered is Who they are that seek salvation by their own righteousness But before I give you their characters it will be needful to premise two things 1. They that seek salvation by their own Righteousness do not expect salvation from the covenant of works as it requires perfect obedience in order unto life they dare not adventure their souls on the strictness of the Law though they had need to do so if they seek life by their own works but they do not thus they look upon their righteousness as that which will allay the Anger of God and be an inducement unto God to save them that which will win the good-will of God and draw the heart of God to them yea they look upon their righteousness as that which will bring God in their debt that God is beholden to them for their service yet they do not lay claim to blessedness by the strictness of the Law for they know and confess themselves to be sinners they pray for forgiveness which things are inconsistent with justification by their own works the Jews did not stand upon a strict covenant of works Rom. 9.31 32 they sought it as it were by the works of the Law but these men do make such a mixture of the covenant of works with the covenant of grace wherein the covenant of works is predominant they make some profession of the Gospel and yet adhere to a covenant of works therefore the Apostle tells them that if they be circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing Gal. 5.2 they made account to have some benefit by Christ so they made account to have some benefit by grace therefore the Apostle tells them that whoever of them are justified by the Law are fallen from grace they did not pretend to the strictness of the Law but took in Gospel Principles into their way of justification and yet were legal all the while this makes the Apostle dispute in that manner against them Rom. 6.11 if it be grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then is is no more grace otherwise work is no more works they mingled grace and works together they made their own works the foundation of their hopes and yet took in the plea of Gods grace and Christs Righteousness they thought their own works did contribute something and the grace of God through Christ would make up their defects 2. The Saints of God have a great deal of a self-righteous spirit remaining in them and men must not conclude because they find such workings in their hearts that they are self-righteous no doubt many of the Galatians that were tainted with the doctrine of the Legallists were really converted Gal. 4.14 there was somewhat of this spirit in Peter Mat. 19.29 we have forsaken all what shall we have therefore as the people of God are not compleatly delivered from other corruptions so not from carnal confidence there is such a spirit working and sometimes prevailing in them but there is also in the Saints an evangelical spirit Phil. 3.3 we rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh they allow not themselves to have any confidence in the Flesh These things premised take these characters of those men that seek salvation by their own righteousness 1. Such men as magnifie themselves by their duties and frames they count highly of themselves because of what they do pride is the very spirit of self-righteousness The self-righteous man sets a great price upon what he does he loves to be thinking upon what he has done how his heart melted in such a duty how his affections were drawn out and enlarged in such a prayer what he has done and suffered in the cause of God he loves to chew over duties again as things that do commend him to God while another man is magnifying free-grace and the Righteousness of Christ the self-righteous man is idolizing his own services falls in love with his own beauty is taken with his own carriage and thinks that God and man should be taken with him he thinks his works do ingratiate him with God and draw the heart of God towards him so the Pharisee Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possess he minds God of it what a choice man he was and thinks that God has not many such servants as himself he counts his own righteousness his riches Rev 3 17. he is rich in prayers rich in mournings rich in duties of Religion and of charity he is not brought to be poor in spirit he don't see himself without money and without price but has a considerable estate of his own to live upon he thinks that by his duties he gains somthing towards the paying for salvation Phil. 3.7 he places his confidence in those things and glories in them as a rich man boasts of his wealth so he boasts of his righteousness and despises other men as the Pharisee Luk. 18 11. I am not as other men or like this Publican whereas the spirit of a Saint is to glory in the righteousness and sufferings of Christ Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of Jesus Christ 2. Such men make their duties their refuge in time of danger such men are oftentimes scared from a remembrance of their former courses and sence of present
sort of men another to limit it and confine it to them it may be applied particularly to young ones yet that does not exclude the Antient to poor ones yet that does not exclude the wealthy to afflicted ones and that does not exclude men that are in prosperity unto the Jews but that does not exclude the Gentiles Rev. 22.22 Whoever will let him come and take the water of life freely Objection 8. I have not a work of Humiliation I am not brought wholly out of my self therefore I am not called Answer 1. Persons that are not humbled are called to come to Christ their next work indeed is not to come to Christ but to come out of themselves and so come to Christ to forsake all other confidences and build on Christ to throw away other hopes and flee to this hope that is set before them to throw away their crutches and lean upon Christ self-righteous persons are invited Rev. 3.17 18. they that said they were rich are invited to come to Christ for gold tried in the fire 2. If persons are so far humbled as to be willing to take Christ on his own terms that is enough there needs no humiliation before faith but upon this account that persons may be so shiftless that they may be willing to take Christ as a free gift of God men need so much that they may not make lies their refuge but may be prepared to take the free offer of the Gospel so much as is necessary in order to a dependance on Christ and free-grace is needful and no more Objection 9. How can the Righteousness of Christ make God love one I have no righteousness of my own to draw the heart of God to me and I don't see how the righteousness of Christ can procure the love of God for me Answer 1. The use of the righteousness of Christ is to answer the demands of the Law for you the Law laid an objection in the way of your salvation which must be removed before you could be saved the Law would not admit of your salvation without a compleat righteousness and the righteousness of Christ does remove this objection this is as much as the Law does demand as the condition of life the righteousness of Christ makes you an heir of blessedness according to the law this removes the guilt of sin this supplies your want of worthiness so that hereby fair way is made for your salvation without any injustice Rom. 3.26 there needs nothing more to make your salvation free from any legal exceptions 2. There is no need that the righteousness of Christ should procure the love of God for you men are troubling of themselves in vain when they are seeking a cause of Gods love out of himself Gods love is the first cause of mans salvation and has no dependance upon any thing it is impossible that any thing out of God should move God to love you and there is sufficiency of grace in God to love you tho' there be no external cause to move him God loves men freely Hos 14.4 he can have mercy upon you because he will the love that God has to the angels of heaven is not built upon their righteousness but is the foundation of their righteousness because they were elect angels therefore they continued holy angels and the love of God to Abraham and all his Saints does not depend upon their righteousness nor upon the Righteousness of Christ indeed the love of God was the reason why Christ was sent to work out righteonsness for us Joh. 4.10 he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Objection 10 I have not the inward call of the Gospel how can it be said then that God calls me I have indeed an external call but God does not inwardly call me and I wait for that Answer It is the outward call of the Gospel that gives men their warrant to believe it is the written Word of God that bears us out in it and you must not expect any other warrant but that you must not expect any new revelations to warrant your coming to Christ 2 Pet. 1.19 we have also a more sure word of Prophesie the inward call is nothing else but the opening of the ear to hear the outward call the inward call is only that illumination of the mind wherby we see God calling of us in his word the assuring us of the truth of the Gospel the call of God in his Word is that that gives men their encouragement to come to Christ the Word of God is the ground of faith Psal 91.4 his Truth shall be thy shield and buckler the design of the inward call is only to clear up the outward call and satisfie the heart in that the outward call evidences mens safety in coming there is Gods testimony and that is an evidence beyond exception 1 Joh. 5.9 Gods call in his Word makes it your duty to believe but that it would not do if it did not give you a sufficient warrant to believe the inward call helps us to read and understand our warrant but it is the outward call that gives warrant to believe the outward call is the foundation of saith Acts 13.48 they glorified the Word of the Lord and believed God speaks his heart in the outward call men slight it and say it is but an outward call but the outward call is no delusion God speaks uprightly in the outward call there you may see the heart of God how ready he is to bestow salvation upon sinners and the outward call binds Gods faithfulness the outward call lays such a tye upon God as makes the condition of believers very safe Heb. 10.25 let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is fatthful that promised Objection 11. I have an unwilling spirit to come to Christ and therefore I am not called for the call is only to them that will Rev 22.17 whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Answer 1. When God says whoever will he does not limit the call to them that will the offer is general and therefore is made unto them that will not as well as unto them that will men that are unwilling ought to come mens duty does not depend upon their willingness to do it God commands those that are unwilling the generality of the Jews were not willing to come to Christ yet God required them to come Joh. 9.29 this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent God makes conditional promises unto such and will punish such men for their not coming unto Christ it will be a poor excuse at the last day for men to say they were not willing out of their own mouth God will conde mn them 2 When God says whosoever will he does not require any antecedent willingness before their coming the meaning is not that men must first find themselves willing and so come
manifest at that time that it is his testimony and hereby this differs from the delusions of Satan as the Prophets knew it to be the Lord that revealed things unto them so Saints at the time knew it to be the Spirit of God that witnessed to them they do not need any other help at that time to know it to be the voice of God they do not need a candle to see the Sun though soon after they may have doubts Thus I have cleared up the assumption of the Argument it remains that somewhat be added to evidence the proposition that it must needs be safe appearing in that righteousness upon the account of which God does bestow the beginnings of salvation here And I may evidence that from these two Principles The first Principle is That righteousness which does purchase any part of the good of the covenant does purchase the whole good of the covenant by the righteousness of Christ believers stand already possessed of some part of the good of the covenant and that righteousness that brought them into the possession of that will in due time bring them into the possession of what remains for that which purchases any part of the good of the covenant must needs purchase the whole the condition upon which all the good of the covenant depends was one so that the good of the covenant must be wholy purchased or wholly forfeited it could not be in part purchased in part forfeited the condition of the covenant of works was perfect righteousness if that were performed all the good of the covenant was purchased if that were not performed all the good of the covenant was forfeited an imperfect righteousness would not purchase any one good thing mentioned in the covenant one sin was sufficient to break the whole covenant and expose unto death one sin would make a course of righteousness for many years utterly ineffectual unto the purchase of any good and lay the sinner open unto the curse of the Law Gal. 3.10 Rom. 6.23 whatever was done towards the performance of the condition of the covenant signified nothing except the full was performed that God required so the condition of the covenant of the Mediator was perfect obedience to the law of the Mediator viz. perfect obedience to the commands of the law and perfect bearing of the curse 't is true that the active and passive obedience of Christ have a distinct respect one of them to the possession of good the other to the removal of evil the one is meritorious the other satisfactory one procures the blessings promised the other delivers from the evils threatned but yet Christ being made under such a covenant the success of one depended upon the other and they are joyntly together the purchasing cause of our salvation and one of them would have had no efficacy at all towards our salvation if not accompanied with the other so that this principle stands firm that that righteousness that does not procure all the good of the covenant procures none that righteousness can purchase no good for us that is not sufficient for our compleat salvation that cannot purchase the beginnings of salvation that does not justifie us seeing therefore on the account of Christs righteousness we have already the beginnings of salvation that righteousness is suffieient for our Justification and Salvation The Second Principle is That God in giving the beginnings of salvation in a way of believing in Christs righteousness for salvation does own that to be the way of salvation God does in this way give such mercies as are evidences of his favour and such as do accompany salvation he subdues sin quickens the heart in holiness reveals his loving kindness c. And herein God does plainly testifie that this is the way to salvation and that the righteousness of Christ was the procuring cause of salvation if the righteousness of Christ were not sufficient for our salvation God would be angry with us for believing in Christs righteousness we might expect frowns and judgments in this way but Gods giving the beginnings of salvation in this way does eminently own it to be the way of life when did God in such a way own men in a way of depending upon their own righteousness or external priviledges they have some common mercies but none of the beginnings of salvation but the beginings of salvation being bestowed in this way are an evident sign of divine approbation of it God bore witness to the Apostles preaching this doctrine by many wonderful signs Heb. 2.4 and he bears witness to those that by saith receive this doctrine by wonderful gracious effects in them he gives the earnest of heavenly glory which evidently shews the efficacy of this righteousness which they trust in to accomplish their salvation Eph. 1 13 14. in whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory CHAP. VII The ninth Argument From the Sacraments of the New-Testament Two Objections against this Doctrine Answered Argument IX IT is safe appearing before God in that righteousness the efficacy whereof unto salvation we are taught in the Sacraments of the New-Testament But in the Sacraments of the New-Testament we are taught the efficacy of Christs righteousness unto salvation God in these Sacraments is by sensible signs teaching of us this truth so that in the Sacraments there is a divine testimony to this doctrine 1. We are taught the efficacy of Christs righteousness unto salvation by the ordinance of Baptism as 't is said of circumcision that it was a seal of the righteousness of Faith so is baptism the washing of water signifies our washing in the blood of Christ as the legal washings had a respect unto the cleansing away of sin by Christs blood so has our baptismal washing this ordinance practised first by John and afterwards appointed by Christ to be a perpetual ordinance in the gospel church is appointed on this design to strengthen our Faith in this Doctrine 1. This appears because by baptism is held forth our fellowship with Christ in his sufferings that is signified thereby that we have an interest in the vertue of his sufferings that his sufferings are made over unto us that we do participate in the good and benefit of them Rom. 6 3. so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death there was sealed up unto us the vertue and efficacy of his death therefore verse 4. we are said to be buried with him by baptism into death the like expression you have Col. 2.12 we are thereby partakers of his sufferings as if we our selves had suffered and if this be held forth then our justification and reconciliation is held forth for that is procured by the sufferings of Christ Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. 2. Baptism is
friends incurred the anger of men been reproached born Persecution and upon this account they count their services excellent they think it is no small matter to do what they have done and are ready to please themselves that they have merited highly hereby Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possess 4. The serviceableness of their carriages They by their carriages have done great service and upon that account they do extol and magnifie them they have by their charity relieved many a godly man and by their zeal counsel bounty learning the publick good has been promoted they have been a means to promote religion in the place where they lived They have put their shoulders to the cause of God when it needed a lift they have been peace-makers they have been ready to forward any good designs they have comforted on ourners they have stirred up others to godliness there has been much good promoted by them they have had an hand in many a good work and have been instruments to promote the glory of God in their place and upon this account they think they have deserved well such services are not to be forgotten Mat. 7.22 Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name And there are two things that do considerably strenghthen this temptation 1. That others have a good and it may be an high opinion of them they take notice of that that others esteem them they pass currently for Saints where they are known they have the good word of others godly men that have a spirit of discerning do take them for Saints they have entertained them into their societies take delight in their company entreat their prayers this greatly establishes them in that apprehension that they carry themselves excellently they think they are not alone in judging so of themselves but others wise and experienced men judg so too it would shake their confidence if others thought them hypocrites but they perceive that others have no suspicion of them 2. That their carriages are far better than the carriages of many others When they compare themselves with many others they are hugely taken with themselves many others are prophane and vicious but they are not they don't lead such lewd lives as others do yea they carry it better than many Professors they are more exemplary in their conversation not carried away so with the sins of the times more strict in sanctifying the Sabbath and the like they are more forward for publick good not so passionate nor so covetous nor so haughty nor so complying as many others are Luke 18.11 I am not as other men nor as this Publican 4. A fourth temptation that proves a snare to them is that God owns them in this way since they have reformed their course and taken up the practice of religion Gods dispensations to them are otherwise than formerly And this confirms their apprehensions that God is reconciled unto them that they are taken into his favour and so that their works are taking with God and prevail for their acceptance with him they think the providence of God does witness for them that their services are of great account And there are three things in providence that they build upon 1. That God prospers them and succeeds them in their occasions they thrive in the World more than they did formerly their estates are blessed they don't meet with such crosses in providence as formerly that promise seems to be made good unto them Psal 1.3 Whatsoever he doth shall prosper God in his providence smiles upon them their cattle increase their trading succeeds and they have credit and good acceptance among men they are improved in publick service and this they attribute to the delight that God takes in their conversation they look upon this as the fruit of their goodness 2. That God has given some remarkable answers to their Prayers and that not only when they have joyned with others in prayer but when they have prayed alone in some particular case of their own they have gone before God and poured out their hearts before him and he has done the thing for them and granted the desire of their hearts and tho there be no evidence of favour meerly in Gods doing that which men ask for God hears the Ravens that cry Psal 147.9 and sometimes he grants mens desires in judgment Psal 106.15 yet these men build much on this thing inasmuch as God has gratified them in a thing that lay much upon their heart and did it also in answer to their prayer 3. That God does sometimes draw nigh to them and quicken and encourage them when they have been serving him sometimes when they have been at prayer God has greatly enlarged their hearts so in hearing of the Word and other Ordinances their heart does many times melt God assists them and don 't leave them to a dry sapless spirit in the practise of Religion but he warms their hearts and kindles gracious affections in them while others are sleeping in the House of God their hearts are greatly affected with spiritual things and they look upon this as a sign that their wayes are pleasing unto God they count that now they have communion with God and now and then they have had some special incouraging words set home upon their hearts some promises have come to them that have much revived them and this they think evidences the favour of God and the excellency of their carriages 5. The fifth temptation is that they don't know any other way to get the favour of God but by their own righteousness it is a dreadful thing unto them to go without the favour of God they have had convictions of the dreadfulness of Hell and they tremble to think of being rejected they would not for a world be cast away it is an amazing thing to them to think of dwelling with devouring fire so that they are pressed in spirit if it be possible to secure their salvation and get as strong and sure a title to heaven as they can and they don't know any other way but this by their own righteousness there is another way proposed unto them they hear often of the way of salvation by Christ but it is a meer mystery unto them they do not conceive the safety that is in this way their reason does not reach it what ever is said unto them they look upon it unlikely they are not satisfied in the justice of it or that God can find in his heart to pardon them in this way they are full of reasonings against it tho God testifie plainly unto this way of salvation yet they dare not venture it this way is hidden from them 2 Cor. 4.4 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost hence they dare not give over seeking by their own righteousness and let go their carnal confidencies 't is with them as with a man that is falling down some steep
Have no dependance upon signs it is a great fault of the people of God that when they are called to believe they are waiting for signs sometimes God gives his people signs and sometimes he denies signs unto them when God gives signs it is a duty to take notice of them when he gives them we must improve them for the strengthening of Faith it was a sin in Ahaz to refuse a sign Isai 7.12 God many times considers the weakness of his people and gives them signs which are a strengthening unto hope Rom. 5.4 and it is lawful to desire signs out of a sensibleness of the unbelief of our own hearts under the sence of that that we are easily outbid with temptation that our unbelieving hearts are ready to take advantage from the want of such evidences we may desire signs but it is not lawful to desire them from unbelief unbelief is never good nor any natural effect of it we have no reason to lie waiting for signs when we have the Word of God to incourage us to believe Mat. 16.4 God has sometimes sharply shewed his anger when his people have neglected the promise waiting for signs he has brought sharp affliction upon them Luk. 1.11 20. indeed sometimes God has granted the desires of his people when they have been unbelieving and have desired signs but he does not therein shew his approbation of those desires he condescends because of the infirmities of his people so he did to Gideon but Gideons heart smote him for what he did Judg. 6.39 so Christ condescended to Thomas but withal reproved him Job 20.29 therefore never wait for signs have no dependance upon them Consider 1. When God denies signs there is a sufficient foundation for Faith God never leaves his people without a sufficient ground for Faith it is no sign that a man is not in favour with God that God takes away signs and there is a firm bottom for Faith when signs are withdrawn such as have no light may trust in the Name of the Lord Isai 50.10 Gods call is a sufficient warrant to believe 2. God many times withdraws signes to draw forth the more glorious acts of Faith when men have got signs they are very ready to live upon them and lay more weight upon them than on the stability of the Word of God and God takes away those crutches that men may learn to go without them men are brought into such a condition that they may have nothing else to rely upon but the Word of God 2 Cor. 1.9 3. God takes great delight in the acts of Faith at such a time when signs fail acts of Faith at such a time put a great deal of honour upon God and God does greatly approve of such a Faith God don't reckon men bold and presumptuous for believing at such a time God loves to see men with the shield of Faith defending themselves from all temptations this is a Faith very commendable in the sight of God and God will eminently reward his people for believing on him at such a time a man cannot please God better than by exercising Faith under such circumstances under this consideration Abraham's Faith is commended that against hope he believed in hope Rom. 4.18 and Jesus Christ commends the Faith of the Woman of Canaan when under great temptation yet she would rely upon him Matth. 15.28 O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Direction 4. Beware of frowardness and discontent frowardness is one great cause of discouragement and unbelief men get into a discontented frame and then they don't know how to believe their spirits are disordered by the dispensations of God unto them because God brings great and long afflictions upon them don't hear their prayers don't give them those inward comforts that he does unto others and when their spirits are distempered with discontent they are greatly disadvantaged to receive the encouragement that God offers unto them discontent is an enemy unto faith therefore beware of a discontented spirit when you are under any rebukes of Providence look to your spirits and labour against the first stirrings of a froward spirit the workings of frowardness does prove a temptation to unbelief and so do the workings of any other corruption as the sinfulness thereof does fright a man from believing but this is not all a froward spirit leads a man into unbelief it is a principle and cause of unbelief And that these two ways 1. Frowardness blinds the minds of men frowardness bereaves men of their understandings passion draws a vail before the eyes God presents before men several encouragements to believe but those things don t sink into mens hearts when discontented a man in a discontented frame is out of frame to consider the weight of those things that God sets before him discontentedness makes him rashly and inconsiderately to reject encouragements when God is encouraging him he don't hearken and regard it Ex. 6.9 they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage frowardness does prejudice men against believing when a man is in such a frame he construes all Gods difpensations to be from want of love he thinks if God had any love for him he would never have dealt so with him if God had had a kindness for him he would have done this for him and prevented this or that evil but he takes it as a sign that God don't regard him when froward he puts the worst sense upon every thing and represents Gods dispensations to himself as flowing from want of love he is ready to say as she how canst thou say I love thee Judg. 15.15 yea frowardness makes a man justifie his unbelief it so blinds him as it did Jonah that he thinks he does well vindicates himself as if he had cause for what he did 2. Frowardness makes men love to cavil against the encouragements that God sets before them a man in a froward frame studies objections and indulges himself in a way of cavelling there is a great deal of wilfulness in their unbelief a froward heart humours himself in his raising of objections men take a pride in cavelling and turning of the calls of God when the heart is discontented there is a great deal of a sturdy spirit working in their unbelief if I had called and he had answered yet would I not believe that he did hearken unto my voice for he breaketh me with a tempest Job 9.16 17. Direction 5. Set hefore your selves the examples of other Saints there is a cloud of witnesses gone before you men that under all sorts of difficulties and temptations have been exercising Faith remember how Abraham believed the Lord and it was counted unto him for righteousness how Job carried himself when he says tho' he slay me yet I will trust in him how David says why art thou cast down O my Soul hope in God how Jonah recovers himself yet will I look again