did not know that lust or the secret concupiscences and first risings of the soule to sinne were sinne he saw not these secret evils in all that which he did and â—ence he rested in his duties as one alive without Christ but the Lord by discovering this let him see what little cause he had to lift up his hand for any good he did So it is here when the soule sees that all its righteousnesse is a menstruous cloth polluted with sin now those duties which like reeds it trusted to before run into the hand nay heart of a poor sinner and therefore now it sees little cause of resting on them any longer now it sees the infinite holinesse of God by the exceeding spiritualnesse of the law it begins to cry out How can I stand or appeare before him with such continuall pollutions 2. By irritating or stirring up of originall corruption in making more of that to appeare then ever before that if the soule thinks all I doe is defiled with sin yet my heart is good and so it rests there the Lord therefore stirres that dunghill and lets it see a more hellish nature then ever before in that the holy blessed command of God to its feeling makes it worse more rebellious more averse from God When the commandement came sinne revived saith Paul and that which was for life was death to him sin taking occasion by the law and hence Paul came to be slaine and dye to all his selfe-confidence It was one of Luthers first positions in opposing the Popes indulgences that Lex voluntas sunt duo adversarii sine gratiae irreconciliabiles for the law and mans will meeting together the one holy the other corrupt make fierce opposition when the soule is under any lively worke of the law and by this irritation of the law the Lord hath this end in his elect to make them feel what wretched hearts they have because that which is in it selfe a meanes of good makes them through mans corruption more vile to their feeling then ever before and hence come those sad complaints on a soul under the humbling hand of Christ I am now worse then ever I was I grow every day worse and worse I have lost what once I had I could once pray and seek God with delight and never well but when one duty was done to be in another but now I am worse all that joy and sweetnesse in seeking of him and in holy walking is gone I could once mourne for sin but now a hard heart takes hold of me that I have not so much as a heart to any thing that is good nor to shed a teare for the greatest evill It is true I confesse you may grow to your feeling worse and worâ— and it is fit you should feel it that the Lord hereby might pull downe your proud heart and make you lye low it is the Lords glorious wisdom to wither all your flowers which refreshed you without Christ that you might feele a need of him and therefore I say the Lord pulls away all those broken planks the soule once floated and rested upon that the soule may sinke in a holy despaire of any help from any good it hath the Lord shakes down all building on a sandy foundation and then the soule cryes out It is ill resting here 3. By loading tyring and wearying the soule by its own indeavours untill it can stir no more for this is in every man by nature when he sees that all he doth is sinfull and all he hath his heart and nature to be most sinfull yet he will not yet come out of himselfe because he hopes though he be for the present thus vile yet he hopes for future time his heart may grow better and himself doe better then now and hence it is that hee strives and seeks indeavours to his utmost to set up himself again and to gain cure to all his troubles by his duties now the law whose office is to command but not to give strength and the Spirit that should give strength withdrawing it selfe because it knowes the soule would rest therein without Christ hence it comes to passe that the soule feeling it selfe to labour onely in the fire and smoake and to be still as miserable and sinfull as ever before hereupon it is quite tyred out and sits down weary not only of its sin but of its work and now cryes out I see now what a vile undone wretch I am I can doe nothing for God or for my selfe only I can sinne and destroy my selfe all that I am is vile and all that I doe is vile I now see that I am indeed poore and blind and miserable and naked the truth is beloved here comes in the greatest dejections of spirit for when the Lord smites the soule for sin it hopes that by leaving of sinne and doing better it may doe well but when it sees that there is no hope here of healing the breach between God and it selfe now it falls low indeed and I take this to be the true meaning of Mat. 11.28 Ye that labour i. e. You that are wearied in your own way in seeking rest to your soules by your own hard labour or works as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and are tyred out therein and so are now laden indeed with sinne and the heavie pressure of that finding no ease by all that which you doe come to me saith Christ and you shall then find rest unto your soules the Jewes seeking to establish their own righteousnesse seeking I say if by any meanes they might establish it lost Christ the Lord therefore will make his elect know they shall seek here for ease in vaine and therefore tyres them out 4. By clearing up the equity and justice of God in the law if the Lord should never pity nor pardon it nor shew any respect or favour to it for this is the frame of every mans heart if he cannot find rest in his duties and endeavours as he once expected he should but sees sin and weaknesse death and condemnation wrapping him about like Ionahs weeds in all he doth then his heart sinkes and quarrells and falls off farther from Christ by discouragement and growes secretly impatient that there should be no mercy left for him because it thinkes now the Lords eternall purpose is to exclude him for if there were any thoughts of peace toward him he should have found peace before now having so earnestly and frequently sought the Lord and having done so much and forsaken his sinfull wayes according to his owne commandement from him and hence it is you shall find it a certaine truth that the soule is turned back as far from God by sinking discouraging sorrowes for sin as ever it was in a state of security by the pleasures of sin and hence sometime it thinks it is in vaine to seek any more and hence leaves off duties and if conscience force
their owne duties 4. Presumption or resting upon the mercy of God by a Faith of their owne forging so on the contrary there is a fourefold act of Christs power whereby he rescues and delivers all his out of their miserable estate The first act or stroake is Conviction of sin The second is Compunction for sin The third is Humiliation or self-abasement The fourth is Faith all which are distinctly put forth when he ceaseth extraordinarily to work in the day of Christs power and who ever looke for actuall salvation and redemption from Christ let them seek for mercy and deliverance in this way out of which they shal never find it let them begin at conviction and desire the Lord to let them see their sins that so being affected with them and humbled under them they may by faith be enabled to receive Jesus Christ and so be blessed in him It is true Christ is applyed to us nextly by Faith but Faith is wrought in us in that way of conviction and sorrow for sin no man can or will come by faith to Christ to take away his sins unlesse he first see be convicted of and loaden with them I confesse the manner of the Spirits work in the conversion of a sinner unto God is exceeding secret and in many things very various and therefore it is too great boldnesse to mark out all Gods footsteps herein yet so farre forth as the Lord himselfe tels us his work and the manner of it in all his wee may safely resolve our selves and so farre and no farther shall we proceed in the explication of these things It is great prophanesse not to search into the works of common providence though secret and hidden Psal. 28.5 and 92.6 much greater it is not to doe thus into Gods works of speciall favour and grace upon his chosen I shall therefore beginne with the first stroake of Christs power which is conviction of sin SECT II. First Act of Christs power which is Conviction of sinne NOw for the more distinct explication of this I shall open to you these 4 things 1. I shall prove that the Lord Christ by his Spirit begins the actuall deliverance of his elect here 2. What is that sin the Lord convinceth the soule thus first of 3. How the Lord doth it 4. What measure and degree of conviction he works thus in all his 1. For the first it is said Iohn 16.8 9. that the first thing that the Spirit doth when he comes to make the Apostles Ministery effectuall is this it shall reprove or convince the world of sinne it doth not first work faith but convinceth them that they have no faith as in verse 9. and consequently under the guilt and dominion of their sin and after this he convinceth of righteousnesse which faith apprehends verse 10. It is true that the word conviction here is of a large extent and includes compunction and humiliation for sin yet our Saviour wraps them up in this word because conviction is the first and therefore the chiefe in order here the Lord not speaking now of ineffectuall but effectuall and thorow conviction exprest in deep sorrow and humiliation Now the Text saith the Lord begins thus not with some one or two but with the world of Gods elect who are to be called home by the Ministery of the word which our Saviour speaks as any may see who consider the scope purposely to comfort the hearts of his Disciples that their Ministery shall be thus effectuall to the world of Jews and Gentiles and therefore cannot speak of such conviction as serves onely for to leave men without excuse for greater condemnation as some understand the place for that is a poore ground of consolation to their sad hearts Secondly I shall hereafter prove that there can be no faith without sense of sinne and misery and now there can be no sense of sinne without a precedent sight or conviction of sin no man can feel sin unlesse he doth first see it what the ey sees not the heart rues not Let the greatest evill befall a man suppose the burning of his house the death of his children if he doth not first know see and hear of it he will never take it to heart it will never trouble him so let a poor sinner lye under the greatest guilt the sorest wrath of God it will never trouble him untill hâ— sees it and be convinced of it Act. 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked but first they heard it and saw their sin before their hearts were wounded for it Gen. 3.7 they first saw saw their nakednesse before they were ashamed of it Thirdly the maine end of the law is to drive us to Christ Rom. 10.4 if Christ be the end of the law then the law is the means subservient to that end and that not to some but to all that beleeve now the law though it drive to Christ by condemnation yet in order it begins with accusation It first accuseth and so convinceth of sin Ro. 3.20 and then condemneth it 's folly and injustice for a Judg to condemn bring a sinner out to his execution before accusation conviction and is it wisdom or justice in the Lord or his law to doe otherwise and therefore the Spirit in making use of the law for this end first convinceth as it first accuseth and layes our sins to our charge Lastly look as Satan when he binds up a sinner in his sin he first keeps him if possible from the very sight and knowledge of it because so long as they see it not this ignorance is the cause of all their woe why they feele it not why they desire not to come out of it the Lord Jesus who came to unty the knots of â—atan 1 Iohn 3.8 begins here and first convinceth his and makes them see their sin that so they may feele it and come to him for deliverance out of it Oh consider this all you that dreame out your time in minding only things before your feet never thinking on the evills of your owne hearts you that heed not you that will not see your sins nor so much as ask this question What have I done what doe I doe how doe I live what will become of me what will be the end of these my foolish courses I tell you if ever the Lord save you he will make you see what now you cannot what now you will not he will not only make you to confesse you are sinners but he will convince you of sinne this shall be the first thing the Lord will doe with thee But you will say what is that sin which the Lord first convinceth of which is the second thing to be opened I answer in these three Conclusions 1 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule in generall that it is a sinner and sinfull but the Lord brings in a convicting evidence of the particulars the first is learnt
more by tradition in these dayes by the report and acknowledgement of every man rather then by any speciall act of conviction of the spirit of Christ for what man is there almost but lies under this confession that he is a sinner the best say they are sinners if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and I know I am a sinner but that which the Spirit principally convinceth of is some sinne or sins in particular the Spirit doth not arrest men for offences in generall but opens the writ and shewes the particular cause the particular sins Rom. 3.9 we have proved saith the Apostle that Iewes and Gentiles are under sinne but how doth the Apostle being now the instrument of the Spirit in this worke of conviction convince them of this marke his method verse 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. wherein you you shall see it is done by enumeration of particulars sins of their natures there is none righteous sins of their minds none understandeth sins in their wills and affections none seek after God sins in their lives all gone out of the way sins of omission of good duties there is none that doth good their throats tongues lips are Sepulchres deceitfull poysonfull their mouthes full of cursing their feet swift to shed blood c. And this is the state of you Jewes verse 19. as well as of the Gentiles that all flesh may stand convinced as guilty before God If it be here demanded What are those particular sins which the Lord convinceth men of I answer in variety of men there is much vaâ—iety of speciall sins as there is of dispositions tempers and temptations and therefore the Lord doth not convince one man at first of the same sins of which he doth another man yet this we may safely say usually though not alway the Lord begins with the remembrance and consideration of some one great if not a mans speciall and most beloved sin and thereby the spirit discovers gradually all the rest that arrow which woundeth the heart of Christ most the Lord makes it fall first upon the head of the sinner that did shoot it against heaven and convinceth and as it were hits him first with that How did the Spirit convince those 3000 those patterns of Gods converting grace Acts 2.37 did not the Lord begin with them for one principall sinne viz. their murder and contempt of Christ by embruing their hands in his blood there is no question but now they remembred other sinfull practises but this was the Imprimis which is ever accompanied with many other Items which are then read in Gods bill of reckonings where the first is set downe Israel would have a King 1 Sam. 8.19 Samuel for a time could not convince them of their sin herein what doth the Lord doe surely he will convince them of sin before he leaves them and this he doth by such a terrible thunder as made all their hearts ake and how is it now what sin doe they now see they first see the greatnesse of that particular sin but this came not to mind alone but they cryed out 1 Sam. 12.19 We have added unto all our evills this in asking to our selves a King Look upon the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. the Lord Christ indeed spake first unto her about himselfe the substance of the Gospell about the worth of this water of life but what good did shee get untill the Lord began to convince her of sin and how doth he that he tels her of her secret whoredome she lived in the man that now shee had was not her husband and upon the discovery of this shee saw many more sins and hence verse 29. she cries out Come see the man that hath told me all that ever I did in my life And thus the Lord deales at this day the Minister preacheth against one sin it may be whoredome ignorance contempt of the Gospell neglect of secret duties lying Sabbath-breaking c. This is thy case saith the Spirit unto the soule remember the time the place the persons with whom you lived in this sinfull condition and now a man begins to goe alone and to think of all his former courses how exceeding evill they have been it may be the Lord brings upon a man a sore affliction and when he is in chaines crying out of that the Lord saith to him as to those Ier. 30.15 Why criest thou for thy affliction for the multitude of thine iniquities I have done this it may be the Lord sometimes strikes a mans companion in sinne dead by some fearfull judgement and then that particular sinne comes to mind and the Lord reveales it arm'd with multitudes of many other sins the causes of it the fruits and effects of it as a father whips his child upon occasion of one speciall fault but then tells him of many more which he winked at before this and saith Now sirrah remember such a time such a froward fit such undutifull behaviour such a reviling word you spake such a time I called and you ran away and would not heare me and you thought I liked well enough of these wayes but now know that I will not passe them by c. Thus the Lord deales with his and hence it is many times that the elect of God civilly brought up doe hereupon think well of themselves and so remaine long unconvinced of their wofull estates the Lord suffers them to fall into some foule secret or open sin and by this the Lord takes speciall occasion of working conviction and sorrow for sinne the Lord hereby makes them hang down the head and cry uncleane uncleane Paul was civilly educated he turned at last a hot persecutor oppressor blasphemer the Lord first convinced him of his persecution and cryed out from heaven to him Paul Paul why persecutest thou me this struck him to the heart and then sin revived Rom. 7.9 many secret sins of his heart were discovered which I take to begin and continue in speciall in those three dayes Acts 9.9 wherein he was blind and did through sight of sin and sorrow of heart neither eat nor drink As a man that hath the plague not knowing the disease he hopes to live but when he sees the spots and tokens of death upon his wrist now he cryes out because convinced that the plague of the Lord is upon him so when men see some one or more speciall sins break out now they are convinced of their lamentable condition yet it is not alway though usually thus for some men the Lord may first convince of sinne by shewing them the sinfulnesse of their owne hearts and wayes the Lord may let a man see his blindnesse his extreame hardnesse of heart his weaknesse his wilfulnesse his heartlesnesse he cannot pray or look up to God and this may first convince him or that all that he doth is sinfull being out of Christ the Lord may suddenly let him see the deceipts of
his owne heart and the secret sinfull practises of his life as if some had told the Minister or as if hee spake to none but him that he is forced to fall down being thus convinced and to confesse God is in this man 1 Cor. 14.25 Nicodemusâ—â—ay â—â—ay first see and bee convinced of the want of regeneration and thereby feel his need of Christ the Lord may set a man upon the consideration of all his life past how wickedly it hath been spent and so not one but a multitude of iniquities compasse him about a man may see the godly examples of his parents or other godly Christians in the family or town where he dwels and by this be convinced that if their state and way bee good his own so far unlike it must needs be starke naught the Lord ever convinceth the soule of sins in particular but hee doth not alway convince one man of the same particular sinnes at first as hee doth another whether the Lord convinceth all the elect at first of the sin of their nature and shewes them their original sin in and about this first stroake of conviction I doubt not of it Paul would have been alive and a proud Pharisee still if the Lord had not let him by the law see this sin Rom. 7.9 and so would all men in the world if this should not bee revealed first or last in a lesser or greater measure under a distinct or more indistinct notion and hence arise those confessions of the Saints I never thought I had had such a vile heart if all the world had told me I could not have beleeved them but that the Lord hath made me feel it see it at last was there ever such a sinner at least in heart which is continually opposing of him whom the Lord at any time received to mercy as I am 2 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of its sinne in particular but also of the evill even the exceeding great evill of those particular sins The Lord Jesus doth not onely convince of the evill sinne but of the great evill of sinne Oh thou wretch saith the Spirit as the Lord to Cain Gen. 4.10 what hast thou done whose sins cry to heaven who hast thus long lived without God and done this infinite wrong to an infinite God for which thou canst never make him amends That God who could have long since cut thee off in the midst of thy sins and wickednesse crusht thee like a moth and sent thee down to those eternall flames where thou now seest some better then thy self mourning day and night but yet hath spared thee out of his meere pity to thee That God hast thou resisted and forsaken all thy life time and therefore now see and consider what an evill and bitter thing it is thus to live as thou hast done Ier. 2.19 Look as it is in the wayes of holinesse many a man void of the Spirit may see and know them in the literall expressions of them but cannot see the glory of them but by the Spirit and hence it is hee doth not esteeme and prize them and the knowledge of them above gold So in the wayes of unholinesse many a man void of the spirit of conviction of sin may and doth see many particular sins and confesse them but he doth not cannot see the exceeding evill of them and thence it is though he doth see them yet he doth not much dislike them because he sees no great hurt or evil in them but makes a light matter of them therefore when the Spirit comes it lets him see and stand convinced of the exceeding greatnesse of the evill that is in them Ioh. 36.8 9. In the time of affliction which is usually the time of conviction of a wild unruly sinner he shews them their transgressions but how that they have exceeded that they have been exceeding many and exceeding vile Oh beloved before the Lord Jesus comes to convince we have cause to pray for a pity every poore sinner as the Lord Jesus did saying Lord forgive them they know not what they doe You godly parents masters how oft doe you instruct your children servants and convince them of their sinfulnesse untill they confesse their faults yet you see no amendment but they goe on still what should you now doe oh cry out for them and say Lord forgive them for they know not what they doe Their sins they know but what the evil of them is alas they know not but when the Spirit comes to convince he makes them see what they doe what is the exceeding evill of those sinnes they made light of before like mad men that have sworne and curst and struck their friends when they come to be sober againe and remember their mischievous wayes and words now they see what they have done and how abominable their courses then were Oh you that walk on in the madnes of your minds now in all manner of sinne if ever the Lord doe good to you you shall account your wayes madnesse and folly and cry out Oh Lord what have I done in kicking thus long against the pricks The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of the evill of sin but of the evill after sin I meane of the just punishment which doth follow sin and that is this viz. that it must dye and that eternally for sin if it remaines in this estate it is now in Rom. 4.15 The Law works wrath i. e. sight and sense of wrath Rom. 7.9 When the Law came sin revived and I dyed i. e. I saw my selfe a dead man by it so the soule sees cleerly God hath said The soule that sinneth shall dye I have sinned and therefore if the Lord be true I shall dye to hel I shall if now the Lord stop my breath and cut off my life which he might justly and may easily doe Death is the wages of sin even of any one sin though never so little whan then will become of me who stand guilty of so many exceeding the number of the haires on my head or the stars in heaven Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge the Minister hath said so the Lord himselfe hath told me so Heb. 13.4 I am the man my conscience now teares me and tells me so what will become of me The Lord Iesus will come in flaming fire to render vengeance against all that know not God and that obey not the Gospell This I beleeve for God hath said it 2 Thes. 2.7 8 9. and now I see I am he that hath lived long in ignorance and know not God I have had the Gospel of grace thus long wooing and perswading my heart and oftentimes it hath affected me but yet I have resisted God and his Gospel and have set my filthy lusts my vaine sports my companions cups and queanes at a higher price then Christ and have loved them more then him
off Iohn Baptists head you that can be content to heare him gladly and doe many things but he must not touch your Herodias and make a divorce there but suffer him to come in the spirit and power of Eliah nay of Christ Iesus to beat downe your mountaines fill up your vallies make your crooked rough waies smooth that you may see the glory of the Lord Jesus without which he shall be ever hid from you Cry you faithfull servants of the Lord that All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man of sin of world is a withering flower that the Lord Jesus may be revealed ever fresh and sweet and precious in the eyes of the Saints The evidence of this truth in the generall put blessed and learned Pemble upon another way for when he perceived as himselfe confesseth that it is the generall doctrine of all Orthodox Divines viz. that actuall faith is never wrought in the soule till beside the supernaturall illumination of the mind the will be also first freed in part from its naturall perversenesse God making all men of unwilling willing hereupon he concludes that this is done by the spirit of Sanctification and one supernaturall quality of holines universally infused in all the powers of the soul at once so that the Spirit instantly first sanctifies us puts life in us then it acts in sorrow for and detestation of sin and so we come actually to beleeve And because he fore-saw the blow viz. that in this way Christians are sanctified before they be justified he answers Yes we are justified declaratively after this Others who follow him answer more roundly viz. that we are sanctified before we are really and actually justified herein differ from him Now when it is objected against this viz. that our vocation is that which goes before our justification sanctification being part of glorification following after Rom. 8.30 Hereupon some others treading in his steps affirme that vocation is the same with sanctification and not comprehended under glorification Others perceiving the evill of this errour viz. to place sanctification before justification good fruits before a good tree they doe therefore deny any saving worke whether of vocation or sanctification before justification And hence on the other extream they doe place a Christians justification before his faith in vocation or holinesse in his sanctification so that by this last opinion a Christian is not justified by faith which was Pauls phrase but rather as he said wittily and wisely faithed by his justification Before I come to cleare the truth in these spirituall mysteries let this onely be remembred viz. That Sanctification which Pemble calls out spirituall life may be taken two wayes 1. Largely 2. Strictly 1. Largely for any awakenings of conscience or acts of the Spirit of life and so t is true we are quickned by these acts and so in a large sense sanctified first 2. Strictly for those habits of the life of holinesse which are opposite to the body of death in us and that we are not first sanctified before we are justified in this sense we shall manifest by and by Onely let me begin to shew the errour of the last opinion first viz. 1. That a Christian is not first justified before faith or vocation may appeare thus 1. It is professedly crosse to the whole current of Scripture which saith We are justified by faith and therefore not before faith and to say that the meaning of such phrases is that we are justifyed declaratively by faith or to our sense and feeling in foro conscientiae is a meere device for our justification is opposed to the state of unrighteousnesse condemnation going before which condemnation is not onely declarative and in the court of Conscience but reall and in the court of Heaven For so saith the Scripture expresly Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already and verse 36. The wrath of God abideth on him and Gal. 3.22 The Scripture which is the sentence in Gods Court hath concluded all under sinne Hence a second Argument ariseth 2. If a man be justified before faith then an actuall unbeleever is subject to no condemnation but this is expresly crosse to the letter of the Text He that beleeves not is condemned already Iohn 3.18 and the wrath of God doth lye upon him The subjects of non-condemnation are those that be in Christ by faith Rom. 8.1 not out of Christ by unbelief Rom. 11.20 There is indeed a merited justification by Christs death and a virtuall or exemplary justification in Christs resurrection as in our Head and Surety and both these were before not onely our faith but our very being but to say that we are therefore actually justified before faith because our justification was merited before we had faith gives as just a ground of affirming that wee are actually sanctified whiles we are in the state of nature unsanctified Eph. 2.1 because our sanctification was merited by Christ before we had any being in him We must indeed be first made good trees by faith in Christs righteousnesse before we can bring forth any good fruits of holinesse God makes us not good trees without being in Christ by faith no more then we are bad trees in contracting Adams guilt without our being first in him God gives us first his Sonne offered in the Gospel and received by faith and then gives us all other things with him he doth not justifie us without giving us his Son but having first given him gives us this also 2. That sanctification doth not goe before justification may appeare thus 1. If guilt of Adams sinne goe before originall pollution Rom. 5.12 then imputation of Christs righteousnesse before renewed sanctification 2. To place sanctification before justification is quite crosse to the Apostles practise which is our patterne who first sought to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 in the work of union not having his owne righteousnesse in the work of justification which in order followes that that he may then know him in the power of his death and resurrection in sanctification here comes in sanctification if by any meanes he might attain to the resurrection of the dead in glorification the last of all 3. This is quite crosse to the Apostles doctrine which makes justification the cause of sanctification and therefore must needs goe before it Rom. 5. as sin goes before spirituall and eternall death so righteousnesse goes before spirituall life in sanctification and eternall life in glory the Lord holds forth Christ in the Gospel first as our propitiation Rom. 3.24 and then it comes dying to sinne and living to God in sanctification chap. 6.1 Holinesse is the end of our actuall reconciliation Col. 1.21 22. 4. If sanctification goe before justification by faith then a Christians communion with Christ goes before his union to him by faith but our union is the foundation of communion and it is impossible there should be communion without some precedent
me no more therefore in asking Whether a Christian is in a state of happinesse or misery in this condition I answer he is preparatively happy he is now passing from death to life though not as yet wholly passed Nor yet whether there is any saving work before union I answer No for what is said is one necessary ingredient to the working up of our union as cutting off the branch from the old stock is necessary to the ingrafting it into the new indeed without faith it is impossible to please God nor doe I say that this work doth please i. e. it doth not pacify God for that is proper to Christs perfect righteousnesse received by Faith yet as it is a work of his owne Spirit upon us it is pleasing to him as the after-worke of Sanctification is though it neither doth pacify him nor doe I see how this doctrine is any way opposite to the free offer of grace and Christ because it requires no more separation from sin then that which drives them unto Christ nay which is lesse that makes them by the power of the Spirit not resist but yeeld to Christ that he may come unto them and draw them you cannot repent nor convert your selves Be converted therefore saith Peter Acts 3.19 that you may receive remission of sins and in this offer the Spirit works and verily hee that can truly receive Christ without that sense of misery as separates him from his sin as explained to you let him beleeve notwithstanding all that which is said and the God of heaven speakes peace to him his Faith shall not trouble me if hee bee sure it shall not one day deceive himselfe Of lamentation for the hardnesse of mens hearts in these times as it is said the Lord Jesus mourned when he saw the hardnesse of the peoples hearts Mark 3.5 are there not some so farre from this as that they take pleasure in their sins they are sugar under their tongues as sweet as sleep nay as their lives and you come to pul away their limbs when you come to pluck away their sinnes though they have broke Sabbaths neglected prayer despised the word hated and mocked at the Saints been stubborne to their parents curst and swore which made Peter goe out and weep bitterly though lustfull and wanton which broke Davids bones though guilty of more sinnes then there bee moates in the Sunne or Starres in heaven though their sins be crimson and fill heaven with their cry and all the earth with their burthen yet they mourne not never did it one houre together nay they cannot doe it because they will not if you are weary and loaden where are your unutterable groanes if wounded and bruised where are your dolorous complaints if sick where is your enquiry for a Physitian if sad where are your teares in the day in the night morning and evening alone by your selves and in company with others Oh how great is the wrath of God hardning so many thousands at this day whence comes it that Christ is not prized but from this senselesnesse name any reason why the blessed Gospell of peace and all the sweet promises of life are undervalued but from hence and what doe you hereby poore creatures but onely aggravate your sins and make those that are little exceeding great in the eyes of God whence it is that you treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.2 3 4 5. This hardnesse is that which blunts the edge of all Gods ordinances whence Gods poore Ministers sit sorrowfull in their closets seeing all Gods seed lost upon bare rocks oh this is the condition of many a man and which is most fearfull the meanes which should make the heart sensible make it more proud and unsensible Tyre and Sydon and Sodom are more fit to mourne then Chorasin and Capernaum that have enjoyed humbling means long Nay how many be there that mourne out their mournings confesse out their confessions and by their owne humiliations grow more senselesse afterward did wee ever live in a more impenitent secure age wee shall seldome meet with one broken with sin but how few are broken from sinne also and hence it is many a tall Cedar that were set downe in the Table-Book for converted men once much humbled and now comforted stay but a few yeares you shall see more dangerous sins of a second growth one turnes drunkard another covetous another proud another a Sectary another a very dry leafe a very formalist another full of humerous opinions another laden with scandalous lusts woe to you that lament not now for you shall mourne Dost thou think that Christ should ever wipe off thy teares that sheddest none at all dost thou think to reap in joy that sowest not with these showers verily God will make his word good Prov. 29.1 Hee that hardens his owne heart shall perish suddenly heare this you secure sorrowlesse sinners if ever Gods hand bee stretcht out suddenly against thee in blasting thy estate snatching away thy children the wife of thy bosome the husband of thy delight in staining thy name vexing thee with debts and crosses short and sore or lingring sicknesses know that all this comes upon thee for a hard heart but oh mourne for it now you parents children servants the tokens of death are upon you desire the Lord to breake your hearts for you lye under Gods hammer be not above the word and suffer the Lord to take away that which grieves him most even thy stony heart because it grieves thee least meditate much of thy wofull condition chew that bitter pill remember death and rotting in the grave that many are now in hell for thy sins that Christ must dye or thou dye for the least sin remember how patient and long suffering the Lord hath bin to thee and how long he hath groaned under thy burthen that it may be though hee would yet hee cannot beare thy load long let these things be mused on that thy heart may bee at last sorrowfull before it bee too late But oh the sad estate of many with us that can mourne for any evill except it bee for the greatest sinne and death and wrath that lye upon them Of exhortation Labour for this sense of misery this spirit of compunction how can you beleeve in Christ that feel not your misery without him a broken Christ cannot doe thee good without a broken heart bee afflicted and mourne yee sinners turne your laughter into mourning tremble to think of that wrath which burnes downe to the bottome of hell and under which the eternall Sonne of God sweat drops of blood great sins which thou knowest thou art guilty of cause great guilt and great hardnesse of heart and therefore are seldome forgiven or subdued without great affliction of spirit they have loaded the Lord long they must load thee Little sinnes are usually slighted and extenuated and therefore the Lord accounts them great and therefore thy soule must
before God What need or necessity is there of this Because 1. When the Lord hath wounded the hearts of his elect this is the immediate work of their hearts if the Lord prevent them not by his grace as many times hee doth they look to what good they have or if they find little or none they then seek for some in themselves that thereby they may heale their wound because they think thus that as their sinnes have provoked God to anger against them so if now they can reforme and leave those sinnes or if not repent and be sorry for them if now they pray and heare and doe as others doe they have some hope that this will heale their wound and pacifie the Lord towards them when they see there is no peace in a sinfull course they will therefore try if there be any to be found in a good course And look as Adam when he saw his own shame and nakednesse hid himselfe from God in the bushes and covered his nakednesse with fig-leaves so the soule not being able to endure to see its own nakednesse and vilenesse not knowing Christ Jesus and he being far to seek doth therefore labour to cover his wickednesse and sinfulnesse which now he feeles by some of these fig-leaves And hence Micah 6.7 they enquire wherewith they should come before the Lord should they bring rivers of oyl or thousands of lambes or the first borne of their body to remove the sinne of their soule Paul did account these duties gaine and set them at a high rate because he thought that God did so himselfe When the Lord hath wounded the soule the first voyce it speaks is What shall I doe Doe saith Conscience leave thy sins doe as well as others doe with all thy might and strength pray heare and confer God accepts of good desires and requires no more of any man but to doe what he can Hence the soule plyes both oares though against wind and tide and strives and wrastles with his sinnes and hopes one day to be better and here he rests And observe it look as sinne is his greatest evill so the casting away of his sins and seeking to be better is very sweet to him and being so sweet rests in what hee hath and seeks for what he wants and so hopes all will be well one day and so stayes here although God knowes it be without Christ nor cannot rest on him though hee hath heard of him a thousand times And hence it is if they cannot doe any thing to ease themselves then their hearts â—ink or it may be quarrell with God that he makes them not better But beloved it is wonderfull to see how many times men rest in a little they have and doe 2. But whiles it is thus with the soule he is uncapable of Christ for he that trusts to other things to save him or makes himselfe his owne Saviour or rests in his duties without a Saviour he can never have Christ to save him Rom. 9.32 it is said the Jewes lost Christs righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but â—ought salvation by their owne righteousnesse He that maketh flesh his arme as all duties and endeavours of man be when trusted to the Lord saith Cursed be that man Ier. 17.5 6. Onely the Lord doth not leave his Elect here he that is marryed unto the Law Rom. 7. cannot be matcht unto Christ till he be first divorced not from the duties themselves but from trusting to them and resting in them And therefore saith Paul I through the Law am dead to it that I might live unto God He that trusteth to riches cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven no more then a Camell through a needles eye because it is too big for so narrow a roome so he that trusteth to his duties and abilities is too big to enter in by Christ the Lord must cut off this spirit and lay it low and make it stoop as vile before God before it can have Christ in this estate the Lord must not onely cut it off from this selfe-confidence in duties but also so farre forth as that the soule may lye under God to be disposed of as he pleaseth And the reason is because such a soule as is unwilling to stoop is unhumbled and he that is so doth not onely on his part resist God but the Lord also resists him Iames 4.7 8. And hence you shall observe many a one hath laine long under distresse of conscience because they have either rested in their duties which could not quiet or because they have not so cast off their confidence in them so as to lye downe quietly before God that he may doe what he will with them being so long objects of Gods resistance not of his grace By what meanes doth the Lord worke this In generall by the Spirit immediately acting upon the soule for after a Christian is in Christ he hath by the habit of humility and the vertue of faith some power to humble himselfe but now the Spirit of Christ doth it immediately by its own omnipotent hand else the proud heart would never down For we are first created in Christ which is by Gods omnipotent immediate act unto good workes before we do from our selves or by the power of Faith put forth good workes Eph. 2.10 These acts of self-confidence may not be stirring in all Christians but in all men there is this frame of spirit never to come to Christ if they can make any thing else serve to heale them or save them and therefore the Spirit cuts off this sinfull frame in part in all the elect he hewes the roughnesse and pride of spirit off that it may lye still upon the foundation it is now preparing for Now though the Spirit works this yet t is not without the Word the Word it works chiefly by is the Law Gal. 3.19 I through the Law am dead to it i. e. from seeking any life or help from it that I might live unto God Now the Law doth this by a foure-fold act 1. By discovering the secret corruptions of the soule in every duty which it never saw before It once thought I shall perish for my sinne if I continue therein without confession of them or sorrow for them but it also did think that this confession sorrow and trouble for sinne will serve to save it and make God to accept of it but the Law while the soule is earnestly striving against his sinne discovering that in all these there is nothing but sinne even secret sinnes it did never see before hereupon it begins thus to think Can these be the meanes of saving of me which being so sinfull cannot but be the very causes of condemning of me I know I must perish for the least sinne and now I see that in all I doe I can do nothing else but sinne What made Paul alive without the Law You shall finde Rom. 7.7 it was because he
necessary here then the removall of the power of this which makes the soule in the sense of its owne infinite vilenesse and unworthinesse not to quarrel at the Lord and devil-like grow fierce impatient before and against the Lord in case he should never help it never pitty it never succour it the Lord will not forsake for ever if the soule thus lies down and puts its mouth in the dust Lam. 3.30 31. Which consideration is of unspeakable use and consolation to every poore empty nothing that feels it selfe unable to beleeve and the Lord forsaking it from helping it to beleeve And I have seen it constantly that many a chosen vessell never hath been comforted till now and ever comforted when now they never knew what hurt them till they saw this and they have immediately felt their hurt healed when this hath been removed In comforting Christians under deep distresse tell them of Gods grace and mercy and the riches of both you doe but torment them the more that there should be so much and they have no part nor share in it and think they never shall because this is not the immediate way of cure tell them rather when they are full of these complaints that they are as they speak vile and sinfull and therefore worthy never to be accepted of God and that they have cause to wonder that they have their lives and are on this side hell and so turne all that they say to humiliation and selfe-loathing verily you shall then see if the Lord intends good he wil by this doe them good and the weakest Christian that cannot come to Christ you shall see first or last shall see cause to lye downe and be silent and not quarrell though the Lord should never come to him And that this is necessary may appeare thus Otherwise 1. The Lord should not advance the riches of his grace the advancement of grace cannot possibly be without the humiliation and abasement of the creature the Lord not onely saves but calls things that are not that no flesh might glory 1 Cor. 1.28 29. 2. Otherwise the Lord should not be Lord and disposer of his owne grace but a sinfull creature who quarrells against God if it be not disposed of not as the Lord will but as the creature will If a stranger comes to our house and will have what he wants and if he hath not he quarrells and contends with the master of the house what would he say Away proud begger dost think to be lord of what I have dost draw thy knife to stab me if I doe not please thee and give thee thy asking no thou shalt know that I wil doe with my owne as I see good thou shalt lye downe on the dust of my threshold before I give thee any thing So t is with the Lord. It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy It is his principall name I will be mercifull to whom I will be mercifull and therefore if you will not beleeve me yet beleeve the Lords oath Esay 45.23 Vnto me shall every knee bow and doe you come to lord it over him and quarrell and fret and sink and grow sullen and vex if the Lord stoop not unto your desires No no you must and shall lye upon his threshold nay he wil make thee lay thy neck upon the block as worthy of nothing but cutting off and then when this valley is filled all flesh shall see the glory of the Lord Esay 40.5 Thus humiliation is necessary in this measure mentioned Not that I deny any subsequent humiliation after a Christian is in Christ arising from the sense of Gods favour in Christ then which nothing makes a Christian of an evangelicall spirit more ashamed of himselfe yet I dare not exclude this which is antecedent arising from the spirit of power immediately subduing the soule to Christ that it may be exalted by Christ 1 Pet. 5.6 It is true all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse are received by faith 2 Pet. 1.3 yet faith it self is a saving work which is not received by another precedent faith Faith therefore is to be excepted not onely as begotten in us but as it is in the begeâ—ting of it in the conviction and humiliation of every sinner Hence see what is the great hindrance betweene the mercy of God and the soule of many a man if it be not some sinne hardnesse of heart under it whereby he cares not for Christ to deliver him then t is some pride of spirit arising from some good he hath whereby he feeles no need of Christ hoping his owne duties shall save him or else is above Christ and not under him willing to be disposed of by him And hence the Lord makes this the high way to mercy Levit. 26.40 if first they shall confesse their sinne secondly humble themselves both which I know the Lord must worke then he will remember his Covenant Look as it is with a vessell before it can be fit for use it must first passe through fire and the earth and drosse severed from it then it must be made hollow and empty which makes it vas capax a vessell capable of receiving that which shall be powred out into it if O Brethren the Lord hath some vessells of glory which he prepares before-hand and makes capable of glory Rom. 9.21 22. if the Lord doth doth not sever you from sinne in compunction and empty you of your selves in humiliation you cannot receive Christ nor mercy you cannot hold them and if ever you misse of Christ by faith your wound lies here How many be there at this day that were once profane and wicked but now by some terrours and outward restraints upon them they leave their sinnes and say they loathe them and purpose never to run riot as they have done and hence because they thinke themselves very good or to have some good they fall short of Christ and are still in the gall of bitternes in the midst of all evill It were the happines of some men if they did not think themselves to have some good because this is their Christ. Oh you that live under precious meanes and have many feares you may perish and be deceived at the last But why doe you feare I know you will answer Oh some secret unknown sin may be my ruine It is true and you do well to have a godly jealousie thereof But remember this also not onely some sinne but some good thou thinkest thou hast and restest in without Christ and lifting thee up above Christ may as easily prove thy ruine because a mans owne righteousnesse rested in doth not onely hide mens sinnes but strengthens them in some sinne by which men perish Trusting to ones owne righteousnesse and committing iniquity are couples Ezek. 33.13 Nor doe I hereby run into the trenches of that wretched generation of the Familists denying all inherent graces
there is a subjection arising from the sense of the sweetnesse and exceeding goodnesse of Gods call and promise Psal. 110.2 3. As a woman that is overcome with the words of her loving suitor the man is precious and hence his words are very sweet and overcome her heart to think why should such a one as I be lookt upon by one of such a place it is no presumption now but duty to give her consent so it is here when the Lord is precious and his words oh accept me oh come to me are exceeding sweet and hereupon out of obedience gladly yeelds up it selfe to the Lord takes possession of the Lord this is no more presumption then to sanctifie a Sabbath or to pray or heare the word because the Lords commands are herein very sweet If Repentance accompanies Faith t is no presumption to beleeve Many know they sinne and hence beleeve in Christ trust to Christ and there is an end of their faith but what confession and sorrow for sinne what more love to Christ followes this faith truly none nay their faith is the cause why they have none for they think If I trust to Christ to forgive them he will doe it and there is an end of the businesse Verily this hedge faith this bramble â—aith that catches hold on Christ and pricks and scratches Christ by more impenitency more contempt of him is meere presumption which shall one day be burnt up and destroyed by the fire of Gods jealousie Fie upon that faith that serves onely to keep a man from being tormented before his time Your sins would be your sorrowes but that your faith quiets you But if faith be accompanyed with repentance mourning for sin more esteem of Gods grace in Christ so that nothing breaks thy heart more then the thoughts of Christs unchangeable love to one so vile and this love makes thee love much and love him the more as thy sin increaseth so thou desirest that thy love may increase and now the stream of thy thoughts runne how thou mayst live to him that dyed for thee This was Maries faith who sate at Christs feer weeping washing them with her teares and loving him much because much was forgiven who though shee was accounted a presumptuous woman by Simon and Christ himselfe suffered in his thoughts for suffering of her to come so neare unto him yet the Lord himselfe cleares her herein and justifies her before God and men many a poor beleever thinks if I should beleeve I should but presume and spin a spiders web of Faith out of my owne bowels and hence you shall observe this not beleeving stops up the work of repentance mourning and love and all chearfull obedience in them and on the contrary if they did beleeve it would be with them as themselves think many times if I knew the Lord was mine and my sins pardoned oh how should I then blesse him and love him and wonder at him how would this break my heart before him c. now I say let all the world judg if that which thou thinkest would be presumption be not rebellion because it makes thee worse and stops up the Spirit of grace in thee Whereas that Faith which lets out those blessed springs of sorrow love thankfulnesse humblenesse c. what can it bee else but such a saving faith as is wrought by the Spirit because it lets in the Spirit more abundantly into a dry and desolate heart 2. The subject or matter of Faith This is the second thing in the description of Faith the soule of an humbled sinner is the subject or matter of Faith I doe not meane the matter out of which Faith is wrought for there is nothing in man out of which the Spirit begets it but that wherein Faith is seated I meane also the habit of Faith not the principle of it for that is out of man in the Lord Jesus who is therefore called our hope as wel as our strength the soule therefore is the subject of Faith called the heart Rom. 10.9 compared with Mat. 6.21 for we cannot goe or come to Christ in this life with our bodies we are here absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. but the soule can goe to him the heart can bee with him as the eye can see a 1000 miles off and receive the species or image of the things it sees into it so the soule inlightned by faith can see Christ a farre off it can long for choose and rest upon the Lord of life and receive the lively image of Christs glory in it 2 Cor. 3. ult If Christ were present upon earth the soule not the body onely could truly receive him Christ comes to his elect only by his Spirit and hence our spirits only are fit to receive him and close with him thousands heare Christ outwardly that inwardly are deafe to all Gods calls their spirits see not tast not feel not it is therefore the soule that is the subject of Faith and I say it is an humbled empty soule which is the subject for a full proud nbroken spirit cannot nay will not receive Christ as wee have proved and therefore Luke 14. the servant is commanded to bid the poore halt and blind and lame to come in they would not make excuses as others did they that were stung to death with fiery Serpents were the only men that the brasen Serpent was lifted up for them to look upon and so be healed Iohn 3.14 and therefore the promise doth not run If any man have wisdome let him aske it but if any man want wisdom Iames 1.5 so if any man want light life want peace pardon want Christ and his Spirit let them aske and the Lord will give away with your mony if you come to these waters to buy and take freely If any man would be wise let him be a foole saith the blessed Apostle an empty nothing a soule in a perishing helplesse hopelesse condition is the subject of faith such only feele their need of Christ are glad at the offer of Christ and therefore such only can and will receive Christ and come unto Christ by faith and truly if we had but hearts the consideration of this might be ground of great comfort confidence unto all Gods people whose soules come unto Jesus Christ for that which was in Thomas Iohn 21. is in all men naturally if we could see Christ with our eyes and feel him with our hands and embrace him as Mary did with our arms if we could heare himselfe speake we could then beleeve as they said if he will come from the Crosse so we say if he will come downe from heaven thus unto us we will then beleeve if we want this we fear we may be at last deceived because we want sense and cannot come to close with our eyes and hands the objects of our faith but oh consider this point we are made partakers of Christs life and salvation by him only yet
other reason but because it is commanded and called to accept of it this puts an end unto all doubts all feares all discouragements and the soule answers as those Ier. 3.22 Behold we come for thou art the Lord our God As a man in great want of bread one comes and freely offers him bread to preserve his life the man takes it if you aske him Why doe you take it you are a poore fellow unworthy of it never did yet one houres work for it he answers T is true I am unworthy but yet because it is offered to me to preserve life I gladly take it the man doth not promise absolutely to me that this bread is mine and shall feed me but he tels me if I doe receive it it shall certainly be mine to feed me and this is the main ground of his receiving of it Just so it is in Faith Aske an humbled sinner Why doe you beleeve Why doe you take Christ as your owne Hath the Lord said absolutely that he is yours No saith the soule but the Lord freely offers himselfe unto me who am undone without him and saith if I doe receive him he shall be for ever mine to give life to me and therefore I thankfully accept of him this is the ground of Faith The Scripture sets out this in a lively similitude of a great Supper to which many were invited what was the ground of their comming to it Behold all things are ready if you come and eate they are not yours if you doe not come but if you come at my call and invitation then all things shall be yours And hence it is that they that came not were excluded they that came were received with welcome I know t is a question of some difficulty among some viz. Whether an absolute testimony of actuall favour and justification be not the first ground of Faith They that make Faith to be an absolute assurance of Gods favour must of necessity maintain this assertion and then these things will follow 1. That a Christian must be justified before he beleeve for the cause of Faith must goe before Faith This proposition Thou art justified reconciled is according to this assertion the cause of faith for no proposition can therefore be true because we are perswaded that it is true but it must be first true before I am perswaded of it the wall is not white because my eye sees it so but it must first be white and then I see it so Now to make actuall justification before faith is crosse to the whole current of Scripture We beleeve that we might be justified Gal. 2.16 we are not justified that we might beleeve We passe from death to life by faith Iohn 5.24 we are not in a state of life before faith When the Lord Iesus saw their faith Mat. 9.2 he then said Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee The Word saith He that beleeveth not is condemned already Iohn 3.18 and therefore unlesse the Spirits witnesse be crosse to the Word it doth not say to one that beleeveth not that he is absolved already To be justified by faith and to be justified by Christs righteousnesse is all one in the Scriptures phrase and meaning Gal. 2.16 17. Add therefore we may as well say that we are justified before and without Christ as before and without faith And indeed this doctrine of being justified by faith and by this meanes to have remission of sinnes the Apostle Peter affirms to be the doctrine of all the Prophets Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeve in him shall receive remission of sinnes not that they had remission of sinnes before they did beleeve I know not any one Protestant Writer that maintaines our justification before and without faith except learned Chamier who not knowing how to avoid the blow of Bellarmines horned argument that if Faith be an assurance of our actuall justification then we are first justified before we beleeve he affirmes we are justified before faith and therefore that when the Scripture saith we are justified by faith the reason of that saith he is not because our faith doth efficere justificationem i. e. is a cause meaning instrumentall of our justification but because efficitur in justificato i. e. is wrought in a justified person but if that be the reason of the phrase we may affirme our justification to be as well by love and sanctification and holy obedience as by faith because these are wrought in a justified person also Then no mans ministry nor the doctrine delivered by the faithful Ministers of Christ froÌ„ out of the Scriptures can be any ground of faith for before faith no Minister of Christ can say to any man in particular or any men in generall that they are already justified and reconciled and therefore beleeve it but to deny that doctrine which is opened out of the Scriptures by the Ministers of Christ to be the ground of Faith is expresly crosse to the testimony of Scriptures and the end of the Ministery and of the messengers of Christ who have the keyes of office given to them that what they bind on earth is bound in heaven what they loose on earth is loosed in heaven whose sins they remit they are forgiven whose sins they retain they are retained Mat. 16.16 Ioh. 20.23 Most excellent for this purpose is the Apostles dispute Rom. 10. You need not go up to heaven nor down to hell to fetch Christ himselfe to tell you whether you shall be justified and saved ver 6 7. For the word is nigh them verse 8. that opens Christs heart unto thy heart But what word might some say is this Is it not the internall word of the Spirit onely The Apostle answers It is that word which we preach hereby you shall know whether you shall live or no but what is that word Paul preached is it not an absolute testimony that all your sins are already pardoned by Christ and therefore beleeve it No but If thou beleevest with thine heart that God raised up Christ from the dead thou shalt be saved vers 9.11 12. What can be more full yet consider tâ—at one place more Iohn 17.20 I pray for all them that shall beleeve on me through their word What is the ground or meanes of beleeving in Christ It is said here expresly Their word Is it not the word of Christ rather then the word of the Apostles and of their successors in the doctrine they delivered is it their word Truly that which thâ—y delivered was the word of Christ and that which is opened from their doctrine in the Scriptures is the word of Christ yet as they open it and apply it so t is their word and this Word is the ground by which all that Christ prayes for doe beleeve in Christ the bare Word I grant cannot perswade without the Spirit yet the Spirit will not give ground to Faith without the Word but as
by it so upon it will build the souls of all the elect who are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the chief corner-stone Eph. 2.20 How can they beleeve without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 3. Then when wicked men and reprobates are commanded to beleeve as they are commanded Iohn 3.19 Luk. 14.17 Iohn 6.38 Heb. 4.2 they are commanded to beleeve a lye viz. that their sinnes are pardoned and they actually justified for if this testimony be the ground of faith then when they are commanded to beleeve they are commanded to be perswaded of this testimony But the sinnes of wicked men especially Reprobates are not nor never shall be forgiven and therefore this cannot be the ground of Faith 4. Then the Spirit of adoption which witnesseth that God is our Father and that we are his sonnes reconciled to him goes before faith but the Apostle expresly denyes this Ye are the children of God by faith Gal. 3.26 And because ye are sonnes he hath sent unto you the spirit of sonnes crying Abba Father Gal. 4.6 5. If such a testimony should be the first ground of faith then no man should beleeve but he that hath such a testimony antecedent to his faith but this is crosse to the Scripture Esay 50.10 He that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him stay himselfe upon his God When Ionah is cast out of Gods sight to his owne feeling yet he is bound to look againe unto the Temple 6. This absolute testimony is either the testimony of the Word or of the Spirit Not of the Word as is proved If of the Spirit then let it be considered whether that can be the testimony of the Spirit which is not according to the Word nay contâ—ary to the Word for the Word to say none are justified before faith for the Spirit to testifie some are justified before faith If it be said that the Spirit doth not witnesse these to any man before and without faith but yet it is without respect unto or shewing a man his faith for those that exclude Sanctification from being any evidence they meane Faith as well as any other renewed work of holines and so exclude that also then I say the testimony of the Spirit which of it selfe is exceeding cleare is an obscure and dark testimony because it cleares up the praedicate of this Proposition thou beleever art justified it witnesseth to a man thou art justified but cleares not up the subject of it viz. thou beleever it makes a man beleeve a testimony without understanding the full meaning of it for the Spirit testifying to any man thou art justified his meaning is thou beleever art justified and I doe beseech the God and Father of all lights that his poore people may be led into the truth in this particular for want of establishment here you little think how many delusions you may fall into about your spirituall condition I remember that when Satan came to overthrow the Faith of Christ in his second temptation Mat. 4.6 he brought a promise out of the Scriptures to him because he saw hee held close to them verse 4. and by this promise sought to lead him into temptation how so observe the text and see if it was not by hiding part of the meaning of the promise from him and in speciall that very condition required in the person to whom the promise is made for he tells him that if he cast himselfe downe headlong the Lord hath not only said it but writ it He shall give his Angells charge over him to keep him from dashing his foot against a stone whereas if you consult with the place whence it is cited viz. Psalme 91.11 The condition is set downe in all thy wayes which hee purposely hides from our Saviour as much as in him lay Oh take heed therefore of receiving any testimony from Word or Spirit without the meaning of it without knowing the person thus and thus qualified to whom it belongs otherwise Satan will hurry you headlong to a world of delusions and you shall find the word of God appointed to direct you through your mis-application of it the word of Satan to deceive and damne you doe not think that this is building faith upon works but to beleeve that they that believe in Christ are justified reconciled and saved is building faith upon Gods promise yea and his free promise too for saith the Apostle It is of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 4.16 It is believing to have the end by the meanes not the end without the mean of Faith It is true we may see Gods favour and love to us in the cause as well as in the effects of sanctification but what is that cause the meritorious cause is Christs righteousnesse and the instrumentall cause of applying this is our Faith so that as we are justified by faith so seeing this we may say assuredly with Paul Being justified by faith wee have peace with God Rom. 5.1 It is true we cannot see our justification by saith nor the work of Faith without the shining of the Spirit into our hearts but the question is not whether the Spirit helps us to see our justified estate but by what meanes by what Proposition in the word wee come to see it which we say is not by any such absolute testimony thou art justified already and therefore believe but if thou believe and come to Christ here is then pardon of sinne peace with God yea all the blessings of Christ ready for thee which God intends to give and never to take away if thou thankfully receive what God freely offers and as it were layes downe at thy feet The call of Christ therefore is the ground by which wee first believe and that you may be confirmed farther herein doe but consider the glory and excellency of this ground It is a constant ground of faith for if you come to Christ because you have assurance or because you feel such and such graces and heavenly impressions of Gods Spirit in you you may then many a day and yeare keep at a distance from Christ and live without Christ for the feeling of graces and assurance of favour are not constant but this call is alway sounding in thine yeares oh come not only because thou feelest holinesse in thee but come because poore hungry empty naked lost blind cursed forsaken full of sin there is not one moment of the day of grace but the Lord beseecheth thee to receive his grace 2 Cor. 6.1 2 3. this is an open door to Christ at all times an open harbour to put in at in all storms a heart-breaking word oh thou tossed with tempests and not comforted come unto me and thou shalt find rest to thy soule Many aske how should I come to Christ seeing that I have no promise belonging to me what have dogges to doe with childrens bread be it so yet Gods call command beseechings to come in
denyed as well as to be heard and he shall undoubtedly find the thing it selfe a lust is properly such a desire though for lawfull things wherein a man must have the thing because it pleaseth him as when Rachell asked for children she must have them else she must needs dye Give us water that wee may drinke was their brutish cry Exod. 17.1 2. not that we may live to him that giveâ— it holy prayers or desires opposed unto lusts are such desires of the soule left with God with submission to his will as may best please him now the Lord will heare the desires indeed of all that feare him but not fulfill their lusts These three are the essentiall properties of such prayer as is heard or if you will of that which is properly or spiritually prayer fâ—rvency and assurance c. are excellent ingredients but yet the Lord may heare prayer without them it is true the Lord may sometimes not heare us presently for our praying time is our sowing time we must not look presently for the harvest The Lord heares the prayer of the destitute Psal. 102.17 the originall word is of the shrub or naked place of the desert which the Prophet saith Ier. 17.6 sees no good when good comes yet such as feele themselves such the Lord doth regard them and will have a time to answer them and though the Lord may not give us the thing we pray for nor as good a thing of the same kind yet he ever gives us the end of our prayers hee that is at sea and wants stiffe winds to carry him to his port yet hath no cause to complaine if the Lord secretly carries him in by a strong current of the sea it selfe and it is certain at the end of all Gods dealing with you you shall then see how the Lord hath not failed to answer you in any one particular Ios. 23.14 Oh therefore see and be perswaded of this your priviledge that God will now heare every prayer many make a question How may we know when the Lord grants out any blessing as an answer to prayer many things are said to this purpose but the simplicity and plainnesse of the answer liâ—s in this viz. if it be a prayer God heares it if it be put up in Christs name it is then a prayer and that you may beleeve this and glory in this consider these reasons only to confirme this truth From the promise of Christ as in this place Iohn 14.13 14. which was a promise in speciall to be accomplished when hee came to his kingdome and therefore though it is true Gods grace is free and therefore you think the Lord may as well refuse to heare you as heare yet consider that by his promise he hath bound himselfe to heare From the Fatherly disposition that is in God Iohn 16.26 27. and hece he loves us and hence cannot but heare us Because all prayers put up in Christs name Christ makes intercession that they may be heard Heb. 7.25 hee hath laid downe his blood that all our prayers might be heard as we have provâ—d and indeed hence ariseth the infinite efâ—icacie of prayer because it is built upon that which is infinitely and eternally worthy Because all prayers of the faithfull arise from the Spirit of prayer Rom. 8.26 because as that which is for the flesh is of the flesh so that which is for the Spirit or for the sake of Christ for spirituall ends is ever of the Spirit Iohn 7.18 Because of the glory of Christ that the Father may be glorifyed in the Son cannot Christ be glorifyed unlesse he heare all prayers yes he could but yet his will is to reveale his glory by this meanes so that thou and thy prayers be vile and therefore deservest no acceptance nor answer yet remember that his glory is deare it is the glory of Kings to heare some requests and petitions but they cannot heare nor answer all it is the glory of Christ to heare all because he is able without the least dishonour to himselfe thus to doe Oh be perswaded of this how should your joy then be full how should you then delight to be oft with him how would you then encourage all to come unto him how would you then be constrained to doe any thing for him who is ready to doe all for you but oh woe unto our unbeleefe for that which the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 5.14 was ground of his confidence viz. that what ever wee aske according to his will hee heares us is no ground to us and wee may say and mourne to think this is our diffidence that what ever I aske according to Christs will he heares me not but oh recover from such a distrustfull frame and from all dead-heartednesse in this duty with all lest the Lord send task-masters and double our bricks and then we groan and sigh and cry and learne to pray that way that will not pray nor beleeve now If the Lord would but give us hearts assuredly you might not only rule your selves and families but by the power of prayer pull down and raise up Kingdomes dispose of the greatest affaires of the Church nay of the world you might hereby work wonders by meanes of him who ruling all things yet is overcome by prayer Hos. 12.4 5. SECT VI. Sixthly Glorification This is the sixth and last priviledge and benefit and you all know is the last thing in the execution of Gods eternall purpose toward all his beloved and chosen ones whom he hath predestinated called justified them he hath also glorified Rom. 8.30 hereby we are made perfect in holinesse no more sinne shall stirre in us perfect also in happinesse no more teares nor sorrowes nor temptations nor feares shall ever molest us Heb. 12.23 Revel 14.13 and all this shall bee in our immediate communion with God in Christ Col. 1.28 Iohn 17.23 24. wee shall be then saith Paul for ever with the Lord if the Lord would but open our eyes and give us one glimpse of this what manner of persons should we be how would we then live how willingly then should wee embrace faggots and flames prisons and penury the light afflictions here would not they work for us glory nay the Apostle useth such a phrase which I beleeve may pose the most curious oratour in the world to expresse to the life of it an exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 What is our life now but a continuall dying carrying dayly about us that which is more bitter then a thousand deaths what faith the Apostle to us You are dead yet when Christ shall appeare you shall appeare with him also in glory the generall security of these times foretold by Christ especially when Churches become Virgins and People are seeking after purity of Ordinances it shall not be in a want of watchfulnesse against the present corruptiions of the times so much as in a carelesse want of expectation of the comming oâ— Christ