walk or speak or do any act of a living man so these cannot do the actions of men that are quickned and enlivened they cannot pray with the spirit they cannot love God c. They cannot do those things that shall be done hereafter in Heaven There 's not one good duty which this natural man can do If it should be said unto him Think but one good thought and for it thou shalt go to Heaven he could not think it Till God raise him from the sink of sin as he did Lazarus from the grave he cannot do any thing that is well pleasing unto God He may do the works of a moral man but to do the works of a man quickned and enlightned it 's beyond his power For if he could do so he must then have some reward from God for however we deny the merit of good works yet we deny not the reward of good works to a man that is in Christ. There 's no proportionable merit in a cup of cold water and the Kingdome of Heaven yet he that gives a cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward Here then is the point The best that a natural man doth cannot so relish with God as that he should take delight in it or reward it whereas the least good thing that comes from another root from a quickned spirit is acceptable and well pleâ—sing to him Consider for this end that which is set down Prov. 15.8 Tâ—ke the best works of a natural man his prayers or sacrifice and see there what is said The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. It s said again Prov. 21.27 where there are additions The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord How much more when he brings it with a wicked mind Suppose there should come upon this man a sit of devotion where he hath or should have some good motions is it then accepted no it is so far from being accepted that it is an Abomination to God how much more then if he brings it with wicked mind That is if he brings it not with a wicked mind it is an abomination how much more with it See the case set down in Haggai 2.12.13 14. If one bear holy flesh c. shall it be holy And the Priest answered no. Then said Haggai if an unclean person touch any of these shall it be unclean And he said it shall be unclean Then answered Haggai so is this people so is this nation before me saith the Lord and so is every work of their hands it is unclean A man may nor say prayer is a sin because it it is so in them no it 's a good duty but spoil'd in the carriage He marrs it in the carriage and therefore insteâ—d of doing a good work he spoils it and so in stead of a reward must look for punishment 1 Tim. 15. The end of the Commandment is love out of a â—ure hâ—art a good conscience and faith unfeigned Let the things thou dost be according to the Commandment Look what thou dost be in the middle end and beginning according to the Commandement If wrong in all these then though the work be never so materially good being faulty in the original middle or end it 's so far from being a good work that God will not accept of it and thou mayst rather expect a plague for spoiling it then a reward for doing it See then the beginning of a good work it must be from a pure heart A man not ingrafted into Christ is a dâ—filed polluted person his very mind and conscience are dâ—filed The conscâ—ence is the purest thing a man hath it holds out last and taketh part witâ— God that as Jobs messenger said I only am escâ—ped to tell theâ— Job 1 15. So conscience only remains to declare a mans faults to God and to witness against the man and yet this very light the eye of tâ—e soul is deâ—iled therefore if thou have a corrupt fâ—untain if the heart be naught the fountain muddy whatever stream comes from it cannot be pure Again the end of it is love Consider when thou dost any duty what puts thee on work Is it love doth constrain thee If love do not constrain thee it is manifest that thou dost not seek God but thy self and art to every good work a Reprobate Tit. 1.16 that is thou art not then able to do any thing that God will accept the best thing thou dost will not relish with God A hard estate indeed that when a man shall come to appear before God he shall not have one good thing that he hath done in all his life that God will own Some there be that take a great deal of pains in coming to the word in prayer publick and private in charity and giving to the poor Alas when thou shalt come to an account and none of these things shall stead thee not one of them shall speak for thee but all shall be lost How heavy will thy case be 2 John 8. Look to your selves that you lose not the thing that you have wrought By being indisposed to do the works of a living man we lose all that is to say God will never own nor accept them we shall never have reward for them So that here is the case thou being dead unable to perform the works of a living man canst have no reward from heaven at all until a man is quickned and hath life from Christ his works are dead as well as his person Without me saith our Saviour you can do nothing Ja. 15.5 St. Austin on this place observes that Christ saith not Without me ye can do no great matter No but unless you be cut off from your own stock taken from your own root and be ingrafted into me and have life from me and be quickned by me you can do nothing at all Nothing neither great nor small all that you do is lost So that if there were nothing but this being dead you could do no good action I know that in me that is in my flesh saith St. Paul there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 that is nothing spiritually good nothing for which I may look for a reward in heaven The Lord will say of such a man thou hast lived ten twenty forty or it may be fifty years under the Ministry and yet hast not done a good work or thought a good thought that I can own Cut down this fruitless tree why cumbers it the greund Luk. 13.7 And this is the case of every man of us while we continue in our naâ—ural condition till we be ingrafted into Christ and live by life God will own nothing we do But now we are not only dead and indisposed to the works of a living man though this be a very woful case and we need no more misery for this will bring us to be cut down and cast into the
so evident yet it is most sure 2. Then there are other arguments which come from the fruâ—ts of faith à posteriori they are more evident but not so sure And thus have I declared unto you the first point of justification by faith it is so sweet a string that I cannot tell how to leave it and therefore harp so long upon it Now let us come from the Mother to the Daughter the eldest Daughter is peace with God then this is the first birth And we are at peace c. In this peace we will consider these three particulars 1. What is that peace which we have 2. With whom we have it 3. By whom and by whose means we have peace with God c. It is procured by Jesus Christ. What we have peace With whom God By whose means Our Lord Jâ—sus Christ. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. What this peace is You know the point of peace is a great matter it is the Apostolical Benediction Grace and peace in all the Epistles Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes. 1.2 and chap. 3.16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace by all means always This is a thing by all means to be desired you must labour to get it this was the Angels song when Christ was born Luke 2.14 Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men This peace is a thing by all means to be sought after and what it is you may know by the contrary you know what a miserable thing war is God grant you may not know it too soon You know what it is to have an enemy among us This is our case till we be justified we are at daggers drawing at point of hostility with God It is a foolish conceit for a man to think that by reason of God's predestination he is justified before he was this is a foolish conceit until thou art justified by faith thou art not justified at all God's predestination doth not make a change in the subject if I intend to inrich a beggar he is in rags still for all my intention till my intention be put in execution Paul was elected before the foundation of the world but till he was converted he was an enemy and a persecutor the chief of sinners as he speaks of himself Rom. 5.10 so the Scripture speaks in that point If when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Before the time of peace came we were unbelievers enemies in the state of enmity when as before God was thy enemy as soon as thou hast touched Christ by a lively faith presently all the actions he had against thee are let fall God is friends with thee this is a high and a deep peace and this comprehends all kind of blessings Amasa 1 Chron. 12.18 one of the valiantest Captains that David had speaks there of peace one would think it not so proper it belongs not to them to talk of peace but because peace comprehends all kinds of blessing it is said Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Amasa who was chief of the Captains and he said Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Jesse peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee This is a speech from a Soldier to a Soldier and this is done in a military way Peace is welcome though coming from a Warrior because it comprehends all manner of Blessings It 's said 2 Sam. 11.7 That when Vriah came unto David David demanded of him how Joab did and how the people did and how the war prospered Look unto the Margin according to the original and it is He demanded of the peace of Joab and the people and of the peace of the War A man would think it a contradiction that he should demand of the peace of the war so then this peace which we have with Almighty God after we are justified by faith is the comprehension of all manner of good This having peace with God is the fruit of the Spirit But with whom is this peace with God it is not peradventure so with thy self thou mayst have a turbulent conscience insomuch that thou wouldst give all the world to have it quiet to be assured that there is peace between God and thee that 's not the point The thing thou gettest by faith is peace with God When thou art troubled with thy self and hast but a weak act of faith yer if thou believest thou art more afraid than hurt thou art cock-sure and shalt be calm and quiet in God's good time Object But why should Christians be so foolish so troubled what 's the reason the children of God do disquiet themselves Sol. Because they are fools they stand in their own light are straitned in their own bowels God is liberal and free but there is some hope of worthiness in us and we do things we should not do We are always poring on our selves and do not bring a naked hand and this is the reason we are so full of distractions for he that seeks justification I mean remission of sins by his own performance will never attain it Observe what the Apostle speaketh upon this point Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law This was their stumbling stone as he there saith Rom. 9.31 32. Again it is the nature of many peevish people amongst us that they will not be comforted when news was brought to Jacob that Joseph was slain and lost it is said All his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning Gen. 37.35 They have a kind of pettishness and peevishness and wilfulness they will not be comforted and it may be there is some kind of pride in it too they would perhaps be thought to be the only mourners of Israel of the Kingdom As Rachel mourned for her children and would not be comforted Matth. 2.18 they shut up their eyes against all comforts God commands them to be comforted and they will not it is no marvel then that they eat the fruit of their own hands it is a part of our office to bring comfort we have an injunction to it Comfort ye Comfort ye my people saith the Lord we bring the tydings of peace and our feet should be beautiful Rom. 10.15 we bring good news all is well as Noah's Dove coming with an Olive branch in her mouth Comfort ye comfort ye cry aloud spare not If you stop your ears who can help it the Lord is gracious and chargeth us to comfort you and
no Physician there Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered What though then we are sick to death yet there is an help in time of need And this knowledge of the people that there is a Throne of grace is the first comfort comes to a miserable and sinful soul. A man that hath a deadly disease though the Physician do him no good which he hath made use of yet this he comforts himself in when he sees a Physician that hath cured the same disease he sees then there is some hope Thus it is with a sinful soul. When the welcome news of the Gospel comes after the Law hath discovered his disease and says Be not discouraged there is a Throne of grace prepared for thee God hath a seat of justice to deal with Rebels and open Traytors but if thou art weary of thy estate if thou wilt submit to God take Christ for thy King and cast down all thy weapons if thou wilt live like a subject he hath prepared a Throne of grace for thee Christ is thy Attourney in the Court to plead for thee he is not as the Papists make him so stout and one that takes such state on him as that a man may not come near him This is the highest injury that can be offered to Christ to think that any creature hath more mercy and pity than he hath It is to rob Christ of the fairest flower in his garden when we rob him of his mercy and pity Mark that place in Heb. 4.15 that we may not think him austere We have not an high Priest that cannot be touched with our infirmities with the feeling of our infirmities Christ is no hard-hearted man when you were his enemies he loved you insomuch that he humbled himself and suffered death even the death of the Cross for you And he hath the self same bowels in Heaven that he had on earth he wept over Jerusalem and the self-same weeping heart carried he to Heaven with him the self same weeping eyes Believe not then the Papists that he is so hard-hearted or so stately and that his Mother is more ready to speak for us fie on it This is to pervert the Gospel and make Christ no Christ. We have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 2 17 In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest c. Alas poor soul saith Christ what the malice of the Devil is I know by mine own experience in the flesh for Christ was tempted in all things according to us sin only excepted I know what the temptations of the world are but whereas we have three enemies the Devil the world and the flesh only the two former were his Christ had the temptations of the world and the Devil not of the corrupt flesh for he had no corrupt flesh A man that hath been himself in terrible Tempests on the Sea when he sees a storm out of his own experience he pities those that are in it when as others are not a jot moved for he hath seen that consternation of mind which on every side appeared That plurima mortis imago wherereas others having not been there lay not their miseries to heart Christ having suffered himself and being tempted as we were in sensible of our miseries and therefore never count it boldness to come boldly to him that gives thee this encouragement Come boldly to the Throne of grace We must understand that all this is before faith we must 1. Know that we have a need 2. That there is a Throne of grace when God enlightens my conscience and encourages me to come And thus having spoken of the preparatives I come to the work the main thing it self Now this is 2. The Act Coming this coming is believing as the feet which carry a man to the place he would be in his feet carry him nearer and nearer If a man cannot be cured but by the Bath his feet must carry him thither Now faith is the legs of the soul the feet that carry us unto Christ whereas we are afar off and draw back as all unbelievers now by believing we draw near Now as unbelievers draw back so believers draw forward and therefore John 1.12 and John 6.35 To come to Christ and to believe in him are the self-same thing He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst Coming is there made an act of faith and the same thing with it The one is the explâ—cation of the other thy coming to Christ is thy believing in him When thou hearest of a Throne of grace and seest the Lord of glory stretching out his golden Scepter come and touch it take the benefit of the King's pardon If a man know there is such a Throne of grace he must come unto it And now begins faith to work And that thou mayst understand it the better know that faith then begins first to work when thou settest the first step towards the Throne of grace And this is the hour in which salvation is come unto thy house Luk. 19.9 None can come to me saith Christ except my Father draw him If thou seest a vertue to come from Christ and to draw thee as an Adamant and thou feelest that loadstone working on thee then begins faith It makes thee draw near to Christ whereas before thou wert a stranger Till then thou art like thy Grandfather Adam thou runnest away and thinkest thy self most secure when thou wast farthest from God but now thou seest no comfort unless thou draw nigh unto him now as the Apostle saith Phil. 2.13 It is he that worketh in us the will and the deed this must must be wrought in us by God First a will then the deed and then it is not only I would do such a thing but I do it God works not only the will of coming but the deed of coming and all his acts are acts of faith and have a promise God makes no promise till we be in Christ till we have faith we are no heirs of the promise when a man sets his face towards Jerusalem and begins to set himself to go to Christ all he doth then hath the promise not a tear now that he sheds but is precious God puts it into his bottle not a cup of cold water that now he gives but shall have a great reward this is a blessed thing when every thing we do hath a promise annexed to it when every step we step hath a promise made to it Now then the will is the first thing that is wrought in us this is that which makes the act of faith that is I have a will a resolution to do this And the Apostle makes it more than the very deed it self 2 Cor. 8 10. as I may so say For this is expedient for you who have
so that the Judge though he feared not God nor cared for man by reason of her importunity granted her desire Mark the other thing in the Apostle he bids us pray with the Spirit and with perseverance and he that cometh thus hath a promise made to it He that calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Call on me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee it 's set down fully Matth. 6.7 Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be as opened One would think this were idem per idem but it is not so He bids us ask and it shall be given seek and you shall find c. There is a promise annexed to asking seeking and knocking but it is also proved by universal experience for every one that asketh c. It 's very man's case never any man did it yet that hath lost his labour in not attaining what he asked If thou hast it not yet thou shalt have it in the end it is so fair a petition to ask to have thy sins pardoned that God would be friends with thee and that Christ would make thee love him and that God would be thy God that God delights in it This is the point then Suppose God answer not presently yet knock still seek still that is perseverance the thing whereby it is distinguished from temporary asking The hypocrite will pray in a time of need and adversity but his prayer is not constant Job 27.10 Will the hypocrite always call upon God If they come and seek God and he will not answer as Saul did they will try the Devil God would not answer Saul and he presently goes to the Devil It 's not so with God's children they pray and pray and wait still they pray with the Spirit and with perseverance God deals not always alike with his children but differently sometimes he answers presently sometimes he makes them wait his leisure Psal. 32.5 I said I would confess my sins says David and my transgressions and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin so Dan. 9.21 When he set himself to seek God even while he was speaking and praying the man Gabriel appeared unto him and touched him about the time of the evening oblation Before the word was out of his mouth God was at his heart and presently sends him a dispatch The like we see in Esay 65.24 Mark what a promise there is It shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear This is a great encouragement but it may be God will not always do this and what 's the reason Why he hath a wonderful great delight to be wrestled withal and to hear the words of his own Spirit nothing is more delightful to him than this when the Spirit is earnest and will not give over I will not let thee go unless thou bless me Gen. 32.26 It 's said in the Canticles honey is under the lips of the Church Cant. 4.11 Why so it's because there is no honey sweeter to the palate than spiritual prayer to God And therefore God delays to answer thee because he would have more of it If the Musicians come and play at our doors or windows if we delight not in their Musick we throw them out money presently that they may be gone but if the Musick please us we forbear to give them money because we would keep them longer for we like the Musick So the Lord loves and delights in the sweet words of his children and therefore puts them off and answers them not presently Now God's children let him deny them never so long yet they will never leave knocking and begging they will pray and they will wait still till they receive an answer Many will pray to God as prayer is a duty but few use it as a means to attain a blessing Those who come to God in the use of it as a means to attain what they would have they will pray and not give over they will expect an Answer and never give over petitioning till they receive it ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. HAving declared unto you the nature of faith and that point which concerns the practice of it in our near approach unto God I am now come to shew unto you the fruits and benefits Christians receive from this Mother-grace and that the Apostle sets down in these words He sets down 1. The Mother-Grace it self together with its principal benefit Justification or reconciliation with God that whereas we were afar off we are made near and of enemies made friends of God Then 2. There are the daughters or hand-maids of this grace For when we are justified by Faith then 1. We have peace with God that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding then 2. We have free access by faith unto the Throne of grace so that we need not look for any other Mediators Christ hath made way for us to God so that we may go boldly to the Throne of grace and find help at any time of need 3. There follows a joyful hope that a Christian hath by it a taste of Heaven before he come to enjoy it We rejoyce in hope saith the Apostle hope being as firm a thing as faith faith makes things absent as present hope hath patience with it and would have us wait We shall be sure of it but yet we must wait patiently 4. Not only rejoycing in hope but even in that which spoils a natural man's joy as in crosses troubles afflictions for even these are made the matter of this man's joy not delectable objects only Not in time to come after afflictions but in afflictions so as that which spoils the joy of a natural man is fuel to kindle this man's joy Now concerning justification by faith though it be an ordinary point yet there is nothing more needs Explication than to know how a man shall be justified by Faith It is easily spoken hardly explicated Therefore in this mother-Grace I shall shew you 1. What faith is that doth justifie And 2. What this justification is For it is not so easie a matter neither 1. Concerning the nature of faith I have spoken sufficiently already wherein it consists but yet notwithstanding there is a certain thing as like this faith as may be and yet comes short of it Many there are who are like the foolish Virgins that thought they were well enough and thought they should come time enough So many think verily that they have faith yea and perchance go with such a perswasion to their very graves and think they have grace and that they labour after Christ and lay hold on him and are free from worldly pollutions so as that they have a
point of conscience therefore First I declared unto you the nature of faith How God first works the will and the deed and that there is a hungring and thirsting after Christ. First I say there is a will and desire to be made partaker of Christ and his righteousness then there is the deed too We are not only wishers and woulders but do actually approach unto the Throne of grace and there lay hold on Christ touch the Golden Scepter which he holdeth out unto us but Object Now you will ask Is there not an earnest and good desire in a temporary faith a desire unfeign'd Sol. Yes there may be for a time a greater and more vehement desire in a temporary then in a true believer then in the elect themselves all their life Object Where 's the difference then I thought all had been well with me when I had such a desire as I could scarce be at rest till it were accomplished Sol. I answer beloved It is a hard matter to tell you the difference but you must consider 1. From whence this desire flows whether it come from an accidental cause as if by accident my heart be made more soft and I more sensible of my condition or whether my nature be changed to give you an instance in iron when iron is put into the forge it is softned and as soon as it 's taken forth we say 't is time to strike while the iron is hot the fire hath made a change in it it 's malleable the hammer is able to work on it but let the fire be gone and it 's as hard as before nay we say steel is harder so that there is no change in the nature of iron it 's hard still redit ad ingenium it goes back into its own estate If it be softned it is by an accidental cause so here as long as the temporary faith is in the furnace of afflictions when God shall let loose the cord of his conscience and makes him see that there is no way for salvation but by Christ then the sense of his torture will make him desire with all the veins in his heart to have Christ. See a singular example of this temporary desire in Psal. 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God So Prov. 1.27 When their fear was on them as desolation and their destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me c. Not with a feigned desire but in truth and reality they desire relief They remembred then that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer they saw a Redeemer when he was slaying of them and they believed that God would free them though it was but temporary Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouths and lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Observe then this was but a temporary case a temporary change there was no new creature no new nature wrought but being in the furnace of affliction as long as the fire was hot they were pliable they were not stedfast in his Covenant Let this be an admonition to them that think they never can have true faith till God slay them I am not of that opinion God sometimes useth this means but it is not so necessary as that it cannot be oâ—herwise and to speak truly I had rather have faith that comes another way The difference is this The temporary believers will have Christ while God is slaying of them whilst they are in the furnace of afflictions but the other in cold blood when God's hand is not on them The true believer is sick of love and when he hath no affliction nor God's hand on him with the Apostle he accounts all things dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus Philip. 3.8 There is an ardent desire when this external cause draws not If when thou art out of the forge thou hast thy heart softned and findest this work of grace and faith to drive thee to Christ thou hast a faith unfeigned and so the faith of God's elect Again there is not only this desire in him who hath a temporary faith but having understood the Word he so desires it that when he knows there is no having Christ nor happiness or salvation by him unless he deny himself and part from his evil ways being perswaded of this out of self-love he would have Christ and seeing these be the terms that he must turn a new leaf and lead a new life or go to hell therefore he will do this too this is much yet I say he doth this too but how shall this be proved most evidently in 2 Pet. 2.20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled and overcome the latter end with them is worse than the beginning Here is that Apostacy and here is the subject of the temporary faith It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them this was a temporary conversion as Ephraim like a broken bow turned back in the day of battel Psal. 78.9 Observe what they did they were like the foolish Virgins they kept their maiden-heads in respect of the pollutions of the world they lived very civilly they escaped the pollutions of the world and no man could challenge them of any filthy act they knew that Christ was the King of Saints and had the knowledge of him they knew that it was not fit that the King of glory and holiness should be attended on by the black guard that they must have sanctity that will follow him and therefore they laboured to be fit to attend him They escaped the pollutions of the world but yet it continues not Why so For it happened to them according to the true Proverb the Dog is returned to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Mark the Dog turns again to his own vomit This proceeds from some pang in his stomach that enforceth that filthy beast to disgorge it self that it may have some ease but he quickly gathers it up again as soon as the pang is over Some there are that would be content to hide their iniquity under their tongues at Job speaks chap. 20. vers 12. but there comes a pang sometimes a pang in their consciences which forceth them to vomit up their sweet bits again but well the fit is gone and being gone they like the filthy dog return to their vomit again considering the pleasure which they took in that filthy thing that they did disgorge themselves was but from that pang and present pinch not from the loathing or hatred of the thing and therefore they return again
selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates Let us understand the words first we see then it is a thing that is possible to be known whether we are in the faith or no and this is flat against the Papists for they think a man can have but a conjectural knowledge that he hath grace and faith It may be probable they say but it cannot be certainly known but does not the Apostle say Examine your selves prove your selves know you not your selves c. No Papist can know it yet it is possible to be known Prove and try you shall not lose your labour If you take pains in it you shall attain it in this world Make your calling and election sure saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 2.10 on God's part it is sure enough for the foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 but make it sure unto your selves in respect of your own knowledge Know you not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates It is a thing may well be made sure of therefore search try examine c. Others are content with bare beginnings that never come to any maturity but those that have true faith are ever bringing themselves to the trial and touch-stone But may some say I have tryed and examined my self and I do not find that Christ is in me what am I a reprobate therefore No God forbid I say not the man is a reprobate that cannot discern that Christ is in him See what that is that will explain this 1 Cor. 11.19 For there must be heresies among you that thâ—y which are aproved might be made known there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that are approved such as have endured the dint and shot of the Musquet such as have put themselves to the trial and come off well these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are opposed to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are such men as taking things hand over head do not search and try and examine and put themselves to the proof it 's a sign these have not true faith for what is the having of Christ so slight or poor a thing as that they will take no pains for him or care not for knowing whether they have him or no what neglect Christ so much as not to adventure on the trial these are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he which has this saving faith he is ever putting himself to the trial Again God's child not only useth the means in himself to try himself but he prayeth for the aid of God also he knoweth that his own heart is deceitful and may cozen him but that God is greater than his heart and knoweth all things And therefore he cryeth unto God to try him as Psal. 139.23 Try me O God and know my heart prove me and know my thoughts look look well whether there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting there is an everlasting righteousness and an everlasting way that leads unto it about which these are not content to try themselves only but they desire God to try them also and to make them know the uprightness of their own hearts and not to suffer them to be deceived thereby Now that I have done with Consider now what that justification is that is obtained by this true lively faith I shewed unto you that justification is ordinarily taken for an acquittance from a debt It is derived from justice or righteousness therefore I shewed that justification and righteousness are taken for one and the self-same thing for if there had been a Law given which could c. that is justification had been by the Law Now as there is a double righteousness so there is also a double justification Not that I hold there is any other justification as it comprehends remission of sins but only one but other ways as many righteousnesses as there are so many justifications there are Now there is a double kind of righteousness the one imputed and the other inherent the one is the righteousness of Christ an act transient from another which cannot be made mine but by imputation Besides this there is another which is inherent a righteousness in us S. James speaks of the one and S. Paul of the other One is opposed to condemnation and the other to hypocrisie The soundness of the heart is respected of God for righteousness in respect of the graces inherent in us Now to give you a touch of the difference between the one and the other and therein to declare the difference between us and Rome Know then that the question between us and Rome is not Whether justification be by faith or no but whether there be any such thing as justification or no The Doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there is no such Grace as this But concerning the first of these that justification which is by the imputation of Christ's righteousness I shewed unto you that imputation in this case is as when a man comes to hold up his hand at God's Bar as it were and it 's demanded of him what he hath to say for himself why he should not die and then this justification by Christs righteousness is opposed to condemnation Then justification by faith is that when I come to stand before God though conscience say I am guilty of a thousand sins yet I may go boldly and plead my pardon which will acquit me as if I had never sinned at any time God was thus in Christ reconciling us the world unto himself not imputing their sins unto them Now sin is a thing past which being done cannot be made undone the sin remains still murder is murder still and adultery is adultery still it cannot be undone again Now how shall this man that is guilty of murder and adultery be made just it cannot not possibly be but by not imputing his sin unto him so that God should account it to him as if it had not been done at all by him he puts it upon Christ's account Account The word is used in the Epist. to Philemon v. 18. where S. Paul saith If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on mine account A mans sins being thus put upon Christ's account he is accepted of God as freely as if he had never owed him any thing or as if he had never offended him Now this is done by transferring the debt from one person to another so that we see this imputation of sin to Christ and of Christ's righteousness to us is most necessary It must be so And if there were no testimony for it in Scripture yet reason sheweth that there can be no righteousness but by God's acceptation of us in Christ as if we had never sinned there is the difference then To him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted
do it for them i.e. though I have done it and intend to do it yet will I do it by the means of prayer Howsoever that God had promised Eliah that rain should come upon the face of the earth yet he goes upon the Mount and saw no shew of a cloud The Text saith not what he did but he put his head between his knees Saint James saith he prayed and â—he opened Heaven and brought down rain It was an humble secret gesture A man may be more free in private than in publick He prayed and the heavens opened God had promised it and would do it but yet he would be sought to So we see the mediate cause is prayer so though the Lord will do this yet for all this he will be enquired of It is not with God as with men men who have promised would be loth to be sued to not to break their promise they account that a dishonour to them but it is not so with God God hath promised yet thou shalt have no benefit of it until thou sue to him for it therefore thou must go to God and say Lord fulfil thy promise to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust God loves to have his bond sued out Lord make good this word perform that good word that thou hast spoken God would have his bond thus sued out And as thy faith repentance prayer is renewed so is thy pardon renewed When God will make a man possess the sins of his youth when a man is careless this way it pleaseth God to awaken him Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquity of my youth Job 13.26 When a man forgetteth the iniquities of his youth and reneweth not his repentance and hath not new acts of faith and petition then God maketh him to possess the iniquities of his youth he makes his sins stand up and cry out against him and by this means his old evidences are obliterated When a man hath a pardon and it 's almost obliterated the letters almost worn out that they cannot be read he would be glad to have it renewed to have a new exemplification Every sin it puts a great blur upon thine old evidences that thou canst not read them They may be firm in Heaven and yet perhaps be so blurr'd that thou canst not read them and therefore if thou wouldst get them clear'd again thou must go to God by prayer and renew them again so that whether our evidences be blur'd or whether it be that God will make us possess the iniquities of our youth it is necessary to pray for the forgiveness of those sins which have been before forgiven But now you will say when I have sinned afterward how come I then to be justified Then a man would think repentance only doth it and without repentance a man cannot be justified But you must understand repentance is not an instrument at all faith only is the instrument faith justifyeth me from sin hereafter as well as before The case is this faith brings lifâ— The righteous shall live by his faith as the Prophet Habakkuk speaks 2.4 What do then new sins do There are two sorts of sins one of ordinary incursion which cannot be avoided these break no friendship betwixt God and us these only weaken our faith and make us worse at ease But there are other sins which waste a mans conscience A man that hath committed murder adultery and lives in covetousness which in the Apostles is Idolatry as long as a man is in this case he cannot exercise the acts of faith we must know faith justifieth not as an habit but as an act applying Christ to the comfort of the soul. Now a wasting sin it stops the passage of faith it cannot act till it be opened by repentance Physicians give instances for it Those that have Apoplexies Epilepsies and the Falling sickness are thought to be dead for the time as it was with Eutichus yet saith Saint Paul his spirit was in him Act. 20.13 Every one thought him dead yet his spirit is in him however in regard of the operation of his senses it did appear he was dead So if thou art a careless man and lookst not to thy watch and to thy guard but art overtaken in some gross and grievous sin thou art taken for dead I say not a man can lose his life that once hath it but yet in the apprehension of others and of himself too he may appear to be dead As in Epilepsies the nerves are hindred by obstructions so sin obstructs the nerves of the soul that there cannot be that life and working till these sins be removed Now what is repentance why it clears the passages that though faith could 〈◊〉 before yet now it gives him dispositions unto it As a man in a 〈◊〉 cannot do the acts of a living man till he be refreshed again so 〈◊〉 its repentance which clears the spirits and makes the life of faith pass throughout Now when repentance clears the passages then faith acts and now there is a new act of faith faith justifies me from my new sins faith at first and at last is that whereby I am justified from my sins which I commit afterwards But this forgiveness of sins what doth it free us from In sin we must consider two things the fault and the punishment Now consider sin as it is in it self and as it respects the sinner as acted by him as respecting the fault of the sinner it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law The punishment is death as it respects the sinner it is guilt The sin is not guilt but the guilt the sinners For instance a man that hath told a lye or sworn an oath the act is past but a thing remains which we call the guilt At if a man commit murder or adultery the act is past but yet if he sleep or walk or wake the guilt follows him If he live an hundred years he is a murderer still and an adulterer still the guilt follows him and nothing can take away the murder or adultery from the soul but the blood of Christ applied by faith First God takes away the punishment There is now saith the Apostle no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 what nothing in him worthy condemnation God knows we are worthy of a thousand condemnations There are two Judges there is a double guilt when a man is brought to the bar first the Jury judge the fact and then the Judge that sits on the Bench he judgeth the punishment one saith guilty or not guilty The other saith guilty then he judgeth him Now when we are justified we are freed from both these guilts sin when it is accomplish't it bringeth forth death Jam. 1.15 You know the natural work of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it labours with death now God will stop the acts
Christ. If we would have comfort therefore let us mark the knocking of the spirit and not grieve him by withstanding holy motions and then we shall find him sealing up our salvation witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God Men you see wait for the wind and not the wind for them otherwise they may wait long enough before they reach home so must we watch the knocking 's of Christ and let him in that his spirit may seal us up to the day of Redemption Thirdly Another thing the true witness of the spirit leaves behind it is Love It makes a man more inflam'd with love to God If a man do not love God more after such an enlightening it is false and counterfeit Psalm 116. I will love thee dearly O Lord my God because thou hast heard my voice And says the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us And therefore if we be obedient Sons we will shew it in loving and honouring our Father more and more as the Prophet speaks Malach. 6. A Son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master if then I be a Father where is mine honour These are the trials before and after a true illumination to try it from the counterfeit which that we may always find and observe in our selves Let us pray O Lord our God c. FINIS A TABLE TO THE SERMONS A ACceptation and Affiance two acts of Faith 95 Active Obedience See Obedience Aggravations of sin 37 A temporary Believer desires Christ only in Affliction 119 120 Assurance no part of justifying faith 97. It is attainable 150. Why so many Christians want it 141 B. BAptism what it obliges to 23. It hath not its full effect till the day of our death ibid. To believe is a hard matter 22 96 To believe is our duty 88 Five words or Scripture-ways that God uses to perswade sinners to Believe in Christ viz. General Proclamation 86. Special invitations 87. Entreaties 87. Commands 88. Threatnings 89 To Believe is to come to Christ 111 It is exprest by Hungring and Thirsting 113 A Believer's case like the Beggars 114 A true Believer distinguished from a Temporary 1. by the ground of his desires 119. 2. by his desiring Grace as well as Mercy 122. 3. by his Love to God 122 A Believer's privilege 150 C. GOd Calls sinners to Christ by five words 86 Christ's equality with God 68. It renders his Humiliation the greater and more meritorious 68 Christ's Humiliation the extent degrees and particulars of it 69 72. Part of his Humiliation to be God's Servant 74. He was a Servant on earth in respect of men 70. Vsed and valued at the rate of a bondman 71 Christ's sufferings the more meritorious because voluntary 74 Christ's Active Obedience in the course of his life 74. his Humiliation and sufferings from his Conception to his death described 75 c. Christ's death described in the Accursedness of it 78. in the shame of it 78. in the painfulness of it 78 Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved 80. yet he suffered in his Soul immediately from God 80 Whether Christ takes away all the sins of the world 83 Christ's being offered for us no comfort unless he be offered to us 66 That Christ died sufficiently for all is an improper speech 66 To receive Christ what 84. Christ offered freely 83 86. He that hath a will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him 86 Christ the proper and immediate Object of justifying Faith 93. Christ loved and valued above all by true believers 96. Christ and the Cross go together in this life 96 Christ very compassionaee 111 Christ is our peace 149 To be a Christian indeed is no easie maâ—ter 96 Civil Righteousness See Morality Men deceived by Comparing themselves with others 20. and with themselves 20 The Conditions of Faith and Obedience required hinder not the freedom of Gospel Grace 80 92 Confession of sin necessary and why 114 Carnal Confidence as to our spiritual estate dangerous the vain grounds of it discovered 19 Conscience one of the Tormentors in Hell 62 Peace of Conscience See Peace Conviction necessary to Conversion 17 33 Conviction a work of Gods Spirit 109 Two hindrances of Conversion 2 A limited time for it 4 Crucifying a Cursed Shameful Painful death 77. The manner of it 79 The Curse follows sin 40 The Curses attending an unregenerate man in this life 48 c. The Curses on his Soul 51 The Curses at his death 53 Custom in sin hardens the heart 12 D. DAy of grace limited 45 15. The folly and danger of neglecting it 13 Death the wages of sin 45. The comprehensiveness of the word Death 48 Death terrible 45. The terribleness of Bodily Death set forth in three particulars 53 c. What the first and second Death is 48 The Death of Christ described 78 c. Death-bed Repentance See Repentance Deferring Repentance dangerous 7. The reasons of Carnal mens Deferring Râ—pentance 9 c. The vanity of them ibid. Desires after Christ may be stronger in Tâ—mporaries than in true believers 119 120 The Devil takes possession of those whom God leaves 43 44 The Reason of Christians Doubting 141 E WHat use to make of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation 15 Encouragements for sinners to come to Christ 86 Examination of a mans self See Self-Examination F. FAith why required to the receiving of Christ since he is a free gift 84 Faith consists not in a mans being perswaded that God is his God and that his sins are pardoned 86 91. It s proper and immediate Object is not that forgiveness of sins but Christ 93 Faith must have a ground for it out of the word 91. What Faith justifies 118 c. Faith justifies not as a vertue but in respect of its object 93. Faith justifies not as a Habit but as an act 132. The Acts of Faith 94. By what sins the Acts of Faith are hindred 92. How those obstructions are removed ibid. Faith an instrument to receive Justification not to procure it 135 140 Why Faith chosen for an instrument of justification rather than any othâ—r grace 141. A weak Faith justifies as much as a strong 140. yet a strong Faith is to be laboured for and why 140 How Faith alone justifies 140 Faith may be certainly known There may be Faith where there is no feeling 90 96 113 128. Faith strongest when sense least 147 Encouragements to Faith 86 Carnal Fear its sinfulness and danger 56 57 Men apt to Flatter themselves as to their spiritual estate 18 Five false glasses that cause this self Flattery 18 c. Forgiveness of sins not a distinct thing from Imputation of Righteousness 85 c. Forgiveness is properly of sins past only 125. It is one continued act 131. and therefore may be prayed for by a justified person ibid. Forgiveness frees from guilt and punishment 133 God forsakes none till they forsake him 44 True believers forsake