converse and delightful communication which it hath with this Love of the Lord it comes to contract a habitual similitude of it in the soul by degrees to change the soul into the same image Solomon saith He that walketh with wise men shall be wise Prov. 13.20 Which thing doubtless proceeds from a great aptness that is in men to be transformed into the disposition temper and quality of those persons with whom they much converse and delight so to do especially if superior to themselves and judging what they see in them worthy imitation And so Faith keeping such constant company with the Love of Christ to the poor soul and being so much taken with it as it is and having it self such an influence upon the soul as it hath does by degrees fetch over the soul in conformity of disposition to it This is sweetly set out by the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The glory of the Lord he here speaks of is doubtless amongst other things the grace or love of the Lord to men which is indeed his glory that by which he hath made us accepted in the beloved being called the glory of his grace Ephes 1.6 and is that thing which in the Gospel ministration here spoken of shines forth with greatest luster and brightness But mark now The souls intent and earnest beholding of this glory of the Lord by the eye of Faith as it is visible to it in this glass of the Gospel works this effect The soul it self is hereby changed into the same image transformed into this likeness of the Lord step by step degree by degree from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord by whose influence Faith does this thing For so Christ foretold Joh. 16.14 He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Like as the flocks which Jacob kept by their looking upon the streaked rods in the time of their conception came to conceive and bring forth Cattel that were ring-streaked Gen. 30.37 38 39. even so the soul by Faith dwelling in the serious and pleasant contemplation of the glory of this love of the Lord conceives and brings forth affections and actions in the same likeness The very reason why any man comes to love God is the belief knowledg and sence which he hath of Gods love to him first 1 John 4.19 We love him because he loved us first Which is to be understood of Gods love beleeved and perceived for till then it does not work this reciprocal affection in the Soul And therefore the same Apostle concludes that if any man does not love he does not know God as he is a God of love 1 John 4.8 For if he did and had the true sence of it in his Soul he might sooner draw nigh a great fire and not be warmed than feel the warming influences of this wonderful Love playing hot upon the Soul and not in some measure be transformed into its likeness The Apostle Paul well knowing this made this Prayer for the Ephesian Saints That Christ might dwell in their hearts by Faith that they being rooted and grounded in love might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God In which Prayer you may observe first his end and scope the thing he had in his eye and that which his Soul exceedingly longed after for them and that was that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Which I conceive is not to be understood at least not only to be understood in a passive sence of having the Soul filled with the knowledge and sence of all the fulnesse of Gods love to it for this he had prayed for as the means of their being filled with all this fulness of God but in an active sence for their being so filled with their love back again to Christ as by which to attain the highest pitch and utmost perfection of Christianity which is wrapt up in our love to Christ to which God in Christ designed to elevate and raise the Christian And therefore when we love one another as the Lord hath loved us according to his command John 13.34 he is said to dwell in us and his love to be perfected in us 1 Cor. 4.12 viz. by way of imitation and resemblance of that divine vertue property or perfection in God to wit his love which is so wonderfully remarkable in him as that he is called Love it self 1 John 4.8 16. Now for God to dwell in men and for them to have his love perfected in them what is this lesse than to be filled with all the fulness of God But that which the Apostle prayed for in order to this their being filled with all the fulness of God was that Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith they might be able to comprehend with all Saints what the bredth length depth and height is and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge So that mens being filled with the fulnesse of that love to the Lord which his love to them calls for and designes to procure depends we see upon their comprehending by Faith the glory of his love set out in the dimensions of it upon their knowing very much of that love of Christ which in the utmost extent of it passeth knowledg Sect. 3 2. Faith raises this Heavenly affection of love in the Soul as a principle of worthy behaviour both to God and men by an effectual closing with the Doctrine of the Lord concerning Love For it is mens Faith in that word which calls for Love to the Lord to Saints and to all men that causes the word to incorporate it self with the Soul turning the doctrine of Love into a principle of Love in the Soul making it an ingrafted word James 1.21 as turning the stock into its own nature It is by Faith that all that in the Word is discerned and felt which renders it acceptable to and gives it force and authority in the soul And therefore the Word is said to work effectually in those that believe 1 Thes 2.13 And what 's that but to produce its effect reach its end and to have its errand about which it 's sent working that love it self in the soul which is the business about which the doctrine of Love is sent And therefore Love is said to be the end of the Commandement out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Love to proceed from unfeigned Faith as the end of the Commandement that is I conceive it 's aim and scope the prize for which it runs and where there is Faith unfeigned first wrought
like to go with him touching his final Justification in the grand Session of the Judge of all the world by that preparatory tryal which hath been impartially made in the Court of a mans own Conscience as I noted before If he be acquitted justified here by the testimony and verdict of Conscience grounded upon the Statutes of Christ and agreeable to matters of Fact he will be full of a comfortable confidence of speeding well at the Judgement seat of Jesus Christ 1 John 3.21 Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God But if a mans conscience which if it err on any side it 's like to be in favour to the man himself if this find a man guilty and obnoxious to the condemning sentence of Christs Law there 's smal hopes for that man to expect a sentence of Justification and absolution at the tribunal of Christ unlesse he can upon the sence of what condition he is in bestir himself in the mean time to procure his pardon by taking such a course of amendment as by which through infinite Grace it may be had 1 John 3.20 For if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things hath a more piercing sight to discern a mans guilt than Conscience it self hath and therefore will condemn much more Sect. 7 O Sirs how does it then concern every one of us to carry all things fair in the sight of our Conscience which indeed is privy in a manner to all our doings and to maintain Friendship with that and to take heed of wronging and abusing that or making that ill affected towards us Sin and unworthiness of behaviour in word or deed is that which defiles Conscience which troubles and disturbs it which grieves and ill affects it and disables it from pleading a mans cause before the Lord or giving testimony on his side so that it can never send a man with boldness before the Lord till that which hath defiled and offended it be taken away Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience Mark to the drawing near to God in full assurance of Faith with boldness and confidence of being accepted with him this we see is absolutely necessary viz. that the heart be first sprinkled from an evil conscience that that be taken away which made the Conscience evil while it was there and what 's that but sin So long as the guilt of sin and filth of sin remain upon the heart the Conscience will be evil if sin trouble the Conscience Conscience will trouble the man and fill him with those fears as that he will be far from drawing nigh to God with confidence and full assurance of Faith but rather like Adam in that case run away and hide himself from God if it were possible Paul no doubt well knowing this to the end he might maintain his hope and confidence in God touching the Resurrection-day in good plight and might alwayes have his Conscience on his side and ready to present him unto God with a good testimony what did he do What! Herein saith he do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and toward men Acts 24.16 In all his behaviour God-ward Men-ward and that alwayes he was so intent upon this thing of gratifying his Conscience that he made it his constant exercise was wonderful fraid of giving his Conscience any offence of offering any injury or wrong to that for he knew if he did that would spoil his hope towards God As the mysterie of Faith 2 Tim. 3.9 so the confidence of Faith must be held in a pure Conscience indeed it 's able to live in no other ayre A pure heart a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned these are linkt together 1 Tim. 1.5 where you find one there you will find all and where any one is wanting to be sure there the other will be missing If a good Conscience be once put away as it is where a pure heart is not kept it 's in vain for men to boast of their Faith and confidence in God 1 Tim. 1.19 Holding Faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack If a good Conscience be once put away the next news you hear is the ship-wrack of Faith Men may have a liveless form of Faith as the body and bulk of a Ship sometimes remains after a Wrack but is rendred useless and unserviceable and so is Faith when once a good Conscience is gone it 's of no use to entitle a man to the Promise and consequently of no use to give a man confidence towards God or to imbolden him to come before him If therefore to have Conscience which is Judge under Christ to be your Friend be any thing in your eye if to have that to plead your cause and to be a witness for you against the subtile insinuations malicious accusations and violent prosecutions of the Devil be a thing desirable to you if to have Conscience to send you to Christs Barr with Letters testimonial in your hand signifying that your cause hath been tryed in that Court and evidences and witnesses impartially heard and considered on both sides and your cause found good and you your selves under the Justification and protection of Christs Gospel I say if such things as these be any thing worth with you then be sure you use Conscience well which hath its eye upon you alwayes do not trouble it do not provoke it do not disoblige it at any time by any means and then the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Friends these are great matters and you your selves every one of you greatly concerned in them if you have not the sence of it now yet know ye that the time is coming apace wherein ye will better understand what these things mean But take heed this sence come not upon you too late when the opportunity of acting the part of a good Conscience is over remember how the foolish Virgins were then to provide themselves of Oyl for their Lamps when the wise by the light of that which they had provided in due time entred in with the Bride-groom and the door was shut against the other I have now done with giving this piece of instruction caution and advice and the good Lord prosper it to those that have heard it and to those that shall read it it remains on our part every one of us that we be presently up and doing according to it or else it will be a witness against us in the day of the Lord. And I my self who have been holding forth to you these great things am very sensible God knows that I am but a very poor and weak Creature and have had many a trembling of heart for my self as well as others whilst I have been writing these matters of mighty moment lest I should strike upon any of those Rocks whereof the troublesome sea of this sinful world is very full and of which I have been warning others before I make the fair Haven towards which I am steering And I dare say you will be never the near the danger if you be under the same sence and fear too But O then set us all away to God and follow him day and night with our fervent supplications to be upheld and kept by him taking hold of his strength trusting under the shadow of his love depending upon Christ for supplies of all necessaries for the Christian life carefully avoiding all things that might distast or grieve him and cause him to withdraw and leave us and with like care to do alwayes those things that please him so may we be certain that his eye will be alwayes on us and his heart towards us for good and his right hand shall uphold us and preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom Amen THE END
him because he followeth not us But Jesus said forbid him not for there is no man that shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me Though this man did not concur with the Disciples in that orderly way of following Christ yet as long as he did men good by using his name Christ would not have him taken off or to be prohibited to act If any the Ministers I now speak of have so much faith in the name of Christ and love to the souls of men as to be casting the Devil out of their souls by the word of Christ it s ten thousand pitties to hinder them If you can by any means be an help to them to do it better as Aquilla and Priscilla were to Apollos Act. 18.26 well and good but never forbid any man the doing good because he does not do it in the best way Pauls temper is your safe pattern who rejoyced that Christ was preached and the Gospel spread although not alwaies by the best and purest hand What then saith he notwithstanding evary way whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and I therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce Phil. 1.18 Sect. 15 And now having this opportunity before me I shall crave leave of some of my Brethren that have the oversight of Churches for all do not so much need it to exhort and beseech them diligently to labour in the word and doctrine not only by a frequent preaching of it but also by a diligent meditation and study in it So that when they preach they may preach upon the most edifying and quickning terms Which yet what is it more than Pauls exhortation to Timothy whose gifts doubtless might better have exempted him from that charge than any of ours can Give attendance to reading meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth take heed unto thy self and to thy doctrine continue in them and the like 1 Tim. 4.13 15 16. 2 Tim. 2.15 You cannot be ignorant what advantage is made of it against our way when any opportunity can be taken hold of to object the lowness of parts and rawness of matter among those of our way that undertake the great work of teaching And I am very sensible that too much advantage in this kind is given by some who out of an odd conceit and humour for it is no better of declining the way of the National Ministry decline also the best way of edifying the people I know very well that there hath been wont to be a great deal of vain curiosity used many times among many of the National way as if they bestowed more thoughts upon method and quaintness of expression than upon matter more cost upon the triming than upon the garment it self as if they designed more to take the ear of their auditory then to touch the conscience a vanity shall I say to be laughed at no but to be lamented that ever such should undertake the feeding of souls that have no more sense of what belongs to it But where any out of faithfulness to mens souls and out of an earnest desire to convince convert and edifie them shall soberly and gravely contrive their Sermons into such a Form as by which the understanding may be most fed and the conscience best come at and the sence and majesty of the Scriptures in their scope and coherence in their consociations and emphasis rendred most lightsome cutting and quick it would be a lamentable weakness for any to take another course not because its better but because it is another or to think it better because another For one Christian to differ from another where there is cause is commendable but to affect to differ more than needs must argues a frame of spirit far different from blessed Pauls who became all things to all men so far as possibly he might with a good Conscience that he might by all means save some 1 Cor. 9.22 Edification is the end of preaching that course therefore in preparing to preach and that way and method in preaching that tends most to edification and so reaches its end is certainly the best But all experience proves against all contradiction that as the case is with us who speak not upon like terms of special inspiration as the Apostles did laborious study with prayer in preparing to preach and an orderly proceeding from one thing to another in preaching is most edifying and profitable both to the Preacher himself and they to whom he preaches and being so it becomes a duty by vertue of that general rule 1 Cor. 14.12 Seek that you may excel to the edifying of the Church Who ever hath the best gift of speaking extempore to the edification of the People as some do much excel others therein shall yet much improve his ability of speaking more to their edification by a due and convenient proportion of premeditation study And therefore when men may do better and do not that Scripture would be thought on Mal. 1.4 Cursed be the deceiver that hath a Male in his Flock and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Neither is it my intent at all that any man should so lean upon his studies and preparations as to tie himself to any Form of words and expression or in the least to lessen his humble and hearty dependance upon the Lord for assistance but that he should in a deep sense of the weightiness and wonderful concernment of the work and of the vast disproportion that is between the service in the glory of it and his abilities that undertakes it intirely depend upon the Lord for largeness of heart towards the People for freedome of mind and clearness of thoughts for wisdome courage and liberty of speech to declare the matter prepared upon the plainest clearest most affecting and most edifying terms together with what else the Lord shall bring to mind to accommodate and issue the discourse Nor does the promise which God hath made of giving his spirit and of pouring out gifts or the like render the diligent labours and studies of the Ministers of the Gospel needless any more than Gods promise of the earths bringing forth her increase does excuse the Husbandman the diligent labour of plowing and sowing which as the Prophet observes is the fruit of the instruction or teaching of God Isa 28.24 25 26. When God made promise of giving unto the Preacher such wisdome as none had before him or should have after him 1 King 3.12 he did not thereby exempt him from but rather oblige him to the utmost search labour and travel in getting wisdome and methodical contrivement of things in the improvement of it for others instruction To his obtaining of what God had promised in this kind see his behaviour as he himself expresseth it Eccles 1.13 The Preacher was King over
as it beleeves the blood of Christ to be it and it alone that is in it self and by the ordination of God fully sufficient to take away sin the guilt of it or the condemning power or destroying nature of it so accordingly does it relye upon this blood of Christ under the gracious appointment of the Father to do this great thing for him to particular in whom this Faith dwells Rom 8.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood In this Scripture there are three things that are especially to be marked in relation to the point in hand 1. That Christs blood is the blood of propitiation or that Christ himself is the propitiation by means of his blood i. e. the reconciler the procurer of savour in pardon or remission 2. That God hath ordained him in his blood thus to be and accordingly hath proposed and offered him to all the world as a publick propitiation but yet so and upon condition that men have Faith in his blood i. e. do believe it to be of it self and by the appointment of the Father of sufficient efficacy force and vertue to purge them from their sins Which Faith also must be of the right kind or else it will not interesse any man in this great benefit 3. That which is moreover implyed is that the Faith of a man feeling so good a foundation and ground under it as is the blood of Christ in conjunction with the Fathers will as by which to be confident of a plenary purgation from all sins how great or how many soever they have been does accordingly safely and securely build thereupon Sect. 7 4. Christ as being risen from the dead is the object of justifying Faith Rom. 10.9 If then shalt confess with thy meuth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our Iustification And no marvel that the Resurrection of Christ should be the object of saving Faith inasmuch as in it is included the beleef of the main foundation Doctrines of the Gospel and without it Faith could have no firm footing to rest upon touching other great Gospel-truths As 1. The beleeving of him to be the Son of God which is an ingredient absolutely necessary in the Gospel-faith doth at least in great part depend upon the Faith of his Resurrection For Faith can ground its belief touching his being the Son of God upon nothing else than that which declares him to be so But now he is declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the Resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 2. The keeping promise and Covenant with the holy Patriarchs and their Seed which Faith must needs eye did depend upon Gods raising Christ from the dead Acts 13.32 33. And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again Acts 2.30 31. Therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God hath sworn with an Oath to him that of the fruit of his loyns according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne he seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in hell neither his flesh did see corruption 3. The Resurrection of Christ is so necessary to Justification and to the Faith of it that take away this and Justification and the beleef of it are all laid in the dust 1 Cor. 15.14 17. And if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your Faith is also vain And again vers 17. And if Christ be not raised your Faith is vain ye are yet in your sins Without beleeving is no justification and if there had been no Resurrection of Christ there could have been no Faith touching that attonement that is now made by his death For could men have beleeved that the death of Christ had been of sufficient force and vertue to expiate sin had it not been manifested by his Resurrection surely no. For so long as he was under the power of death he was under the power of sin of which death is but the wages For in that he dyed he dyed unto sin saith the Apostle Rom. 6.10 The sting of Death to wit that which gives it power of prevailing over the creature is sin 1 Cor. 15.56 And the time when that saying O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory shall be brought to passe is not till the day of Resurrection When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal immortality 1 Cor. 15.54 And therefore as the Saints shall not actually and perfectly be delivered from all the effects of sin till the day of their Resurrection so neither was Christ delivered from that burden of other mens sins which he bore in his own body untill he rose from the dead And if sin had been too hard for him in keeping him under the power of death it would much more have been too hard for us But in that God raised Christ from the dead he did as it were thereby acknowledge satisfaction for the debt of mens sins which he by his death as a surety had discharged While he lay in the grave he was detained as a prisoner for other mens debts but when the prison doors were opened and he let out the Father acknowledged satifaction and did as it were seal him in the behalf of those for whom he undertook a release and discharge By his entring into suffering he took the sins of the world upon him but by his Resurrection by which he came out of his suffering-state he put them off As in his suffering he was made sin for us and dealt with as if he had been a sinner so by his Resurrection he was justified from those sins which were imputed to him And unlesse he had been first justified from our sins which were imputed to him all the while he suffered we could not have been justified from them our selves And therefore no marvel that the Apostle should attribute our Justification with a Rather unto the Resurrection of Christ than to his Death as he does Rom. 8.33 34. Who is he that condemneth it is God that justifieth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again He seems to feel a firmer footing for his Faith in the Resurrection of Christ than in his death more to bear him out against the accusations of any that had a mind to condemn him the answer which a good conscience makes it is by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 3.21 4. I might here add that the beleef of the Resurrection of our bodies
Thorns Lusts and sinful Affections may grow up too and dwell together in the same man But then there are other words of the same Lord and of the same Gospel of Salvation which put men upon denying themselves to please the Lord and crossing their own sinful inclinations and wills that they may fulfill the will of the Lord there are words that enjoyn us to crucifie the Old-man with the affections and lusts to mortifie our members which are upon the earth to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye to put our selves to the utmost extremity of suffering and distasting the flesh rather than to harbour any guest in the soul to distast our dear Lord. But now here the word is encountred by sinful affections the love of mens own selves their ease their pleasure their reputations with men and for the maintenance and support of these the love and desire of riches takes place with them and their desire and love to these puts them upon many unlovely strains to compass them in a word they love to please and to be pleased of men and to have all things go on smoothly with them and here the word of Christ and their wills fall cross his honour to be by them upheld in a close following of him and the upholding of their own honour among men clash Christs spiritual interest and their carnal interest will not consist but one must give way if they will please the Lord they must many times displease themselves and others too and to enjoy his love and keep a good conscience must be content to be without much and sometimes to loose all those worldly accomodations which the flesh priseth very much And however the other part of the Word and lust might grow up together yet this part of the Word and lust cannot remain in any power and operation in the same subject but will be fighting and if the affections as a third party side with lusts against the Word or if more corditially adhere to them than to the Word the Word is presently choked and over-born by the power of the flesh as the Corn by Thorns and brings no fruit to perfection These are the Men and this their character who are the hearers and professors of the Word of the Gospel resembled by the thorny ground which as I intimated before go a step further than those that do believe for a time only and consequently must not only be such as do in a sence believe as the others did but also such as hold out and persevere in their Faith unto the end Neither probably is that the reason why their Faith holds out rather than the others as if it were a Faith of a better kind or constitution or stronger than theirs but rather because it is not put to that stress and tryal which the others Faith could not endure it 's very like that if the Faith of the thorny-ground hearer should be put to it by persecution as the Faith of the stony-ground hearer is said to be his Faith might give in and fail as well as the others For the reason why the stony-ground hearers Faith fail'd him is because it is not rooted and grounded in love he loves his Honour his Estate his Relations or at least his Life more than Christ which whosoever does cannot be his Disciple or be deemed worthy of him whatever his Knowledge or Faith otherwise may be and therefore when by the tryal of persecution he is put to his choice to renounce his Faith or his Life or other Enjoyments he adheres to that which he loves most to wit his outward enjoyments and declines the Lord in his Word Worship and Wayes which he loves less Though it does not alwayes follow that those who upon a carnal account will not publickly own the Lord when the confessing of him and his truth proves so costly to them do at the same time let go that inward perswasion which they had of him and his truth before the tryal came the Rulers at the same time while they durst not confess Christ openly yet then inwardly believed on him John 12.42 A practice set on foot by some in the Apostles times and as it seems avouched as lawful by some outwardly to deny Christ in time of persecution if they did in the mean time inwardly believe in him which surely is one of those damnable heresies Peter speaks of privily brought into the Church by false Teachers 2 Pet. 2.1 There shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction If they had taught Men not to believe at all on Christ it would not have been called heresie but either infidelity or apostacy nor could they lightly have privily brought such a Doctrine into the Church but would easily have been discerned by all Christians to be Enemies to Christ besides those that followed their pernicious tenents and wayes did occasion the way of truth to be evil spoken of verse 2. Which would not have been if they had been profest Enemies to it the pernicious ways of a Man after he is turned Jew or Turk though once a Christian does not cause the Christian Religion to be Evil spoken of But however whether Men fal away totally both from the inward perswasion and outward profession of the Faith they had once imbraced or only in part from the publick profession of it so far as to secure themselves from persecution it proceeds from the same cause and that is the want of that ingredient in their Faith which is the peculiar property of the Faith of Gods Elect to wit an affectionate cleaving to Christ as more desirable than life There 's the same reason as to the internal cause why the Faith of the thorny ground-hearer falls short of Salvation and that is the want of that mixture of Love I speak of For though they may believe Christ to be the Saviour and expect Salvation by him and for that cause bear some good affection to him yet their Love working stronger to Riches Honours and Pleasures for their sakes to ways and things by which these may be enjoyed thence it comes to pass that the Lusts of these things carry it against Christ and his Word who draw another way Now because this sort of men may hold that dead Faith which they have and the profession of it too and yet retain their Worldly Lusts also yea and make an outward and fleshly advantage of such a Faith and profession many times thence it comes to pass that they do not fall away as the other but persevere herein unto the end the difference of the ones falling and the others standing does not lye in the difference of their Faith but in the different nature of their temptations the one is necessitated to part with his Faith or Lusts the other is not This latter sort of ground therefore clearly resembles
atonement for sin without which the Creature is undone and without which Faith cannot justifie And therefore that which is impossible as to it self in this respect it hath from another from Christ Who is the propitiation for our sins So then righteousness coming upon or accruing to men upon or by means of their beleeving and yet proceeding or issuing principally by way of result from that which is extrinsical to Faith to wit the blood of Christ and unspeakable grace of God there is good reason why Faith though it be a mans righteousness or that upon or by means of which he enjoyes the priviledges of a just and righteous man yet he should have and hold this great and blessed benefit by way of imputation or altogether upon the account of Grace as having that transferred to his account in the result of it which resides in another and which indeed hath the greatest stroke in his Justification Sect. 8 Which Doctrine of Faiths being counted to men for Righteousness according to the explanation given if it be true then the opinion and Doctrine of some who hold and teach that men are justified before beleeving or when Christ suffered or from eternity must needs be false For if there be no Justification but by the blood of Christ and no application of this blood in the justifying vertue of it to persons of years of discretion for of such I speak but by Faith which is the thing ordained by God to interess them in the justifying vertue and saving benefit of it then there can be no actual justification of men till they do beleeve but that there is no Justification by the blood of Christ nor right to or saving application of that Blood without beleeving is that which from the Scriptures hath been asserted in the first head of explanation and might be abundantly further made out from the Scriptures if what hath been already said on this behalf were not sufficient And so again if that be true that whosoever shall be justified must be justified declaratively or sententially by the Gospel and acquitted by that and that the Gospel acquits no man but such as perform the termes and fulfill the condition of it upon which its promises of Justification do depend and that the Gospel-termes or condition upon which it promises Justification and eternal life is Beleeving then certainly till men do indeed Beleeve the Gospel does not will not cannot acquit and justifie any man but cast and condemn him But that no man shall be justified without the acquittance or discharge which the Gospel gives and that it gives this acquittance or discharge to none but such as perform its condition and fulfill its terms and that the said terms or condition is Beleeving are things that lye very fair and obvious in the Scriptures and are in part to be seen in the second head of explanation of the Doctrine of Faiths being counted for Righteousness Sect. 9 By the light of the same Doctrine of Faiths being imputed for Righteousness that opinion also which holds that the Justification by Faith which the Scripture speaks of is not meant of mens being justified in the sight of God but only in the Court of their own Conscience by way of evidence or assurance is proved to be darkness and not light For when Faith is said to be counted or imputed for Righteousness the meaning is not that when a man comes to Beleeve he thereby comes to know himself to be what indeed he was before viz. justified in the sight of God but that then indeed he comes to be that which till then he was not viz. a man acquitted and discharged from his sins and accepted in the sight of God as one reconciled by the Death of his Son which till then who not actually applyed for his Justification as one under the protection of the Gospel which till then thundred out wrath and judgement against him as it does against all while in the state of unbelief Mark 16.16 John 3.18 36. Which threatnings would be really inconsistent with their safe condition by Justification in the sight of God if there were such a thing as Justification in his sight before Believing For those threatnings are true or else they are false if true as most certainly they are then whosoever dyes before he believes and so before he is justified by Faith is damned and if damned then not justified in the sight of God Sect. 10 And I the rather mention these things as well for caution as confutation because the Doctrine of mens Justification before believing as grounded on the Doctrine of particular and personal Election before Faith hath I fear in these late years rendred the work of Faith with power in the heart and life of too many a matter not of that mighty importance which indeed it is in the Scripture account But hath been a temptation upon them to think that Faith hath not been absolutely and essentially necessary to the being of a Christian or a mans safe standing before God but necessary only unto his comfortable and well being in respect of evidence and assurance And so hath rendred their care and diligence about their proving themselves to be in the Faith proportionably less by how much an assurance of ones good condition is less than ones good condition it self CHAP. XIII Containing an Exhortation by way of vse for Men to behold themselves in this Glass of Iustification and by the help of the precedent Discourse to prove the goodness or badness of their title to life And shewing the ill abode of negligence and the real advantage of care and diligence herein and what must be done to obtain a good testimony from Conscience as Iudge Delegate under Christ touching the goodness of mens spiritual condition in the eye of the Gospel and in the sight of God Sect. 1 DEarly Beloved as you have heard some parts of the Doctrine of Justification more briefly opened so you have had the nature of that Faith by which you are to be Justified if ever justified more largely handled according to that measure of understanding in it which God hath given me By which means you have opportunity given you of beholding as in a Glass your own spiritual state and condition before the Lord whether justified or not and whether your title to that incomparable priviledg be tite and sound or crackt and flawed It remains now that according to the Apostles Exhortation 2 Cor. 13.5 You prove your own selves whether you be in the Faith or no whether you have that Faith in you which hath been discovered to you to be that only kind of Faith which will be counted to them that have it for righteousness As for such as shall be negligent careless and slight in a matter of this moment it 's a shrewd sign that all is not well with them When Trades-men are backward and unwilling to cast up their Books and to see how the case stands with them
you remain in the same condition until death what judgment you shall have There 's no fear of the Judges awarding of any sentence contrary to Law contrary to the Doctrine of the Scriptures If your cause be good by that you do not need to fear the Judges being made against you if your cause be naught in the account of that there 's no hopes of deceiving or bribing the Judge as your cause is in the eye of the Law so and no otherwise will it be in the sentence of the Judg. And for your ease and accomodation in this great and weighty affair of your Souls and to the end you may not be mistaken in your own cause by mistaking the nature terms and true intent of the rule of your tryal by which you must be justified or condemned ignorance wherein and mistakes whereabout are wonderful dangerous I have in this Book laboured to fit things to your hands by opening the Doctrine of Justification especially in those parts of it that are most liable to mens mistakes and to deliver it from the incombrance of those crooked notions and mis-apprehensions by which men are in danger of making that to become a snare to them which God hath prepared for a Table That therefore to which I exhort you is that you put your selves upon the tryal now before-hand as men who are to run a race or to try masteries otherwise are wont to be proving their ability by a more private running of the Race or enuring of their bodies to other exercise before the day of publick striving for mastery comes Deal faithfully with your own Souls in trying your selves before the Barr of your own Conscience now for the present by that Doctrine of Faith here laid before you The Conscience is as it were Christs Delegate deputed by him to make Judgement by the rule of his Word of a mans spiritual condition in the interim before the solemn Assize and day of publick tryal come And therefore mens thoughts are said in the mean while mark that word in the mean while to accuse or excuse one another Rom. 2.15 that is to justifie or condemn as it finds a man guilty or not guilty according to that rule by which he is to be tryed by Chaist It is true the Conscience does not alwayes make that infallible Judgement in a mans case as Christ himself will do either for want of a right understanding of the rule of Judgement or the true state of a mans cause as being defiled and darkened and the eye of it made dim by too much communion with sinful lusts which it may be have corrupted and bribed it partially to favour the mans cause or at least to be neuteral as not to justifie so not to condemn but to leave things in doubt But to what degree it is truly enlightened in the nature of Christs Law and the nature of a mans cause that is to be tryed by it so far it will and can hardly do otherwise than make the same judgement and determination concerning a mans condition if a man will bring his cause before it as Christ himself will do Otherwise there would not be that ground of spiritual triumph and rejoycing in the verdict of Conscience which was found in Paul and his Christian companions upon that account 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world Sect. 3 The Devil as he makes it his work and business to accuse the very servants of God themselves before God day and night Rev. 12.10 so at certain times and seasons which he watches for on purpose as after some notable slip in the Christian walk or in time of some deep affliction and especially towards the hour of death he will accuse them at the Judgement-seat of their own Consciences and bring their cause to a tryal there to force them if possible to despair of any good issue when they shall come to be tryed before the Lord which he will say hard to if he can but confound and puzzle them in the evidences of their Justification and defence in the Court of their conscience And you shall find still in the issue and upshot that the stress and pinch will lye upon the evidence of the goodness of a mans Faith for if a man be but sure he have a right shield of Faith in the hand of his Soul he will easily be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil Ephes 6.16 If he lay to their charge and set before them the greatness and multitude of the sins and miscarriages which they have been guilty of at times heightened with all the provoking circumstances of aggravation the plea and defence will be that Christ the lamb of God taketh away the sin of the world John 1.29 That the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 That he is the propitiation for our sin and not for ours only but also for the sin of the whole world 1 John 2.2 And that not only few and small offences but even all manner of sin and blasphemy that against the Holy Ghost excepted shall be forgiven unto men Mat. 12.31 If he tell you though that be granted yet it will not follow that therefore your sins are forgiven or that you are actually cleansed by the blood of Christ because though Christ gave himself a ransom for all yet all shall not be saved by him for that wide is the gate broad the way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat Mat. 7.14 And so put you upon proving your title to the promise of Remission of Sin by his Blood your plea will be your belief in him as that to which the promise of Justification and eternal Salvation is made in whomsoever found John 3.16 Mark 16.16 Acts 16.31 Rom. 3.25 But then its like he will go further with you and argue against you that it does not follow that because you have some Faith in Christ as that he is the Son of God that he dyed was buried and rose again that therefore you are justified and shall be acquitted before the Lord because there is a certain kind of formal feigned and dead Faith which will not save James 2.14 And that Simon Magus did believe though for all that he were in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8.13 and so did others who for all that were in no very good condition John 2.23 and 12.42 43. If therefore he shall lay to your charge that yours is but a Faith of this sort and kind and consequently that it will not avail you nor render your title to the promise valid you have no other way to deal with him and so defend your selves against this Article of Indictment but by producing such proofs and evidences of the truness goodness
and soundness of your Faith and thereby the validity of your title to the promise as will satisfie the Judge Delegate Conscience and make that on your side and then you have cast your adversary and foiled him in his suit he can proceed no further with you his accusation and Bill in this kind being thrown out of the Court of Conscience as malicious and scandalous Sect. 4 But then O how does it concern us to have the evidences and proofs of the goodness of our Faith which is our title to be alwayes in a readiness and not to seek for to be sure shall they be wanting or should they be lost or but defaced and blur'd or but in a capacity of delivering themselves ambiguously our Adversary the Devil is so diligent to prie into matters of this nature as that there will be no hiding them from him and so subtile to improve advantages in this kind given as that we shall hear of him in such a time and season which of all other we have least need to be troubled by him And therefore as you would not have your bitter and cruel Enemy the Devil to vex perplex and worst you in the Court of your own Conscience be careful above all things so to shew forth your Faith by your Works James 2.18 as that you may put the Devil out of heart as it were of attempting you in this kind or if he do that you may be sure he shall but loose his labour He that is begotten of God sinneth not but keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not 1 John 5.18 It 's sinning and matter of miscarriage unevenness and faultering in ones way that gives the Devil advantage against one and power of impleading him but those that are truly careful to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing mark that Col. 1.10 as those that are begotten of God do they keep themselves out of the Devils reach that the wicked one toucheth them not though he diligently seeks it yet he cannot get this advantage against them It 's in vain for the Devil to bring his accusations against a man at the Barr of his Conscience if Conscience it self which is Judge in the case be able to bear a man witness that his Faith is of that kind that in the tenour of his life worketh by such acts which argue unfeigned love both to God and men This brest-plate of Righteousness will effectually safeguard the Soul from all the thrusts of the Devil that he shall not be able to wound the Spirit Ephes 6.14 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way Prov. 13.6 it 's that to the Soul which a coat of Mail is to the body it preserves the Soul from the molestations of the Devil his weapons cannot enter his insinuations touching a mans bad condition before God cannot take place The armour of righteousness is armour of proof on the right hand and on the left 2 Cor. 6. â—7 If a man have that on the Devil can find no way to enter or to draw blood of the Soul but let a man leave off that but a little and he shall soon feel the Devils darts striking through his Liver to allude to Prov. 7.23 and his Sword passing through his Soul and such aches paines and gripes occasioned thereby in the Soul as sometime caused a stout Souldier of the Lords upon that occasion to roar for the disquietness of his heart Psal 38.8 and to complain of broken bones Ps 51.8 Sect. 5 And truly for Conscience it self which is such a Judge as next to the supream Judge is privy to all a mans wayes inward outward it cannot take a mans part against the Devils accusations and pleas before its Barr touching the unsoundness of his Faith and brokenness of his title to the promise of Justification and life if it discern not in him those spiritual qualifications as will in the eye of the holy Law of Jesus evince his Faith to be living and not dead For as it is the living and not the dead among men in whom the title in Law rests and is alwayes so judged so is it the living and not the dead Faith in which the title in the sence of the Gospel rests and will be alwayes so judged by an upright Conscience And therefore if you would have Conscience to pass the sentence on your side and against the impleadings of your enemy and to be a witness for you in your cause be you sure you do nothing at any time to offend Conscience and to disoblige it or to make it a witness against you For if the Devil shall appeal to Conscience it self which is the Judge whether it be not able to witness that at such and such a time such and such offences and transgressions of the holy Law were committed and done in word or deed not only in its sight but contrary to its items and checks and the Conscience knows it to be true can the Conscience think you in such a case vindicate a mans cause against his Enemy surely no but must give the Devil his due and say as he sayes so far as he speaks true And how far a few instances of this nature will go towards the spoiling of a mans cause when he comes to be tryed for his integrity I leave to every Soul seriously to consider A few acts of this nature will go further to evince a man to be unfaithful and false to God and under the condemnation of his Law in the maine than a great many good actions in company of these will do to prove him to be faithful and under the protection of the Law Ezek. 33.12 13. The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression Again When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to bis own righteousnesse and commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but for his iniquity which he hath committed he shall dye for it Which surely remains in force where true Repentance which consists of contrition and reformation hath not altered the case which otherwise is indeed a remedy against the Sin of backsliding as well as against other evills where it takes place Sect. 6 Again Conscience in its testimony or verdict is that which does not only acquit a man from the accusations of the Devil when calumnious but which also gives him boldness towards God of receiving a gracious and merciful sentence of final Justification and absolution from Christ when the day of his solemn and publick tryal shall come For as here in London at the Sessions of Peace an inferior Court things are prepared and made ready for tryal at the Grand Sessions so that a man may guesse by the verdict of the petty Jury in the lower Court how things are like to go with him in the Upper Court even so may a man be able to make a kind of certain Judgement how things are
whom it is upon ministring supplies to the necessities of their Brethrens outward man if there be power in their hand It 's oft seen thus with men That when such whom they love and honour and from whom they have received extraordinary favours are above their Requitals yet then in testimony of their true Respects to them will shew kindness to and bestow gifts upon their Servants that wait upon them 1 Sam. 25.27 41. 2 King 5.17 And so it is with those that truly love and honour the Lord Jesus He indeed is exalted above the contributions of their worldly substance but yet is well contented that such of his poor servants as have need should partake of it and will take it every whit as kindly as if it had been given to himself Mat. 25.40 hereupon they expresse their love to him by their love to his Servants for his sake by refreshing their bowels when hungry and thirsty and cloathing them when bare and naked dispersing that among them which they would have been ready to have offered unto him if his condition now as sometime had made him capable of it Psal 16.2 3. My goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight When he could not reach the Lord with his goodness benefit or bounty then he applies himself to his Servants Friends and Favorites whom he could reach and communicates to them Men may talk of their love to Christ and how much they are beholding to him and how ready they would be to dye for him if called to it but if in the mean while they see the true Friends and Servants of Jesus Christ in need of relief and yet shut up the bowels of their compassion against them it may well be demanded How dwelleth the love of God in them 1 John 3.17 There 's neither resemblance of that love which is in God who when the worlds necessity called for it parted with his Son to supply their need nor yet any true signe or token of love to God when those whom he loves so well as he does his Friends shall not be regarded pityed and supplied in their need when power and opportunity to do it are present Indeed such a bowel-less hard-hearted close-fisted temper is that which renders men very unlike to God very unlike to Jesus Christ who though he were rich yet became poor for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 And it is a plain argument they never had much to do with the love of God the love of Christ as to come under any strong sence or powerful influence of it for if they had it would have transformed them into its own likenesse Let them talk what they will of their trust in God and Faith in Christ yet this merciless temper layes them open to that judgment which shall be without mercy James 2.13 and consequently their Faith will be far from interessing them in the pardoning mercies of God or saving merits of Jesus Christ I cannot now stand to shew how much the heart of Christ is in this Christian work of bounty and beneficence nor how much of the Christian Religion lies in it which if I should undertake the Scriptures would be found to speak much this way only let this be remembred that as love to one another is the badg of Christs Disciples John 13.35 so their bounty and readiness to give according to their ability is the proof of the sincerity of this their love 2 Cor. 8.8 24. Where the Apostle encouraging these Corinthians to be bountiful in ministring to the Saints saith he did it to prove the sincerity of their love verse 8. Wherefore saith he again shew ye to them and before the Churches the proof of your love Verse 24. Sect. 14 Nor are the tents of the Saints the only sphear in which Faith acts in this way of love and bounty but its influences flow out to all men as it hath opportunity As I said at the first Faith eying God in his love to men and in the way of its working takes its pattern from thence to cause those in whom it is to be followers of God as dear Children and to walk in love Ephes 5.1 2. and therefore finding that God is not only loving kind and bountiful to the good and to the holy but that his tender mercies are over all his works and that he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil and that he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Psalm 145.9 Luke 6.35 Mat. 5.45 it inclines and draws the man in whom this Faith is in imitation of his Heavenly Father to love enemies to blesse them that curse him to do good to those that hate him to feed them when hungry to give them drink when thirsty according to the mind of the Lord in this behalf Mat. 5.44 Rom. 12.20 And because Faith thus works where it is in truth and power as being nothing lesse then what is expresly commanded of the Lord all whose commands Faith makes men very careful to observe therefore are the Christians that they might shew forth their Faith by their works so frequently provoked and exhorted to do good to be merciful charitable and compassionate to all only with this item that the choice and chief of their contributions of relief must be reserved for such as are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith 1 Thes 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men even as we do towards you 1 Thes 5.15 See that none render evill for evill unto any man but ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men 2 Cor. 9.13 Whilst by the experiment of this ministration they glorifie God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men Sect. 15 7. And if you would have your distributions to the poor Saints and others in need amount unto a clear proof and evidence of the truth of your love to them and so of the soundness of your Faith shewing it self by such works James 2.18 then carefully see to it that your bounty and your ability hold some good proportion For if a man be niggardly and sparing in his Alms-giving and makes a little go a great way is able to do much and yet does very little he will not be able to discern whether what he does proceed from any inward principle of love and good affection or from-some motive from without as viz. because others do so or to get himself eased of the trouble of being solicited the case of the unjust Judge in doing that which was just
Luke 18.5 or at the best to allay the clamour of Conscience The Apostle clearly supposes that men may give Alms upon such termes that their very giving shall rather demonstrate them to be covetous men than charitable else what does he mean when he sayes that he took such and such course about the Collection in the Church of Corinth for other poor Saints that it might proceed from them as matter of bounty and not of covetousnesse 2 Cor. 9.5 And that he had herein an eye upon niggardlinesse in giving we are induced to beleeve by the very next words verse 6. But this I say that he which sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully And therefore when there is so great a disproportion between mens giving and their ability to give both in respect of number and quantity of their gifts as is too common among men their Alms-deeds will never amount unto a proof of the truth reality or sincerity of their Christian love but rather on the contrary prove an argument of the want of that grace For whence proceeds this straitnesse of hand if it be traced but from narrownesse and straitnesse of heart and that from want of love for it is the very nature of love where it is to open and dilate the heart as the Sun does the pores of the earth which till it comes is contracted and shut up And this illiberal temper in men as it argues want of love in them so it argues want of Faith too the mother of love For whence proceeds that undue sparing and saving and lothnesse to part with any thing considerable but from a secret distrust of wanting that themselves which others call for from them If men could but beleeve and be thorowly perswaded that it is the surest way not only to provide themselves baggs that wax not old a treasure in Heaven but also to secure themselves and Children too from want and poverty here on earth they would as freely part with their money in a way of charity for so much as were meet for them to give as now they do in their Trades in hopes of defending themselves from want If such Scriptures were but turned into Faith which declare the man blessed that considereth the poor and that the Lord shall deliver him in time of trouble and preserve him alive and make him blessed on earth Psalm 41.1 2. that say the liberal man deviseth liberal things and by liberal things he shall stand Isa 32.8 The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered himself Prov. 11.25 He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack Prov. 28.27 Thou shalt surely give him and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him viz. the poor because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto Deut. 15.10 And God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye alwayes having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work 2 Cor. 9.8 I say if these and many like Scriptures were but turned into Faith they would be counted being lived to in a way of mercy liberality and bounty a thousand times better security against want than all mens pinching and sparing in their deeds of charity is like to be Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty It 's certainly mens unbelief that binds their hearts and binds their hands from bounteous acts they must have Gods to go before them something to trust to which they see and therefore they think the deminishing of their wealth by giving will be a weakening of the prop upon which they lean And therefore these lean starved Sacrifices and niggardly Alms-deeds proceeding as they do from mens diffidence and distrust can never possibly amount unto an evidence of the goodness of their Faith It concerns every one therefore as they prize the clear evidence and proof of the sincerity of their Faith and Love to proportion their Alms-deeds in some good measure suitable to their estates as that without which such evidence and proof is not to be had Nor do I say that it is the only thing by which such assurance is to be had for the Apostle supposeth that men may possibly cut large morsels out of their estates to supply the poor and yet be void of true Christian charity when he saith Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and have not charity it profiteth we nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 But that proportionate distribution I speak of in conjunction with other effects of those graces will reach it though nothing that I know without this will it being an express duty Him to whom much is given of him much is required Luke 12.48 But rather give Alms as you are able so it is in the margin and behold all things are clean unto you Luke 11.41 Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him 1 Cor. 16.2 Then the Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send relief unto the Brethren which dwelt in Judea which also they did Acts 11.29 Sect. 16 I cannot indeed by any rule certainly determine what proportion of his Estate or the Income of it a man as a Christian is bound ordinarily to disburse in a way of charity and that which makes this the more difficult is the great variety of circumstances that do attend mens outward conditions here in the world both in respect of their estates themselves and the necessary occasions of issuing of them forth in a way of ordinary expence As for example one man it may be hath five hundred by the year revenue and no Child another but one hundred and yet hath five or six Children Now n such a case it seems no wise reasonable to think that the same proportion suppose it to be an eighth tenth or twelfth part of a mans Income which would be it may be sufficient for the one would be sufficient for the other also And the reason of the difference is because the one hath neither the like necessary occasion of expence for the present but what is voluntary and matter of his own election and choice nor the like necessary occasion of increasing his Estate by way of future provision for Relations as the other hath but may with much more ease and reason part with a fourth or fifth part of his Income in way of charity than the other may with a tenth or twelfth For as it is neither necessary nor good Christian-like for men to advance in the costliness of their way of living to the utmost of their Income when their Estates are