3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness the mortification of the outward man And in vers 8. Put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy There is the mortification of the inward man 2 For Vivification that likewise lieth in two things There is the vivifying of our Graces and the quickning of our Duties or our hearts to obedience The last comes from the former Our Graces bring forth our Duties and our Duties are but the actings of our Graces So that the things wee are to live by faith in in our Sanctification are the mortification of all sin whether in the outward or inward man the vivification or quickning of all Graces and of our hearts to every duty Quest 2. How doth faith act or put forth it self in this business of Sanctification Answ Here according to the two parts wee shall proceed and shew how faith acts in the business of Mortification and Vivification Quest 1. How doth faith act in the business of Mortification Ans 1. Faith doth discover to the soul that the old man the unregenerate and unmortified part that is in every one of us was carried up by the Lord Jesus upon the Cross and there did receive a deadly wound And that Jesus Christ our Redeemer and second Adam did take upon him that nature in which the first Adam fell and so did give a mortall blow to the body of sin and death by suffering in that nature Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin condemned sin in the flesh Christ took the likeness of sinfull flesh and by death condemned sin in the flesh that is did give a blow to sin in the flesh in the humane nature that hee took upon him therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 6.6 That our old man is crucified with him Christ took it up upon the Cross with him and gave it a mortall wound Now faith doth discover this to the soule when the soule findeth sin strugling and striving within then saith Faith this sin striving is a part of that body of death that is in the Saints now O my soul look up upon the Cross and see that body of death dying therefore O my soul go out against it and so faith encourageth the soul to go out against sin 2 As Faith shews the soule sin crucified with Christ so it shews the soul that the design of the Lord Jesus in giving a mortal blow to the old man and body of death upon the Cross it was this the weakning of the power of sin and the subduing of it in the Saints that sin might bee so dispowred that it might not reign nor rule in the Saints but bee continually in a declining languishing condition therefore it is said Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed hee doth not say It is destroyed presently Christ took it up upon the Cross gave it a mortal wound that it might bee destroyed in order to the destruction that having the power broken the Saints might the more easily get power over it As an enemy that is already wounded though a Gyant is easily overcome So though sin bee strong as a Gyant Jesus Christ hath wounded sinne therefore his strength being taken away is the more easily subdued Faith shews the soul Christ saith Faith What did Christ give sin a mortal wound that it might bee destroyed O then let not sin live O then sin shall not live in mee 3 Faith shews the soule that there is a continual streaming forth of vertue and efficacy from the Lord Jesus Christ for the killing and subduing sin within Faith doth as it were set open the Fountaine of the Bloud of Jesus Christ streaming out towards and upon it for the healing of the Leprosie of Sin and this is that which faith layeth hold upon when it strugleth with sin Paul when hee was contending with this Old man when he cryeth out O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 presently he casts his eye upon Jesus Christ and saith I thank God Faith sheweth the soul the efficacy and vertue that is in the Bloud of Jesus Christ for the killing sin 4 Faith is much in calling out the soul to the promises of mortification we have a promise of mortification Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace The soul that lives by faith when it findeth sin strong it taketh hold of the promise and goeth to Christ and saith Lord thou hast said sin shall not have dominion over me behold here is such and such a corruption too hard for me Lord behold here is thy promise look upon thy promise remember thy promise subdue my corruption it first goeth to the promise and armeth it self with strength in the promise and then cometh and fighteth against sin and that is the matter wee are so often foyled with sin because we try to combate with sin before we go to the promise When a soul lives by faith for the subduing of sin there is first a going to the promise and then it encounters with sin with success 5 Lastly Faith doth beget and maintaine in the soul a secret perswasion though for the present it is compassed about with a weight of infirmities yet God will support it under all and in Gods time it shall be a conquerour over all Though I be for the present molested with sin yet a day will be I shall be a Conquerour and all these my enemies shall be under my feet I shall set my feet upon the necks of all my sins one day and this carries the soul couragioussy out to fight against sin for the present Quest 2. How doth faith act in the business of vivification Ans 1. Faith eyeth much the Resurrection of Christ and maketh the soul labour much after knowing Jesus Christ in his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his death Here are the two great things we are speaking of for hee is pressing after perfection of Grace which consists in these two to have fellowship with Christ in his death for mortification and to know Christ in his Resurrection for vivification and quickning As mortification comes by a dying Christ so vivification cometh by a living Christ 2 Faith that sheweth the soul how that in the Resurrection of Christ he was raised up and quickned with Jesus Christ Faith sheweth the soul that in Jesus Christ it is quickned already as its common person therefore the Apostle Paul speaking of Jesus Christ as this common person saith Ephes 2.5 6. Yoâ— who were dead in trespasses and sins he hath quickned with Christ and made to sit together with him in heavenly places Faith shews the soul how that in
time it is humbled and admiring God and cryeth out What shall I say What shall I do O what shall such and such corruptions lodge within mee When there is a purging the soul then the evidence is true 2 If thy evidence when it is lost bee out of thy power to recover it again when it is injoyed out of thy power to keep it When it cometh in at first by an Almighty power throwing down all before it and thouloosest it and canst not regain it it is a sign it is no evidence of thy own making for if it were of thy own making thou mightest get it up again Nor it is no evidence of the Devils making to humble the soul to make God all to make the soul more watchfull If thou wouldest clear up thy interest in Christ then entertaine nothing that may go against that interest Some things do darken it as 1 Groundless fears and surmises give not way to such fears for the further off you will be from God they drive you from God 2 Giving way to reason against thy faith Some souls will dispute out the case to the utmost not to mee and not to mee and so stand reasoning out faith It is faith whereby thou must see thy interest if thou blindest the eye how shalt thou see I speak not to loose livers 3 Vnstedfastness in the doctrine of Christ As a mans principles are so is his faith if his principles be uncertain so is his faith If his knowledge bee too and fro hee is not setled Do not change opinions as men do fashions I mean in the principles of grace foundation truths of the Righteousness of Christ Justification c. for if thou dost thou shakest all for thy evidence being from thence this being taken away thou fallest Use 6. To all that are without Christ Are these things so that all the promises are made to us in Christ then Come to Christ How should the consideration of this provoke every poor beggared soul now to make a close with Jesus Christ Thou poor soul which if thou wert to dye to morrow hast never a promise to run to to take comfort in to bear thy poor dying soul upon O come to Christ and all shall bee thine for all the promises are his they are all in him and by having him thou shalt have all O souls did you but know the worth of Christ in this respect I mean considering this that all the promises are stored up in him you would not go quietly out of this place you would not sleep one night more without hearts breathing after Christ and rowling your selves on him Saith Christ to the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water So say I poor soul if thou didst but know the gift of God Jesus Christ if thou didst but know the worth of Christ If thou didst but know what precious promises what multitudes of them and what transcendent worth is in every one the meanest of them are in Christ thy heart would not contain without breathing thy tongue would not be silent any longer without asking the Father to give thee this Christ O how many poor souls now here which did they but know the worth of one promise would now cry out to God O Christ Christ Christ Lord give this Christ to mee and to mee Were the worth of promises known then the worth of Christ in whom all the promises are would bee better known Put case man woman thou wert sure thou shouldest dye to morrow and hadst now all the sins that ever thou hast committed from thy cradle to this day lying upon thee and burdening of thee and thy conscience tormenting thee for them and thou wert at hell gate and hell fire ready to receive thee and swallow thee up for ever what then in thy account would a promise of pardon and remission of sins a promise of heaven and eternal life bee worth What Why all that I have in the world saith the man yea a whole world ten thousand worlds were there so many or had I so many But it may bee some of you are so blockish and senseless and regardless of things of this nature that by this that I have said you are so little acquainted with such things you would not know the worth of a promise therefore to speak in a more familiar way and to shew you the worth of a promise a little from things you do know Put the case now man or woman thou wert condemned to dye some cruel death full of the greatest tortures that can bee imagined such a death as some Histories tell us one Ravillac which traiterously murdered the King of France was put to who had first one of his hands cut off then the other then was carried to the place of execution where hee had the flesh of his body plucked off with burning red hot pincers and then incisions and holes were made into the fleshy parts of his body and there they poured in scalding melted lead and so kept him alive some dayes torturing of him in this and a more cruel manner till in the end hee dyed Now suppose thou wert condemned to dye such a death as this was and this were to be executed upon thee to morrow if so bee the Prince should come to thee over-night and give thee a promise of pardon that hee would pardon thee and save thee from this cruel death what thinkest thou suppose the case were so in thy account would such a promise bee worth O I am perswaded if the case were so thou wouldest not know how thy heart would bee so extraordinarily taken to speak the worth of it the very hearing of a word of pardon at such a time would so overcome thee as that thou wouldest be ready to dye for joy And poor soul know it that such a promise as this is but a poor promise not worth the being called a promise in respect of the promises of God in Christ the meanest the least of which are far greater and of more invaluable worth than hundreds of such as this This is onely a promise of temporal life and of deliverance from a temporal punishment which may last three or four dayes but the promises of Christ are promises of an eternal life and of deliverance from eternal torments and if one of these promises of Christ are of so great and of such invaluable worth then what is Christ himself in whom all the promises are in whom there are innumerable promises of such great value every one of which sinner shall bee thine Christ being thine O sinners sinners did you know but the worth of a promise and so the worth of Christ your hearts would presently fall in love with him and you would run about as the Spouse in the Canticles who having lost her beloved and
and all this by faith Thus much of this third thing in the general in the particulars it falls to be handled in that question wherein the life of faith is to bee exercised Quest 2. What are the principal differences betwixt the life of Faith and the life of Sense There is a great deal of difference between these two lives though both of them bee found in the Saints And what differences wee speak of are not for the discovery of a mans condition whether he be gracious or ungracious but onely the thing in hand is to discover whether wee live by faith or sense Both these lives are incident to Saints therefore if thou findest thou dost not live by faith do not conclude thou art a reprobate a hypocrite thou mayest bee a gracious soule and yet live by sense Ans 1. The life of faith doth ever ground on something without the life of sense doth ever ground on something within either his own desires or affections or some other thing but the life of faith is begotten and nourished by something without as the word of God the promise of God Look what Jesus Christ saith to his Disciples that is the continual language of faith Jesus Christ said Joh. 14 19. Because I live yee shall live also Not because you have good desires good affections but because Christ liveth this is the language of faith because the word of God liveth the Covenant of God liveth therefore I shall live also Not because something in mee lives not because my affections lives not because my obedience lives but because Jesus Christ liveth the Word of God the Promises of God live therefore I shall live also Sense ever draweth conclusions from something within it looketh at these two things either the actings of the regenerate or unregenerate part from the acting of the one concludeth the condition good from the acting of the other concludeth the condition bad Faith observeth the acting of these as well as sense but draweth conclusions from neither The Apostle Rom. 7. setteth forth the acting of the regenerate and unregenerate part What I do I allow not what I hate that do I. Hee setteth before him the actings of both the old and new man the one willeth to do good and hateth to do evill the one delighteth in the Law of God consenteth to the Law of God that it is good yea serveth the Law of God the other serveth the Law of sin that carrieth captive makes him cry O wretched man that I am that is being captived by the body of death but Paul when he commeth to draw Conclusions of his condition doth not fixe his eye upon any of these doth not say Blessed be God though corruption be in mee I have a will to do good though sin be in me yet blessed bee God I hate it though I cannot obey the Law of God as I should yet my minde consents therefore there is no condemnation he doth not say so neither doth hee say though there bee some good desires in me That good I would I do not and that evil I would not that do I I am carnal sold under sin therefore I am a reprobate therefore there is condemnation No but the Aposte Paul when he cometh to make up the Conclusion hee taketh his eye off both and pitcht it upon something without i.e. Jesus Christ v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Pitching his eye upon Christ he can conclude Rom. 8.1 There is therefore no condemnation to those that are in Christ He saw the actings of the Old and New man but taketh his eye off both and fixeth it upon Christ and then concludeth So faith ever groundeth upon something without 2 Cor. 12.17 Where he speaketh of his buffeting by the Messenger of Satan and his praying against it and a gracious answer hee received from God even in that thing here was good and bad here was bad a thorn in the flesh troubling Paul here was good Paul praying against it yea Paul receiving a special remarkable answer from God in prayer Observe Paul concludes neither from the one nor the other he doth not say I have a thorne in the flesh I am a wretched man there is no hope of such a one as I buffeted with such a corruption He doth not say though sin rage I have a praying heart yea I have received a gracious answer therefore I comfort my self I am the Childe of God No Paul when he cometh to conclude he doth not conclude from his praying hard nor the bare giving in of the answer but the substance of the answer given in that was that which carried Paul out of himself to lay hold upon the grace of God and strength of Christ most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me He doth not say I will glory that I have a praying heart an answer from God no in the power of God His faith pitcheth upon something without whereas those that live by sense go quite contrary Differ 2. The life of sense doth look much to means for the obtaining every Mercy the life of faith looketh above and beyond means When God told Moses that he would feed the people of Israel with flesh not for a day but for a whole moneth Moses though he lived by faith yet in that particular acting too much by sense said What Lord shall all the Flocks and Herds be slaine Numb 11.21 the people are six hundred thousand foot-men and thou hast said I will give them flesh Moses looks upon means how shall they be fed shall wee kill all the Flocks have all the Fishes of the Sea gathered together Moses eye was upon means Gods was not so So when Jesus Christ told his Disciples hee would feed the multitude they presently query Where shall we have bread what five thousand souls and we have but five Loaves where shall we have bread they look presently at means So a soul that is living by sense is looking at means if he hath means he can beleeve if not he cannot O had I my liberty as once I had opportunity as once I could beleeve if not hee cannot beleeve The life of sense grounds much upon means but the life of faith beleeveth above means Abraham it is said he beleeved when his body was dead and Sarahs wombe dead the means dead Habakkuk speaking of faith speaketh of beleeving when the vision is hidden when there is nothing to be seen of means nothing in the eye of sense Hab. 2. chap. 3.17 18. Although the Figtree blossome not yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Here is the life of faith joy in God in the want of means yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Differ 3. Thirdly the life of faith the more opposition it meeteth with the stronger it groweth but the life of sense the more opposition it meeteth with the weaker it groweth The VVoman of Canaan cometh to Christ and
be deprived of their inheritance should not the Promises be fulfilled 3 Saints should sustaine injury by it should they not be fulfilled 4 The experience of all Ages shew us that God hath ever fulfilled his promise God made a promise to the Fathers that Christ should come this hee fulfilled when Christ came Act. 13.32 33. And wee 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 Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee God made a promise to Noah that the Earth should not be drowned this though the world hath stood four thousand years since yet God hath never broken God made a promise to Abraham that at the end of four hundred and thirty years his Seed should come out from amongst those that afflicted them with great substance Gen. 15.13 14. This God punctually fulfilled to a day Evod. 12 vers 41. And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years even the self same day it came to pass that all the Hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Aegypt God made a promise to Joseph that hee should rule over his Brethren God made a promise to David of the Kingdome God made a promise to Israel that at the end of seventy years Captivity in Babylon they should bee delivered and these Promises hee fulfilled God made a promise to his people of the Spirit Joel 2. Zach. 12.10 and chap. 2. the same in 14 15 16. Chap. of John and this God makes good Acts 2. Obj. 1. O but will some poor soul say True God hath made such a promise but me thinks I see so many and so great difficulties and discouragements in the way of Gods fulfilling the same that I cannot think ever God will fulfill it Ans 1 Are the difficulties or discouragements greater than those Abraham met with he had a promise of a Son 1 He waits twenty five years after the promise was made as will appear if you compare Gen. 12.4 with chap. 21.5 Abraham was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran where he had the promise Gen. 12.2 and he was an hundred years old when his Son Isaac was born unto him Gen. 21 5. was not this a great discouragement might not Abraham have said every year sure the Promise will never come 2 He waits so long till his own body was dead and Sarahs wombe the means by which the promise should be brought about there was a death upon it so as that in a Natural way there was no hope and therefore hee is said to beleeve in hope against hope Rom. 4.18 did not this much heighten the discouragements and make difficultie greater might not Abraham say well now I see there is no hope 3 After God had given him a Son yet God commands him to offer him up Did not this make difficulty the greater Abraham might say This Son of mine is the only Son in whom the Promise is to bee fulfilled and God commands me to offer him up Now notwithstanding all these Abraham beleeves before he had a Son hee beleeved that God who had promised was able to perform it and after when God bids him sacrifice his Son God still was able 2 Gods remembrance of his promise makes him to work wonderously over the head of all difficulties Psal 105.42 compared with the former verses For hee remembred his holy promise 3 Is any thing too hard for the Lord Obj. 2. O but I have sinned exceedingly against God since such and such a Promise hath been made unto me Ans Yet God remembers his promise Psal 106.45 compared with former verses And he remembred for them his Covenant yet ver 34. They did not destroy the Nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them vers 35. But were mingled among the Heathen and learned their works vers 43. They provoked him with their counsel and yet God remembred his Covenant v. 45 and as he remembers his promise so he will fulfill it Christ before his death gave his Disciples a promise of the Spirit after this they deal more unkindly with him than ever Peter denies him some sleep when hee was in the midst of his agony all forsake him and flye and yet Christ fulfills his promise to them How exceedingly did Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat King of Judah make Judah to sin 2 King 8 18. He walked in the way of the Kings of Israel as did the house of Ahab for the daughter of Ahab was his wife and hee did evill in the sight of the Lord. Yet for all this because God had made a promise to David that hee should alwayes have a light hee will not therefore destroy Judah as vers 19. yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his servants sake as hee promised to give him alway a light and to his children Gods Covenant Isa 54.9 is said to bee like the waters of Noah when God had brought a floud upon the world in Noahs time God sware to Noah hee would not drown the carth as you may read Gen. 8.21 For the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth it should be rendred Although the imagination Such is Gods Covenant and Promise that hee will not break it although the heart of man bee evill Again thou hast sinned what is thy sin but a breach of the Law Now the Promise was before the Law and therefore thy breach of the Law cannot disanul the Promise Gal. 3. v. 15 16 17. And this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the Promise of none effect Object 3. But I am a poor unworthy creature Answ The Promise is a gift Gal. 3.22 That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Object 4. But had I something of that God hath promised in way of pawn or pledge I then could beleeve Answ Abraham had nothing but a bare promise and yet hee beleeves Act. 7.5 And hee gave him none inheritance in it not so much as to set his foot on yet hee promised that hee would give it to him for a possession and to his seed after him when as yet hee had no childe Wee should beleeve God upon his bare promise as the Samaritans beleeved Christ because of his own word Joh. 4.41 And many more beleeved because of his own word Object 5. O but I have waited so long for the promise and yet it comes not I see it not fulfilled that my soul faints I begin to be without hope that ever it will be fulfilled Answ Hast thou waited longer then Abraham Abraham had a promise of a Son but waited twenty five years as bath been shewed hast thou waited yet twenty five years
sin now is twice thrice as heavie as before It is an offence deserving death to begin a rebellion but after a gracious Pardon proclaimed to persist in it doubles trebles the offence So here I shall shew you some aggravations of such Sinners sins I you sin against more light than others do Many poor souls there are which dwell in Turkie and India yea and in many places where they never yet heard of the Gospel in England too which are Drunkards c. And alas poor souls they are to be pittied they know no better and therefore do no better they never had the Gospel which it may be if they had they would prize it and bless God for it but poor souls they remaine in gross ignorance and therefore do thus but now you have heard the Gospel it you shall therefore go home and betake you againe to your Cups and Cans and Queans and Oathes c. you will sin against more light this you have heard wil rise up in Judgement against you and condemn you Job 3.19 And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light It will leave you inexcusable Joh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation 4 You sin against more contradiction of your own Conscience the more light the more contradiction of Conscience the more will Conscience tell you of your sins and fly in your faces for them They poor souls have not so much inward contradiction because their Consciences are not so much enlightened You which have heard this cannot go home and follow your sins but your Consciences wil fly in your faces when you do it and put you upon a wrack O will Conscience say thou vile Creature didst thou not hear the other day that the Lord made premises of grace to the worst of Sinners and was willing to give life and salvation to the worst of Sinners and wretch that thou art art thou swilling in thy sins and lusts again and dost trample Heaven under foot what dost thou think will become of thee 3 You sin against more Love and Mercy to sin against love and mercy is the highest aggravation one of them that can be of sinning Now you have abundance of love spread before you which they poor souls that dwell in Turkie and India and Ireland and Northumberland and Cumberland know nothing of nor it may bee never heard of 4 You sin more wilfully you which hear all this grace and yet go on in your old prophane courses there is more of will in your sins than in others If a man should have a Servant and he bids him do a thing and charges him to do it or he would turn him out of his Service and he should say he would not do it bid him do it himself here now is will but if this man should come to this Servant and say I pray do this let me prevail with you and intreat you to do it and I will promise you that I will make you my Son and Heir and you shall be no longer looked upon or accounted a Servant but shall for ever be as an only Son to me if hee should still say No I am resolved say what you please I will not do it but I will go on doing of that I am at present about here now were more will So let me say should God come to a poor Sinner and say Do this beleeve on my Son and I will promise you that I will make you my Son and Heir if that Sinner will not do it here is much of will in this Vse 4. Of comfort to poor souls Is it so that the promises of Grace are made to Sinners as sinners then see what abundance of comfort this one consideration yeelds this rightly understood is such a bottome of comfort as no principle like it for it will at once answer all the Objections of Satan and Carnal fears of thine own heart Obj. 1. O saith the Devil and thine own heart thou art not so holy as others canst not pray with that life c. that others can Ans But may the poor soul say True Satan yet I am but a Sinner and the Promises are made to sinners were the Promises only to Saints then woe would be to me did I want these things but they are to sinners and yet I am but a sinner and though I cannot go to the Promise as a Saint yet I will go as Sinner and thus I may go for they are made to sinners Obj. 2. But thou art not humbled and broken Ans But still I am but a sinner and promises are made to sinners I confess I am not so broken and humbled a sinner as I would be but yet I am but a sinner and so the proper object of the grace of the promise still I will therefore go to the Promise that I may bee a broken sinner an humbled sinner Obj. 3 But thou hast been a sinner a great while ten twenty thirty forty fifty years Ans Aye but Satan still I am but a Sinner and the promises are made to sinners I do acknowledge I am an old sinner and have been a sinner a great while and I heartily wish that I had not been so long I will now go to the Promise that I may be a sinner no longer Obj 4. O but thou hast sinned against light Ans Yet but a sinner and the promises are made to sinners though I have sinned in the Light whereas others have in the Dark and so my sins are farre greater and worse yet I am but a sinner and the Promises are to such Object 5. O but thou hast sinned against mercy also Ans True Satan yet I am but a sinner and the promises are made to sinners I have abused Gods mercies and it grieves my heart I have been such a wretch but yet I am but a sinner Object 6. But thou art one who hast not so much as a breathing or desire after that which is good alive in thee Ans Yet but a sinner Object 7. But thou art one who art weary of that which is good Ans Yet but a sinner Object 8. But thou hast had more desires and breathings formerly than now thou hast Ans Yet but a sinner Object 9 But though thou art in this miserable condition thou art not troubled for it Ans But yet I am but a sinner Object 10. But thou hast been a backslider and fallen into the same sin not once or twice but thirty forty times Ans This Satan I acknowledge too but what then Backsliders are but sinners and the promise is made to sinners Though my backslidings are such as I cannot come to God as a Son yet I will come as a Sinner who may in time bee his Son though I cannot at present
in Jesus Christ which is preached to poor sinners in this this righteousness is contained here you may lay hold of it by holding of this thou must keep it thou needest not poor Sinner if thou wouldest have all thy sins pardoned be a justified soul and blessed for ever climbe up to heaven by thy own good works and righteousness for it nor run down to hell in despair thinking thou mayest as soon finde it there as any where else no no poor soul what saith it The word is nâ—gh thee Heaven is nigh Justification Salvation is nigh thee it is in Gods word of faith which thou hearest preached that free promise which brings thee tidings of an everlasting righteousness lay hold of this thou art blessed for ever keep hold of this and thou shalt see thy self a justified person and an Heir of Heaven for ever And who mee thinks hearing this would not have thoughts of a Heaven thou poor soul sittest all the week long at thy Cups and with thy Queans and art scared from having any thoughts of Heaven or obtaining of Jesus Christ and life eternal through him because thou thinkest if ever thou doest it thou must make a Ladder of good works and climbe up to Heaven and thus thou knowest not how to do but it is a Hell to thee to have thoughts of it or if not so yet thou thinkest thou must run mad for a while at least the thoughts whereof terrifie thee as much on the other side whereas poor soul thou art mistaken the righteousness of Christ by which souls are righteousness of Christ by which souls are justified and saved needs neither of these for the obtaining of it thou needest not go up to Heaven nor down to Hel to get it thou needest not stand howling and crying and moping a moneth together to get a Heaven no but come to the Promise and all is thine but I tell thee not that when this is done thou shalt swagger and swear and be drunk and roar as before thou didst no but a new nature shall be put into thee and God whom now thou art affraid of as a Judge to hang thee thou shalt come running unto and throw thy self into his arms as into the arms of a loving Father and that work as prayer hearing which thou art now in prison whilst thou art about thou shalt account this glorious liberty 4 Faith it begets and keeps up a secret perswasion in that soul which lives thereby that either the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is declared in the promise already for certain is or if not may bee mine As faith leads the soul out unto and holds it close to the promise where Christs righteousnesse is held forth so there is something which faith in its acting doth to bring the soul unto and constantly to hold it to the promise for it is not an easie thing to bring a poor soul which sees nothingness and emptiness in it self and all its own righteousnesse to close with the promise of Christs righteousnesse and to hold the soul to the same in such sort as it shall not swerve or start aside stagger or reel from that promise in this great business of its Justification Now that which faith doth for the bringing of the soul unto and holding it close to the promise is the begetting and maintaining in the soul a certain secret and inward perswasion which is twofold Either 1 Such as hath an assuring act of faith joyned with it and may bee called Faith of assurance which though it bee not that wherein the life of faith doth properly consist yet it oftentimes accompanyeth living by faith and is more constantly found in that soul which lives by faith than it is in another which doth not live by faith which is a perswasion that that righteousnesse of Christ which is revealed in the promise for the justification of sinners is certainly mine applied to mee and that through the same I am already justified and shall never come into condemnation and therefore I come and take hold of the promise and keep to it as that which is my continual evidence against sin and Satan that I am justified and shall never come into condemnation so that the soul comes to the promise and saith This promise is mine the treasure in it is mine the Jewel of Christs righteousnesse that it brings is mine and in this confidence it triumphs over death hell sin the devil and all the enemies of its Justification and Salvation This perswasion wee finde in the Apostle Paul upon which hee grounds his glorious triumph Rom. 8. vers 33. to the end Daring all his enemies and all the enemies of the Elect of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is hee that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword All comes from this perswasion vers 38. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And as I said before though this perswasion that I am certainly just and righteous before God in the righteousnesse of Christ bee not that proper act whereby I live by faith yet the more I attain to of this life of faith the greater and more constant will this perswasion bee for the stronger faith grows in any soul the more full assurance doth it bring though yet that assurance is not the act whereby it lives by faith but a fruit thereof yea in those souls who have attained to a higher degree of the life of faith as Paul and others in those times had the actings of faith do more appear in the act of Assurance and less in the acts of bare Adherence so that such doe not so much say the Righteousnesse of Christ it may bee mine and therefore I cleave to the promise which brings the same as thus it is certainly mine I am certainly justified and therefore I hold to the promise and that which is the ground of this my assurance and my evidence to prove the same against all the charges of the Law Sin Satan or any of the enemies of my Salvation Or 2 Such a perswasion as hath an adhering act of faith joyned with it and may be called faith of adherence which is a perswasion of this that the righteousnesse of Christ which the promise declares for the justificotion of sinners though I cannot for the present certainly say it is mine yet it may bee mine and I may bee justified and therefore I go to the promise and hold to the promise where this is to bee had this perswasion is properly the life of Faith considered in it self the other is the life of Faith
and its fruit both in the soul together and though every soul which lives by faith hath not the other i.e. a perswasion that Christs righteousnesse is certainly its own yet every soul which lives by faith so far as it lives by faith hath this that possibly it may bee mine so far at least as that it dares not conclude the contrary as the Ninevites Jona 3. v. 8 9. Repent from such a consideration Who can tell if God will turn and repent And as Job offered sacrifice for this children from an It may bee my Sons have sinned And the four Lepers ventured into the host of Assyria from an It may bee they will save us alive So a poor soul which lives by faith goes to the promise and takes hold thereof and though it cannot say this is certainly mine or shall certainly be mine yet it saith It may bee mine however I will not conclude the contrary 5 Faith in the point of Justification causeth the soul that lives by it to shun all disputes either with the Devil or a mans own carnal reason as to the question whether it bee justified or no Satan comes and layes heavy charges upon the soul thou art such a sinner hast so often been proud unbeleeving worldly minded so many sins thou hast committed against the love and free grace of God against thy own light and conscience so many duties thou hast neglected so many been formal hypocritical in and therefore thou art not justified Carnal reason that comes in and sayes its Amen to the Devils arguments saith Carnal reason the Promises are true I know them to bee so and therefore surely the conclusion must bee thus I am no childe of God I am an unjustified person Faith now that comes forth and encounters the furious charge of both these raging Lions who would at once swallow up the peace and happiness of the poor soul and saith Faith you enemies Satan and my own reason if from all your charges you had concluded against my Sanctification reason would that I should bear with you but if the question bee about my Justification I will bee no disputer in that matter because it is not for mee to meddle with that business or to take the work out of anothers hands who is intrusted with it I grant I am as vile as you have made mee and viler too yet were I ten times viler than I am yet would not all this touch my Justification because that is wholly without mee and in the hands of another so as that no good or evill within mee or done by mee comes at that Yea O yee my enemies saith the soule you are much beside the question which fain you would affirm and prove when from these charges you would assaile my Justification for Sanctification and Justification are two things and all you charge mee with in your premises is some defect in the matter of Sanctification and in the conclusion you run into Justification which is to raise another question and therefore saith the soul had you concluded thus thou art not sanctified I would freely without dispute have concluded with you for this I do acknowledge that I am a poor sinner a wretched man in my self often captivated with a body of death I am not indeed so sanctified as I should bee but I see something in my self which I desire to mourn for and to walk humbly underâ—â— and which I see daily need to go to my Father about which also I do beseeching him and waiting upon him for the healing this filthy puddle of my nature but because of this that I am not justified that I will not conclude neither are you my enemies untill you have proved that there is a defect or want of righteousnesse in Christ as in mee till you have proved that there is not righteousnesse enough in Christ upon whom my justification lyes as it is my duty I shall still desire notwithstanding all my weaknesses and imperfections to beleeve my Justification Sixtly and lastly Faith looks strictly and narrowly to the conscience Conscience is the strong hold and castle of the soul whilst that is quiet free from tumults the whole man is at peace let there be a tumult there and the whole man is at war and put into distraction therefore faith in the business of Justification makes the soul to use all diligence of secure that hold out of the hands of the enemy by securing which the whole man injoyes peace and truly this looking too and securing of conscience is a business of greatest concernment in living by faith for justification For the Devill and Sin do the soul more mischief when these get into conscience than they do or can do any where else Now there are three wayes by which Faith secures Conscience 1 By putting a strong garrison into Conscience and keeping it there This strong Garrison is the Righteousnesse of Christ which faith brings into conscience and keeps there Faith knows that nothing else can defend conscience when Sin and Satan storm it but Christ Righteousnesse Hence 1 Pet. 3.21 wee are said to have the answer of a good conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for the Resurrection being the time wherein Christ did appear in all his Righteousnesse and shew forth himself as one that had now fulfilled all Righteousnesse and upon the very same account was now risen from the dead when hee had been acting the last part of that sad Tragedy as to himself but glorious work of Righteousnesse as to us is put for the whole Righteousnesse of Christ both active and passive and so it is as if the Apostle should say The Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ being put into our Consciences is that whereby they are secured and kept peaceable so that instead of tumults and insurrections in conscience our consciences are in peace instead of accusing us wee have the answer of a good conscience towards God 2 By clearing the conscience of all those enemies who formerly have done or do disturb the peace thereof As faith brings a strong garrison into conscience so it ejects all malignants or disturbers of consciences peace these are those dead works Heb 9.14 which creep into conscience i. e. the guilt of all sin whether of omission or commission which get into conscience and disturb its peace Now faith garrisoning conscience with Christs righteousnesse ejects all these the first thing this garrison doth being entred is the clensing of the place where it is from all such as are enemies to the peace of it Whatsoever guilt of sin past or present which lyes in the conscience and wrangles all is cast out the Righteousnesse of Christ being made governor of conscience and the conscience injoyes abundance of peace whereas before it had not quiet an hour in a day many times for a month together now it is full of peace Sin which before lay gnawing and tormenting it is now cast out and everlasting righteousnesse