neither should we believe for this because we see with our eyes and hear with our ears even while we are in this life daily pieces and little parcels of Hell for we see and hear daily some tumbling in their blood thousands cut down of our Brethren Children Fathers Malefactors hanged and quartered Death in every house These these be little hells and little coals and sparkles of the great fire of hell and certain Documents to us that there is a Hell Yet we neither hear nor come to Christ. Nay suppose a Preacher come from Hel to the rich Gluttons five brethren Luk. 16. and should bring with him all the lashes and print of the whips of Satans Scorpions on back and side on thighs arms and legs and though he should bring up to us out of hell ten thousand damned and bring with him the fire the red coals of the Fury of God every coal as great as a mountain and offer them all to our eyes and ears senses such is the power of our deafnesse and blindnes that we should not believe For when many little hells work so little by length of time this one great hell should never bring us to hear and come to Christ. See how little we are affected with the blood of so many thousands of our own flesh in the three Kingdoms Alas our senses are confined within time The other thing observable is That it is good to be neer the place where Christ is It was advantage that the woman dwelt upon the borders of the Land where Christ was It s good for the poor to be a Neighbour beside the rich and for the thirsty to take up house and dwell at the Fountain and for the sick to border with the Physician O love the ground that Christ walketh on To be born in Sion is an honour Psal 87.6 because there the Lord dwelleth It s a blessing to hear and see Christ Mat. 13.16 we do not weigh nor duely esteem what a favour it is that Christ walketh in the midst of the golden Candlesticks that the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land it s ours to build him a pallace of Silver For the sixth Article which is Her adoring of Christ it shall be spoken of in another place I hasten therefore to her Prayer SERMON VI. IN her Prayer as it is expressed by Matthew we have 1. The maner of it She cryed 2. The compellation or party to whom she prayeth O Lord thou son of David 3. The Petition Have mercy on me 4. The Reason For my daughter is vexed with a Devil She cryed The poor woman prayed as we say with good will with a bent affection Why is crying used in praying Had it not been more modesty to speak to this soul-redeeming Saviour who heareth sometimes before we pray then to cry out and shout For the Disciples do after complain that She cryeth so after them Was Christ so difficile to be intreated The reasons of crying are 1. Want cannot blush the pinching necessity of the Saints is not tyed to the law of Modesty Hunger cannot be ashamed Psal. 55.2 I mourn in my complaint and make a noise saith David and Ezekiah Esa. 38.14 Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove Job 30.28 I went mourning without the Sun I stood up and I cryed in the congregation 2. Though God hear Prayer onely as Prayer offered in Christ not because very fervent yet fervour is a heavenly ingredient in Prayer an arrow drawn with full strength hath a speedier issue therefore the Prayers of the Saints are expressed by crying in Scripture Ps. 22.2 O my God I cry by day and thou hearest not Ps. 55.17 At noon wil I pray and cry aloud Ps 18.6 In my distresse I cryed to the Lord Ps. 88.13 Vnto thee have I cryed O Lord Ps. 130.1 Out of the depths have I cryed Jon. 2.2 Out of the belly of Hell I cryed Psal. 28.1 Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my Rock Yea it goeth to somewhat more then crying Job 19.7 I cry out of wrong but am not heard Lam. 3.8 Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my Prayers He who may teach us all to pray sweet Jesus Heb. 5.7 In the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears he prayed with war shouts 3. And these prayers are so prevalent that God answereth them Psal. 34.6 This poor man cried and the Lord heard and saved him from all his fears Ps. 18.6 My cry came before him even to his ears the cry addeth wings to the prayer As a speedy Post sent to Court upon life and death Ps. 22.5 Our fathers cryed unto thee and were delivered Psal. 34.17 The righteous cry and the Lord heareth We all know the Parable of the poor Widow and the unrighteous judge if the oppressed be not delivered Christ and his Father and Heaven shall hear of it hence 4. Importunity in praying I will not let thee go saith Iacob to his Lord till thou blesse me So James calleth it chap. 5. v. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayer possessed with a spiâ—it but a good spirit-Prayer steeled with fervor of spirit so fervent that David is like the Post who layeth by three horses as breathlesse his heart his throat his eyes Ps. 69.3 I am wearie of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God 5. There is violence offered to God in fervent prayer Exod. 32.10 Moses is answered when he is wrestling with God by Prayer for the people Now therefore let me alone that my anger may wax hot against them Let me alone is a word of putting violent hands in any there be bones and sinews in such prayers by them the King is held in his Galleries Cant. 7.5 Object But if so be that prayers must bee fervent even to vocal crying and shouting then I cannot pray who am often so confounded that I cannot speak one word Ans. So was the servant of God in a Spirituall kind of praying in uttering the Psal. 77. when he saith v. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak yea groaning goeth for praying to God Psal. 102.20 The Lord looked down from heaven to hear the groaning of the prisoner Rom. 8.26 The spirit intercedeth for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with sighes that none can speak Faith doth sigh prayers to heaven Christ receiveth sighs in his censure for Prayer words are but the body the garment the outside of Prayer sighs are neerer the heart-work a dumb beggar getteth an almes at Christs gates even by making signes when his tongue cannot plead for him and the rather because he is dumb Object 2. I have not so much as a voice to utter to God and Christ saith Cant. 2.14 Cause me hear thy voice Ans. Yea but some other thing hath a voice beside the tongue Psal. 6.8 The Lord
rate of Christ we under-rate any thing that is at our elbow should Christ throw himself in our bosome and lap while we are in a morning sleep he should not have the marrow and flower of our esteem its good there be some fire in us meeting with water while we seek after Christ. 3. His love must not onely lead the heart but also draw violence in love is most taking and delayes of enjoying so lovely a thing as Christ breedeth violence in our affections and suspension of presence oyleth the wheels of love desire joy want of Christ is a wing to the soul. Interpreters ask what woman she was Matthew saith a Canaanite not of any Gracious blood a Syrophenician for Syrophenicia was in the border between Palestine and Syria and it was now inhabited by the Reliques of the Canaanites a Greek not by birth but because of the Greek tonge Rites broght thither by Alexander and the succeding Kings of Syria All the Gentiles go under the name of Greeks in Scripture Language as Rom. 1.14 Gal. 3.28 1 Cor. 1.22 24. not because they are all Greeks by nation and blood but because Conquest Language and customes stand for blood and birth however it standeth as no blemish in Christs Compt-Book who was your Father whether an Ammorite or an Hittite so ye come to him he asketh not whose you are so you be his nor who is your Father so you will be his Brother and be of his house Mar. 7.24 And from thence he arose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon Christ wearied of Judea had bin grieved in spirit with the Hypocrisie of the Pharisees and the provocation of that stiff-necked people He was chased away to the prophane Pagans The hardning of the Jews maketh way to Christs first and young love laid upon the Gentiles Christ doth but draw by a lap of the curtain of Separation and look through to one beleeving Heathen the King openeth one little window and holdeth out his face in one glimpse to the woman of Canaan so Christs works of deep providence are free mercy and pure Justice interwoven making one web He departeth from the Jews and setteth his face and heart on the Gentiles consider the art of providence here 1. The Devill sometime shapeth and our wise Lord seweth Babylon killeth God maketh alive Sin Hell and Death are made a Chariot to carry on the Lords excellent work 2. The providence of God hath two sides one black and sad another white and joyfull Heresie taketh strength and is green before the Sun Gods clearing of necessary and seasonable Truths is a fair side of that same providence Adams first sin was the Devill and Hell digging a hole through the comely and beautiful frame of the Creation of God and that is the dark side of providence but the flower of Jesse springing up to take away sin and to paint out to Men and Angels the glory of a Heaven and a new world of Free-grace that is a lightsome side of providence Christ scourged Christ in a case that he cannot command a cup of water Christ dying shamed forsaken is black But Christ in that same work redeeming the Captives of Hell opening to sinners forfeited Paradice that is fair and white Joseph weeping in the prison for no fault is foul and sad but Joseph brought out to reign as half a King to keep alive the Church of God in great Famine is joyfull and Glorious The Apostles whipped imprisoned killed all the day long are sad and heavy but sewed with this that God causeth them alwayes to Triumph and sow the savour of the knowledge of Christ and Paul riding on his iron Chains and exalting CHRIST in the Gospell through the Court of bloody Nero maketh up a fair comely contexture of Divine Providence 3. God in all his works now when he raineth from Heaven a sad showr of blood on the three Kingdoms hath his one foot on Justice that wrath may fill to the brim the cup of Malignants Prelats and Papists and his other foot on mercy to wash away the filth of the Daughter of Zion and to purge the blood of Ierusalem in the midst thereof by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning And this is Gods way and ordinarie path-rode Psal. 25.10 and in one and the same motion God can walk both to the East and to the West and to the North and the South It is our fault that we look upon Gods wayes and works by halfes and pieces and so we see often nothing but the black side and the dark part of the Moon we mistake all when we look upon mens works by parts an house in the building lying in an hundred pieces here timber here a rafter there a spar there a stone in another place half a window in another place the side of a door there 's no beauty no face of an house here have patience a little and see them all by art compactâ—d together in order and you 'l see a fair building when a painter draweth the half of a man the one side of his head one eye the left arm shoulder and leg and hath not drawn the other side nor filled up with colours all the members parts limbs in its full proportion it s not like a man So do we look on Gods works by halfes and parts and we see him blouding his people scattering Parliaments chasing away Nobles and Prelats as not willing they should have a finger in laying one stone of his house yet do we not see that in this dispensation the other half of Gods work makes it a fair piece God is washing away the blood and filth of his Church removing these from the work who shall crosse it In bloudy Wars Malignant Souldiers ripping up women with childe waste spoil kill yet are they but purging Sions tin brasse and lead and such reprobate mettall as themselves Jesuits and false Teachers are but Gods snuffers to occasion the clearing and snuffing of the lamps of the tabernacle and make truth more naked and obvious SERMON II. And he went into a house and would that no man should know it THis will according to which it is said He would that no man should know it was his humane will according to which the Lord Iesus was a man as we are yet without sin which was not alway fulfilled for his Divine will being backed with omnipotency can never be resisted It overcometh all and can be resisted by none Consider what a Christ we have one who as God hath a standing will that cannot fall Esa. 14.24 He doth all his pleasure His pleasure and his work are commensurable Esa. 46.10 11. Psal. 135.6 Psal. 115.3 Yet this Lord did stoop so low as to take to himself mans will to submit to God and Law And see how Christ for our instruction is content that God should break his will and lay it below
providence Mat. 26.39 O so little and low as great Iesus Christ is all is come to this O my father remove the cup Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt Christ and his Father hath but one will between them both Ioh. 5.30 I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father that sent me Rom. 15.3 For even Christ pleased not himself It s a signe of conformity with Christ when we have a will so mortified as it doth lye levell with Gods providence Aarons sons are killed and that by God immediatly from heaven with fire a judgement very hell-like Levit. 10.3 And Aaron held his peace a will lying in the dust under Gods feet so as I can say Let his will whose I am enact to throw me in Hell he shall have my vote is very like the Mother-rule of all sanctified wills even like Christs plyable will There is no iron sinew in Christs will it was easily broken the top of Gods finger with one touch broke Christs will Heb. 10.9 Loe I come to do thy will O God O! but there is a hard stone in our will the stony heart is the stony will Hell cannot break the Rock and the Adamant and the Flint in our will 1 Sam. 8.19 Nay but we will have a King Whether God will or no Jer. 18.12 Gods will standeth in the peoples way bidding them return they answer There is no hope but we will walk after our own divices Hell vengeance omnipotency crossed Pharaohs will but it would neither bow nor break Exod. 9.27 But the Lord hardned Pharaohs heart that he would not let the people go There be two things in our will 1. The naturall frame and constitution of it 2. The goodnesse of it The will of Angells and of sinlesse Adam is not essentially good for then Angells could never have turned Devils therefore the constitution of the will needeth supervenient goodnesse and confirming grace even when will is at its best Grace Grace now is the only oyl to our Wheeles Christ hath taken the Castle both in-works and out-works when he hath taken the will the proudest enemie that Christ hath out of Hell When Saul renders his will he renders his weapon this is mortification When Christ runneth away with your will as Christ was like a man that had not a mans will so Saul Act. 9.6 Trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe It s good when the Lord trampleth upon Ephraims fair neck Hos. 10.11 There is no goodnesse in our will now but what it hath from Grace and to turn the will from ill to good is no more natures work then we can turn the wind from the East to the West when the wheels of the clock are broken and rusted it cannot go When the birds wing is broken it cannot flie When there is a stone in the sprent and in-work of the lock the key cannot open the door Christ must oyl the wheels of misordered will and heal them and remove the stone and infuse Grace which is wings to the bird if not the motions of will are all hell-ward But he could not be hid for a certain woman c. Christ sometime would be hid because he hath a spirit above the peoples windy aire and their Hosanna it s a spirit of straw naughty and base that is burnt up with that which hindered Themistocles to sleep Honour me before the people was cold comfort to Saul when the Prophet told him God had rejected him But Christ desired not to be hid from this woman he was seeking her and yet he flyeth from her Christ in this is such a flyer as would gladly have a pursuer 2. Faith findeth Christ out when he is hâ—d Esa. 45.15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self But Faith seeth God under his mask and through the cloud and therefore Faith addeth O God of Israel the Saviour Thou hidest thy self O God from Israel but Israel findeth thee ver 17. Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation God casteth a cloud of anger about himself he maketh darknesse his Pavilion and will not look out yet Iob seeth God and findeth him out many hundred miles chap. 19.26 Yet in my flesh I shall see God 3. Reason Sense nay Angels seeing Christ between two theeves dying and going out of this world bleeding to death naked forsaken of friend and lover they may wonder and say O Lord what dost thou here Yet the Faith of the Theef found him there as a King who had the keys of Paradice and he said in Faith Lord remember me when thou comest to thy Kingdom Luk 23.42 4. Faith seeth him as a witnesse and a record in Heaven Iob 16. ver 19.20 even when God cleaveth Jobs reins asunder and powreth out his gall upon the ground v. 13. Believe then that Christ glowneth that he may kiss that he cuts that he may cure that he maketh the living believers grave before his eyes and hath no mind to bury him alive He breatheth the smoak and the heat of the Furnace of Hell on the soul when Peace Grace and Heaven is in his heart he breaketh the hallow of Iacobs thigh so as hee must go halting all his dayes and it s his purpose to blesse him Whereas wee should walk by Faith we walk much even in our spirituall walk by feeling and sense we have these errors in our Faith we make not the word of promise the rule of our Faith but only Gods Dispensation Now Gods Dispensation is spotlesse and innocent and white yet it is not Scripture to me nor all that Dispensation and Providence seemeth to speak the Word of God Ram-horns speaketh not taking of Towns in an ordinary providence as spear and shield and a hoast of fighting men doth Killed all the day long and estimated as sheep for the slaughter speaketh not to me that Gods people are more then conquerours through him that loved us Rom. 8.36 37. our Faith in reference to Dispensation is to do two things To believe in general though Dispensation be rough stormy black yet Christ is fair sweet gracious and that Hell and Death are servants to Gods Dispensation toward the children of God Abraham must kill Isaack yet in Isaack as in the promised â—â—ed all the Nations of the earth are blessed Israel is foiled and falleth before the men of Ai yet Israel shall be saved by the Lord Judah shall go into Captivity but the dead bones shal live again read the promise in generall engraved upon the Dispensation of God garments are roll'd in blood in Scotland and England The wheels of Christs Chariot in this Reformation go with a slow pace the Prince is averse to Peace many Worthies are killed a forraign Nation cometh against us yet all worketh for the best to those that love God 2. Hope biddeth us to await the Lords event We see Gods work it cometh to our senses but the event
that God bringeth out of his work lyeth under ground Dispensation is as a woman travelling in birth and crying out for pain but she shall be delivered of two men Children Mercy to the people of God Justice to Babylon wait on while the woman bring forth though you see not the Children 2. We trust possession in our part more then Law and the fidelity of the promise on Gods part feeling is of more credit to us then Faith sense is surer to us then the word of Faith many weak ones beleeve not life Eternall because they feel it not Heaven is a thing unseen and they finde no Consolation and Comfort and so are disquieted If we knew that beleeving is a bargaining and a buying we should see the weaknesse of many should any buy a field of Land refuse to tell down the money except the party should lay all the Ridges Acres Medows and Mountains on the buyers shoulders that he might carry them home to his house he should be incredulously unjust If any should buy a Ship and think it no bargain at all except he might carry away the Ship on his back should not this make him a ridiculous Merchant Gods Law of Faith Christs concluded atonement is better and surer then your feeling all that sense and comfort saith is not Canonick Scripture it is Adultery to seek a signe because we cannot rest on our Husbands word SERMON III. Quest. BVt cannot Christ be hid Ans. Not of himself It s hard to hide a great fire or to cast a covering upon sweet odours that they smell not Christs Name is as a sweet oyntment powred out he is a Mountain of spices and hee 's a strong savour of Heaven and of the higher Paradice You may hide the man that he shal not see the Sun but you cannot cast a garment over the body of the Sun and hide day-light From which it appeareth that Christ cannot be hid 1. In his Cause and Truth the Gospell is scourged and imprisoned when the Apostles are so served yet it cometh to light and filleth Jerusalem and filleth all the world What was done to hide Christ when he and his Gospel is buryed under a great stone yet his fame goeth abroad Death is no covering to Christ Papists burn all the Books of Protestants they kill and slay the Witnesses Antiochus and the persecuting Emperours throw all the Bibles in the fire but this Truth cannot be hid it Triumpheth As soon pull down Jesus from his Royall seat at the right hand of God as Babylon Prelats Papists Malignants in these three Kingdoms can extinguish the People and Truth of Christ. 2. Beleevers cannot hide and dissemble a good or an ill condition in the soul The welbeloved is away and the Churches bed cannot keep her All the Watchmen all the streets all the Daughters of Jerusalem yea Heaven and Christ must hear of it Cant. 3.1 2 3. Cant. 5.6 7 8. Mary Magdalens bed and a mornings sleep and the Company of Angels and Apostles cannot dry her cheeks Woman what ayles thee saith the Angel O she weepeth O what ayleth me They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him O Apostles Where is he O Sir Angell tell me if you saw him O Grave O Death Shew me is my Lord with you The Love of Christ is no Hypocrite I grant some can for a time put a fair face on it when Christ is absent but most of the Saints look as a Bird fallen from the Raven as a Lamb fallen out of the Lions mouth as one too soon out of bed in the morning O sick of Love O shew him I charge you tell him Watchmen Daughters of Jerusalem that I am sick of Love Love is a paining feavorous tormenting sicknesse Grace cannot put on a laughing mask when sweet Jesus is hidden Love hath no art to conceal sorrow the countenance of David Psal. 42.5 is sick There 's death in his face when God is not the light of his countenance 3. The joy of his presence cannot be hid she cannot but tell and cry out O Fair O White Day He is come again Cant. 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from him but I found him whom my soul loved She numbred all the miles she Travelled while her Lord was absent Joy will speak it s not dumb Cant. 7.9 The roofe of thy mouth is like the best wine for my beloved that goeth down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Mat. 9.15 Can the Children of the Bedchamber mourne as long as the Bridegroom is with them i. e. they cannot choose but rejoyce 4. Grace in a sincere Professor and CHRIST cannot be hid there came a good fair breath with a blast of a sweet west-wind of Heaven on Joseph of Arimathea the time was ill Christ was dead and he can dissemble no longer Mar. 15.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much daring and boldnesse he went into Pilat with a Petition I beseech you my Lord Governour let me but have this Jesus his dead body There was some fire of Heaven in this bold profession What would this be thought of to see a Noble and Honourable Lord-Judge with a dead and Crucified mans Body in his armes But Faith knoweth no blushing Grace cannot be ashamed there was a straight charge laid on the Apostles Preach no more in the name of Jesus Act. 4.13 Peter and John with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldly say vers 20. We cannot but speak the things wee have heard and seen Lay as heavy weights as death burning quick sawing asunder on the sincerity of Faith in the Martyrs it must up the Mountain Davids Grace Psal. 39.1 was kept in as with a Mussell put upon the mouths of Beasts it was as coals of fire in his heart and he behoved to speak even before the wicked I beleeved therefore I spake Psal. 116.10 5. When Ieremiah layeth unlawfull bands on himself To speak no more in the Name of the Lord there is a spirit of Prophesie lying on him he is not Lord of his own choice Ier. 20.9 But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay There 's a Majesty of Grace on the Conscience of the Child of God that must break out in holy duties though temptation should hide Christ in his Grace tempted Ioseph is over-awed with this Gen. 39.9 How can I then do this great wickednesse and sin against God This awsome Majesty of the Grace of Gods fear causeth Ioseph see nothing in Harlotry but pure unmixed guiltinesse against God there 's an over mastering apprehension of Christs love 2 Cor. 5.14 that constraineth Paul to out the Love of Christ in dedicating himself to the service of the Gospell Though Paul would not have preached yet he had a sum to pay Rom. 1.14 I am
delicious Roses Flowers Gardens Medows Forrests Seas Mountains Birds all the excellent Sons of Adam as they should have been in the world of innocency and let them all stand in their highest excellency before Jesus Christ the matchlesse and transcendent glory of that great All should turn the worlds all into pure Nothing what wonder then that this same Lord Jesus be the delight heaven of all in it Rev. 7.17 The Lamb hath his Throne in the midst thereof Rev. 22.4 And they shall see his face They do nothing else but stare gaze behold his face for ages are never satisfied with beholding suppose they could wear out their eyes at the eye-holes in beholding God they should still desire to see more To see him face to face hath a great deal more in it then is expressed words are short garments to the thing it self Your now sinfull face to his holy face your piece clay-face to his uncreated soul-delighting face is admirable We do not praise Christ and hold out his vertues to Men and Angels The creatures as the Heaven Sun Moon are Gods debtors and they owe him glory but men who have understanding and tongues are Gods Factors and Chamberlains to gather in the rent of glory and praise to God the heavens do indeed declare the glory of God Ps. 19.1 but they are but dumb Musitians they are the Harp which of it self can make no Musick the creatures borrow mans mouth and tongue to speak what they have been thinking of God and his excellency these five thousand years now all the glory of God and the glory of the creatures are made new by Christ Rev. 21.5 And made friends with God Col 1.20 and are in a speciall manner in the Mediator Christ he is Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the irradiation or brightnesse of the glory and the character or expresse image of his person All creatures by Adams sin lost their golden luster and are now vanity-sick like a woman travelling in birth Rom. 8.22 All the creatures by sin did lesse objectively glorifie God then they should have done if sin had never been in the world and so they were at a sort of variance and division with God And it pleased Col. 1.20 the Father in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make friendship between God and all things that is to confirme Angels to reconcile man to restore the creatures to be more illustrious objects of his glory now the in-come of the rents of glory is more due to Christ and the debt the greater in that Christ hath made all things new and why should we not in the name of Sun Moon Earth Heaven which are all loosed from the arrestment of vanity by Christ and in the name of Angels and of Saints redeemed hold forth the praises the glory of God in Christ Pa◠pay what you owe to Christ O all creatures but especially you redeemed ones 3. Vse If Christ the Mediator be so excellent a person we are to seek our life the Gospel-way in Christ we often conceive Legall or Law-thoughts of Christ when we conceive the Father just severe and Christ his Son to be more meek and mercifull but the Text calleth him Lord and so that same God with the Father nor hath Christ more of Law by dying to satisfie the Law nor is he more mercifull then the Father because he and the Father are one there are not two infinite wills two infinite mercies one in the Father another in the Son but one will one mercy in both and we owe alike love and honour to both though there be an order in loving God and serving him through Christ. 4. Vse Infinite love and infinite majesty concur both in Christ love and majesty in men are often contrary to one another and the one lesseneth the other In Christ the infinite God breatheth love in our flesh 1. And we see but little of Christ we know not well the Gospel-spirit we rest much on duties to go civill Saints to Heaven but the truth is there be no Morall men and Civilians in Heaven they be all deep in Christ who are there we are strangers to Christ and believing 2. The spirit of a redeemed one can hardly hate a redeemed one or be bitter against them Christ in one Saint cannot be cruell to Christ in another Saint 3. Christ cannot lose his love or cast it away the love of Christ is much for conquering hearts his chariot is bottomed and paved with love duties bottomed on Christs love are spirituall as the Father accepteth not duties but in Christ so cannot we perform them aright when the principall and fountain cause is not the love of Christ Ioh. 21.15 5. Vse The Ancient of dayes the Father of Ages taketh a stile from his new House The Son of Man he hath an old House from whence he is named The Son of God he must affect us and his delight be with the sons of men when he taketh a name from us we should affect him and affect a communion with him and strive to have Christs new name as he taketh our new name The Son of man of David Son of David have mercy on me The second Article of her prayer is conceived under the name of Mercy Why Gods mercy is a spirituall favour deliverance to her daughter is but a temporary favour that may befall a Reprobate The Devil may be cast out of the Daughters body and not out of the Mothers soul. Yea but to the Believer all temporall favours are spiritualized and watered with mercy 1. They are given as dipped in Christs bowels and mercy wrapt about the temporary favour Mar. 1.41 Jesus cured the Leper but how Jesus moved with compassion put forth his hand and touched him So is the building of the Temple given but oyled with mercies Zach. 1.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies my House shall be builded in it Epaphroditus recovered health but with it some of Gods heart and bowels also Phil. 1.27 For indeed he was sick neer to death but God had mercy on him 2. The ground of it is Gods mercy the two blinde men Mat. 20.30 put this in their Bill they cry Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David They will not have seeing eyes but under the notion of mercy David pained with sore sicknesse as some think or under some other rod of God desireth to be healed upon this ground Psal. 6.2 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weak 3. Faith looketh to temporall favours as Faith with a spirituall eye as Christ and his merits goeth about them Heb. 11.22 By faith Joseph when he dyed made mention of the children of Israels departure 23. By faith Moses come to age refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter Why and that was but a civill Honour Moses his faith lookt at it in a spirituall manner 4. That same ground that
that you were upon the borders of Hell yet the Gospel though it except you from actuall mercy yet not from the duty of believing and comming to Christ and though such think and imagine that they believe Christ is able to save and redeem them only they doubt of his will yet the truth is the doubt of unbelief is more of the power of mercy and infinite Grace in Christ then of his will and my reason is that whosoever believeth Joh. 3.33 hath set to his seal that God is true and 1 Ioh. 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son Now it is not Gods Testimony nor any Gospel-Truth that such as sin against the holy Ghost shall be pardoned yea the contrary is said Mat. 12.31 32. Yet these that sin against the holy Ghost are condemned for unbelief as all other unbelievers are Ioh. 3.18 36. Then such as fall in this sin though they say Infinite mercy can pardon them but infinite mercy will not pardon them should not bely God by unbelieving these truths for they are Gospel-truths then must the unbelief of those that sin against the Holy Ghost put a lie upon some Gospel-truth and this can be only on the power of infinite mercy and so they must say Christ cannot save though he would for there 's a power of Christ in mercie no lesse then a will If F. Spira go for a despairing Reprobate which I dare not averre yet when he said he believed Christ was able to save him but he doubted of his will he must not be so understood as if it were so indeed Unbelievers know not all the mysterious turnings of lying self deceiving unbelief Unbelief may lie to men of it self when it dare belie the worth of that soul-redeeming ransome of Christs blood if he that sinneth against the holy Ghost could believe the power of infinite mercy he should also believe the will and inclination of infinite mercy for the power of mercy is the very power of a mercifull will I shall not then be afraid that soul is lost which hath high and capacious apprehensions of the worth value dignity and power of that dear ransome and of infinite mercy It s faith to believe this Gospel-truth which is Heb. 7.25 That Christ is able to save to the utmost all those that come to him if I believe soundly what free grace can do I believe also soundly what free grace will do It s true Christ can save many whom he never will save but the faith of the power of mercie and of his will to save is of a far other consideration 4. It must then be the prevailing of a temptation not to dare to come to Christ because I am a dog and unworthy 1. Because sin is no porter put to watch the door of Christs house of free-grace mercy keepeth the keys sin may object my evill deserving but it cannot object Christs rich deserving 2. That which maketh me unworthy and gracelesse and unfit to be saved may make Christ worthy and gracious to save my sin may be Christs rich grace Though sin maketh me unworthy of Christ yet it maketh me a fit passive object for the Physitian Christ to work on and maketh not Christ unworthy to save If I feel sin it then saith Thou art the very person by name that Christ seeketh Therefore is the sense of sin required as a condition in all that cometh to Christ whether it be before conversion or after conversion when acts of faith are renewed Obj. But we finde by experience that true poverty of spirit and sense of sinfull wretchednesse doth kill and destroy any sight of guilt and wickednesse in my self if I rightly see Christ I shall not also see any unworthinesse in my self Answ. This experience is not warranted by the word of truth These may well consist together 1. That felt and apprehended wretchednesse of a sinner may stand with a sight of Christs riches of grace is as evident as the felt pain of the sting of the fiery Scorpion may stand with looking up to the brazen Serpent and being saved yea when the poor man Mark 9.24 said Lord I believe help my unbeleefe he both was sensible of faith and unbeleefe 2. Yea the converted may well see grace and holinesse in himself else how shall he be thankfull to Christ the giver and also see Christ and beleeve his righteousnesse for holy walking commeth under a threefold consideration 1. As a duty 2. As a mean ordained of God that we should walk in Eph. 2.10 3. As a promise or a thing promised in the new Covenant and in this threefold consideration we may know how far we may build our peace upon any duties as upon evidences of our state of grace 1. as holy walking is a duty coming from us it s no ground of true peace beleevers often seek in themselves what they should seek in Christ this is naturall merit often we argue from the measure of obedience to deny grace altogether this is a false way especially its a false way of logick to argue Negatively from want of such such a measure of obedience to deny you are in Christ how we may argue Affirmatively we shall hear hereafter 2. The dutie is Christs mean not injoyned in a strict Law-way but in a Gospel-way as the commandement is oiled with a Gospel-spirit of love Law and love are not contrary as Antinomians do imagine Christ has united not only persons but also graces and vertues This way the duty is a mean and a way not to the right of salvation but to the actuall possession of it and as it is or standeth stated before us in the letter of the Gospel in a Morall commanding or a Doctrinall or directing way without the efficacy of grace it can be nothing but a Doctrinall-mean no more then the Law-way is for all Gospel-precepts without grace are as little available to us as the Law But in the third Notion holy walking as performed by that efficacious grace promised in the Covenant of grace is an Argument on which we may build our peace not as a cause or a merit-deserving peace but as a grace threeded upon the free promise of God so the Saints have builded upon their sincere walking as on a fruit of the Covenant of Grace promised to us Jer. 31.33 Jer. 32. for so duties speak the mercies promised in the Covenant 38. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever See Ezech. 36.27 Isa. 54.13 Upon this ground Ezekiah pleadeth with God when he heard the sentence of death Isa. 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight And David putteth his faith upon this as a gracious fruit of grace promised in the
debt and punishment of sin So Exod. 28.38 A Mitre shall be on Aarons forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Venasa signifieth to carry or as the 70. turn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aaron shall take away or bear the punishment of the violation of the holy things Moses saith to Aarons sons Lev. 10.17 God hath given you the sin offering to bear the iniquity of the congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aaron and his sonnes did bear the sins of the people as types of Christ not by an intrinsecall guilt put on them but by meer imputation Lev. 16.22 And the Goat shal bear upon him all the iniquities of the children of Israel unto a Land not inhabited The Priest prayed that the sins that is the punishment of the sins of the people might be laid on the Goat Numb 18.1 Aaron and his sons are to bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary that is the punishment of their iniquity in that they were punished if any of the Sanctuary polluted the holy things of God Lev. 5.1 The witness who seeth and heareth a swearing and doth not utter it he shall bear his iniquity that is saith Vatablus and all the interpreters The punishment of his iniquity Ezech. 18.19 Yet say ye Why doth not the Son bear the iniquity of the Father ver 20. The soul that sinneth shall die the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father Ezech. 23.35 Because thou hast forgotten me bear thou also thy lewdnesse and thy whoredome In the same very sense Christ Heb. 9.28 was once offered to bear the sins of many 1 Pet. 2.24 He did bear our sins on his body on the Tree Isa. 53.12 He did bear the sins of many he did bear heavy punishment death and the wrath of God for the sins of many the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabal is to bear a burden as a Porter v. 6. The Lord laid the iniquity of us all on him Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hifgang The word signifieth to fall on any with violence and to kill him as Gideon fell on the Princes of Midian and ver 7. He was oppressed he was afflicted yet opened he not his mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niggas it s not in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niggash per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adductus oblatus Arias Mont. readeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niggas with the point on the left side of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Cyrillus and it is he was exacted or payment of violence sought of him Pagnan multatus Christ was put to a fine condemned to pay an amercement or forfeit or Christ was pursued as pay-master and surety for us The Father pursued Christs band that he should now at the appointed day tell down the sum the great ransom-money of his life for sinners who were broken men Justice gave in a broad and large claim against Jesus Christ in which were written all the sins of the elect And Christ opened not his mouth but was dumb as a Lamb led to the shambles and his silence was as much as Lord I grant I yeeld to all the accounts in this sad claim you will not confesse your guiltinesse O sinners in Christ Nor take with riots murthers oaths and all your sins But the surety Christ was craved and all your accompts demanded of him and he confessed debt and granted all v. 12. He was numbred So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minna he was reputed and written up in the compt amongst theeves this was meer imputation he was not a wicked man indeed And consider how v. 3. He is called despised and rejected of men Christ in himself and intrinsecally was the glory the flower the Prince of men even at his lowest he must then be abased below all men in regard of imputation and that penall degrading of Christ so as it is said of him he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chadal ishim which is as Vatablus expoundeth it so contemptible a man that men would not admit him in company of men Aria Mont. desiit viris others expound it Cessatio virorum Jerome novissimus virorum Sanctius saith he was not numbred amongst men he was so despised that he was the lowest among the lowest of men or the minimum quod sic of men as it is Ps. 22.6 A worm no man no body not in the classe or rank of men He was in himself the mighty God the Prince of peace more then above men and Angels the chief of the kindred of men the fairest among the sons of men even at his lowest but in regard of his low condition he was made the off-scouring or the drosse or refuse of all men as if not a Christianed creature When our Divines say Christ took our place we have his condition Christ was made us and made the sinner It is true only in a legall sense as we say the advocate is the client or the guilty man Because the advocate beareth his name and person and what the accused man could in Law say before the Judge in his own defence that the advocate saith for him the advocate saith I cannot in Law die for this crime for such Reasons So the surety in Law or in a legall substitution is the broken man the surety saith The debt is mine all the wants all the poverty all the debts and burdens of my broken friend be on me and the rich surety having paid all can say I have paid all I am in Law free my friend and surety hath done all and paid all for me and that is as good in foro in the Court of justice as if I had paid in my own person all for the truth is there be not two debts and two bonds and two sums nor two debtors the broken man and the Surety are in Law but one person one party adebted which of them pay it is all one to Law and justice it is all one sum they owe The Beleever in Christ is put in Christs Law-place and Christ by Law is put in his place Christ made Surety saith I am the sinner O justice all my broken friends wants all their debts be upon me my life for their life my soul for my brethrens souls my glory my heaven for my kinsmens glory and heaven The Lawes bloody Band was the curse of God upon the sinner upon the debtor Christ changed bands and obligations with us and putteth out our name and putteth in his own name in the bloody Band and where the Law readeth the curse of God upon the debtor Christ is Assigned to this Band and the Gospel readeth it the curse of God upon the rich Surety Gal. 3.13 Hear then the boldnesse of Faith Now then there 's no condemnation to those that are in Jesus Christ What challenges Satan or conscience can make against the Believer for justice being put to silence by Christ maketh none
defile his precious sinlesse Royall and Princely blood by dipping in such a loathsome foul and deformed creature as a sinner is Rev. 1.5 Dogs eat the crums Here be degrees of persons and things in our Fathers house Children and dogs yet dogs which the Lord of the house owneth here is a high table and bread and a by-board or an after-table and crums for dogs here be persons of honour Kings sons cloathed in Scarlet and sitting with the King at dinner when his Spikenard sendeth forth a smell and here be some under the table at the feet of Christ waiting to receive the little drops of the great honey-comb of rich grace that falleth from him Follow Christ and grace shall fall from him his steps drop fatnesse especially in his Palace 1 Joh. 2.12.13.14 There be in our Lords house little children babes there be in it also experienced ancient Fathers for Grace hath gray haires for wisedom not for weaknesse there be strong men also Christ was once a little stone but he grew a great mountain that filled the whole earth yea and the heaven too Christ is a growing childe In Christs lower firmament there be stars of the first and second magnitude and in his house vessels of great and of small quantity cups and flagons Isa. 22.24 yet all are fastened upon the Golden-nail Jesus Christ. 2. All are in the way the plants all growing but one is a grain of mustard seed and a rose not broken out to the flower and another is a great tree its morning and but the glimmering of the rayes of the day-star in one and its high Sun perfect day near the noon-day with another Strong father Abraham mighty in believing was once a babe on the breasts that could neither creep nor stand nor walk The love of Christ in its first rise is a drop of dew that came out of the womb of the morning the mother in one night brought forth an hoste an innumerable millions of such babes and covered the face of the earth with them But this drop of dew groweth to a Sea that swelleth up above hell and the grave Cant. 8.6 7. It is more then all the floods and seas of the earth and floateth up to the Heaven of Heavens and up and in it must be upon Christ 1 Pet. 1.8 Ye see not Christ yet ye love him It overfloweth Christ and taketh him and ravisheth his heart It is a strong chain that bindeth Christ when the grave sin death devils could not bind him Can. 4.9 Act. 2.24 3. Christs way of administration is a growing way his Kingdom is not a standing nor a sitting nor a sleeping Kingdome But its walking and posting Thy Kingdome come An increasing Kingdom a growing peace Isa. 9.7 Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end In regard of duration even in heaven there shall be a growing of his Kingdom There 's not yesterday and to morrow and the next year in heaven yet there 's a negative increase glory and peace shal ascend in continuance and never come to an height the Sun never decline the long day of Christs glory and peace shall never end Christ is saying even now Father I must have all my children up with me that where I am there they may be also And therefore the head draws up to him now a finger then a toe now an arm then a leg he hath been these sixteen hundred years since his Ascension drawing up by death whole Churches the Saints at Corinth at Româ— at Philippi The seven Candlesticks and the seven Stars of Asia are long ago up above Orion and the seven Stars and are now shining up before the Throne This consecrated Captain of our Salvation will not sleep till his Fathers house be filled till all the numerous ofspring and the Generations of the first born be up under on roof with their Father Heaven is a growing Family the Lord of the house hath been gathering his flocks into the fair fields of the Land of Praises ever since the first Abel died and all down along the believers were gathered to their Fathers 1. Vse is that we despise not the day of smal things Gods beginning of great works is smal What could be said of a poor womans throwing of a stool at the man who did first read the new Service Book in Edenburgh It was not looked at as any eminent passage of Divine Providence yet it grew till it came up to Armies of men the shaking of three Kingdomes the sound of the Trumpet the voice of the Alarm the lifting up of the Lords Standart destruction upon destruction garments rowled in blood and goeth on in strength that the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple may pursue the Land of Graven Images and awake the Kings of the Earth to rise in Battle against the great Whore Babylon that the Jews may return to their Messiah and Israel and Judah ask the way to Zioâ— with their faces thitherward weeping as they go that the Forces of the Gentiles and the Kingdoms of the world may become the Kingdoms of God and of his Son Jesus Christ. And this act of a despised woman was one of the first steps of Omnipotencie God then began to open the mouth of the Viall of his wrath to let out a little drop of vengeance upon the seat of the Beast and ever since the right arme of the Lord awaking hath been in action and in a growing Battle against all that Worshipped the Beast and received his mark on their right hand and their forehead and who knoweth but Christ is in an act of conquering to create a new thing on the earth and subdue the people to himself Omnipotencie can derive a Sea a world of noble and glorious works from as smal a Fountain as a straw a ram-horn yea Jaw-bone of a dead Asse God can put forth omnipotencie in all its flowers and golden branches of over-powering and incomparable excellencies upon meer Nothing the winde is an empty unsolid thing the Sea a fluid and soft and ebbing creature yet the wind is Gods chariot he rideth on it and the Sea his walk his paths are in the great waters 2. Vse A crum that falleth from Christs Table hath in it the nature of bread some weak ones complain O I have not the heart of God like David nor the strong faith of Abraham to offer my son to death for Christ nor the burning fire of the zeal of Moses to wish my name may be razed out of the Book of life that the Lord may be glorified nor the high esteem of Christ to judge all but losse dung for Jesus Christ as Paul did But what if Christ set the whole loafe before the children is it not well If thou lie but under Christs feet to have the crums of mercy that slippeth through the fingers of Christ The lowest room in heaven even behinde the door is heaven 1. There 's a
measure of grace Phil. 1.29 required in Faith men naturally imagine that faith is a work of nature hence that speech of a multitude of Atheists I believe all my dayes I believe night and day But they never believe at all who think and say they believe alwayes The Jewes asserted that they believed Moses alwayes and so oppose themselves to the man altogether born in sin Joh. 9. ver 28 29. compared with v. 34. But Christ told them they neither believed the Messiah nor Moses chap. 5. ver 35 36 37. Nature worketh alwayes alike and without intermission or freedome The Floods alwayes move the Fountain alwayes cast out streams the fire alwayes burneth the Lamb alwayes fleeth from the Wolf but the winde of the spirit doth not alwayes enact the soul to believe they are not in an ill case who wrestle with unbelief and find the heart and take it in the wayes of doubting and terrours as feeling that believing is a motion up the mount and somewhat violent facill and connaturall acts cannot be supernaturall acts of Faith It s no bad sign to complain of a low ebbe Sea and of neither Moon light nor starre light 2. It s unpossible they can submit to give the glory of believing to God in whose heart there 's a rotten principle destructive of Faith and that is an ambitious humour of seeking glory from men Joh. 5.44 Little Faith there 's in Kings Courts Faith dwelleth not in a high Spirit 3. Such as take Religion by the hand upon false and bastard motives as the Summer of the Gospel and fame ease gain honour cannot believe A thorny Faith is no Faith Matth. 13.22 A Carnall mans Faith must be true to its own principles and must lye levell with externalls so as Court ease the world and its sweet adjuncts are a measuring line to a rotten rooted Faith neither longer nor broader then time it goeth not one span length within the lists of Eternity 4. Phancy cannot be Faith such as have not Gospel knowledge of Christ cannot believe but must do as the Traveller who unaware setteth his foot on a Serpent in the way and suddenly starteth backward six steps for one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 6.66 So do they that phancy all the Gospel to be a carnal or a Morall discourse 5. Those cannot have Faith in whose heart the Gospel lyeth above ground Devils and sin having made the heart hard like the Summer streets Mat. 13.19 with daily treading and walking on them A stony Faith or a Faith that groweth out of a stone cannot be a saving Faith Thereâ—s a heart that is a daily walk in which the Devil as it were aireth himself 6. If Christ have given the last knock at the door and all in-passages be closed up and heart-inspirations gone there can be no more any sort of faith there Eph. 4.19 2 Tim. 4.2 The heart is like a dried up arm in some all the oil in the bones are spent 7. Loose walking with greedinesse argues that hell hath taken fire on the out-works of the soul. Hell in the hands and tongue as in the out-wheels must argue hell and unbelief in the heart and the in-wheels 1. Loose believers go to Heaven by miracles I dare go to Hell for a man if such an one go to Heaven who liveth prophanely and saith he hath a good heart within 2. The going in waies of blood Extortion Covetous Idolatrie belyeth the decree of election to Glory Grace leadeth no man to the East with his face and motion close to the West 3. This way of working by contraries is not Gods way God can work by contraries but he will not have us to work by contraries There 's some heaven of holinesse in the court-gate to the Heaven of happinesse 8. Faith over-looketh time Heb. 11.10 Abraham looked for another City Faith in Moses was great with childe of heaven v. 25 He had an eye to the recompence of reward Eternity of Glory is the birth of Faith Oh! we look not to the declining of our sun its high afternoon of our peece of day eleven houres is gone and the twelfth hour is on the wheels I see not my own gray haires It s upon the margin and borders of night and I know not where to lodge We are like the man swimming through broad waters and he knoweth not what is before him he swimmeth thorow deeper and deeper parts of the river and at length a cramp and a stitch cometh on arms and leggs and he sinketh to the bottom and drowns We swim through dayes weeks moneths yeers winters and are daily deeper in time while at length death bereave us of strength of leggs arms and we sinâ— over head and ears in Eternitie Oh! Who like the sleepy man is loosing his clothes and putting off the garments of darknesse and would gladly sleep with Christ Men are close buttoned and like day-men when its dark night It s fearfull to ly down with our day clothes Job 20.11 Sin is a sad winding sheet Oh! what believer faith I would have a suit of clothes for the high Court and Thron to be an Essay to see how a suit of glorie would become me Thus much for Faith SERMON XXII NOw a word of a strong and great Faith and withall of a weak and fainting Faith For the most I go not from the Text to find out the ingredients of a great Faith 1. A strong praying and a crying a Faith is a great Faith So must Christs Faith have been who prayed with strong cries and tears Strong Faith maketh sore sides in praying as this woman prayed with good will there 's an efficacious desire to be rid of a sinfull temptation as Paul prayed thrice to be freed of the prick in the flesh Their Faith is weak who dare not pray against some Idoll sins Or 2. If they pray it s but gently with a wish not to be heard 2. The womans crying her instant pleading in Faith yea 1. Above the Disciples care for her yea above Christs seeming glowmes who denied her to be his who reproached her as a dog argueth great grace great humility with strong adherence and so great faith 2. For Faith â—aileth sometimes with a strong tide and a fair wind according as the Moone hath an aspect on the Sun so is it ful or not ful when the wheels are set right to the Sun the clock moveth and goeth right The fairer and more clear sight that Faith hath of Christ the stronger are the acts of Faith it cannot bee denied but Faith hath a good and an ill day because grace is various it s no strong proof that it s not grace 3. To put Faith in all its parts in light in staying on Christ in affiance in adherance in self-diffidence in submissive assenting forth in all its acts and to lift the soul all off the earth requireth Christs high Spring-tide it s not easie to put all the powers that
with persecution When the sun riseth anone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 13.21 He is offended and withereth quickly some spirit of soft clay for a scrat with a Pin on his credit casteth away all his confidence dispaireth and hangeth himself as Achitophel such a Temptation would not once draw blood of a strong believer Strawes Feathers and Flax do quickly take fire and are made ashes in a moment but not so gold there 's bones and mettall in strong Faith so the Martyrs Faith that could not be broken with torments is proved to be a great Faith Heb. 11.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their bodies were racked out as a drum and beaten to death after racking and they would not accept a deliverance Why Faith looked to a better resurrection He who sweateth panteth up the brow of the mount after Christ and carrieth death on his back must have this strong faith that Christ is worthy of tortures a strong faith can bear Hell on its shoulders the Grave and the sorrows of death and not crack nor be broken Psal. 18.4 5 6. Psal. 116.3 4. 4. That Faith is argued to be strong that hath no light of comfort but walketh in darkness upon the Margin borders of a hundred deaths and yet stayes upon the Lord Isa. 50.11 So this woman had no comfort nor ground of sense of comfort from Christ except rough answers and reproaches yet she believeth and so must be strong in the Faith Psal. 3.6 Davids Faith standeth straight without a crooke when ten thousand deaths are round about him and Psa. 23.4 He feareth no ill when he walks in the cold and dark valley of the shadow of black death Heman Psal. 88.7 Thy wrath lieth hard on me thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Then in his sense God could do no more to drown him not waves but all waves all Gods waves was on him and above him yet ver 9. Lord I have called daily upon thee then he believed daily Hezekiahs comforts are at a hard pinch Isa. 39.14 Mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am opressed yet praying argueth beleeving Lord undertake for me We must think Christs sense of comforts was ebbe and low when he wept cried Heb. 5.7 and was forsaken of God yet then his faith is doubled as the Cable of an Anchor is doubled when the storme is more then ordinary My God my God David chideth his cast down soul when there 's no glimpse of comfort with strong Faith Psal. 42.11 Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him In swimming well the less naturall helps to hold up the chin and head the greater wave if the swimmer be carried strongly thorow as it were in despight of the streame there 's the more art Art may counter-value strength and sometime wisedom is better then strength The lesse comfort if yet you believe at midnight when the spirit is overwhelmed the more is the art of believing when an inward principle is weak we help it with externalls That the child must be alured with rewards as with Apples a Penny or the like it is because his sight and desire of the beauty and excellency of learning and Arts is but weak or nothing at all sense and comforts are external Subsidies and helps to Faith and these that cannot believe but upon feelings and sense of the sweetness of comforts are hence argued to have weak and broken inclinations and principles of Faith the more freenesse and ingenuity of spirit that is in believing the more strength of faith for that is most connaturall that hath least need of hire you need not give hire reward or buds to the Mothers affection to work upon her and cause her to love her Childe love can hardly be hired nature is stronger then rewards or any externals Comforts are but the hire of serving of God and the results of beleeving in a sad condition There be some cautions here that are considerable 1. God leadeth some strong ones to heaven whose affections are soft as Davids were Ps. 35.13 and 119.25.28.136.53 Ps. 6.6 And yet Faith is strong Ps. 22.1 God possibly immediatly working upon the assenting or believing faculty leaving the affections to their own native disposition 2. God useth some priviledged dispensations so as a strong Believer shal doubt upon no good ground Ps. 116.11 God so disposing that grace may appear to be grace and the man but flesh 3. Softnesse of affection and light of comfort may by accident concur with strong acts of beleeving for with these in many there is little light much Faith and they should without these apples given to children strongly beleeve and God to confirm his own of meer indulgence sweetneth affections But if God give comforts ordinarily its a sort of indulgence of grace or the grace of grace It s true rejoicing falleth under a Gospel-commandement Phil. 4.4 yet so as God hath not tied the sweet of the comfort of believing to believing that you may know its strength of Faith that is the principle of strong Faith as intense and strong habits maketh strong acts God keepeth some in a sad condition all their life who are experienced believers and they never feel the comfort of faith while the splendor of glory glance on their eyes as one experienced believer kept under sadnesse and fear for eighteen years at length came to this I enjoy and rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious But he lived not long after Another living in sadnesse all his life died with comforts admirable And 3. let this be put as a case of Conscience why diverse believing and joying much in Gods Salvation all their life yet die in great conflicts and to beholders with little expression of comfort and feeling As divers of the Saints die Certainly God 1. Walketh in liberty here 2. He would not have us to limit the breathings of the Holy Ghost to jump with our hour of dying 3. We may make an Idoll of a begun heaven as if it were more excellent then Christ To conclude little evidence much adherence speaketh a strong Faith SERMON XXIII THe Woman had no aparent evidences of believing yet did she hang by one single thred of the word of the mercies of the Son of David Antonaclasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The more that the word of promise hath influence in beleeving and the lesse of convincing reason and appearances the greater Faith Rom. 4. Abraham had a promise of a Son in whom the Nations of the world should be blessed But 1. there was no appearance of this in nature Abraham and Sarah at this time were between them two hundred years old lacking one and so no naturall hope of a childe 2. He had but one promise for his Faith we have twenty an hundred yet Rom. 4.18 He against hope believed in hope It s an elegant figure having a form of a contradiction there was no hope yet he had hope 2. ver 19. Not
a resurrection as the seed and hope of harvest is in rotting and dying grains of Wheat sown in the cold earth as is cleer Psal. 16.9 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. Much more the relation of mercy remaineth in Christ toward the wrestling deserted and self dead believer Now this smallest measure of Faith may consist 1. With much ignorance of God as it was with the believing Disciples who continued with Christ in his temptations confessed him believed and adhered to him when many went back and departed from him Luk. 22.28 29. Mat. 16.16 17. Joh. 6.66 67 68 69. And yet were ignorant of great points of Faith as of his death Mat. 16.21.22 Of his resurrection Joh. 20.9 2. So there be great faintings and doubtings when a storm ariseth and the soul is a sinking Mat. 8. v. 25 26 27. Mat. 14.3 Yet a little Faith is Faith As touching a fainting Faith it s not alwayes a weak Faith that fainteth strong and healthy bodies may have fevers and deliquies For the causes of fainting are 1. The want of the influence of mercy and of stirring or exciting Grace causeth fainting 2 Cor. 4.1 As we are mercied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we faint not we degenerate not It is in the bosome of Christ and lieth about the bowels of our mercifull high Priest that keepeth from fainting If our Intercessor pray not we faint Luke 22.32 I have prayed that thy Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not be ecclipsed The moon is in a certain death and soon in an ecclipse So is Faith under fainting 2. Fear of wrath may cause distraction and hanging of minde and uncertainty where there is strong Faith Ps. 88.14.15 Compared with v. 8 9. As apprehensions report of God so are we affected in believing Yet may it be collected from Mat. 10.19 In that hour it shall be given you that Christ holdeth the head of a fainting believer 3. The dependence of Faith will faint when Christ withdraweth love though he inflict no anger The ingenuity of Grace gathereth fear from a cloud though there be no storm 3. A soul dead in himself and that cannot put out Faith in acts for want of light and comfort is a weak Faith A tree in winter is a living tree There may be life where there 's little stirring or motion 4. That Faith that seemed smallest to the man himself is sometime in it self greatest 1. In sad desertions there 's most of Faith and least of sense of Faith Psal. 22.1 2. A suffering Faith may be small to the sufferer Many of the Martyrs in their own sense were in a dead and unbelieving condition Yet Christ is more commended for a suffering-faith then any Heb. 12.1 2 3. In that he did run indure the crosse for the glory that was before him He saw heaven And his Faith went through Hell to be at Heaven There is a high commendation put on the suffering Faith of these who were tryed with hands imprisonment sawn asunder mocked slain with the sword Heb. 11.37 38. Of whom the world was not worthy This is not put upon the active and doing Faith which is put upon the passive Faith nor is so much said of these who by Faith pulled down the walls of Jericho of Gideon Baruch Sampson and such as by Faith subdued Kingdoms The reason is suffering is a losse of being and welbeing These who by doing give away their evil being for Christ and crucifie their lusts for him are dear to him but such as die for Christ they give away both being and welbeing Moses Paul who in a manner were content to go to hel with believing that Gods glory in saving the people of God was to be prefered to their eternal being and well-being behoved to have great Faith 3. The Faith that is weak in regard of intension of degrees may be a great faith in regard of extension the Children of God whose life is the walk of Faith 2 Cor. 5.7 May have but a small measure of Faith Yet it s a constant and well breathed Faith good at the long race that carrieth a soul through In 1. His naturall capacity to believe God will feed him And 2. In his civill relations as a father son servant magistrate 3. In his spirituall condition in the duties of the first table in all which capacities we are to walk by Faith Yea to eat drink sleep to laugh to weep as concerning the ordering of all these Heaven-ward by Faith All the Saints that go to Heaven believing and ordering all these conditions by Faith have not alwayes a Faith as great as Abraham as Moses Weak leggs carry some through the earth many thousand miles A sorry and small vessell in comparison of others may sail about the Globe of the whole earth The wings of a Sparrow or a Dove can carry these little birds through as much Sea and Land as the wings of an Eagle doth carry the Eagle But ere I go from this point I crave leave to adde somewhat of the least and smallest measure of Faith 2. Of the condition of the childe of God under it Touching the former I onely say There is a degree of fire and a coal so small that lesse cannot be the thing remaining Fire having the nature essence and properties of fire And when any is in a deliquium or swoun the man hath life but it is kept in narrow bounds there is breathing onely 2. Some vitall heat 3. Some internall motion in the heart and vitall and animall spirits but no more to prove life almost then the man is a dead corps yet somewhat there is to difference him from dead clay For friends will not bury a sounding man willingly and knowingly So at the lowest condition of the weakest Faith that the believer is in some fire and coal of love and Faith there is and some smoaking though little fire and possibly we cannot give it a name Yet if the just live by Faith there must be some measure of Faith 2. Some smoaking of love to Christ. 3. Some discerning of an ill condition No man on earth in a sleep hath a reflect act to know that he sleepeth no dead corps knoweth it self to be dead Never sleeping man could say nay not Adam in his first sleep when God formed the woman out of a rib of his side Now I am sleeping No man naturally dead can say Now am I dead and I lie amongst the worms and corruption Death maketh no report of death but the believer can say at his lowest condition Cant. 5.1 I sleep but my heart waketh and he who saith Psal. 119. Lord quicken me must say Lord I am dead yet to say Lord quicken me and to feel and know deadnesse are acts of the life of Grace A Saint in this condition may love Christ through half a dream and half sleeping half waking retain honourable thoughts of Christ Job 13.15 Job 19.25 26 27. Some have said in hell they should
shall be said unto them ye are the sons of the living God 1 Pet. 2.10 Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 3. The words of Scripture that importeth a reall change doth prove the same as Col. 1.12 Who hath made us meet or sufficiently qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Christ is a qualified work man and changeth Hel and the most untoward Timber of Hell in Heaven and in a Vessell of glory It s a vain thing to dream that Christ hath no other esteem and warmnesse of heart to us when we are dead in sins and trespasses and Posting as in a horse race after the Devil who rideth and acteth and breatheth in the children of disobedience and when he hath raised and quickned us for his great love and placed us in Heaven with Christ Eph. 2.1 2 3 4. And made us Kings and Priests unto God Then the state of Hell and Death should be the very state of Grace and Heaven before God A new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Renewed in the spirit of the mind Eph. 4.23 Such as are begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1.3 Born again not of corruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.5 A generation of Kings Priests unto God 1 Pet. 2.9 Must be in their state some other thing then old creatures then darknes then unrenewed uncircumcised old men slaves of sin persecutors blasphemers injurious persons The Lord speaketh of a change great enough Is. 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee c. Were the children of wrath from Eternity Honourable No were they more precious honourable actually before God from eterernity then the rest of the Nations No the contrary is evident Ez. 16.3 Deu. 7.7 8. Ps. 147.19 20 Deu. 26.5 Certainly if Faith or conversion to God a special part of which is Faith doth not alter the state of Believers before God then are they Believers and actually converted before God and so justified from eternity When were they then sinners Never Their sins were just no sins from Eternity and blotted away as a cloud as a thick cloud as it is Isa. 44.22 And that from Eternity and from Eternity sought and not found because pardoned Jerem. 5.20 no more remembred Isaiah 43.25 now they were justified from Eternity and ere they believe in him that justifieth the ungodly no other ways then in Gods decree and eternall purpose but the truth is this is the principle false and rotten pillar of all Libertinisme which I evert thus and they shall never be able to answer it if faith be so far forth a manifestation of our justification before God because justification was in the sight of God actually done from eternity before all time then are we never ungodly and actually sinners before God For it is unpossible say Antinomians that God can both hate us as ungodly and love us as iustified in Christ and it is vain and non seâ—se say they that God loved the persons from eternity and hated the sins or that he loved the elect with the love of election or love of good will did not also love them with the love of justification this is their term not mine or with the love of complacency and his good liking to faith in them Then say I from eternity the justified were never ungodly never sinners never the heirs of wrath never such as served divers lusts and were disobedient polluted in their own blood which is down-right contrary to the word of truth 2. Observe the Principle of Antinomians We are not justified by faith say the How then Because we are justified from eternity only we are said by Paul to be justified by faith in that by faith we come to the knowledge and assurance of the state of election and of justification and Gods Act of not imputing sin to us which Acts were possed upon us from eternity and before the children had done good or evill Rom. 9.13 And observe the words of Mr. Hen. Denne to this purpose I do beleeve saith he sin to be of that hideous nature and the justice of God so perfect that be cannot but hate the person unto whom be imputeth and upon whom be chargeth sin if so be the person charged cannot give full perfect and present satisfaction and yet will I not say that the Son of God upon whom all our iniquities were charged was at any time Filius Odii a son of hatred for the Father was eternally well-pleased with him the reason is that our sins were no sooner charged upon him but that he had given full and perfect satisfaction being the Lambe slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 Answ. If God cannot but hate the person upon whom he chargeth sin either God never charged our sins upon Christ contrary to Scripture Isa. 53.6 1 Pet. 2.23 24. 2 Cor. 5.21 or then he hated Christ which no sound Divine dare say The payment and satisfaction which Christ made cannot hinder Christ to hate sin so the person upon whom sin is as Antinomians teach while as they refuse this distinction no more then the satisfaction that Christ made for sin can hinder it self or hinder Christ to die for sin for if God should hate Christ it should be satisfactory hatred and penall 2. I much wonder if God from eternity charged sin upon his Son Christ for the place he citeth Rev. 13.8 and the judgement of Antinomians so expounding it evinceth this to be his meaning how Christ from eternity could give full perfect and present satisfaction to prevent the hatred of his Father is not imaginable indeed when Christ gave satisfaction I beleeve that it was full and perfect but that Christ from eternity gave present satisfaction and that to make us actually justified from all Eternity is a Point no head can conceive except Herod Pilate Iews Gentiles the Traitour Judas and all who were wicked Actors in killing of Christ be men uncreated who had existence and being and sinned from eternity this lieth fairly for the eternall world of Aristotle then surely faith doth not bring us to the knowledge only of our state of justification as passed and done from eternity as if election to glory and the love of God therein and justification and that love as manifested by faith were two coeternal twins both at once begotten from eternity Sure I am we are justified by faith but sure I am we are not elected and chosen to life eternall by faith And if to be justified by faith be as our Masters though ignorantly teach nothing but this that we come to the knowledge of our justification by faith as by a