sins to be the greatest of evils Though Spiritual sins were hid from them their light was not able to discover Infidelity and Gospel-sins yet Moral-sins they have discovered and have avoided them and would hazard themselves nay and suffer too rather than they would commit such sins The examples of Plato Scipio Cato and many others will clear this And all this was discovered by the Glass of Nature done by Nature but not by meer Nature fallen but by Nature well-husbanded by Nature improved by the implantation of Moral Principles together with Restraining Grace and other common gifts of the Spirit The Greatness of their Hatred against sin the Greatness of their Care to avoid sin the Greatness of their Sufferings rather than they would commit sin might be enough to discover to us the Greatness of the Evil of sin But pass by this 2. The second Glass wherein you may see the greatness of sin is The Glass of the Law A Glass which discovers sin in all its Dimensions the Guilt Demerit Filthiness and Sinfulness of sin Hence the Apostle Rom. 7.7 saith I had not known sin but by the Law that is I had not known sin so hainous as it is I had not known sin in the wideness and latitude of it I had not known the sinfulness of sin if it had not been for the Law if the Law had not been a Glass to have discovered sin to me This discovered sin in its Greatness David Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all Perfection but thy Law is exceeding broad that is by revealing the compass of sin in proportion to its Wideness and Greatness Oh! This will discover to thee more nakedness in one sin than all the world can cover more indigency in one sin than all the Treasures of created righteousness in heaven and earth are able to supply more obliquity and injustice in one sin in a very wandring thought than all the Deaths of men and Annihilations of Angels are able to Expiate Search into the Law and thou shalt discover Thousands of sins which fall under Any One Law of God Oh! Here is A Glass 3. Look upon sin in The Glass of the Griefs Woundings Peircings and Sorrows which the Saints have found 1. In their Admissions and first Entrance into the state of Grace 2. In their Relapsings and Turnings again to folly 1. For the first See what Groans Humiliations they have indured in their first admissions into an estate of Grace in Manasseth 2 Chron. 33.12 in Paul Acts 9. in the Converted Jews Acts 2.37 when the nails which peirced Christ now stuck in their hearts as the arrow in the stags side How many of the Saints have there been who have been cast into a bed of miserable sorrow lain bed-rid under the stroke of Justice perhaps for many years And all this for sin No age is without a Thousand examples of it 2. Look upon the sorrows and breakings which the Saints have indured upon their Relapsing into sin See in Peter in David Read what sad expressions he hath in Psalm 6. from vers 1. to vers 7. and in Psalm 32.3 4 5 verses So Psalm 51. How doth he complain how his Soul is troubled his bones are broken his eyes are consumed with sorrow his bed swims with tears And all this for sin Here is a Glass wherein you may see the Evil of sin to be the Greatest Evil. Yea and the least sin when God sets it on will do all this 4. Look upon sin in Adam and there see the greatness of it That one sin of Adam hath brought All the Miseries Sickness Death c. upon All his Posterity since that time It hath been the Damnation of thousands of millions of men and still it runs on Gods justice is still unsatisfied if it were there would be a stop We should Dye no more Be sick no more c. Oh! Here you may see sin sin in its Extensiveness 5. Look upon sin in Christ See there what Humblings what Breakin gs what Woundings what Peircings what Wrath it brought upon Christ himself It was that which mingled that Bitter Cup with such woful ingredients which had we but fipt of it when it was so tempered would have laid our souls under more wrath than All the damned in Hell do suffer Christ did Bear Pure Justice for sin Nay it made him who was God as well as man sanctified by the Spirit to that work strengthned by the Deity To sweat drops of blood and even to struggle and seem to draw back and pray against the work of his own Mercy and to decline the business of his own coming into the world Ah! none knows but Christ nor is a finite understanding able to conceive what Christ underwent when he was to Bear sin and with that To wrestle with the infinite wrath and justice of the infinite God the Terrors of death and the Powers of the world to come Here is a Glass wherein you may see The greatness of sin The wideness of sin The guilt of sin The demerit of sin All which are set out to the life in the Death Sufferings Breakin gs and Woundings of the Son of God You that make light of sin go to Christ and ask him How heavy it was even that which you make so light of which pressed him down to the ground And the least sin would have pressed thee and all the pillars of heaven to the Bottom of Hell for ever 6. A sixth Glass Look upon sin in the Damnation of the soul for ever that nothing would satisfie the justice of God but the Destruction of the Creature No Sickness no Prisons no Blood no Sufferings but the Sufferings of Hell And those not for a Time but for Ever Ah! see here the greatness of sin which might be further amplified by the consideration of the preciousness of the soul which yet sin ruines to all eternity And therefore would you know sin Quaere Damnatos Ask the damned what sin is Lay thy Ear to Hell and hear those Skreechings those Howlings those Roarings of the Damned And all this is for sin Oh they are dear-bought pleasures which must be thus payed for with everlasting pains Thus you see what sin is by all these Glasses And therefore Oh! how ought we to be Humbled for our slight thoughts of sin which is so great an Evil USE Now if it be so Then see what need we have to Aggravate sin to the utmost in our confessions of sin because all we can say of it will fall infinitely short of the Haâ—nousness of sin You can aggravate no sin so high as to raise it above it selfe as to make sin greater than it is You can have No Magnifying Glass to greaten sin above the Greatness of it You have such Glasses to make greater other things above their own higness which are able to present small things great mean things of vast bigness But you have no Glass to multiply sin and make sin
and that this God is to bee worshiped Atheists in practice wee have many every Parish is full of them Such as the Apostle speaks of Tit. 1.16 Who profess they know God but yet in works they deny him But Atheists in Judgement none can bee Hence Tully the Heathen could say I have known men without King Laws Government Cloaths but none so savage but have a God Many have indeavoured to blow out that light but never could Wee read of Caligula who laboured all hee could to blow out this Candle and to strengthen his Atheisme by Arguments and Reasons yet when it thundred hee ran under a Bed his fears and guilty conscience telling him of some divine Power which hee could not withstand Another who laboured the like and though hee had wrought out all Faith yet hee had not wrought out all Fears Hee still feared as hee would say that there was a God And what if there should prove to bee a God at last Now then there being such light in Conscience as to discover there is a God and conscience thereupon concluding this God must bee worshiped by the help of further light the Light of the Word the Light of the Works the Light of good Example the Light of good Education together with the implantation of some common and general Principles whereby conscience is strengthened from above A man may bee inabled to do much in the wayes of godliness and yet his heart continue unsound without any spiritual Principle of Grace wrought in him 2. A second ground is some present distress and trouble upon the Conscience or upon the Bodies of men upon the spirit or flesh of men 1. Some present distress upon the spirit of a man It may bee Conscience is now for present upon the rack God hath let in a beam of light into the conscience by the Law and discovered a mans sin And with that light hath let fall a spark of his wrath due to sin upon the conscience which hath for present fill'd the soul of man with horrors and fears with sad and black thoughts and apprehensions of death and Hell Which may put a man upon Prayers and Performances upon doing much in the wayes of God Wee read that Absolom sent for Joab to come to him but hee came not Hee sent again yet hee comes not At last Absolom sets fire upon Joabs corn and then hee came amain but with no better heart it is likely more unwillingly than before so God doth often call upon men in the ministry of the Word But men will not come At last God sets fire on the conscience le ts some spark of Hell fall upon them And then they run to Duties to Prayers to do something Though perhaps as unwillingly as before All this doth force them but yet not perswade them willingly to come in As the satisfying of conscience troubled may bee an end of the performance of many duties so the trouble it self may bee a ground to put them upon performance As Peace is the end of the Plaister so the wound is the ground of it As Peace is the end of undertaking of duties so the wound is the ground wherefore they are undertaken 2. Outward Pressures upon the bodies of men may bee another ground to prevail with unsound hearts to do much in outward service Psal 78.34 35 36. When the Lord slew them then they sought him and they returned and inquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rock and the most High God their Redeemer Here was much They return to God That is in all outward appearance They sought him they inquired early after him And the ground of this was Gods hand upon them when the Lord slew them saith the Text. And you see what was the frame of their spirit in all Neverthelesse they did but flatter him their hearts were not upright with him they were unsound The like wee read Jer. 2.27 They gave God their backs and not their faces yet in the time of their trouble then who but God with them In the time of their trouble then they cry arise and save us This was like the Samaritans Devotion When the Lions slew them then they inquired after the worship of God when God sent Lions among them And many there are of their spirit Good under the Rod. Whiles the Rod is on their backs the Book is in their hands then nothing but read and pray But no sooner doth God slacken the cords or take them off the rack deliver them out of their present distress and trouble but they return again to folly This is just Mariners Devotion Whilst the Storm lasts then they cry and pray but no sooner is the storm blown over but they are as vile as ever They had not so many Prayers before as Oathes now And do wee not see it thus with many who will not own God in a Calm Then their hearts say depart from us wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Yet in a Storm they will flye to him thou art our Father our God But this not for Love but for shelter As many a man may bee glad of a place for shelter in a Storm which they could never brook to live in after the storm is over So they will own God a Tower a place of shelter in time of trouble but not an habitation a place of abode in times of Peace Thus you see the third thing The grounds that a corrupt heart may so abound in outward Performance The fourth remains which is 4. Where is the fault Or how comes it to pass that a man may do thus much in the wayes of God and yet bee unsound yet miss of Heaven Where lies the fault I conceive though the work it self bee faulty for how can a good work come from a bad heart Yet the great crack lies more in the Work-man than in the work Duties are good Prayer is good Hearing good The fault doth mainly lye in the Person that doth these Their spirits are unsound in these holy wayes I will lay down the maim the fault under these five or six Heads 1. Hee fails or is faulty in the latitude and extent of his Obedience His Obedience is a limited and stinted Obedience 1. Either limited to some commands which are most sutable to him Hee doth not apply himself to the Obedience of all the commands of God There are some duties hee will not do and some corruptions hee hath no heart to leave 2. Or secondly It is limited to the flesh to the outer part of the Command and doth not extend it self to the Spirit and extremities of the Command of God You must know there is an Extra and an Intra an Outside and an Inside in every Command of God some part of it binding the Flesh another part injoyning the Spirit Many keep the Letter of the Law which yet never care for the Spirit of the Law Both these you shall see in the Scribes and
forgo all Sin where sin is forgiven there sin is forsaken 3. A Third sort are they Who seek a pardon of Sin without sense of Sin who seek forgiveness of Sin without remorse for sin Men who are never troubled with any sense with any compunction of heart for sin Would you not take it for a dallying with you if one had greatly offended you and should come to desire you your forgiveness without any sense or remorse of it What do you think God will do This is certain Without blood there is no Remission of Sin as the Apostle speaks Christ was wounded and thou must be wounded too before thou hast a pardon Christ did bleed and conscience must bleed before ever he give a pardon It was a speech of Bradford He never left a duty till c. Will a man in good earnest beg a pardon who was never attached for Treason or so much as throughly sensible that he is guilty of it 4. A Fourth sort are such as cry for Forgiveness but yet never look after their Prayers Would you not think it a slighting if a man who had offended you should come and beg a pardon and as soon as he had said a few words to you should turn his back and go away and never expect nor wait for an answer from you Why thus do you deal with God You put up prayers but look not after them He who begs in earnest Oh! he will Diligently observe what Answer what Return God makes He will observe what word of Comfort God le ts fall what intimations God will afford to his spirit and will be exceeding chary of them As you see Benhadads servants did 1 Kings 20.31 32 33. After they had put up their requests the Text saith The men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from Ahab and did hastily catch at it So should we do Come with sackcloath put up our prayers with remorse and when that is done when we have prayed our prayers let us wait our prayers to see what intimations we shall receive from heaven Thus David Psal 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace to his people and to his Saints c. Psal 5.3 In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and I will look up 5. A Fift sort who dally with God are they who follow not their prayers with endeavors to get assurance that their Sins are pardoned Who search not into the Covenant of Grace acquaint not themselves with the Promises of Grace search not into the Word of Grace frequent not the Means of Grace These men dally who frequent not the Word Sacraments c. and such like Means for the Assurance of Pardon A TREATISE OF THE Loves of Christ TO HIS SPOUSE BY SAMVEL BOLTON D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C. LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. A TREATISE OF THE LOVES OF CHRIST TO HIS SPOUSE CANT 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain about thy neck A Text which after wee have been some while in Heaven wee shall bee able to understand Certainly none can speak fully to this Text but they who have the full injoyments of this Love But things that are not possible to bee expressed are not totally to bee omitted and therefore wee will lanch into the main Ocean And when wee are not able to apprehend this love let us cast our selves in and let it comprehend us Some things in the General wee premise 1. For the Author or Penman it was Solomon inspired by the Spirit of God 2. For the Title of the Book it is called The Song of Songs or a most excellent Song So it is called for the excellency and sublimity The doubling of the words declare the excellency As when the Scripture speaks of base things by doubling the words they are more debased as it was said of Cham Gen. 9.25 A servant of servants shall hee bee that is a vile slave So when it speaks of good things by doubling the words it declares the excellency of the thing Deut. 10.17 The Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords Thus much for the Title 3. As concerning the Matter there is difference among Interpreters 1. Aben-Ezra a Jewish Rabbin thinks it to bee an History of the Church of God from Abraham to Christ 2. Another thinks it to bee an Hystory of the Church from Christ to the freedome of the Church by Constantine a Roman Emperour who lived in the beginning of the fourth Century 3. Another makes it contain a prophetical Hystory of the condition of the Church from David to the end of the World And divides the book into these two parts The Church 1. Under the Law 2. Under the Gospel 1. The Church under the Law from David to the death of Christ which is continued from the beginning of the Book to the sixth verse of the fourth Chapter 1. As it was from David to the Captivity which saith hee is contained in the first Chapter and the two first verses of the second Chapter 2. As it was in the Captivity from the second verse of the second Chapter to the fifteenth verse of the second Chapter 3. As it was after the Captivity till the death of Christ the abrogation of the Church under the Law which continues from the fifteenth verse of the second Chapter to the sixth verse of the fourth Chapter 2. And from that to the end of the Book is contained an Hystory of the Church Evangelical till Christs second comming Of this mind is Brightman But to leave this wee think and with us goes the stream of Orthodox Interpreters that the subject matter of this Book is a Parabolical Hystory of the mutual loves betwixt Christ and his Church set down under the persons of the Bridegroom and his Bride And thus much of the Book in general Wee will now draw neerer to our Text. In the former Chapter we read how the Church the Spouse of Christ doth declare her exceeding love to Christ and her high appretiations of him with her earnest desire to injoy him whom her soul saw so precious and that Christ might discover to her how kindly hee took her affection In this Chapter hee doth again enter into a singular commendation of the excellency of the Church declaring also his unfeigned love to her The whole Chapter contains these parts 1. A singular commendation of the Church by Christ which is set down allegorically from the first verse to the fifth and from the tenth to the fourteenth verse 2. A gracious profession of Christs love to his Church from the fifth verse to the tenth 3. The Churches reply with Christs answer again to her vers 15 16 17. In the Churches reply 1. A commendation of her head and
therefore hee hath chosen Faith to bee the Grace whereby wee should bee Justified And if ever you would bee justified if ever you would have Glory give him Glory 4. The fourth thing at first propounded to bee cleared was How Faith justifieth For the clearer answer whereto wee will lay down these two Distinctions 1 Faith may be considered 1. Either formally as an inherent Grace of God in us 2 Or instrumentally as that whereby wee receive Christ In the first sense it hath nothing to do with Justification The Papist because wee deny Faith to justifie in respect of its own worthiness say that we make it titulum sine re as it were a matter of nothing whereas in respect of Justification wee acknowledge it the only instrument and that is much to bee said of it 2 Faith is considered 1. Either absolutely as a Habit or Act of ours 2. Or Relatively as it hath relation to Christ and makes us one with him In the former sense again it hath nothing to do with Justification but in the second sense as it is related to Christ and brings us over to Christ so it is said to justifie us because it brings us to him by whom wee are justified Act. 13.39 By him speaking of Christ all that beleeve are justified by him but not by Faith absolutely but only as relating to him Indeed wee are said to live by Faith as well as by Christ Gal. 2.20 to have remission of sins by Faith Act. 10.43 as well as by Christ Ephes 1.7 to bee justified by Faith Rom. 3.28 as well as by Christ Isa 53.11 to have peace with God by Faith Rom. 5.1 as well as by Christ Col. 1.20 to bee sanctified by Faith Act. 15.9 as well as by Christ 1 Cor. 1.30 to overcome the World by Faith 1 John 5.4 5. as well as by Christ John 16.33 To bee the Sons of God by Faith Gal. 3.26 as well as by Christ Ephes 1.5 to have eternal life and to bee saved by Faith John 5.24 Ephes 2.8 as well as by Christ Math. 1.21 John 3.17 1 John 5.11 But now you must consider that none of these are spoken of Faith absolutely considered as either an Habit or Act of ours but only relatively as Faith brings us to Christ and makes us one with him by whom alone wee are justified adopted sanctified c. for between Christ and Faith there is such a Relation that as Justifying Faith is called the Faith of Christ or Faith in Christ or Faith in his blood so again the Righteousness of Christ by which wee are justified is called the Righteousness of Faith And so wee conclude this point that Faith doth not justifie as absolutely considered in it self but relatively as it hath relation to Christ the object and as it brings the soul over to him makes us one with him by whom wee are justified have remission of sins salvation c. 5 What are the Royalties and Priviledges of Faith First Royalty 1. Royalty of Faith It s an heart-clearing Grace 1. Faith is an heart-clearing Grace When wee are under the guilt of sin Faith doth justifie us And it is one of the Royalties of Faith one of the Peculiars of Faith that Faith alone doth justifie As the Apostle Rom. 3.28 Therefore wee conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law And this Faith clears the heart of the guilt of sin 1. By procuring a sufficient Pay-master Christ who hath satisfied Gods Justice to the full answered all Bills Bonds paid our debt to the utmost farthing Hence John 16.10 I will send the Spirit and hee shall convince the World of Righteousness because I go to my Father and you shall see mee no more That is hee shall convince the World That Perfect Righteousness is wrought for them That Gods Justice is compleatly satisfied But how shall wee know that Because I go to my Father and you shall see mee no more That is you shall see mee no more in this kind you shall see mee no more to come to suffer or satisfy for sin for I have done that already I have compleatly satisfied Gods Justice for sin And therefore you shall see mee no more in this kind Indeed If Justice had not been compleatly satisfied If there had been but one sin upon the file unsatisfied for wee should have seen him again Heaven could not have held him But now seeing hee is gone and wee see him no more an humbled a suffering-Saviour this shews all is done To this I might adde Col. 2.14 Hee hath blotted out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and hath taken it out of the way and nailed it to his Cross where by hand-writing of Ordinances is not meant the ceremonial-Ceremonial-Law only but whatever did binde us over to the Curse whatever did binde us over to death All which Christ hath removed by his death And the Apostles Gradation is observable here In the 13th verse hee had set down that our sins were forgiven Yea but that is not enough may some say Though the debt bee discharged yet the writing is to shew No saith the Apostle The Hand-writing of Ordinances is blotted out But may some say again it is not so blotted out so defaced but it may bee read and put in suit again a new quarrel may arise No saith the Apostle It is taken away Oh! But you will say it is not so taken away but as it is laid aside for a time it may be produced hereafter No saith the Apostle there is no fear of that it is nailed to the Cross it is torn in peeces it shall never be seen again never shall a new quarrel arise for the same Christ hath not only paid the debt but canceld and torn in peeces whatever might witness or testifie against us If a Debtor did know his Debt were answered yet if hee have his Bonds and Bills uncall'd in hee is still in fear But when hee hath all things which acknowledged his debt crossed torn in peeces made utterly void then hee is safe hee knows there is a discharge Why Christ did not only discharge our debt but defaced and abolished all such things as made acknowledgement of our debt hee left nothing that might witness against us untaken away And this is the first way whereby Faith doth clear us viz. by producing and bringing forth Christ who hath cleared all who is called a Suerty Heb. 7.22 Not only in passing his word for us but paying the Debt for us answering all and cancelling all that was against us But Faith doth not clear us only by producing of a sufficient Pay-master but 2. By making us one with Christ by which this payment is ours is all for us So that wee may say with Ambrose Pro me natus pro me vixit pro me mortuus Faith will say hee was born for mee hee lived for mee hee dyed for mee for mee hee fulfilled all
there 's nothing but Sin in us in stead of beauty blackness in stead of comliness deformity It discovers there 's nothing but Damnation and Hell in us nothing but Hell in our parts Hell in our Principles Nay Hell in our prayers That not our persons only but our prayers stand in need of Christ that if hee save not our prayers as well as our persons our Prayers will damn us Faith is such a Grace as is raised up upon the ruines of our selves not the Substance but the Sin the ruine of our sinful selves the ruine of our self of Pride of Self-confidence self-sufficiency all which are thrown down before Faith bee raised As the Shipmans Fatal Star which they say is never seen but before wrack and death so Faith is never seen but before the wrack and death of sinful nature which hath one wrack by Faith but the Universal wrack by death And this is the first work and the mighty work of Faith which must bee done before wee come over to Christ As the Opinion of something in themselves was that which kept off the Jews from comming to Christ so it doth us And therefore Faith empties us of this Opinion makes us poor that so wee may bee fit to receive the Gospel The poor receive the Gospel The Gospel is but a merciful Hospital for the relief of the Poor Blind Naked Lame and lost sinners Here 's nothing for those who are Rich and Full and think they want nothing Faith empties the Soul of that Opinion of strength to help it self Though a man were convinced hee had nothing yet if hee have such a conceit as this That hee can help himself that hee is able to recover and winde himself out of that condition wherein hee is hee would then stand upon his own bottom bee a Buckler to himself and would never come over to Christ That which kept the Prodigal from his Father was not the Opinion of any worthiness in himself hee saw hee was poor and ready to famish but hee thought hee could recover himself live of himself without the help of a Father And this conceit kept him off So the Woman with the Bloody-Issue It was not her opinion that shee had no need of Christ which kept her off from comming to Christ but shee thought shee was able to purchase help out of her own store without going to him And even to the last penny shee conceited shee should have help when shee had spent all not before Then shee came And whilest a man hath a conceit that hee is able to work out his own Peace compass his own happiness Though hee bee poor yet conceits hee is able to inrich himself Though naked yet hee is able to weave a web of Righteousness to cloath himself Though in debt yet hee is able to make payment Though undone yet hee is able to recover himself I say so long as a man hath this conceit thinks hee hath any strength of his own to winde himself out of the misery into which hee sees himself to bee plunged so long hee will never come over to Christ This conceitedness will keep off the Soul from Christ Men you know will rather make use of their own gold than of others of their own cloaths than of others of their own friends than of others of their own power than of others Men will dig to the Clay as Pliny saith before they will go borrow water of their neighbours Such a spirit there is in man that hee will sound the bottome try the utmost what hee can do before hee will call in for anothers help But now when Faith comes and discovers us not only to bee miserable but unable to extricate our selves out of this misery not only to bee poor but unable to inrich our selves not only under the burden of sin but unable to cast off this burden not only indebted but unable to pay in prison but unable to come forth then will the soul hasten and come over to Christ Now this is that which Faith doth It doth not only empty a man of all opinion of Righteousness in the discovery of his misery but also it empties a man of all that opinion of strength to help himself out of this misery 1 Neither do 2 Nor suffer That hee can neither do nor suffer any thing to relieve himself That all his doings and sufferings are too short to help him That the state of nature is not only a state of misery but a state of impotency and utter disability to do any thing to help it self Hence the Apostle saith Rom. 5.6 8. That wee were not only sinners but without strength not able to help our selves out of this condition of sin Wee were dead in trespasses and sins So that wee were unable to do or if any thing yet dead works such as set us further in debt but wipe off no score Hence Christ saith Without mee yee can do nothing All our actions are so many Cyphers so many Nothings 1. Wee can do nothing to please God our best works but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gift of an Enemy The Sacrifice of Fools They that are in the flesh cannot please God 2. Wee can do nothing which is truly really and substantially Good What Nathaniel spake doubtingly concerning Christ Joh. 1.46 Can there any good thing come out of Nazaret may preremptorily bee here affirmed No good can come out of an evil heart No good fruit from a bad root Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean It 's impossible 3. Wee can do nothing to settle a sound and substantial Peace in our Consciences though wee skin them over for a time calm and still them for a time yet wee cannot work a sound cure nor settle a substantial Peace there 4. Wee can do nothing which may purchase any blessing or favour from God Non ex merito operis sed ex largitate donantis Though God reward the works of wicked men sometimes as hee did Ahab Jehu Nebuchadnezzar yet it is not That the works deserve a reward but because hee is a plentifull rewarder Thus Faith discovers the impotency and utter dis-ability to help our selves Hence wee are said 1. Not to bee able to think a good thought 2. Cor. 3.5 Not that wee are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves All our sufficiency is of God 2. Not to bee able to understand 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him nor can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned 3. Not able to will any thing that is good Phil. 2.13 God worketh the will and the deed of his own good pleasure 4. Not able to begin a good work Phil 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that hee that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
to perswade 1. Consider God commands thee to beleeve 2. Consider thou can do God no greater pleasure than to come in and beleeve 1. Consider God commands thee to beleeve 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his Commandement that wee should beleeve on the name of his Son Jesus Christ And what can thy heart now reason against this will not this bee enough to answer all thy fears and scruples to beat down all that thy unbeleeving heart can say against the Promise Why God doth not only invite thee but hee commands thee to beleeve Gods command is a sufficient warrant to beleeve and will bee sufficient security to all them that do beleeve 1. I say it is a sufficient warrant to beleeve Men may command things and tell us that our obedience to them shall bee sufficient warrant to us and yet they may want power enough to secure us in our obedience to them but it is not so with God his command will be a warrant sufficient to carry out any soul in his obedience to him Doth Satan say wherefore dost thou beleeve thou art a Reprobate thou art a cast away thou hast no right to the Promise but thou must say then thou art a Creature and God commands thee to beleeve and in obedience to Gods command though thou sees nothing but death for the present yet thou wilt beleeve Doth bee say thou hast no right to a Promise not any title to Mercy yet mayest thou say thou art bound to the Precept though I cannot clear my right to the Promise yet I am sure I am to obey the Precept I am bound to the obedience of the command and God commands mee to beleeve Yea and thou may say thus much if I am bound to beleeve as I am then I may bee able by my beleeving to clear my interest in the Promise Thou mayest tell him here is a command for thee none then for him hee is out of hope It is an infinite mercy to stand under the command of beleeving the Devils do not the damned do not thou doest which is infinite mercy 2. As Gods command is a sufficient warrant to beleeve so it is sufficient security if wee do beleeve there was never a soul that perished in a way of obedience in a way of beleeving Doth Satan say thou mayest venture thy soul if thou wilt but thou dost but cast away thy soul for thou shalt never bee saved God will never own thee Thou mayest say again Gods command is a sufficient warrant for thee to beleeve men may fail us and bee men but God cannot fail us and bee God But put it to the worst though thou do not know whether thou shalt bee saved yet this thou knowest that God commands thee to beleeve Well then bee peremptory and resolve in beleeving say if I dye I will dye in a way of beleeving in a way of obedience to the command not in a way of disobedience to it This I know if I beleeve not I must perish hee that beleeveth not is condemned but if I do beleeve if I do go on in a way of obedience who knows whether God will bee mercifull nay who knows not but that hee will I must tell you this resolution will put the Devil to it hee knows not what to say to such a man nay and it puts God to it too for God cannot reject him who will yet go on to serve him though hee should never own him 2. Consider you can do God no greater pleasure than to come in and beleeve Thou honourest all-God as I shall shew thee in the second Doctrin It is a great deal of ease and pleasure for a full and pained breast to bee sucked the breast of Mercy and Promise is full yea and in pain too and thou shalt do God let mee speak after the manner of men the greatest pleasure thou canst do to come and suck Joh. 6.28 when the people asked what shall wee do that wee may work the works of God Mark then how Christ answers why this is the work of God that you beleeve in him As if hee had said would you do that which would content God would you do that which pleaseth him why this is that which doth wonderfully content God this is that doth admirably please God to beleeve I tell thee by this thou makest God amends for all the wrong thou hast done him all thy life Nothing else will if thou shouldest go about to redeem every oath with an age of precizeness and exactness every idle word and action with an eternity of praises and tears all thy exactions and injustice with a treasury of alms all this were nothing to the making of God amends But here do but come over to the Promise do but close with Christ and thou makest God amends for all God will bee fully satisfied not with thy Faith but with Christ not with thy beleeving but with Christ whom thy Faith holds up Nay not only satisfied but ipse tibi velim debitor I would not only bee satisfied but I would bee thy debtor to give thee eternal life Oh then that you who are slow of heart to beleeve that you would now come in Close with Christ and then thou mayest set Christ against all that the Law Justice Sin Hell Satan can say against thee You see the Apostle did so who is hee that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Hee makes a challenge of all sets the death of Christ against whatever can bee brought so mayest thou Let us weild this weapon c. 1. Doth Satan say thou hast sinned Why but may the soul say I have closed with him who hath suffered for sin what can my debt of sin bee that the payment of his sufferings hath not fully answered 2. Doth hee say thou hast sinned against the great God of Heaven yea but thou mayest say I have an interest in him whose Righteousness is the Righteousness of the great God of Heaven Jehovah our Righteousness and that is able to suffice for that 3. Doth hee say the glory of the great God is debased by thy sinning Why but thou mayest say will not the emptying of his glory who is the brightness of his Fathers glory answer for that 4. Doth hee say thou hast sinned against knowledge Why but thou mayest say all that Christ did and all hee suffered hee did with knowledge Joh. 18.4 Jesus knowing all things c. 5. Doth hee say thou hast sinned with delight Why but thou mayest say Christ hath suffered with greater delight than I have sinned Hee delighted to do the will of God and this was the will of his Father that hee should give his life for mee Joh. 6. Luk. 12.50 And it was said of him that hee was straitned till the hour came as men that delight in a work which they long to bee upon 6. Doth hee say thy sins lye in thy spirit Yea but thou mayest say the chiefest part of his suffering did lye in
such a one as makes conscience of every Command great or smal Every one comes from the same authority James 2.11 For hee that saith the one saith also the other And whatever hath the stamp of God the authority of Heaven upon it though it seem never so small hee dare not disobey it where there is a beam of Gods Majesty sitting upon the face of a command hee will submit to it Men you know will not refuse the Kings Coin though the peece bee never so small if the Kings impression bee on a penny it calls for acceptance as well as a piece so if the authority of God bee stamped upon the least command a sincere heart will yeeld subjection to it as well as the greatest Mat. 5.19 Hee who breaketh the least of these Commands shall bee the least c. Hee who stands with God for small things when hee will not forbear an Oath a cup a ragge for Christ how should you yeeld to the greater A man may do the smaller and yet neglect the greater As the Pharisees who tithed Mint and Cummin but the great things of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legis the love of God fear of God these are not regarded But hee who doth the greater will not neglect the smaller Thirdly Hee will obey God in affirmative Commands as well as negative Commands Hee doth not only look upon what God would not have him do but hee examines what God would have him do Dives was cast into Hell not for oppressing Lazarus but for not shewing mercy upon Lazarus not because hee took any thing from but because hee gave nothing to him There is many a mans Religion lies meerly upon negatives Hee is no swearer no drunkard no unclean person as the Pharisee hee oppresseth no man defrauds no man But if you ask him for the affirmative commands there hee is nothing art thou holy art thou humble art thou a beleever art thou a sanctifier of Gods day lovest thou God fearest thou God Alas these sins because they are minoris infamiae not so scandalous as the other are therefore hee makes them nullius culpae no sins at all these gnats hee can swallow without any straining at them c. 4. Hee will obey God in the Spirit of the Command as well as in the letter of the Command There is an intra and an extra in every Command of God One part of the Law binding the flesh the other part enjoyning the spirit You see how Christ sets it down Matth. 5.21 Thou shalt do no Murder there 's the letter of the Command Thou shall not bee angry with thy Brother without a cause there is the Spirit of the Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery there is the letter of the Command Thou shalt not look on a woman to lust after her there is the Spirit of the Command An unsound spirit looks no further than the bare letter of the Command that part which bindes the flesh or outward man only and if hee do but observe that in the gross hee thinks hee hath done well but now a sincere heart hee looks to the spirit of the Command and if hee do not observe that hee hath no peace if you keep the whole Law in the letter and give way to your selves to fail in any and do not sincerely indeavour to obey all according to the spirit your spirits are unsound Hee that will see God with comfort must not only obey the letter of the Command but must bring his heart to the sincere Obedience of the spirit of the Command 5. Hee will not only obey God only in the Matter but in the Manner not only in the substance but in the circumstance of the Command Hee is not only conscionable to obey God in what hee commands but his heart is wrought to a conscionableness in the Obedience An unsound heart looks no further than the substance of the Command if hee have but prayed if been at Church hee thinks all is well hee looks no further But now a sound spirit hee looks to the circumstance as well as the substance the manner as well as the matter of the command When hee prayes hee labours to pray fervently faithfully When hee hears hee will hear humbly fruitfully when hee obeyes hee desires to obey willingly chearfully c. Wee say bonum est ex integrâ causâ but malum ex quolibet defectu Take any action if either the Principle whence it doth arise bee not good that the action arise from corrupt Principles self-love carnal fears or if the purposes bee not good that the aims and ends bee carnal or if the circumstances bee not good it spoils the action If wee pray and pray not fervently if wee heat and hear not fruitfully if wee obey and obey not willingly if wee shew mercy and do it not chearfully if you sanctifie the Sabbath and not with delight all is worth nothing There are some circumstances accessory some necessary some wherein the being and some wherein but the well-being of a duty doth consist And if you abstract these from them the duty it is worth nothing Take away fervency and humility from Prayer take away faithfulness and fruitfulness from hearing take away willingness and delight from Obedience all is nothing worth So much for the first Character of sincere Obedience Universality 2. Character Sincere Obedience is such an Obedience Rightness of which doth 1. Come from a right spring 2. Is wrought by a right Rule 3. In a right manner 4. To a right end I put all together that I may not multiply too much 1. Sincere Obedience ariseth from a right spring 1. Spring a sound Obedience ariseth from sound Principles A soul renewed a soul universally sanctified and principled from above Such as the Principle is such is a mans Obedience dead Principles and but dead Obedience unsound Principles and unsound Obedience A mans actions can go no higher than his Principles There must bee a good tree before good fruit the person must bee good before the actions can bee good if there bee a crack in the person all is naught Now this sincere Principle which is the spirit of all our Obedience it is nothing else but an entire and spiritual frame of Grace and Holiness set up in the soul whereby a man is renewed and changed Which is called in Scripture a new Creation a writing of the Law in the heart Regeneration Renovation Resurrection from death to life and a forming Christ in the soul As it hath a respect to the heart the seat of these Principles it borrows five names It is called 1. A sound heart in opposition to an unsound a false spirit 2. A perfect heart in opposition to an Hypocritical spirit 3. And a single heart in opposition to a doubleness of spirit 4. An honest heart in opposition to a deceitful heart 5. A whole heart in opposition to a half a divided spirit which God hates And