true as truth it self and as good as goodnesse it self we cannot make men to understand it nor to believe it nor to yield unto it but Christ is that Prophet whose Chair is in heaven and whose speaking can yet pierce into the hearts of men He can make us to know wisdome he can teach our reines and truth in the inward parts there can he write his Law in our hearts though the minde be as dark as darknesse it self yet he can make the light of knowledge to arise in the thickest darknesse of the minde though the judgment be corrupt and full of errors yet Christ can erect a throne of truth and direct us into the pathes of righteousnesse though the heart be dull yet his words are as fire to quicken that heart though it be as hard as the rock yet his word can be as the hammer to break that stony heart His teaching can soften the most unflexible adamant he is able to convince and bend and alter and bow it the very dead shall heare his voice and live So that if any person doth need any directions any enablement for heaven or the way thither he must know that Christ is the Prophet anointed whatsoever belongs to an heavenly instructing and to an heavenly drawing and obeying that is to be found in Christ and had from him who is anointed a Prophet that is designed to teach the Church and furnisheth with all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and ability c. SECT V. LAstly Christ was anointed to be a King therefore Psal 2. 2. he is called Gods anointed and ver 6. the King whom he Psal 2. 2. did set upon his holy hill of Sion The King of Kings Rev. 19. 16. He shall reigne over the house of Jacob Luk. 1. 33. so Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to me in heaven and in earth He hath the Scepter of Royalty and the Rod of authority and the sword of power and the throne of judgement and the Laws of his lips and the keys of life and death Now this regal office of his to which he was anointed imports many things First that he is to beare rule over all the Nations and indeed his natural kingdome reacheth over all the world from the highest Angel to the lowest Devil Secondly that he is to Governe and rule the Church which he hath purchased with his blood The Government is upon his shoulders Isai 9. 6. And therefore he is called the Law-giver Jam. 4. 12. and all judgment is committed to his hand Joh. 5. 22 27. to this end you have the rod of his Scepter his holy and righteous Laws and his mighty and blessed Spirit to give force unto them even into our hearts and there to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Thirdly that he is to maintaine and uphold his Church therefore he is said to Gird his sword upon his thâ—gh Psal 45. 3. and to ride upon a horse with his garment dipped in blood and armed as if he were ready to fight He is the mighty redeemer of his servants against all who intrench upon their peace and safety and he strikes downe Paul to the earth for persecuting him It belongs to the King to be the defence of his subjects so here God hath appointed all the Protections and safeties and deliverances of the Church to be in Christ Fourthly he is to conquer all his and our enemies God hath given Christ a Kingdome but it is such as he must fight for Not a Subject which he hath which comes in unto him but by conquest If we be in our own hands peccatum Hostisest quamdiu est said Saint Augustine and if we be in Satans hands we are in that enemies hands More plainely there are these enemies of Christ and his Church which he is to conquer for himselfe and them First hell and we read that he hath spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly and triumphed over them Col. 2. 15. Secondly death 1 Cor. 15. 54. Death is swallowed up in victory 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory c. 56 57. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly sin and this is Christ also to conquer he is to cast down all the strong holds of lusts and all imaginations and to captivate the whole man He is to subdue our iniquities for us and not to suffer sin to have dominion over us Fourthly Wicked men he will stick his arrowes in the brests of Princes and in the hearts of the mighty and terrible he is to bruise the Nations with a rod of Iron and to dash them in pieces like a potters vessell He will execute judgment upon all of them and cast them all to the dust who rose up against his person or Government or people He will set his people at rest from them that rise against them and will make his enemies his foot-stool CHAP. IV. What Believing in the Lord Iesus Christ doth import Q. 2 WHat doth the believing in the Lord Jesus Christ import Jesus Christ is like a ring and faith is like the finger which wears it He is like a treasury and faith like the hand which draws out thence As David spake in another kinde come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul or as Philip to Nathanael can there any good thing come out of Nazareth Philip saith come and see The same is to be said of faith God hath done great matters for sinful man saith faith Why but can any good be brought by any to us who are so bad yes sayes faith come and see Christ is very good he is a Saviour for a poor sinner but it is faith which finds him so Marke the answer of the Apostles here in the text what shall I do to be saved saith the Jayler They do not answer there is a Jesus Christ take thou no more care he did dye for sinners and thou shalt do well enough Nay this they answer thou maiest be saved by Christ but thou must believe in Christ Not a medicine is the remedy but a medicine applyed Not the man but the man taken becomes the husband So the taking of Christ the believing in him is the way to heaven Because this is an excellent point for our life lies in it give me leave to speak somewhat of faith First in the general and there I will be brief Secondly in special as justifying of faith or faith believing in Jesus Christ our Lord. First Generally For the generall nature of believing observe these propositions First that believing is an assent to such matters as are known only by revelation from another there are in the soul of man three qualities by which we came to finde out or perceive things First one quality is Scientia or knowledge which is a firme assent unto a thing which may be evidenced to
bodies only they could not save souls not one of them not all of them to ransome to rescue to redeem a soul requires more then an arme of flesh Flesh may save or protect flesh but he must be more then flesh who can save a soul Now Jesus Christ is a Saviour of souls 1 Pet. 1. 9. Rev. 20 4. the price of our souls is in his blood with it he bought them and redeemed them They could save from some outward misery the tyranny and oppression of the enemy they have oft-times put back but from inward servitude and thraldome they could never save they could not deliver the persons from the tyranny of their sinnes whom they have been able to deliver from the tyranny of sinful men But the Son of God can save from inward and spiritual miseries he can save from sinne Mat. 11. 21. He shall save his people from their sinnes Sin hath gilt in it he saves us from that by shedding his blood and procuring remission Eph. 1. 7. And sin hath pollution in it He saves us from that by cleansing the heart 1 Iohn 1. 9. And sin hath dominion with it but Christ hath assured that he will make us free Joh. 8. And that no sinne shall have dominion over us Rom. 6. He can save from Satan Heb. 2. 14. He did through death destroy him who had the power of death 〈…〉 the Devil and ver 15. did deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage He can save from the wrath of God so he did by becoming a On me my son said Rebeckah be the cuâ—se see Gal 3. 13. curse for us by suffering the sensible and marvelous impressions of his displeasure for our sinnes Jesus saith the Apostle 1 Thes 1. 10. delivered us from the wrath to come They were such Saviours as did need a Saviour Christ was the Saviour of them who were the Saviours of others Many they did save but themselves they could not save Whiles they lived they could save but dying they could not save any longer but Christ Jesus saved us by his death the losing of his own life caused ours we are saved by his death the son of Matth. 20. 28. man came to give his life a ransome for many He is a general Saviour Joh. 4. 42. The Saviour of the world The Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4. 10 Therefore Jude ver 4 calls the Salvation by Christ the Common Salvation Mistake me not when I say that Christ is a general Saviour as if every man in the world should be saved by Christ He is not a general Soviour in respect of individual persons but First in respect of successions of persons That is there never was any age succeeding a former age but in every age Christ was a Saviour Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. He is the Saviour in the daies of old and in our dayes and in the times after us In respect of Nations He is not the Soviour of the Jewes only but of the Gentiles also He justifies Circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith Rom. 3. 30. The Jew cannot boast nor the Gentile complaine but there is Salvation for them both in Iesus Christ In respect of conditions He is not the Saviour of the great and mighty only nor of the poor and desperate only but the one and the other shall be saved by Christ The Salvation of the â—â—ch is not in his wealth but in his Christ Neither shall the poor person be excluded because of his poverty but all sorts of persons high and low rich and poor may find Christ to be a Saviour In respect of relations He is not the Saviour of the Master only but even of his lowest servant not of the husband only but of the wife not of the father only but of the child not of the Prince only but of the subject also The Apostle hath said enough Gal. 3. 28. There is neither Iew nor Gentile there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus He is a mighty Saviour he is able to save to the utmost Heb. 7. 25. and this appears if you consider The greatnesse of his satisfaction That he was able alone to stand before the justice of his father and to answer and fulfil it even to appeasment and contentation yea so entirely did he answer it that God is now pacified and become propitious The greatnesse of his passions That he endured the unspeakable wrath of God O what a thing was this that the Lord Iesus could at once be able to bear all our sinnes upon him and the mighty wrath of God for them and expiate all of them He did stand at the Bar not to suffer and satisfie for one sin only nor for all the sinnes of one man only nor for some sinnes of most men only nor for all the sinnes of all men in former ages but for all the sins of all that shall be saved from the first man that lived to the last man that shall dye Yet though he had all their sinnes to answer for though he had a severe justice to deal with all though he had a perfect law to fulfil though four mighty enemies to conquer Sin World Death and Hell yet he went through all satisfied suffered conquered He is a perfect Saviour the perfection of his saving consists in three things First in the alonenesse of it whatsoever was required meritoriously to save men is in him alone there is no other name beside his nor with his but he alone is a Saviour there is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus said the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is no concurrence of any Angel nor of the Prayers of any Saints departed and glorified nor yet in the inherent sanctity in any man living nor yet of any workes before or after grace which comes in with Christ as a meritorious cause of our Salvation But Jesus Christ alone is sufficient and effectual to save the sinner as the government is upon his shoulder so is our Salvation Thou canst not come to an Angel nor to a Saint and say such and such sinnes are the burden now upon my soul do you by your righteousnesse ease me such and such debts are upon my soul do you satisfie for me Thou canst not come to God and say truly Lord I have sinned against thee but here are so many floods of teares which I have shed now for their sakes wash and pardon me Here are so many prayers offered up unto thee for their sakes heare and harken and forgive here are so many charitable works by which I have clothed the naked fed the hungry relieved the poor for their sakes look upon me and accept of me It is very true that these things are required of Christians and I shall hereafter shew unto you the necessity
make his addresse unto the Lord Jesus for cure and health and that he should by faith accept of him and trust upon him for the healing of his soul and the subduing of his sins and then verily you shall finde vertue to come from Christ raising a greater hatred of sin war with it in the very fountaine watching and praying against it and the power of the ordinance successively weakening and crucifying the power of sin Lastly know this that the time of contrariety is the time for faith to work When a man sees death then is it the time for faith to believe life When he sees the grave then is it the time for faith to believe a resurrection when he sees guilt then is it the time for faith to believe pardoning mercy when he sees himself a sinner then is it the time for faith to believe a Saâ—iour when he sees strong corruptions then is it the time for faith to believe great grace when he sees great discomforts then is it the time for faith to believe strong consolations the exigences of sense and the reliefes of the promises are quite contrary what I feel is one thing what God doth promise is another thing That which the patient observes in himself is sicknesse and that which he hopes for in the medicine is health Hath God made thee sensible of thy sins dost thou finde thus much that al that thou canst do wil not become a rebuke of corruption thou art able now to see the strength of thy sinfull nature but to remove it thou art utterly unable Why what is now to be done truly as in the sense of the guilt of sin we must then flye by faith to God and put our soules upon his free mercy for pardon so in the sense of the filthy strength of sin we must to heaven by faith and put our soules on Gods faithful promises in Christ for the healing and subduing of it This is the way and therefore strive to walk in it you may try other waters but they shall not help you and perplex your own thoughts but they shall not availe you the cure of the sinful soul is only in heaven and it is faith only which can lift up a soul to God and Christ which puts it into the Pool When sin is felt then let faith work If thou canst finde any one promise which God hath made of sanctifying and healing and subduing Why here 's ground for faith yea for thy saith for in these promises are the cures of thy sinful nature and faith it is which will apply the healing medicines to thee 8. Obj. Yet I am not satisfied saith the sensible sinner and fearfull soul Why Because First I cannot finde an heart to duty to pray and seek of God and surely if God did purpose and mean any good to me he would in some measure frame and encline and excite my heart towards him Secondly yea and againe though I do sometimes seek and entreat yet I observe that what I was that I am nothing comes of it how then can I may I should I be enduced to believe Sol. Here are two sore and real scruples which do indeed vehemently beat upon a sensible sinner I shall endeavour to assoyle them successively 1. I cannot finde an heart to any duty to pray for faith c. I Answer 1. As the inability to holy duties depends on natural corruption so the indisposition towards them depends exceedingly upon unbelief There is nothing disheartens a man more towards God then it For bâ—sides this that unbelief in its own nature is a departure from God it is a bias drawing the soul downwards This also is true of it that it represents God to the soul in all the appearances and methods of discouragements It makes the soul to see nothing in God or from God which might encline it to him O saith unbelief there is such holinesse and purity in him that he will never endure thee there is such truth and justice in him that he will surely be avenged of thee There is such strength and power in him that he will certainly meet with thee and lay load on thee There is I confesse a mercifulnesse in him but alas his tender bowels of compassion his ready forgivenesse extends not to thee there are many sweet intimations in his promises but they concern not thee there is a mighty salvation in Christ and powerful intercession to ingratiate some persons and their services but what of this to thee He is a God hearing prayer yea but he will not regard the cryes nor tears of some but their Sacrifices are an abomination unto him And thus doth unbelief set up God utterly against the soule so that the poor soul conceiving of God as an enemy dares not come neer it flies off it is even afraid to speak to him It is perswaded by unbeliefe that God will frowne upon all that is done whereupon the spirit sinks the affectionâ— are flatted I have no minde nor heart am like a lump a stock a stone Secondly it is faith which will fetch up the soul Psal 27. 13. I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord c. As if he should say my spirits were even breathing themselves out I was even sinking down giving up all unlesse I had beleeved but that confidence of Gods goodnesse towards me that did put life into me that did fetch me again that did put heart into me You see now the spring is coming on that those seemingly dead branches of the trees they begin to thrust out some hopeful sproutings and put on another colour of freshnesse why because the root is now more fed and warmed It is faith which will put colour into our faces and spirit into our hearts and life into our duties For 1. Faith sets open the mercy-seat It represents God to the Two reasons of it soul in all his attributes of graciousnesse not as an hard tyrant but as a good God willing to give audience to the humble requests and suit of a poore sinner Nay willing to dispatch and grant his requests What is thy request said Ahashuerus to Queen Ester it shall be granted thee c So saith the Lord What wouldest thou have of me Is it mercy I do promise it unto thee Is it grace I promise that unto thee Is it strength is it comfort is it deliverance whatsoever it be if thou beleeve on me I will not fail to give to thee Nay I will do it freely nay cheerfully with all my heart and with all my soul Jer. 32. Yea this makes the soul to come unto God as the ship into the haven with full speed and stretched sailes O the soul bends the knee with cheerfulnesse when it sees it shall be raised up with kindnesse a man may have some heart to pray when he knows My God will hear me that God hath a readiness to answer 2. Faith sets the soul in
Jesus thou didst shed thy precious blood for the remission of sinnes thou hast offered me thy self and all thy precious purchases and benefits I have by faith accepted of thee of thee alone with all my soul to be my Lord and Saviour Now none in heaven or earth can procure me the pardon of these sins but thy self and thou canst do it I beseech thee that thy blood may be mine atonement to thy father yea I will and do cast my soul upon thee thee alone for the pardon and I will trust unto thee for the discharge of my many of all my transgressions Thy blood is the price that I will trust to and rest upon This is to lâ—ve by faith in Christ in that particular yea though the sense of guilt be great and the truth of it undeniable yet to believe the pardon in Christ and to offer his satisfactions yea to adventure and to roll the soul upon him for it for Christ hath called me and he hath said that he will ease me c. So againe suppose that thou feelest corruptions strongly working and temptations grievously assaulting now to live by faith on Christ is to come unto him knowing the Kingly power of his grace and to beseech him to subdue iniquities for thee and to send forth the rod of his Scepter the power of his gracious Spirit to mortifie thy lusts yet more and to trust upon him that he will do this for thee and therefore thou wilt apply thy self with patience and confidence to the use of all consecrated wayes and meanes through which Christ will manifest that power unto thy soul I thank God through Jesus Christ said Paul Rom. 7. As if he should say I am not able for my life to root out to beat down these vile motions but I cast my self upon Jesus Christ I trust unto him and verily beleeve he will deliver me the like may be said of all the other exigences but I cannot repeat all Consider that the habit or quality of faith is one thing and the use or exercise of faith is another thing the soul then lives by faith on Christ when it improves its interest in Christ when it can trust to him to supply all its wants a man is said to live by bread not when he hath it in his Cupboard but when he takes and eates it and a man is said to live upon his money not when he lets it to lie dead in his chest but when he turnes and windes it for his benefit and support So here to live by faith on Christ is to put faith to work my works are in my self but the supplies of my soul are in Christ as I go to divine providence and put my self on its faithful powerful goodnesse for my body so I must go to the Lord Jesus and put my self on his gracious and certaine fulnesse for my soul Yet observe a few things for the clearer opening of 4. Things this 1. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meere complaining of our wants or an acknowledging of his fulnesse To see scarsity in the house and plenty in the Market this may be and it may be vaine unlesse we go forth to fetch in the promises Whiles the soul keeps home it lives not by faith The life of faith lies abroad a man may have grace to see his wants and yet he lives not by faith till he can get out unto Christ I will go to the Prophet to the man of God said the woman who had a troubled spirit for her dead child Yea this recovered her child againe If I can but touch the â—hem of his garment I shall be whole said she in the Gospel you must bring the pitcher to the well if you will have water and the childes mouth must be applied to the breast if it would have milk and the soul must go unto Christ it must approach unto him or else it is but a fruitlesse trouble it is not a living by faith on him 2. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meer going to Christ though the motion of the soul out of it self be required yet that alone is not sufficient If I go to a man for to lend me an hundred pound if either I will not speak to him or trust him this is labour loft so though we do addresse our selves to Christ for help but will not trust upon him for supply this is not yet to live by faith For The life of faith on Christ is raised by three things First his fulnesse Secondly his goodnesse Thirdly his faithfulnesse and all these enduce the soul to trust unto him he is able enough Ergo I will trust him he is ready enough therefore I will trust him he is faithful and will certainly do me good therefore I will trust him So that to live by faith it is to live by trust one is said to live by trust when he hath nothing from another but his word or his bond I think him honest or I have him fast bound therefore I will trust him Thou hast the Word of Christ and the Promise of Christ which is a sure truth to which if thou doest trust thou doest live by faith If I feel and do not complaine if I complaine and do not pray if I pray and do not trust this is not yet to live by faith so farre as I can trust upon Christ that he will supply and help my soul so farre I do live by faith 3. Nay Thirdly to live by faith is not onely to trust upon Christ for supply but it is to expect the performance There is a great difference 'twixt the life of sense and the life of faith Sense is opposite to expectation it is only for the present what it hath that makes it up it lives upon no stock but that in hand but faith reckons its estate more from what lies in bonds then what the person findes in the purse It findes the greatest part of the souls estate yet in the promises and yet in Christ and in both graciously and assuredly undertaken whereupon it doth make the soul not only to go to Christ but to trust him and not only so but to expect and waite patiently he doth hear me he will do me good he will not suffer sin to have dominion he will send forth the rod of his power he will make all grace to abound he will not leave nor forsake me he will satisfie for me his intercession shall be effectual I shall yet feel the power of his death the vertue of his resurrection As to pray and not to trust so to trust and not to expect to trust and then to murmur to trust and to untrust whiles we are speaking to get the soul to put it selfe upon Christ and before we have done speaking to pluck of the soul againe to deface our own fealing to cast away our confidence this is ill very ill It is true that the
and then to compare what it is and hath done with what it should be and should have done It is amazed at its own unrighteousnesse and this is much increased for it knows that no unrighteous person shall go to heaven It knows that God will not pronounce unrighteous judgement He will not acquit a man as righteous who hath not righteousnesse nor shall he ever stand in judgement before him Now this is another exigence which puts the soul upon the life of faith 3. The times of desertion when all the comfortable evidences of the Christian state are drawn off as it were when the Lord confines himselfe and all to his promise The poor soul hath no spark of comfort it hath no glimpse of divine favour if it can finde God to be his God and Christ to be its Christ in the promises well and good but there is no feeling nor handling any sensible tokens This is another exigence 4. The times of contrariety when the Sunne seemes to be darkened and when mercy seems to be angry and when fidelity seems to cast off when mindfulnesse seemes forgetful God seemes not to regard us but to fight against us and Christ who did call to us to come unto him doth seem to go away from us O this is a strong exigence of the soule and if ever now must it live by faith 5. The time of weaknesse when a man sees that his work is great and his strength is small duties many power little affections dull not able to do for Christ not able to suffer for Christ cannot pray hear receive obey as he should as he would This is also an exigence of the soul wherein it needs to live by faith on Christ 6. The times of corruption when a man feels sinne afresh he had thought sinne had been dead long ago and all conflicts had been past but now he perceives sinne to rise like an armed man and like a flood even ready to beare down the soule with that hideous insolency and violence of wicked thoughts and inclinations yea so great is this storme that as they said to Christ in another case so here Master help or else we perish 7. The times of temptation which like a crosse winde beares the ship almost under water The gates of hell seems to open themselves against the soul and the powers of darknesse fall in upon it with all the cunning of unbelief and excitation to blasphemy To deny God to slight his Word to let go our confidence in Christ so that the poore soul is almost brought to dust and death by reason of them This is also another exigence for the soul to make use of Christ and to live by faith 8. The times of contradiction when the mouths of wicked and foolish men like sharp rasors wound and cut off a mans good Name when their hands like claws of Lyons teare away the prey they take away the innocency of the upright and the estates liberties friends all the earthly encouragements of the righteous I say this may also be an exigence for the soul to live by faith in Christ and to make up all in him alone 2. Now as he who lives by faith is in the acting of that life still sensible of some one of these exigencies or straits of his soule so in the second place he must be able to Behold a sutable fulnesse in Christ He must know two things First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all these Secondly that Christ is appointed of God and willing to do it therefore I pray you remember First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all the exigencies of the soule Thy soule cannot be cast on any sea but he is there as a sure ship and harbour It cannot be cast upon any streight or trouble whatsoever but Christ is able to relieve it 1. For the sense of guilt Why in this there is that in Christ which can take it off His blood is good payment and it was shed for the remission of sins He can make perfect peace and satisfie to the utmost As the least sinne needs his me it so the greatest doth not exceed it If Christ would but offer up his soul for thine his merits for thy trespasses his precious blood for thy bloody crimes Why God will be pacified for his blood is the blood of atonement of reconciliation of blotting out of peace c. 2. So for unrighteousnesse Why there is that in Christ which can present the righteous unspotted unblameable which can present thee glorious without spot or wrinkle as the Apostle speaks Eph. 5. He can finde an ample garment without any rent an obedience which was perfect which God will accept for which he will justifie thee Though thine own righteousnesse for matter of judicial Justification be as filthy rags 3. The like may be said in a proportion to all the other exigencies Though thou be weak in grace feeble in duty yet he can make all grace to abound and he can strengthen the feeble knees and he can comfort the mourning spirit and he can open heaven againe He can open thy eyes that thou shalt see thy God again yea and as thou hast done formerly as thy God yea he can conquer the busiest corruption and put by thy strongest temptation and stand by thee in the bitterest opposition 2. Nay and Christ is both appointed of God to be and do all this for the beleever and is very willing He is made unto us of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 30. wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption therefore is he called the horn of salvation the Justifier of his people the Standard to which we should repaire the strength of them that trust in him in a word he was invested a Mediator with his triple office of Priest and Prophet and King to be and to do all this for such as are believers Thou doest not mistake thy self nor misconceive of God or Christ when thou goest to the Lord Jesus in any of thy streits then to be a Priest for thee or to be a Prophet for thee or to be a King unto thee O no God hath appointed him to be the Saviour of his body to be the head of his Church and Christ who was thus ably invested is as willing and faithful to discharge and performe 3. These things being to be known and granted there followes in the third place the conjunction of these two together which indeed is the very living by faith upon Christ When the soul is in any exâ—gence and comes to Christ and puts it self upon him and trusts to him for help this is to live by faith on Christ Suppoâ—e a person sensible of much guilt many sinful commissions or â—omissions lay heavy and sore upon him he is grieved at heart that he hath so dishonoured God take them off he is not able and therefore he renounceth all in himself to Christ he goes and saith thus O blessed Lord
thou needest any thing at any time repaire to me I give thee my word and if that be not enough thou shalt have bond and seale that I will help thee it were enough he needed not to say more he will to him I warrant you Thus saith the Lord to a beleever to one who hath accepted of his Sonne Jesus Christ saith God to him I tell thee by my Word which is truth it self and cannot lie nor deceive that I am a great God alsufficiency goodnesse is in me in infinite perfection and I am able to do thee any good now my will is that thou shouldest come unto me at any time in any of thy distresses and I do promise thee that I will not with-hold any good thing from thee As true as I am God I wil not leave thee nor forsake thee should not this encourage us to live by faith 4. His power and ability as we want much good so God doth undertake all good And this is another encouragement that God never over engageth himself he is able to make good all his understandings Many a man is undone by suretiship he suffers himself to be bound beyond his ability it is not so with God This is granted that at the least a proportionable power is necessary to give being to all promises and undertakings goodnesse and kindnesse are enough to make a promise but ability is also required to make good that promise If a subject promiseth to release or pardon a Malefactor why this is nothing he is not to be trusted why because he hath not power of life or death if a poore man promise to discharge a debt of four hundred thousand pounds why no man will trust to his undertakings why because he hath no ability he hath not an estate answerable he is not able to pay twenty shillings so that power gives ground to trusting because power is a necessary ingredient to all Now then God hath ability enough to make good all or any of his promises Obj. You will say his promises are many Sol. I answer as our needs are many so his promises are many But then as his promises are many so his goodnesse is great and his power infinite now an infinite goodnesse and an infinite power are able to make good not only many but infinite promises Object You will say that the things promised are great Sol. I confesse they are God hath undertaken great matters to pardon great sinnes to convert great sinners to conquer great temptations to convey great consolations But is he not a great God Is any thing too hard for him nothing is impossible with God Obj. But you will say that particular wants still increase and renue themselves Sol. So they do as the vessels which we fill to day require a new filling to morrow and the stomacks which we seem to satisfie now within few houres they are empty and craving But then though the vessel may be dry yet the fountaine is not though the vessel may be empty yet the fountaine is full and still streaming As Gods goodnesse is a living fountain so his promises are a perpetual bond They are continued undertakings and depend upon an unexhausted and infinite depth of goodnesse Isa 46. 3. O house of Jacob which art borne by me from the belly and carried from the womb Ver. 4. Even to the old age I am he and even to hoary haires I will carry you Obj. But yet you will say yea but God is engaged to so many there is not a beleever but God hath bound himself by many promises to him Sol. I confesse with man often-times this is something He hath but a particular ability and therefore may overshoot himself by general engagements But with God it is not so in whom power and ability to make good what he undertakes is not contracted broken limitted depending but ample illimitted and alsufficient from himself Therefore he is said to reserve mercy for thousands and his promises runne to Abraham and to all his seed Why the power of God by which he is able to make good all his promises It is a creating power such a power as can upon the pleasure of his will command things into being and it is an over-topping power God alone can command our helps he needeth not the assistance of any to make good his undertakings and it is an enduring power it abides for ever His hand is never shortned that it cannot save Is the Lords hand waxed short said God himself to Moses Numb 11. 23. thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe or not So then as God hath engaged himselfe to do us good so he is able enough to make that good 5. His fidelity and truth As the promises so the matter of them are full of goodnesse so for the forme of them they are sealed with truth God who cannot lie hath promised said the Apostle Titus 1. 2. and it is impossible for him to lie Heb. 6. 18. Truth and fidelity may be conjectured to consist in three things I speake now of them as applied to promises 1. In reality of intention where the declaration is a faire letter and the intention is a blur when that is large and this is nothing this may be a complemental lie but it is not truth the expression must be but the intention cloathed in words It must be the purpose of the heart transcribed if we will stile it truth and fidelity Now when God promiseth any good to a beleever this is not vex praeteria nihil a meer showre of eloquent and comfortable words O no it is his will and intention and very purpose made known He doth indeed intend that good which he undertakes and speaks of in his promises 2. In a constancy of resolution As falshood is placed not only in present incongruities when heart and tongue are at variance but also in subsequent inconstancies As when though my present intention and expression were parallel yet afterward like a rotten bottome which slips aside from the house so my heart breaks away from it self it becomes an heart and an heart as in Sauls promise to David which changed presently c. On the contrary is it with truth and in particular with Gods truth about his promises to beleevers His word of promise doth answer his purpose at first for as he thought and intended so did he speak and that purpose still answers it self and therefore he hath sworn by himself that he will not alter the thing that is gone forth of his lips My Covenant shall stand fast Ps 89. 34 28. 3. In a certainty of execution As when a person hath promised to lend or give an hundred pounds he being free to take his own time comes and layes it down and saith Lo here is the money which I promised to lend or give take it this is fidelity or truth Such a truth is there in Gods promises This is not all the truth of them that
darknesse and David answers him in Psal 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me How triumphant is Paul and beyond both himself and all crosses and all because of his assurance and perswasion Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Ver. 37 Nay in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loved us Ver. 38. For I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor Height nor Depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Can more be said need we to adde See him againe in Romans 5. 2. We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Objection Who would not may some reply in so great a good Sol. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation also and who can do this but he who hath some measure of assurance Indeed faith can make the soul to submit in a crosse but it is assurance which makes the soul to rejoyce and to triumph What the Apostle spake of death that is true of all afflictions the sting of them is finne where the conscience is wounded and the sight of heaven is darkned there the crosse is heavy and bitter A man hath a burden on his shoulders and a burden on his conscience and yet a burden that he cannot see any to smile on him and comfort him But now when the spirit of a man is sound and the evidence of faith is cleare when a man feeles all to be right within all to be peace abroad that all stands faire 'twixt him and his God Nay and he can see God as his God the strength of this assurance doth not onely allay a burden but raiseth the heart exceedingly above it yet God is good to Israel and though I see the Olive to faile and the Fields not to yield and the flocks to be cut off yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength Hab. 2. 17 18. Sixthly it makes all kinds of duty to flow and to rise I wil instance briefly in some 1. In the Active 2. In the Passive 1. Active 1. Praise and thankfulnesse Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Verse 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Nay he is at it againe Psal 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take up the cup of salvation c. O the evidence and apprehension of so great a mercy and salvation it fills every vain of the heart c. Musick is highest and sweetest in the fairest weather He who disputes his mercy can hardly bless for it Now I see much forgiven and therefore I blesse much What! and all this forgiven to me and so freely and so fully also so many transgressions yet to cover all yet to be reconciled yet to put down the gracious pardon before mine eyes 2. Prayers There are two properties in these which will surely arise out of assurance One is confidence and boldnesse A man will come boldly to the throne of grace who is once assured by faith Now that of John comes in indeed 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have iâ— him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us Christ I remember teacheth his Disciples and in them all Beleevers to pray for many excellent things both for soul and for body but then he preferred he set this in the front Our Father as if he had clearly suggested this unto us that the assurance of God as our Father is that which gives unto the heart a strong confidence in all petitions why who will not come freely and confidently to a Father to his Father to his reconciled Father Another is quicknesse and life in the affections Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Observe it I will seek thee there is now diligence early will I seek thee there is quicknesse of affection and why I will seek thee early because O God thou art my God 3. Ordinances Now a man will flie to them as the Doâ—es to the windows it is the Prophet Isaiah's expression A man hath an heart to bow the knee when he knows that my God will help him A man hath an heart to heare the Word when he knows my God will teach him to profit and will speak peace unto him A man will with cheerfulnesse addresse himself to the Sacrament when he knowes this is the blood which was shed for the remâ—ssion of his sinnes and his salvation is there sealed The Apostle hath an apt passage in 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word and surely that is with much delight and with much earnestnesse for so do babes desire the milk of the breasts But what might stirre up this Ver. 3. If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious a taste of God of God as gracious yea this is it which whets the appetite this sets on the heart to the ordinances indeed 4. All obedience actuating the whole kinds of duty Why assurance in the soule makes all duty both cheerful and stedfast Psalme 26. 3. Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes therefore have I walked in thy truth Why is duty to good hearts sometimes so weary-some so slack so troublesome verily faith is weak doubts are strong feares are many could they once see God to be their God Christ to be their Lord and Saviour sinnes pardoned in his blood and all this to them Now even the lame would walk and the weary would runne the heart would set upon obedience with all its strength and all its care 2. The like may be said for passive obedience assurance enables it exceedingly The love of Christ constraineth us said Paul 2 Corinth 5. I remember the Apostle hath a notable passage Romans 5. 7. For a good man some will even dare to die That is for a bountiful man a man of eminent and singular good to preserve him for his sake a private man would lay down his life If the goodnesse and kindnesse of a man hath sometimes such a force with us what influence then hath the goodnesse of a God upon a beleeving heart the kindnesse the blood of a Christ upon a beleeving and an assured heart Who would not suffer reproach for Christ who suffered death for him who would not kiss the stâ—â—ke to bring him honour who shâ—d his blood to get his