We should be sure of this that whatsoever we do pray for be according to the Will of God be sure of that be perswaded of that you must not doubt nor question that for if you do you cannot pray in Faith And tho' the thing you pray for be according to the Will of God yet if you do not know and be perswaded that it is according to the Will of God you cannot pray in Faith therefore we must be sure of that that the thing we pray for be according to the Will of God as the Apostle saith concerning eating in Rom. 14. v. last He that doubteth is damned if he eateth That is he committeth a damnable sin because he believeth not for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin So he that prays doubtingly whether the thing he prays for be according to the Will of God or no he sins in prayer whatever he pray for if it be not in Faith with a perswasion that what he prays for is according to the Will of God this man cannot pray in Faith Suppose now a man or woman pray for this or that that he cannot certainly conclude is according to the Will of God as now for example suppose a man have an earnest desire to encrease his estate in the World that he may live bravely at his ease and pleasure and to that end he desires to be diligent in his business and to that end also he begs of the Lord in prayer that the Lord would bless his labours and endeavours that he might gain a great estate in the world and do what he list and live at his ease and pleasure now this man cannot pray with a certain assurance and perswasio◠that this thing is according to the Will of 〈◊〉 Ye ask and have not says the Apostle James because ye ask amiss to spend upon your lusts James 4.3 It is not according to the Will of God and therefore you cannot pray in Faith Or suppose now that a man or woman intend to take a Journey upon pleasure to have a Ramble abroad he would be glad to be preserved and possibly he prays that the Lord would keep him in his way now if a person in this case do question whether his Journey be according to the Will of God he cannot pray in Faith and so his prayer is not pleasing to the Lord Or suppose a man be gaming for money and he would be glad to win possibly he prays that the Lord would bless him in his undertaking that he might win he cannot be perswaded this is according to the Will of God and if so he cannot pray in Faith and so his prayer is not pleasing unto God So that I say this is the particular direction in this case That whatsoever we pray for we must be sure of that that it is according to the Will of God and this is a good help to pray in Faith says the Apostle John in 1 John 5.14 This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us You must be sure of that that it is according to the Will of God and then we may believe that he will hear us Now I pray consider this a thing may be agreeable to the revealed Will of God and yet not according to his secret Will and Purpose and though the purpose of God be against what we pray for yet if it be according to the revealed Will of God we may lawfully pray in Faith for it As now suppose a man or woman pray for the life of such a Relation a Husband or a Wife or a Child or a Friend he prays earnestly for their life well God in his secret purpose hath determined otherwise the secret Will of God is contrary yet this being lawful according to the revealed Will of God to pray for the wellfare of the sick he may pray in Faith though it be contrary to the secret Purpose and Counsel of God You know this was David's case he prayed earnestly for his sick Child the Lord had a secret purpose that the Child should dye yet he prayed earnestly for the life of the Child and he did not sin in praying because it was according to the revealed Will of God and though it was contrary to the secret Will of God yet notwithstanding he might pray in Faith for the life of the Child though God had intended otherwise You know it was the case of Christ himself he prayed that the Cup might pass from him it was the determinate Purpose and Counsel of God that the Cup should not pass from him but he should drink it Now did Christ sin in praying for that which was contrary to the secret Will and Purpose of God No. Because now this is certain that it is a thing that is lawful and according to the Will of God for a Man or Woman to pray against that which is dangerous and hurtful to his nature he may pray lawfully to be delivered from evil Now Christ prayed to be delivered from evil from drinking the Cup of Gods Wrath though it was the secret Counsel of God he should drink it yet notwithstanding he did not sin because he prayed for that which he knew was according to the revealed Will of God Well this is the first Direction and I pray mind it That if you would pray in Faith for any mercy let us be sure of that that what we pray for be according to the Will of God Secondly The second Direction To pray in Faith so as that we may please God is to pray in obedience to the Will of God do it in obedience to the Will and Command of God as our Duty Brethren it is the Will and Command of God and our Duty that we should pray always in Psalm 105.4 Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore So you know in Luke 18.1 he propounded a Parable to his Disciples to the end that Men should always pray and not faint It is the Will of God that we should pray always now to help us to pray in Faith it is good to be Eying our Duty and the Lords Command it is the Lords Command that we should pray notwithstanding we may meet with discouragements objections and temptations from the Flesh and from Satan to take us off from the Duty as now the Flesh and Satan will be ready to suggest and discourage thus why What benefit have you by all the Prayers that ever you have made What have you found in a way of answer to your Prayer and again do you not see that others that do not pray at all fare even as well as you for all your praying and again can we change the Mind and Will of God by all our Prayers It is said in Job that God is of one mind and who can turn him Can all the prayers of all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and Earth change the Mind and Will of God
go and eat and drink with gladness with a merry heart it 's true the men of the World can be jovial in their Cups eating and drinking and carousing and none seem to be so merry and jovial as they are but they have no cause for it it is just like a Condemned person that may be jovial and eating and drinking and he know not how soon he may be called to Execution this is the case of every Man and Woman in the World if God do not accept of their Works But now saies Solomon Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works 3. Is it not a desirable thing to have the Creatures ready to be serviceable and officious to a man or woman that there is never a Creature in the World but is ready to be Officious and Serviceable to him though possiby they may seem to be averse and contrary and cross to him yet they are all Serviceable and Officious to him to have every thing turn to good to a Man or Woman whatever any Creature do to him it turns all to his good though the Creature may intend otherwise The wicked men may intend to persecute and persecute them as Enemies but when a man or woman please God and his ways please God all his Enemies shall be made his Friends Proverbs 16.7 When a Mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him They shall be Friends to him they shall do Offices and services of Friendship and kindness to him though possibly against their wills all the creatures shall be officious and serviceable to them and they shall not be able to do them any hurt what a desirable thing is this 4. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to have an audience of all their prayers in Heaven for God to be ready to hear our requests and petitions that we put up to him is not this a desirable thing You will say Oh that I were but sure that God did but hear any one Prayer that ever I made what a desirable thing is this now those whose ways are pleasing to the Lord God do hear their prayers They have access to the Throne of Grace with boldness to find grace and mercy to help in the time of need Heb. 4.16 and mark the Apostles expression in 1 John 3.22 And whatsoever we ask we receive of him Why so because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight If we be sure we do those things that are pleasing to God Now saies the Apostle we know that whatsoever we ask we receive of him we have now an audience of our prayers and petitions in Heaven Oh! what a desirable thing is this 5. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to be a Favourite in the Court of Heaven to be in special favour with the King of Heaven you count it no small matter to be a Favourite in the Kings Court to be in favour with the King you count it a very desirable thing Truly to be a favourite in the Court of Heaven is much more desirable to be in favour with the great King of kings I tell you the favour of God in Heaven is as Life to a mans Soul David could say it that knew it by experience in Psalm 30.5 In thy favour is Life nay he adds a greater word than that in Psalm 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life There is nothing in the world to a Man better than life but to know that a man or Woman is in favour with God he hath that which is better than life Brethren and Friends there are but two great things that a Man or Woman should desire in this World which are the general and comprehensive of all things to be desired one is to enjoy peace with God and the favour of God here and the other is to enjoy the favour and see the face of God in Heaven hereafter What can a man desire more than to be at peace with God and have the favour of God whilst he live and then to know that he shall see and enjoy the face and presence of God for ever in Glory Here is as much as can be desired and these two things we should look after Now here is one of them To know that God is well pleased with a poor Creature now such a person is a Favourite of Heaven and he may be sure of it if he be in favour with God here then he shall see the face of God and enjoy the presence of God hereafter That is the 5th 6. And Lastly to add but that Is it not a desirable thing for a Man or Woman to be able to look Death in the face with comfort when Death comes to stare him in the face when he shall have a sentence of Death past upon him What would you then desire above all the things in this World what not a great Estate not this and that that you can think of in the World but Oh that I might have the Favour of God! and that I might know that God is well pleased with me c. Then a Man or Woman may look Death in the face and may draw near to God with a holy Boldness as I remember Hezekiah when he had the sentence of death upon him in Isa 38.3 Lord saies he Remember how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect heart He could appeal to God that his ways were pleasing to him and now he could resign up his Soul to him though he was troubled that he had not finished the Work that he had to do in the World and so he could have desired to live longer and upon his prayer the Lord did reverse the sentence of Death that was upon him yet when he had the Sentence see how he took it Lord saies he remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is the things that he had been doing had been pleasing to the Lord So a Man or Woman whose ways pleased God whilst he lived in the World when he comes to die he may look Death in the face with comfort What a desirable thing then is it for a man or woman to please God in what he doth That is the Second thing propounded That to please God is a most Desirable thing 3. But in the Third place you will say what is that Faith whereby a man or woman comes to please God Truly it is Faith that is the principle and ground and Foundation whence a man and his Works and Services and Performances come to be pleasing to God A Man or Woman may be diligent in the performance of Duties and Services and yet God may not be pleased with them As for example take two persons that come and joyn together in prayer they pray the same Prayer or two Persons
by a false Compass and so steers his Course wrong Truly thus it is with many Professors they perform Duties they go on with full sail in Duties they perform Duties every day and they attend upon the Lord as they have opportunity to hear the Word and read the Word daily they go on amain Ay but still they steer a wrong Course they sail by a false Compass and certainly they will never come to the Haven of Rest but will run upon their own ruine at last Therefore observe it the Devil will allow a Professor to go on in a course of Duties to pray every day in his Family and Closet he will allow him to go on in a course of Ordinances attending upon God daily so long as his Duties and Services are not touched with the Loadstone if they be not done in Faith he knows what will be the Issue of them he lets him alone because he knows he doth but deceive himself and delude his own Soul he looks to come to such a Haven but he will perish and miscarry for ever Therefore Brethren I pray consider whether it be not a matter of very great concernment for every one of us to look to it and be careful that all our Duties and Services be done in Faith or else we can never please God Well This is the Question How shall we so perform our Duties and Services in Faith as they may be pleasing unto God Answ In answer to it there are some Directions that I shall lay down that may be of general Concernment and reach all the Duties that we are to perform and shew you how we shall perform them in Faith that they may be pleasing unto God And then afterward we shall come to lay down more particular Directions how we may perform every Duty as Prayer in Faith and hearing the Word in Faith and partaking of the Lords-Supper in Faith how we may perform every Duty in Faith that so we may please God in what we do First Then for the General Rules that we may make use of in all Duties for the performing of them in Faith that so they may be pleasing unto God 1. First then take this for a general Rule that may be of concernment for every Duty Let us look especially that we be Believers that we have a Faith in Christ for if we be not Believers we can never perform any Duty in Faith we must first believe in Christ before we can perform any duty in Faith Therefore I say Let us be sure of that that the work of Faith be wrought effectually in our hearts that we do really and truely believe on Christ be sure of that lay that for a foundation and the more clear that is the more sure we are of that that there is a real work of Faith wrought in our hearts we may be the more easily perswaded that what we do we do in Faith though that alone is not enough neither But without that it is impossible for us to do any thing in Faith so as to please God it is by Faith that our persons come to be accepted without Faith our persons are not pleasing unto God No It is through the beloved that we must be accepted in our persons Ephes 1.6 And if our persons be not accepted nothing that we do can be accepted No we may pray day by day and cry aloud and we may perform extraordinary Duties too and none of these accepted if our persons be not accepted through Faith in Christ there must be the foundation of all For Brethren it is by Faith that our hearts are purified and made holy now if so be that we be not holy we cannot please God by any thing that we can do for he is a holy God and whatsoever is pleasing to God must be holy Now it is by Faith that our hearts come to be purified Act. 15.9 By Faith we come to have an habitual Holiness wrought in us though there may be and there is still a body of sin but still there is a Principle of Holiness by Faith wrought in the heart whereby we come to be made holy in Gods account For if so be that we be not made holy through Faith then all that ever we do is unclean all that comes from us is unclean look as the Fountain or Spring is so is all that issues from it every drop of water that comes from it is accordingly Can you bring forth a clean thing out of an unclean None can do it Does a bitter fountain send forth sweet water No it cannot be The fountain must first be made clean and sweet or else all the streams will be according as the fountain is A corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit make the Tree good or the fruit cannot be good All that comes from a man or woman that is in a state of unbelief is unclean and whatever Duties or Ordinances he touches is unclean and polluted and therefore cannot please God Look as it was under the Law if one that was Legally or Ceremonially unclean touched any thing it was unclean Hag. 2.12 13. If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment and with his skirt do touch bread or pottage or wine or oyl or any meat shall it be holy And the Priests answered and said no it shall be unclean So now whatever Duties be performed under the New-Testament if we be not Believers if our hearts be not purified by Faith truly then all that we touch is impure and unclean to us as the Apostle saith Tit. 1.15 Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled Who are those he explains it in the very next words and unbelieving is nothing pure They can do nothing that the Infinite Holy and Pure God can be pleased with Now there is no way for a Soul to be made clean to lave an habitual Holiness but through Faith wrought by the Spirit of Christ and the application and sprinkling of the Vertue of the Blood of Christ upon the Conscience So a man or woman comes to be made clean In Heb. 9.13 saies the Apostle there For if the blood of bulls and goats and the Ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh that is The Holy Water under the Law that being sprinkled upon the unclean did purifie him and make him clean and if the sprinkling of that water did purifie from Ceremonial Uncleanness How much more shall the blood of Christ verse 14. Who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself to God purge your Conseiences from dead works to serve the living God Two things the Apostle doth plainly hint to us in this Scripture Namely 1. That all our Works that we perform before we be cleansed by the Blood of Christ they are all but dead works unholy and unclean And then 2. it implies thus much That we come to be cleansed from our dead works by the sprinkling of
the Blood of Christ upon us and that by the Eternal Spirit the Spirit of God This is the way and the only way whereby a man or woman comes to be habitually clean and holy by Faith in Christ whereby the Soul is not only justified from the Guilt of sin but there is the Spirit of Christ conveyed and communicated to the soul whereby there is a principle of Holiness of Habitual Holiness put upon the Soul Well this is now the first general Rule and therefore I say Brethren and Friends it is of great concernment to us to look to that if we would act Faith in our Duties so as to please God we must first of all look that there be a work of Faith wrought in our hearts that we do truly believe on Christ and to that end we should be venturing to lean the weight of our Souls upon Christ and upon his Blood and Righteousness as it is tendred and held forth to us in the Gospel and to this end also let us wrastle with the Lord and beg for the Spirit of Faith to be given out to us Christ hath promised that our Heavenly Father will give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him This is the first Rule to look that we be true Believers 2. Secondly As Faith does possess the Soul with Habitual Holiness so it is by Faith also that a Soul comes to be cleansed from actual Guilt Therefore the Second Rule to act in Faith in our Duties and Performances is to put away all Guilt all sinful Uncleanness from us when we come to perform any Service or offer up any Sacrifice to the Lord If a Man or Woman come before the Lord in the guilt of any known sin that he lives in if he do not put that away it makes all his Duties unclean and not pleasing to God A man cannot act in Faith so long as he comes knowingly with any guilt upon his Conscience living in the neglect of any known Duty or living in the commission of any known sin if he live in it he cannot act in Faith Faith will purge and cleanse the Soul from sin that he will put away all guilt when he comes to draw near to God See what is said in Job 11.13 14 15. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him If Iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot c. When you come to stretch out your hands towards God in Prayer or when you come to draw near to him in any Duty Then saies he if there be Iniquity in your hand put it far away Do not come to God in Prayer or in any Ordinance in any known Sin that you do allow your selves in for if you do you cannot perform those Duties in Faith and so they cannot be pleasing unto God Therefore be sure that you put away all evil from you As now for Example to shew you the Application of this Rule that you may know how to make use of it for every Duty suppose now you go to prayer if you would pray in Faith so as to please God you must not allow your selves in any known sin No says David in Psal 66.18 If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me I cannot make a Prayer in Faith If you have made a thousand Prayers though you be a Believer in the main yet all those Prayers that you have put up in such a way with the guilt of any known sin upon you that you allow your self in and go on in your Prayers have not been put up in Faith and so God will not regard them Therefore be sure of that when you come to pray see that you do not allow your self in any known sin So if you come to hear the Word if you would hear in Faith so as to please God in it you must put away all evil out of your hands In Jam 1.21 says the Apostle there Lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Do you desire to hear the Word in Faith so as it may be a saving Word to your Souls Then Lay aside all Filthiness and Superfluity of naughtiness Allow your self in no known sin when you come to draw near to God in any Ordinance So the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2 1 2. saies the Apostle there Laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisie and envy and evil-speaking as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Do you desire to hear the Word so as you may please God in your hearing Then let there be no Envy nor Malice nor Hypocrisie allowed in your hearts for else you cannot receive the Word so as to be milk to your Souls so as to grow and profit by it And so also if you come to any other Ordinance as to the Lords-Supper you must come in Faith to it and partake in Faith or else we cannot please God by it Now this is one way whereby we come to partake in Faith namely by cleansing our selves Saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 8. speaking by way of Allusion to the Passover Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us let us therefore keep the Feast not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth If we draw near to God in this Ordinance we must cleanse our selves in Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and God will draw near to you And how shall we draw near to God so as God may draw near to us Mark what follows Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Here is the way for us to draw near to God in a way of Faith for it is properly the work of Faith to purge the Heart and to purge the Hands That is the second Direction that may serve as a General Direction to help us to draw near to God in any Duty or Ordinance so as to please God 3. The Third way to perform Duties so as to please God is this It is the proper work of Faith to empty the Soul of it self Now if you will draw near to God in any Duty or Ordinance so as to please God then come with Self-emptyings for Faith is a self-emptying Grace that is the proper work of Faith to empty the Soul of it self Now there are two things that Faith does empty the Soul of in the performance of holy Duties The one is It empties the Soul of the sense of its own Sufficiency and Ability to perform holy Duties and also it empties the Soul of the sense of its own worthiness to receive any Mercy from the Lord in any Duty or Ordinance These two things Faith doth empty the Soul of and so you shall find it that where Faith hath been acted and
exercised there hath been Self-emptyings The Apostle Paul was a man that did live much in the excercise of Faith and he professes it Gal. 2.20 That he Lived by the Faith of the Son of God and you may observe how the Apostle emptied himself of Self-sufficiency and Self-worthiness for Self-sufficiency says he in Rom. 8.26 We know not how to pray nor what to pray for as we ought The Apostle Paul that was such a great proficient in the School of Christ such an eminent person yet saies he We know not how to pray he was empty of Self-sufficiency and saies he in 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Saies he I am so insufficient that I cannot so much as think a good thought What was he sufficient for then And saies he in another place I cannot so much as will or desire any thing that is good It is God saies he that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure And saies he in 2 Cor. 12.11 though I be nothing What a word is this The Apostle Paul that was one of the eminentest Saints that lived upon the face of the earth in his days yet says he I am nothing Paul living by Faith was emptied of the sense of his own sufficiency and truly so also he was emptied of Self-worthiness of receiving any Mercy from God For all his Duties and Services saies he I am less than the least of all Saints and Ephes 3.8 To me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given c. And in 1 Cor. 15.9 saies he I am the least of the Apostles that am not worthy to be called an Apostle So if you observe it you may find it in all those that lived in the exercise of Faith how they have been emptied of the sense of their own worthiness Abraham the Father of the Faithful see how he lay low and even crept in the dust before the Lord and acknowledged himself not worthy to speak to the Lord in Prayer for Sodom that he was fain to Apologize for himself at every turn Let not the Lord be angry that I who am but dust and ashes have undertaken to speak unto the Lord Gen. 18.27 30 32. I am unworthy saies he to speak unto the Lord for any Mercy either for my self or Sodom And so Jacob Lord saies he I am less than the least of all thy Mercies Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least Mercy from thee Thus Faith does empty the Soul both of self-sufficiency and also of self-worthiness Now then to shew you how you should make use of this Rule It will serve for every Duty that we perform when we come to pray we should draw near to God with this sense of our insufficiency to lift up a Prayer unto God we should come to God with a sense upon our hearts of our inability to perform the work and also with a sence of our own unworthiness that God should hear our Prayers when we have prayed never so well as others may judge yet we must come with self-abasing and self-emptying So if we go to hear the Word if we would hear in Faith we should make use of this Rule Lord I am unworthy to be admitted to hear thy Word I am unworthy that thou shouldst speak to me and I am insufficient to hear thy Word as I ought to hear it Thus come with self-emptying and self-abasement So when we come to the Lords-Supper Lord I have no strength now to partake of this Ordinance as I ought to do I cannot prepare my self for it I have no strength to partake of it I have no sufficiency at all to partake of this or any other Ordinance as I ought to do and I am unworthy that the Lord should draw near to me to let me have any Fellowship or Communion with himself This is the Third general Rule Fourthly If we would perform all Duties and partake in all Ordinances in Faith so as we may please God in what we do Then let us do all that we do in the Name of Christ for there is all our worthiness and all our acceptance You know the Apostle gives us this Rule iâ— Col. 3.17 Whatever ye do in word or in dâ—ed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ For if we do not what we do in his Name it is not accepted Look as it was under the Law if a man under the Law were to bring a sacrifice he was to bring it to the Priest or else it was not accepted but it was to be an Abomination in Levit. 17.3 4. Whatsoever man of the house of Israel there be that killeth an Oâ— or Liamb c. And bringeth it not unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation unto the Priest that soul hath shed blood and shall be out off from among his People Though he brought never so good a sacrifice in it self yet it must be brought unto the Priest And so they were to bring their sacrifices and have them laid upon the Altar or else they were an Abomination and not acceptable to God Now Brethren Jesus Christ is our great High-Priest and Jesus Christ is our Altar too by whom and upon â—â—â—m all our services and sacrifices must be â—â—â—ered or else they are not accepted of God therefore whatever you do whatever Prayer you make whatever Ordinance you partake 〈◊〉 do all in the Name of Jesus Christ or else you do not do it in Faith and it will not be pleasing unto God Quest You will say What is it to perform a Duty in the Name of Jesus Christ so as it may be acceptable and pleasing to God Answ For answer Brethren It is not enough for us to make mention of the Name of Christ in our Prayers and to say Through Jesus Christ our Lord as you commonly conclude your Prayers I do not blame you for this But it is not the naming of the Name of Christ that is this doing of it in the Name of Christ What is it then you will say for me to pray or hear the Word or partake of any Ordinance in the Name of Christ Briefly for I would not inlarge there are these Three things implied in it First That we do look for our access into the presence of God through Christ and for his sake says the Apostle in Ephes 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father Through him we both that is both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit unto the Father we have access into the presence of the Father through Christ You know Brethren after Adam fell and transgressed he was driven out from the presence of God Before indeed he had communion with God and access into the presence of God but after he had broken the Covenant that God had made with him he was
and pleasing unto God because it is not done in Faith it must be a Prayer of Faith as the Apostle James calls it so to pray as to be perswaded to believe and rest upon God that so far as my Prayer is according to his Will he will hear and answer in his own time and in his own way And so for hearing of the Word you may make use of this Rule namely to rest and wait upon the Lord and expect something to be given out from the Lord in that very Ordinance for which the Ordinance was appointed namely to hear something spoken from God to me that I may be further acquainted withal In Acts. 10.33 see what Cornelius speaks to Peter Peter was sent from God to speak to him saies he We are all here present before God to hear what God shall speak We are all here present before the Lord expecting to have something spoken from the Lord. It is the Lords Ordinance and we are to wait upon God in it with an expectation to have something from God Alas we come to hear the Word and we may go away as we come if we do not hear in Faith we should come with an expectation to hear something from God I will hearken to hear what God the Lord will speak to me it is his Ordinance and the way and means which God hath appointed to communicate of himself to us and so we must rest and rely upon the Lord by Faith for something to be spoken that may be of concernment to us And so for receiving the Lords-Supper this general Rule will help you in that Come to that Ordinance resting upon God in a way of Faith expecting something from the Lord to be given out in that Ordinance for which the Ordinance especially was appointed And what is that To have communion with Christ and a communication and participation of the Blessings of Christ of the Grace and Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 saies the Apostle there The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ It was procured and purchased by Christ's Death and Bloodshed Now then I say here is the Rule When we come to a Duty and Ordinance come in a way of resting and expectation to have something communicated to us from the Lord of the Ordinance something of that which God hath appointed the Ordinance and Duty for So now you see here are five General Rules that may help us in the performance of Spiritual Duties in a way of Faith so as we may please God in them And O Brethren and Friends should any of us be willing to perform Duties and enjoy Ordinances in vain from day to day Why as you have heard if we go on not to act Faith in what we do all will be in vain And are you willing to be the worse for the Duties that you perform and the Ordinances that you enjoy Truly if we do not act Faith in them we shall instead of being the better be the worse for them we cannot please God but shall displease him more and more And so are we willing to meet with disappointments at last when we come to lie down upon our Sick-bed and Death-bed and expect that we have been pleasing God by what we have done and we shall meet with a Disappointment because we have done nothing in Faith and so have not pleased God but displeased him And are you willing to deceive your own Souls as you have heard We may go on in the performance of Duties and Services and steer a wrong Course missing of Christ if our Duties and Services be not touched with the Loadstone of Faith Therefore I say Brethren it is of concernment to us to consider these general Rules that have been given to direct us how to perform Duties and enjoy Ordinances in a way of Faith that so they may be pleasing unto God There are particular Rules that I shall desire if the Lord please to lay down How we may so pray in Faith that our Prayers may be pleasing unto God and then shew you how we may hear the Word in Faith that thereby we may please God and profit our own Souls And so come afterward to some other things as the Lord gives opportunity But thus much for this time SERMON VII Hebrews XI 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please him Doct. THis is the truth and proposition before us That it is impossible for any Soul to please God without Faith The last time we came to enter upon some directions how we might so exercise Faith in the performance of Duties and in the enjoyment of Ordinances that so what we do might please God some general Directions were laid down that may serve for all Duties I shall now go on through the Lords assistance and give you some more particular directions how we may perform particular duties in Faith that so they may be pleasing unto God 1. And in the first place we shall begin with the duty of Prayer and shew you how we may so pray in Faith as we may please God for that is the Prayer that God doth accept That is a prayer of Faith Therefore it is said in James 5.15 That the prayer of faith shall save the sick That is there must be Faith exercised in our prayers or else our prayers are not true prayers such as God accepts Suppose a man be a Believer and have a habit of Faith he prays yet if he do not exercise Faith in his prayer he prays not the prayer of Faith and it will not avail James 1.6 If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God He must pray to God for it but says he Let him pray in faith for else if he do not pray in faith his prayer will not avail And he speaks to those that are faithful for he writes to the Twelve Tribes amongst whom were many faithful and believers If any of you lack wisdom let him ask it of God but let him ask it in faith nothing wavering for else his prayer is not pleasing to God as the Apostle says in another case 1 Cor. 14.19 I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue So I may say in this Case a man had better put up five prayers in Faith than Ten thousand prayers without Faith and though we speak but a few Words in prayer if it be mixed with Faith it is more available than if we speak never so many words never so largely without Faith Quest Well you will say How shall we so act faith in prayer that our prayers may be pleasing unto God Answ For Answer Besides what was presupposed before that the person must be a Believer and also passing by those general Rules of direction laid down before I shall give you four or five particular directions how we should so pray in Faith that our prayers may be pleasing unto God Namely First
I do is according to the Will of God yet I may not please God in what I do except there be another Faith which is this Namely an actual Exercise of the principle and habit of Faith in the Duties that we perform all our Duties must be done with an act of Faith it is not sufficient that a man or woman be a believer and do go about this thing and that thing and run away with this Notion that he pleases God in what he doth but it is required that he must actually exercise Faith in what he doth As for example for Prayer a man or woman that is a believer goes to prayer and he is perswaded in his conscience that what he prays for is according to the Will of God but this is not enough but if his prayer please God he must put forth a fresh act of Faith in his Prayer what he asks for he must ask in Faith Whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing saies Christ ye shall receive Tho' a man be a believer yet he must believe stil and in Jam. 1.5 6. If any man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God c. But let him ask it in Faith though he be a believer yet let him ask in Faith for if he ask without acting his Faith it is nothing it is not pleasing to God he must act Faith in his Prayer and so for hearing the Word a believer comes to hear the Word and what he hears he is perswaded it is according to the Will of God well but is this enough no he must act Faith in hearing the Word or else it will be unprofitable to him saies the Apostle in Hebrews 4.2 The word Preached did not profit them not being mixt with Faith in them that heard it There must be an act of Faith in hearing the Word we must mix Faith in hearing the Word we must act Faith in all our duties performances So far as we are wanting in acting exercising of Faith in what we do the Lord help us to mind these things so far forth our Services are defective in pleasing of God and so I might instance in other things as in giving of Alms and other things and so if you observe it Abel was not only a Believer and had the Faith also of perswasion that what he did offer was according to the Will of God ay but Abel went further also when he pleased God in his Sacrifices in all his Sacrifices that he offered up he did act Faith and so by his acting of Faith being a believer his Offerings and Sacrifices were acceptable to God and Enoch our present example before us he was a believer and was perswaded that what he did was according to to the mind of God but he walked with God that is he did act Faith in all his services that he did in the steps of his Walking He pleased God in his Walking which must be by Faith by acting of Faith in his Duties and Services and walking with God by that means he came to please God It is not enough Brethren that I have a principle of Faith in me that I do believe in Christ and that what I do I am perswaded is according to the Will of God this is not enough to please God in the Duties and Services that I perform but I must exercise Faith in the duties and services that God requires of me Says the Apostle Paul in Gal. 7.2 20. I am crucified with Christ How did he know that saies he Christ lives in me there was a principle of Life and saies he the life that I live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Paul had not only Christ in him as a principle of Life but Paul did also act from that principle of Life The Life that I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God As for example a natural man that hath a Soul in his Body hath a principle of natural Life but this is not enough but now to every natural action of Life that he puts forth there must be an influence from that principle of Life or else he cannot act so though Christ be a principle of spiritual life in us yet notwithstanding a Man or Woman must act spiritually he must derive Strength and Vertue and influence from Christ to every duty and service that he performs to make it acceptable to God it is not else a Spiritual Action This is now the Faith that is required in every Man and Woman in the World that would please God and without this Faith it is impossible to please God I pray mind it though I cannot come to the Application now yet remember it and observe it possibly you may think your selves what may be reduced from it I say without this Faith it is impossible to please God but now with this Faith though our performances and services be defective yet we come to please God in doing of them Quest You will say how shall we be sure of that that whatsoever I do being a believer and acting Faith in it how may I be sure that I please God in what I do possibly here may be a great Temptation that some may be exercised with Whether may I venture upon it and be perswaded in my Soul that I please God in what I do acting and exercising Faith in it shall I speak briefly to that which is the 4th thing propounded Namely Answ 4th That by Faith though a Man or Woman have many failings yet by Faith they do please God though it be impossible without Faith to please him How doth this appear briefly in three or four words 1. From the example of all the believers that ever have been in the World all the faithful that have been in the World have pleased God by their Faith there was never any one Believer in the World that did act Faith but did please God in it and if so then we may be confident of it that it is a sure and certain thing that by Faith we come to please God Look into the Catalogue of Believers the Faithful in all Ages read over the 11th of the Hebrews at your leasure and you shall see that all of them did please God by their Faith Abel he pleased God by his Faith Enoch pleased God by Faith and Noah pleased God by Faith these were before the flood afterward Abraham by Faith pleased God for he was the Friend of God Isaac and Jacob were faithful and they pleased God they might have their failings and infirmities and weaknesses as Noah had he was overtaken with drinking of Wine and so the rest had their weaknesses but for all that they pleased God by their Faith God overlook't their infirmities and Abraham though he was a faithful Man yet he had sometimes a tang of unbelief as when he went a great while without a Son but yet God overlookt that and he was pleased with
much in a way of charity perform good works and be given to Alms-deeds in relieving the poor Saints of Christ is not this pleasing unto God! if I suffer for the Truths sake doth not this please God! why do but observe and consider what the Apostle here saith without faith it is impossible to please God And consider also what the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 13.3 says he Though I give all my goods to feed the poor and if I give my body to be burned yet all is nothing without charity without Love and whence comes this Love but from Faith it is Faith that worketh Love Now if the Apostle say it is impossible to please God without Faith then certainly this is a Truth whether we can believe it or no it is a Truth notwithstanding all that can be objected against it It is impossible mark the word when he saies impossible he doth not mean that it is a very hard and difficult thing that which may come to pass with a great deal of difficulty as sometimes that is meant by impossible in Scripture-phrase as in Mark 10.27 says Christ to them With men it is impossible Impossible that is very hard very difficult but now to please God without Faith is not only impossible with such an impossibility but it is impossible so as it opposes God in his determinate Counsel Without faith it is absolutely impossible to please God Such an impossibility as the Apostle speaks of in Heb. 6.4 For it is impossible for those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift c. if they fall away to renew them again to repentance It is absolutely impossible it is beyond Gods determination So in Heb. 10.4 It is impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sin It is impossible that all the blood of all the creatures under Heaven should take away the guilt of sin So here without Faith it is impossible for a man or woman to please God absolutely impossible Let me now give you two or three demonstrations to make it evident and apparent in every mans Conscience I hope through the assistance of the Spirit of God And O that the Lord would perswade us of the truth of this That it is impossible to please God without Faith First Because all that ever an unbelieving man or woman doth or can do is all for self and not for God and is it possible then to please God when he does nothing at all not one thing for God but all for self every thing for self every duty that he performs is all for self every unbeliever is just Judas like in John 12.6 Judas was a Thief and had the Bag and bare what was put therein he had Christs Bag and the Disciples Bag ay but he had another Bag of his own so every unbeliever hath a Bag he seems to have a Bag for God and for Christ but he hath a Bag for self and he puts all into that Bag He may seem to do a great deal for God he may pray much and frequently and earnestly he may read the Word very much and attend very often upon the Word Preached he may be frequent in the ordinary duties of the Worship and Service of God nay let me say further he may be taken up in extraordinary duties too as Fasting and Prayer and the like and â—â—t still all for self and nothing at all for God Look into Zach. 7.5 6. saith the Lord there Speak unto all the people of the Land and to the Priests saying when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month even those seventy years did ye at all fast unto me even unto me And when ye did eat and when ye did drink did ye not eat for your selves and drink for your selves All for self Thus it is with every unbeliever whatever he doth he doth for self he is compassed about in the Circle of self and cannot get a hairs breadth beyond it and do you think that we can please God in any duty or service that we perform when the Lord sees and knows that we do all for self do you think that God can accept of that Service Make it your own case suppose now you had a Servant you give him Meat and Drink and Wages and he Works and Labours and Toyls but all is for himself now though he labour and work yet is it pleasing to you is it acceptable to you Or suppose you have a Factor and you send him to Trade for you you trust him with your Stock and he is diligent in his Trade and follows his business but all his Trade is for himself would you accept of this is this pleasing to you no you will say he is a very unfaithful wretched Servant and you cannot be pleased with him Why this is the very case God hath sent us into the World to Trade for him and to act for him now all that ever we do whilst we are in a state of unbelief is for self we do every thing for self truly until 〈◊〉 Soul comes to believe on Christ all that he doth is for himself he cannot get out of the circle of self but now when a Soul comes to receive Christ by Faith then he comes to act for Christ and to deny self never can deny himself before as it was with the Apostle Paul Paul before his Conversion he did very much but yet all was for self he was very zealous for the Law and he was very upright but all was for self but now when he comes to believe on Christ self is laid aside Now saies he I am nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 Though I be nothing Paul an Apostle an eminent Saint of Christ and yet he is nothing Now saies he I am nothing I can do nothing I cannot pray I know not how to pray nor do no-nothing as I ought to do it I cannot so much as think a good thought saies he now self is abased self is put down but now mark Christ is lifted up 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me not I saies he but the grace of God with me or in me so saies he in Philip. 4.12 13. I know how to abound and how to want I have learned in all states and conditions therewith to be content I can do all things saies he through Christ that strengthens me Thus when he comes to believe he exalts Christ and abases self Faith is a self-emptying Grace it makes the Soul to be little or nothing and makes Christ to be all it hath no strength in its self but doth all in the strength of Christ and till the Soul comes to believe on Christ self is the cheif agent in all that he doth and therefore now it is impossible for a man or woman ever to please God by all that he can do till he comes to believe You know what
Two last Verses In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth God may peradventure give them repentance though it is a certain Truth that without Faith it is impossible to please God Yet thus much I may say to help to take off this objection That there is a perhaps if you be found diligent in seeking God and humbling your Souls before the Lord peradventure you may be forgiven I do not say you shall certainly be forgiven and God will certainly hear you but perhaps as Peter said to Simon Magus perhaps and if peradventure says Paul God will give them Repentance then here is a perhaps for those that are Unbelievers that God may graciously please to have respect towards them though God be not pleased with them not their prayers and duties therefore let not this Temptation prevail over you upon that account namely to give over all because you cannot please God by what you do peradventure God may have respect towards you but now if you go on and cast off seeking God and the ways of God and go on in your sinful ways and courses there is no perhaps for such no but if Men sin willfully mark the expression in Heb. 10.25 26. If Men sin wilfully and cast off the means of Grace wilfully there is no perhaps for such He puts an impossibility upon himself ever to be recovered therefore give not way to the Temptation but say Well there is a peradventure and perhaps for me though I be an Unbeliever But Secondly Let me answer it in another thing Though it be true that without Faith it is impossible to please God Nay though we do displease God by all that we do make the objection as strong as you can it is impossible to please God by all my Prayers Tears and Confessions in my waitings upon God yet notwithstanding know and understand it for a Truth that there are degrees of displeasing God a man may displease God more or less Look into Zachariah 1.15 I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction God may be sorely displeased and God may be less displeased with a person as now if one sin doth displease God will not many sins displease him much more if that which we call a small sin will displease God then a greater sin will diplease him much more So now if we displease God by our Duties and Services then may we not displease God much more by casting off duties Nay may we not displease him most of all not only by casting of Duties but by running desperately and Headlong into all manner of Evil. Mark how you conclude you cannot please God by what you do therefore you will displease him more this is to run headlong and desperately into the lowest Hell As there are degrees of glory in Heaven as one Star differs from another Star in Glory so there are degrees of Torment in Hell It shall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gommorah at the day of Judgement than for those that have the Gospel and do not improve it As she hath fared deliciously saies God so much the more Torment give her saies God in Revelations 18.7 So now because we do displease God by what we do in our duties and services therefore shall we run further on to displease God more and more Is it not enough to displease God by doing things irregularly and unbelievingly but shall we therefore run headlong upon wickedness and care not how much we displease God O! therefore let us have a care of this Temptation for it is very great and dangerous because we cannot please God by doing what we can therefore we will run headlong on to displease him all that we can So now I have finished the explication of this Truth That without Faith it is impossible to please God I cannot now come to that Application which I chiefly intend Appli But in a word because I would not leave you wholy without some word of Application Use Here then let all those that are Unbelievers understand and know this day from the Lord what a dangerous state and condition they are in it is such a state and condition as is not to be rested quietly in because that they cannot possibly please God by all that they can do I would not speak any thing to discourage and cast down any but to awaken poor Souls Understand and know this day from the Lord that you never yet did please God by all that ever you have done you have made possibly many Hundred prayers and petitions to God you have been exercised in holy Duties and Services all along from day to day yet you have not pleased God in any thing that you have done Nay without Faith you cannot please God in whatever you shall do it is impossible What should I say more read but the Text saies the Apostle without Faith it is impossible to please God The Apostle doth not only speak of such as live in open known sins of Uncleanness and Drunkeness and Swearing and Lying that they do not please God that is plain enough every one will say that these men do not please God and that it is impossible they should please God And those that live in secret Sins in secret covetousness of heart in secret oppression secret omision and neglect of duty Family or closet-Closet-prayer do these things please God think you not that I speak to such as these are but to those that are professors and that are careful to walk strictly and conscienciously in their places as far as ever they have light and understanding you are careful possibly to deal righteously in your Callings and Trade you desire to make Conscience of your ways in buying and selling and trading and conversing with the World to walk uprightly towards all men and what doth not this please God you will say do not I please God in this I pray mark is this Faith or no The Apostle saies here without Faith it is impossible to please God suppose you perform duties wait upon God in his Worship and Ordinances are very diligent in attending upon the Word Preached and very dilligent in reading the Scriptures daily day by day and you are very diligent also in private duties such as I mentioned before doth not this please God you will say why I pray still do but have recourse to the Apostles words without Faith it is impossible to please God Can you say that these things are Faith without Faith it is impossible to please God But if a Man or Woman be so Charitable that they are ready upon all occasions to relieve the Bowels of the Saints doth not this please God why saies the Apostle without Faith it is impossible to please God Do you believe that this is a Truth that this Text holds forth our Charity
and good works they are not Faith and without Faith it is impossible to please God Reckon what you can reckon and say what you can for your selves yet consider is this Faith or no If it be not Faith it cannot please God Possibly you may desire and endeavour to walk in the strictest way of profession and worship God in the closest way suppose you do so you desire to walk in Church-fellowship with the Saints but this is not Faith still and without Faith is is impossible to please God I pray consider the Apostle Paul saies Paul before he was converted and was brought to believe on Christ in Acts 16.5 says he After the most straitest sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee And says he in another place in Phil. 3.7 8 9. As concerning the righteousness which is in the law I was blameless says he at verse 6. But now mark says he this was not faith though when he comes to believe on Christ Now says he I look at all that ever I did as nothing and I count all but dung that I may win Christ Brethren whatever we do without faith it is impossible for us to please God But possibly you will say to me I hope I do believe If you do it is well But I pray do you know what it is to believe ask this question to your own hearts Do you know what it is to believe It is not to believe that every thing that is spoken in the Gospel is true no no this Faith whereby we come to please God is another manner of Faith But suppose now that you do believe indeed and in truth I pray have you done all that ever you have done in a way of Faith and believing truly without Faith you see it is impossible to please God even you that are Believers without acting of Faith in what you do you cannot please God Quest But you will say to me then How shall a Christian man or woman so perform duties in Faith so as they may be pleasing unto God As suppose now the duty of Prayer How shall we perform the duty of prayer so as it may be pleasing unto God or for hearing the Word How shall we so hear the Word in Faith that it may be pleasing unto God and how shall we partake of the Lords-Table in Faith so as to please God I cannot come to answer this now but possibly if the Lord please I may speak something to that at some other time all that I have to say for the present is this You see Friends Brethren and Beloved what cause we have all of us I speak not only to unbelievers but to those that are believers as for unbelievers what cause have they to go home and bewail and bemoan their condition before the Lord Look back upon all that you have done throughout your whole lives and you may write this upon it all you have displeased God you have made many Prayers and confessed many Sins and given thanks to God often you have read and heard the Word and have done this and that and yet in all that you have done you have never pleased God because without Faith it is impossible to please God Go and bewail it before the Lord that you have led such a course of life that you have done nothing that hath been pleasing unto God And you that are Believers have you done all that you have done in Faith have you prayed in faith have you heard the word in faith and have you partaked in other Ordinances in a way of faith we have all cause to go home and in private fal down before the Lord and acknowledge that we have displeased God in every duty and service that we have performed But thus much shall suffice for this time SERMON VI. Hebrews XI 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please Him THe words as you have heard are an intire Proposition Doct. That without Faith it is impossible for any Man or Woman by all that ever they can do to please God You have heard it opened at large we came the last day to touch upon a word of Application and that was to shew what a sad and uncomfortable condition every unbelieving person was in that nothing that ever he hath done or can do or shall do whilst he is in this state can be pleasing unto God For Without Faith it is impossible to please Him Whatever Duties we perform whatever Ordinances we partake in if all be not done in Faith it cannot be pleasing unto God Quest You will say unto me then How shall we so act in Faith in the performance of all Duties and in the partaking of all Ordinances that so we may please God in what we do This is a great Question and I shall desire through the Lords assistance to speak something to this at this time And O Brethren this is a matter of very great concernment to do all that we do in Faith to pray every Prayer in Faith and every time we hear the Word to hear it in Faith and if we partake of the Lords-Table every time to partake in Faith or else we do not please God in any of these Duties Let me therefore a little stir you up to it that you may be provoked if possible to do all that you do in Faith Briefly Let me hint three or four words that way to shew you that it is of very great concernment for every one of us to perform every Duty and to partake of every Ordinance in a way of Faith For first of all else all that ever we do all our labour all our endeavours all our pains in our duties and performances will be all in vain And would a wise man be willing to do any thing in vain to take pains and all in vain Have ye suffered so many things saies the Apostle Gal. 3 4. in vain Truly so may we say to those that do not exercise Faith in their duties and performances have you done so many things in vain Would any of you take pains in your Callings willingly in vain and loose all your labour Are you willing that all your labour and travel and pains from day to day should be lost and all in vain You would count it a very grievous and uncomfortable thing if any of you should take any great Voyage by Sea and all your Voyage and Hazard should be in vain or if you should take any great Journey by Land in heat and cold in wet and dry through thick and thin and all your Journey should be in vain and nothing at all come of it what a grief and vexation would it be to your hearts Now Brethren I pray Consider of it if we perform duties take pains in duties day by day perform Duties in our Families and in our Closets every day presenting our Prayers and Supplications before the Lord and frequently in season and out of season atrending upon the Word of God
Preached and go on thus week after week month after month and year after year labouring and taking pains in your duties and yet when all comes to all it is all in vain Truly thus it will be if it be not done in Faith you have prayed so many times in a Week and so many times in a year possibly a thousand times in your Life yet all is in vain for you see you cannot please God and therefore it is in vain You desire to please God in your Duties and in your attendances upon the Lord but all is in vain What a sad and uncomfortable thing is this Therefore certainly it is of great concernment to look to that that we do not perform Duties in vain that we do not Pray and Read and Hear without Faith for then all will be in vain Secondly Consider a little further What an uncomfortable thing is it for a man to meet with a disappointment in his great expectation When a man hath great expectations of a business and meets with a disappointment in the conclusion that his expectation is frustrated you know what Solomon saith in Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick If a man have hopes of a thing and his hopes be only put off and deferred though it may be accomplished at last yet if it be deferred beyond the time it makes his heart sick Ay but when a mans expectations be not only deferred but altogether frustrated that he meets with nothing but disappointments What an uncomfortable thing is this and the greater the expectation of a man is or the greater the thing is his expectation is about the greater and sadder will his disappointment be You know how it fared with Haman in Esth 6. When the King propounded that Question to him What shall be done unto the man whom the King delighteth to honour Why thought he whom the King delights to honour is none but my self Surely I am the man here was his hope and expectation but now to be frustrated of this great expectation of being honoured and advanced and for the King to say Go take the Kings Horse and the Royal apparrel and go and set Mordecai thereon his great Enemy go and proclaim before him thus it shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour thus was his expectation frustrated and it came to nothing And how did it make his heart sick He went home to his Wife and company and he was even sick at the very heart Truly Brethren when a mans expectations are raised from his Duties and Performances that he hath gone on in a way of Prayer all his Life-long and attending upon God in the way of his Ordinances all his Life-long and his expectation is great he thinks he hath been pleasing God all his life-long and when all comes to all at last he shall see that he wanted Faith and so never pleased God in all his Life by all the Duties and Services that ever he performed Here now will his expectations be frustrated and when he comes to lie upon his Death-bed he thinks he hath been pleasing God in performing Duties and attending upon God in his way he shall meet with nothing but Disappointments He hath not pleased God by all that he hath done all his life-long 3. Nay Let me add Thirdly If our Duties be not done in Faith truly then instead of being the better for them we shall certainly be the worse for all the Duties that ever we performed Now what an uncomfortable thing is it for a man to labour and take pains and all for loss You that trade in the World that take a great deal of pains are up early and down late why if so be that you go backward in your estates for all your pains-taking and labour and toyl and travel this will be very uncomfortable to you to labour and toyl night and day as it were and all for loss Suppose now a great Merchant he trades and trafficks abroad at Sea and trades at home by Land and when he comes to cast up his accounts he hath done all for loss he is not the richer but a great deal the poorer What an uncomfortable thing will this be to him that he hath been labouring and travelling and toyling and spending his strength and his time and his pains and all for loss He is the worse and not the better as 't is said of the woman that had the bloody Issue she went to the Physicians and used the means and still she was not the better but the worse You would count this a very uncomfortable thing if any of your Children or Relations should be sick and you call for the help of the Physitian and he applies means and still all the Physick that is taken tends to the hurt of the Party he is never the better but the worse for all the means that is used truly it would make your hearts ake Truely thus it is when a man hath been taking pains all his life-long exercising of himself in holy Duties and Ordinances worshipping and serving God and endeavouring to please God as he thinks but now instead of pleasing God by what he hath done he hath rather displeased God For certainly we are either the better or the worse for every Ordinance that we partake in when we come to hear a Sermon if we do not go away better we go away worse for the Word will work one way or other And so far Prayer if we be not the better we are the worse when our Duties and Services have not been done in Faith they have not been pleasing to the Lord. And when a man comes to cast up his accounts he will find himself the worse for all the Services that ever he performed because they have not been done in Faith 4. And let me add one word more If our Duties and Services be not done in Faith then I pray what have we been doing of all this time but cheating and deceiving our own Souls going on and taking pains and all to delude and deceive our own Souls We have been steering a wrong couse instead of making Christ our Righteousness we have been making a Christ of our Duties and Services and so deceive our own Souls if we do not act Faith in the performance of Duties then we make a Christ of them and so deceive our own Souls for if we do not lean upon Christ we lean upon them A man or woman that doth not act Faith in their Duties and Services they do but steer a wrong Course all their life-long Suppose now a man should steer his course at Sea by a Compass that is false he may go on and sail amain Night and Day before the Wind he may go on in his Course but all the way that he makes he doth but deceive himself he will never come to the Haven he aims at and desires to come to He doth but deceive and delude himself Why Because he sails
driven out from the presence of God and there was a Flaming Sword that stood to keep him from coming near to God And so all his posterity are now driven from the presence of God and cannot have access into the presence of God but through Christ and through him we may have access with boldness as in Heb. 4.16 Let us come therefore boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need Through him we may come and have access into the presence of God with boldness and confidence that is one thing that is implyed by performing any Duty in the Name of Christ to look for our access into the presence of God through him Secondly To do it in the Name of Christ is to look for strength and assistance to perform our Duties from Christ for as you heard before we are altogether insufficient of our selves to do any thing or think any thing that is good not only as we are in a state of nature before Conversion or before we be brought to believe in Christ for that is a state and condition that the Apostle describes to be without strength Rom. 5.6 But this is not only the condition of Unbelievers but even Believers themselves are insufficient of themselves to do any thing that is pleasing to God as you may see in those Scriptures that I mentioned to you even now You cannot pray no nor think a good thought you cannot will nor desire any thing saies the Apostle I am nothing and I can do nothing and yet saies the Apostle in Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Through the help and strength of Christ I can pray and I can hear the Word and I can partake of the Lords-Supper in a way of Faith through Christ and have communinion with Christ in it when there is Grace and strength communicated from Christ This is the Second thing implied To do every thing in the Name of Christ is to be looking for all our help from Christ and him alone Thirdly There is this further implied in it when we perform any Duty in the Name of Christ we look for all our acceptance of what we have done and performed only for Christ's sake and through Christ that the Lord should do this or that for us for Christ's sake as the Apostle speaks in Pet. 2.5 Ye are saies he a holy Priesthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ You come and offer up your Sacrifices your Prayers to God your Duties and Services But how shall they be acceptable to God How only by Jesus Christ this is to perform a Duty in the Name of Christ namely when we look for access into the presence of God to stand with a holy boldness in the presence of God with our Services through his being pleasing to the Father and when we look for all our help and strength to the performance of our Duties from Christ and when we expect all our acceptance of our Duties and Services through Christ Now that you may see how to apply this Rule and make use of it suppose now you are to pray you would pray in Faith so as to please God come then in the Name of Jesus Christ How When I pray I am to look to have access into the presence of God with my Prayers through him and I am to expect assistance and strength from Jesus Christ to enable me to do it And I am to look for aâ—dâ—ance and acceptance of my Prayers that I have performed only through Jesus Christ And so I might shew you for hearing the Word 'T is a general Rule we are to hear in Faith How Namely to hear the Word in the Name of Jesus Christ How is that Thus to come and present our selves in presence of God through Christ in Obedience to his Will that we may have access and stand in his presence in that Duty and Service through Jesus Christ and to expect Grace and Strength from Christ to inable me to attend unto the Word as I ought to do without him I cannot hear as I should but in hearing I shall not hear if I have not strength from Christ to enable me and when we have done to look for acceptance through Christ of the service that I have done And so for partaking of the Lords-Supper we should do all in the Name of Christ look for access into the presence of God in that Ordinance through Christ look to have assistance to be carried on in the participation of that Ordinance by strength from Christ and so look for acceptance of our participation of the Ordinance through Jesus Christ That is the Forth General Rule 5. Take one more Would we so act Faith in our duties and Services that they may be pleasing unto God the Rule is this namely to come with a resting and relying upon Christ with expectation to have that given out unto us by the Ordinance for which the Ordinance was instituted and appointed and therefore Resting upon God and Waiting upon God are frequently called Faith in Scripture saies David in Psal 62.5 All my expectation is from God My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from Him Therefore will I rest upon him for the giving out of what I do expect from him And so in Isa 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Trust in him for ever Whenever you come to any Duty or Ordinance still act in Faith resting upon God with an expectation to receive that from God that he hath appointed the Ordinance for As now Suppose for Prayer When we come to wait upon God in Prayer we should come resting upon God with an expection to receive that from God which the Duty is appointed for To pray in Faith is not for a Man or Woman to believe and be perswaded that he shall receive the particular thing that he prays for No we do but deceive our selves if we think this be to pray in Faith For we may pray in Faith and yet not have the particular thing given that we pray for as I could instance in several examples But that shall not be my business now But to pray in Faith is only this namely to rely upon God he being a God hearing prayer that he would hear my Prayer and grant my Petitions so far as they are according to his Will at his own time and leasure O thou that hearest Prayer Psal 65.2 to thee shall all flesh come His Faith was built upon that that God was a God hearing Prayer and he relied upon God and expected that God would answer his Prayer in his own time And remember this for it is a daily Duty that we are to perfom Though we may be Believers and have an Habit of Holiness in us yet if we do not act Faith in Prayer our Prayer is not acceptable