to take the shield of faith a sheeld is for defence so this faith both defends and resists the Devill Quest But how doth faith overcome Ans It ever hath an eye to the foundation Christ it knows the foundation standeth sure and so it turns over the devill the false conclusion that the devill and the heart is ready to make together to Christ and now the soule sayth it is true Satan or it is true heart I am base I have a vile cursed nature I cannot pray nor performe any duty as I should sin is in my best action I confesse I am in my selfe as bad as man or devill can make not a worse heart in the world more subject to evill farther then God restrains it more unable to doe good farther then God inables and what of all this Satan I know there is enough to condemne me for ever were I to answer in mine own person for my selfe but Christ hath been condemned for me Satan he hath borne all my sins and so my condemnation and he hath made himselfe over to me so that now thou must first have something against Christ before thou canst shake my hold and thus by faith flying to Christ the soule overcomes the enemy but if the soule cannot thus have recourse to the Lord Jesus he is gone when the tempter comes he is not able to resist Then sayth the beleeving soule it is true Satan I have a proud self seeking heart ready ever to take that honour to it selfe that is due to God but it is as true that I may thank thee for it who hast thus metamorphozed my nature and made it like thine own and not onely so but commest in and ever stirrost up the heart to pride and selfe-seeking knowing well by experience that it is a sin that much provokes God but this is my mercie God lets me see into this depth of wickednesse and it is my burthen but Christ hath freed me from the power of it and from the iniquity of it hee is ever subduing it in me and one day I shall for ever be freed both from it and thee thus by faith the soule overcomes the devill this is the first particular wherein the Christian comes to liue by faith in the exercising of it according to the manyfold occasions it meets withall 2 To live by faith is a living upon Christ in the want of all things and that both externall and internall 1 Externall in the want of outward things when the creature is tripped naked and bare brought even to a morsell of bread then to live in beleeving the Lord will care for you when that you are brought to Christs condition that you have neither house nor home nor any thing in the world besides a Christ besides a God to live upon then when thou canst get a promise as that Heb. 13.5 He hath sayd I will not fail thee nor for sake thee and stick close to the Lord Jesus in such a promise this is a living by faith when the creature fails Hab. 3.17 18. Although the figtree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vine the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yeeld no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no therd in the stalls Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation This is to live by faith when all creatures fail then to live upon God then to rejoyce in the Lord believing that God is able and will help the Lord will sustain The want of this faith was Israels sin Psal 78.18 19. they spake against God and sayd Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse how is the deceitfull heart of man ready to distrust God in such a condition as those Jews can God prepare a table when all is gone but faith in such a condition believes and lives by blieving and the Lord will care for moe sayth the soule and the Lord hath sayd it The lions shall luck and suffer hunger but they that wait upon the Lord shall want nothing that is good This is a hard thing it is easily sayd but not so easily done you thinke it is easie perhaps to live by faith while you have a house a calling that brings you in money perhaps every day or every week or money by you or land c. you can live comfortably upon Christ and your calling upon Christ and your house or land but let all be taken from thee see then how then canst live this may be your condition and then you will be put to the tryall 2 Spiritually when the soule hath nothing of its own to rest upon when duties and performances and all is gone then to believe and live by believing this is to live by faith indeed upon this ground the soule believes Rom. 4.4.5 He that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnesse he that worketh not he that cannot performe one acceptable duty in way of righteousnesse but sees all is nothing yet believes in Christ and so lives by believing this is the constant stay of a believer he eversees his own emptinesse the untighteousnesse of his best actions I say to believe in and to live upon Christ in all such conditions it is to live by faith above duties and performances but how doe many a professing man and woman comfort themselves in the performing of duties in their inlargement in duty and the like but when they fail in this then they call all in question again this faith was not right for they thinke they believe because they can pray and meditate c. when indeed the soul that rightly believes doth believe because he cannot pray nor act or doe any thing that is acceptable and therefore he cannot live by faith but when that power he has to performe duty fails his faith and all fails this is not to live by faith yet this hath been the life of most professours in this Nation 3 A living by faith it is to live by beleeving of what the soule shall one day enjoy and this mightily bears up the spirits of the Saints And this we may take notice of under a threefold consideration 1 That which the gracious soule longs most after is the full enjoyment of God nothing lesse can satisfie the believing soule the soule that hath tasted how gracious the Lord is O sayth the Soule when shall I come to the full enjoyment of my God and so the seule groanes as the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.2 earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with the house from heaven and the reason is ver 7. for while we are here we walke that is live by faith and not by sense while we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord that is absent comparatively with relation to what it shall be for the soule has but a glimpse of glory but a
the great commands of the Gospel Ans 1 Love is the great command and where true faith and love is there will be the effects of it 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfained This is both the beginning and end the first and last in the Law of the Gospel Love first God out of love hath given us a law wee out of love yield obedience to it James calls it the royall Law Jam. 2.8 If ye fulfill the royall law according to the Scripture thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyselfe 2 Now this love is manifested 1 To Christ 2 To the Saints 1 To Christ and that first in keeping his commandements Joh. 14.23 Jesus answered and said If a man love me he will keepe my words ver 24. he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings Love will cause those in whom it is to submit to Christ in every thing 1 John 5.3 This is the love of God that wee keep his commandements that is here in is our love to God made manifest in keeping his commandements Quest What are the commands of Christ to his children with relation to himself Ans His command is first love as you have heard 2 Obedience flowing from her this obedience is first to Gospel commands 2 In a Gospell manner 3 To Gospel ends First it must be to Gospell commands wee are to heare Christ in all things not Moses Act. 3.22 him shall you heare in all things c. believers are to receive every comand as from the hands of Christ John 15.14 Ye are my friends if you doe whatsoever I command you The first command that Christ requires of believers and that next after faith received is Baptisme Mar. 16.17 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved so likewise Mat. 28.19 Disciple Nations and baptize them this was the first thing in the commission to be submitted to and it was ever so in the Apostles practice which must be our pattern Act. 2.41 As many as gladly received the Word that is believed the truth of the Gospel and gladly received the Lord Jesus the summe and substance of the Gospel were haptized so Act. 8.12 They believed and were baptized both men and women so Act. 16. Lydia and the Goalar In a word this was the first duty that ever the Saints performed the first ordinance that ever they subscribed to after faith received in the Scripture there is neither precept nor president either to baptize before faith or after to teach faith or else after faith is received to neglect or slight baptisme it being a command of Christ love in the Saints compelling them to yield obedience to every ordinance of Christ for his own sake with an expectation of a farther discovery and manifestation of love and grace from God in his own ordinance in his own way Now I confesse there are many objections that by many are made against this truth who plead for and practice the baptizing of insants But because I have in another treatise indeavoured from the light of Scripture to cleare the truth and answer those objections I shall in this place passe them by onely by reason of our late conference I shall briefly touch upon these three Scriptures we then had in disputation The first is Act. 2.38 39. The promise is to you and to your children c. The Promise in this place was concluded upon that it was remission of sins and the gifts of the holy spirit hence was drawn this conclusion that the infants of believers found as large an interest in this promise as their parents and therefore ought to bee baptized Which I cannot but deny and assirme that the promise here was to the Iews as many as the Lord did call to their children as many as the Lord should call to the Gentiler afar off as many of them as the Lord should call There is a sound truth in the Scripture thus interpreted for God gave remission of sius his spirit all the good things of the Gospel to as many as he called both Iow and Gentile and so he will to the worlds end and indeed he never promised it to any other He that believeth on the Son hath life he that believeth not hath not life Joh. 3.31 If the promise of the Covenant of grace remission of sins and the goodthings of the Gospel had been to the Iews that beleeved and to their naturall seed it must then have been made good to them or else there was no truth in the promise but it was never made good to them for then they had not been apostated as they are to this day nay the Lord was so far from intending any such thing to the Iews that hee intended their rejection and casting off Rom. 11.15 neither was the promise to the naturall seed of the believing Gentiles but the elect of God both Iews and Gentiles obtain it Rom. 2.7 and God under the Gospel makes no difference between the seed of the believer and unbeliever with relation to their Generation but it is grace that makes the difference The second Scripture was Mar. 10.13 14. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdome of God That which is hence inferred is that children are blessed that they are a part of the Church and therefore have a right to baptisme whereas it is very probable that those infants were brought to Christ to be cured of some diseases for the Text sayth They brought young children to him that he might touch them and he blessed them that is gave them the blessing they came for to wit health and cure and whereas Christ sayth of such is the kingdome of heaven that is of such qualified spiritually as those infants were naturally so Christ himselfe interprets it ver 15. Verily I say unto you whosoever doth not receive the Kingdome of Heaven as a little childe be shall not enter therein that is whosoever doth not receive the Kingdom of God both of grace and glory as a little childe that is humble and meek and teachable able to doe nothing himselfe but Christ is his all and in all he shall never enter therein so that Christ takes occasion from those little infants to discover a Gospel mystery a mystery indeed to naturall men Mat. 18.2 3. The third Scripture was that in 1 Cor. 7.14 The unbelieving wife is sanctified to the believing husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy Now it was first granted that the sanctification of the wife is but a civill sanctification shee is sanctified to his use that he ought not to put her away 2 This was granted also that holinesse is a fruit of sanctification then I say the fruit or effect cannot be greater then the cause the cause cannot produce a greater effect then it selfe the cause being onely a civill sanctification the holinesse of the children
must be the same so that now under the Gospel the believer may lawfully keepe the unbeliever whether husband or wife and their children whereas under the Law if a Iew marryed with an idolatrous Gentile he was to put away both wife and children Ezra 10.3 but under the Gospel there is no such thing unlesse the unbeliever will depart 2 After faith and baptisme the will and command of Christ is that his people should yield obedience to all his comands indeed he doth not onely command it but gives power there is a power goes with the commands of Christ he is the King of his people he gives laws and statutes and withall gives in abilities to doe what he commands Christ knows that without him you can doe nothing John 15.5 the will and commands of Christ is that his people should be holy is all manner of holy conversation the will of God is their sanctification 1 Thes 4.2.3 For yee know what commandements we gave you by the Lord Iesus for this is the will of God your sanctification to abstain from sin to ver 7. and the reason is rendred ver 7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanuesse but unto holinesse God hath not given his Son to redeeme men that so they might live in unclean unholy ways he doth not call them to fellowship with himselfe and one with another that so they might take their pleasures in the world in sin no no God calls his to holinesse and therefore the Apostle Peter sayth It is written be yee holy or yee shall be holy as I the Lord your God am holy 1 Pet. 1.16 And he that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 And the Apostle Pauls exhortation answers this command Rom. 12.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformable to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your mindes c. that is seeing God hath renewed your mindes let your bodies your externall walkings be made conformable to Iesus Christ and not to the world O beloved holinesse becomes the Saints especially holinesse becomes the houshold of Saints the Churches of Saints the Church of Saints is Gods house 1 Tim. 3.10 his dwelling place Psal 132.13 14. and holinesse becomes the Lords house for ever and it is the love of Christ that constrains the Saints thus to walk Quest But is it not the Saints duty thus to walke Ans Yea without question it is their duty Gal. 6 16. He that walketh according to this rule peace shall be upon him but they are to performe this duty of holy walking out of love therefore Christ sayth If yee love me keepe my commandemenst Iohn 14.15 none hath to doe with the commands of Christ but those that love him which love flows from faith for faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 A second command of Christ is love the Saints which was the second thing I propounded in the manifestation of love It is first to Christ Hee that loveth not the Lord. Iesus let him be accursed ver 17. These things I command you that yee love one another And a new commandement give I unto you that you love one another as I have loved you Quest Why is it called a New commandement seeing it is not new but the same that was from the beginning Ans 1 It is New because given a new by Christ and so are all the commands of Christ given a new and are new commands given to a new people to wit believers Mose's commands were given to all the whole body of naturall Israel Christs to the whole body of spirituall Israel the Saints None else hath to doe with any law as it comes from Christ but are still under the Law as it came from Mount Sinay 2 It is new in respect of the nature of it which is double 1 as it flows from Christs love to us 2 It must be the same as Christs love was to us ever as I have loved you and as this is the speciall comand of Christ so it is the property of the Saints that the grace they receive from Christ causeth them to doe it the love of Christ constrains them Therefore the Apostle thanks God for the Colossians Col. 1.3 4. For the increase of their faith and love to all the Saints Where faith increaseth love increaseth for faith increaseth love to Christ and love to Christ increaseth love to the Saints For my more cleer proceeding in this particular I shall endevour from light and truth to discover unto you first what love is 2 the excellent properties and effects of this love 3 the manifestation of this love 1 What love is Love is an affection of the soule carried forth after and setled upon something from an apprehended worth and excellency in the thing this I conceive to be love whether it be spirituall or naturall whether set upon a good or bad object for it is not possible there should be true love but where the soul apprehends something worthy to be beloved First the understanding goes forth and takes a view of the object presented if the understanding so apprehend any worth or excellency in the object presented then the affection of love is let forth upon it and is not satisfied without the enjoyment of it Hence it comes to passe that when the understanding is truly enlightned and the judgement rightly informed the affection is carried forth and setled upon a right object but if the understanding be corrupted and blinded and the judgement misinformed the affection of love is carried forth after and set upon wrong objects When the understanding is so blinded it apprehends an excellency in the world in pleasures in sin c. for believe it it is the blindnesse of mens understanding usually that causeth men to love sinfully So on the contrary when Christ is presented to the view of the soule the understanding by the power of God is enlightned and comes to apprehend in some measure that excellent worth that is in him the affection of love goes forth after him and desire is not satisfied untill it enjoy him Thus it was with the Spouse in the Canticles chap. 5.10 My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand and hence it is her love is so drawn forth after him that shee seeks him and is never satisfied till she find him vers 6. she is sick of love after him chap. 2.5 and this love unto Christ carries forth the soule in love to the Saints for the sake of Christ where it sees the Image of Christ the same love where with the soule loves Christ it loves the Saints 1 Iohn 4.20 21. That it is the command of Christ and the property of the love of God where it is shed abroad in the heart to carry forth the soul in love not only to
it is the preaching of the Gospel that discovers it I give you these grounds 1 A man never savingly sees his evill condition without a Christ but it is the spirit of God that discovers it unto him this all that are sound in the faith agree unto then the preaching of the Law brings not this spirit see Gal. 3.2 This onely would I learn of you sayth the Apostle speak out of your experience received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith Beloved God hath appointed his spirit to be the means in the preaching of the Gospel to convince the world of sin Iohn 16.9 It is the spirit of God that convinceth the world of sin and that in the preaching of faith the Apostle was once alive without the Law that is without the spirituall understanding of the Law but when the commandement came sin reigned and I dyed that is when Christ had opened his eyes to see into the spirit of the Law for you may see Act. 9.4 5 c. the ministry by which Paul comes to see himselfe is the voyce of Christ I am Iesus of Nazereth then Paul comes trembling c. so that it is Christ in the preaching of the Gospel which is glad tydings for sinners remission of sins for believers and this Gospel this glad tydings cannot be rightly held forth to the world but with all men must be shewed that they are sinners and the emptinesse of duties all other foundations must be discovered the danger of not accepting Christ c. this preaching of Christ and faith in opposition to all legall works and duties is the means Christ hath appointed to bring men to the knowledge both of himselfe and themselves it is true every man and woman without faith is bitten with the fiery serpent the fiery Law but are not sensible of it till Jesus come in the preaching of the Gospel to discover it unto them So that this is the reason why Christ is to be lifted up in the dayes of the Gospel that sinners who behold him may live This is the reason following my Text That whosoever believeth in him may not perish but have everlasting life this is the main reason of the exaltation of Christ that men believing may have life this is ever annexed to the preaching of the Gospel Mar. 16.16 Goe preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized that is whose faith produceth obedience shall be saved This is the reason of the Gospel preaching you see and this is the reason why Christ came into the world that men might have life through him John 10.10 for this end God gave him Ioh. 3.16 God had never sent his Son into the world had it not been that men by believing in him might have life and therefore hath Christ left this Ordinance of preaching in the world that men might be brought to believe and therefore those men are me thinks much beside the truth and the Gospel who pretend to hold forth Christ dying for all alike and yet deny the preaching of the Gospel the means by which God brings over the soules of men and women to believe Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Those who deny the preaching of the Gospel deny the meanes of working faith Quest But may every one that will believe Answ Every one to whom God gives faith to believe may and shall believe for faith is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 and God works faith by the preaching of the Gospel and this is the maine end of the exalting and lifting up of Christ in the Gospel that men by believing in him may have life and therefore is he to be lifted up as the serpent upon a pole above all things all duties creatures legall performances any thing that the creature may rest upon beneath him Thus you see beloved the truth cleered that Christ is to be exalted in the dayes of the Gospel Use Generally three 1 A word of Examination 2 Of Exhortation 3 Of Consolation 1 A word of Examination and that is double 1 For our selves in particular what say you to this Hath Christ been lifted up in your soules above all things hath he had the preheminence above all he who is indeed above all and in all and through all Have your souls seen Christ the chiefe among ten thousand and is it still so with you are you satisfied with him as the wife with her husband lying down in the bosom of love content with him and him alone seeing and enjoying all comfort and consolation in him Is Christ exalted in your soules as your alone Priest and atonement your peace-maker with God or else doe you look upon any thing beneath Christ as the ground of your peace I feare me the Saints live too much below Christ and that is the cause of so much sadnesse of spirit resting upon duties and legall performances they deprive themselves of much comfort they might otherwise enjoy 2 Is Christ exalted as your alone Prophet to teach you are your eyes upon the Lord Jesus in all his dispensations expecting teaching from him Is Christ exalted as King in thy soule submitting to him in all things yielding uniuersall obedience to him and that out of love submitting to all his laws and statutes 2 Examination Whether Christ have been thus exalted in the Kingdom in the Nation as they desire to stand to him under the relation of a Church as their Priest Prophet and King and in all these it would easily appear that he hath not been thus exalted he hath not been exalted the alone Priest and atonement indeed and in truth but in word and shew but duties preparations and qualifications have been held forth with him and that none but those thus fitted and qualified might in any case believe First bringing men to the Law and then to Christ which is a legall way and not evangelicall it is true the Jews were first brought to the Law and then to Christ but under the Gospel men are first to bee brought to the Gospel to Christ and then to duties of the Gospel for all preparations and qualifications whatsoever which is not of faith is sin and I am sure faith comes by preaching of the Gospel not of the Law Mar. 16.16 17. Therefore the preaching of qualifications and preparations before faith is sin for all things before or without faith is sinne 2 Hath Christ been received as the alone Prophet to teach hath his Word been made the rule of all actions submitting to him in all things Act. 3.22 23. any way Judge of the truth of it 3 Hath Christ been exalted as King to submit to him as the alone law giver of his Church of his people hath not man been submitted unto hath not man sate in the feare of God making laws and constitutions of their own compelling all thereunto as once Darius made a Decree Dan. 6. That all that should
aske any Petition of God or man for thirty dayes should be cast into the den of lyons so men set up themselves their own decrees and compell unto it this is not agreeable to the Kingly dominion of Christ Christ hath not been exalted King it is true there hath been a name of Christ but that is all the power of Christ in all his offices hath been rejected and the truth is that the generality have been wholy legall fetching rules from the Law from Moses and so denying Christ to be come in the flesh Legall churches Nationall as the Jews legall Covenant of works made with the Jews taken away to us that believe Heb. 10.9 legall preaching setting up of works with Christ when the Apostle sayth Hee that worketh not but believeth c. Rom. 4. 4 5. Legall Priests the very title and legall maintenance tythes but they that preach the Gospel live of the Gospel Legall administrations I mean after legall rules circumcision and the like legall prayers and duties to make peace and atone ment legall laws and institutions compelling all to one worship persecuting the contrary minded because the Iews did so thus beloved hath the men of this and former Generations both in this and other Nations raised up Moses from the dead and put his laws in execution under the name of Christ and so in deed and practice deny Christ to be come in the flesh although in word they acknowledge him the Lord open their eyes that they may see farther into the mystery of the Gospel In a word Christ hath not been exalted as the brazen serpent upon a pole above every thing all duties prayers ordinances in the hearts of men and that hath caused so many as I cannot but judge gracious soules to goe with sorrow to their graves ever kept in a way of working under a legall bondage no longer pray and be spirituall in duty no longer comfort as if a Christian lived by prayer preaching and ordinances no no beloved they live above these upon the Lord Jesus by faith not that the Saints should not make use of these but not live upon them Christ is the Christians life and so far as he communicates himselfe in these to the Christian he hath cause of joy but if he deny himselfe there for the tryall of the soule it is to let him see the emptinesse of all things without himselfe and to cause the Christian to live by faith for we live by faith and not by sense 2 Cor. 5.7 But enough of this here onely let the Saints who are delivered out of this bondage this spirituall Babylonish confused captivity give God the Glory Use 2 A word of Exhortation to the servants of Jesus in all things to exalt and lift him up to lift him up in preaching in their hearts in their obedience to him that Christ may be all and in all to your soules that you give up your selves a holy living acceptable sacrifice to God that you who have taken his name and truth upon you exalt him as your alone Priest Prophet King in your conversations that yee may be such as become the Gospel of Christ holy humble full of love to all as much as in you lyeth do good unto all but especially to the houshold of faith that so your light shining before men they may have cause to glorifie your father which is in heaven and that gain-sayers may be convinced by your godly converstion Beloved if you seeke the lifting up of Christ above all then certainly your care will be to live a Christ-like life while you are in this world 3 And lastly a word of Consolation for poor sinners Christ is to be lifted up in the dayes of the Gospel that men by beleeving in him might have life by him what doe you say to this is there ever a soule present that wants faith and is sensible of it that wants life Christ came to give life he is lifted up now in the days of the Gospel for that very end and purpose that dead men might have life by him O is not here mercy here is a way made whereby sinners may become Saints slayes may become sons Here is a fountaine opened for sin and for uncleannesse if the Lord help your soules to wash there What say your souls to this is there ever a poore creature bit with the fiery serpēt with the sense of the evill of sin O here is a Christ lifted up for that very end and purpose that poore self-destroying sinners may come to him and live Esay 45.22 looke to me and be yee saved all the ends of the earth O here is blessed newes a blessed word for sinners if the Lord give you hearts to make use of it Christ excludes none to whome he gives a heart to receive him is it not a mercy that God hath provided an object for dead soules to looke upon and live Truly beloved it is the richest mercy in the world where God gives a heart to accept it Here is discovered the blessed condition of the poore despised Saints O they are in a saved condition those to whom Christ hath given faith O they have cause to rejoyce overmore they have cause to be filled with Joy and peace Joy unspeakable and full of glory What if they are reproached and persecuted for the name and sake of CHRIST their Saviour their Husband their All in the delight of their soules yet they are happy and they shall never perish but they shall one day be freed from all these enemies and when Christ who is their life shall appeare they shall appeare with him in glory that Christ who is lifted up high in their hearts in their souls here will lift them up one day as high as himselfe in glory above devill above men above sin and set them with himself where they shall enjoy pleasure without sorrow felowship without mixture and sing prayses and Halelujahs without end FINIS
Being of corruption So 1 John 1.18 If wee say we have no sin we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us now consider beloved is not the power of fin destroyed in thee Dost thou not looke upon it as thine enemy wouldst thou not be rid of it O that is thy desire why then be not dismayed it is the condition of all the Saints to have sin raging in them Christ hath destroyed the power of sin it shall not reigne over you Rom. 6.14 3 Christ thy High-priest will have thee to live in and upon him out of and above thy self therefore he is pleased to let alone in the Saints A prick in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet them he will have thee to fetch all from himself Col. 3.3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God dead to sin and dead in your selves not able to act or do any thing but as you are carried on by the power of God John 15.5 Without me you can do nothing Christ is and will be all and in all to your souls Col. 3.11 If all sin in the Saints were subdued and they made perfect in this life I mean pesonally perfect otherwise they could not live by faith upon another so should not be in a dependencie upon Christ this was Adams condition and he quickly lost it but it is the wisdom of God and it is much for our good to keep as always in a dependencie upon himselfe where our stock remains for our life our consolation our salvation it is all hid with Christ in God and therefore it is sure although we have not the full enjoyment of it in this world God keeps his people always in a way of believing and so causes them to live by faith and when they are made meet for such a way namely perfection perfect freedome from all sin that is when Christ shall change their vile bodies and give them glorious bodies then they shall be made like unto Christ but not before Phil. 3.22 Iohn 3.2 O consider of it I beseech you brethren you would fain be glorified in a state of mortality what need of faith then this is one end why God gives faith unto his people that they might live comfortably in their patient expectation of what God hath promised Heb. 10.35 36. Chap. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen not seen with a carnall eye not enjoyed-after a carnall manner but eyed by faith and expected by hope and so comfortably waited for Esay 28.16 He that believeth maketh not hast therefore that which you and I have to look to is this whether Christ be ours whatif there be lust and corruptions if thou hast Christ he is thy life 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life if thou hast the Son thou hast life he is thy life and in him it is thou art to live he it is that is thy fulnesse thy all and in all The second thing that troubles the Saints is their inabilities to performe duties O thou canst not pray without sin thou canst not performe any duty as thou wouldest and shouldest thou canst say as the Apostle When I would doe good evill is present and for to remedy this consider and bee sure of these two things 1 That Christ hath done all for thee so that thou art not to look to thine own righteousnesse that righteousnesse that is of the Law but the righteousnesse that is of God through faith Phil. 3.9 What doth trouble thee poor soule ô thou canst not pray that troubles thee Why considerfirst Christ hath trayed for thee Iohn 17.9 and certainly he was heardin all things that he prayed for his Prayer stands effectuall for every believer to the end of the world 2 He by his spirit makes intercession in thee Rom. 8.26 with sighes and groans which cannot be expressed 3 He makes thy prayer acceptable presented in his name Ioh. 16.23 Whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you look upon Christ thou shalt see him performing all righteousnesse for thee that art in thy self unrighteous doing all for thee that canst do nothing for thy selfe he hath prayed for thee that canst not pray nay he doth still breath in by his spirit into thy soule sight desirings groanings and somtimes expressions and then accepts of his own work is thee 3 What ever thy weaknesse is he passes it by and pardons it see Micah 7.18 19 20. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth the iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people thou maist think God hideth his face from thee when thou seest thy Iusts to be strong and prevailing but he will turn again he will have compassion on thee he will subdue thine iniquities c. see the Covenant of grace that Covenant which Christ hath purchased with his blouse Heb. 10.29 see Heb. 8.12 For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and their unrighteousnesse will I remember no more thou art afraid thou art so dead so unprofitable so unlike Christ that he will not own thee but be assured it is a part of the Covenant of grace in the administration of it to pardon all thy sins 1 Iohn 2.2 If we sin we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous who is a propitiation for our sins Christ is thine advocate to plead thy case look to Christ who is thy propitiation thy peace Object O but I have a cursed wicked nature there is nothing in it that is good I cannot pray nor performe duties certainly now Christ hath shewn mercie to me and made a difference between me and the world he expects somthing at my hands answerable to his mercie Ans 1 It was the condition of the Apostle Paul Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing thou hast nothing that is good in thee it is true no more had the Apostle Paul When I would doe good evill is present c. thou canst not pray nor performe that good thou wouldest no more could the Apostle v. 19. for the good that I would doe I doe not that is I doe it not as I would doe free from sin from corruption evill is present O this is thy case I know it is and this was the case of the Apostle Paul it is my case and shall be thine while thou and I live in this world 2 I answer Christ Jesus knew very well before ever he gave his life and bloud for thee a Sacrifice for sin that thou wouldest have a cursed nature a disposition in thee to that which is evill even after he had manifested his love unto thee he knew that thou wouldest not be able to pray or performe any duty without sin nay he never intended it should be otherwise with thee or me while we are in this world and that is the reason he gives us such
comfortable words to assure us that those corruptions committed after faith shall be pardoned Heb. 8.12 for these sins are indeed contrary to the holy and pure nature of God but hee pardons them and now dost think that Christ would give his life and bloud for thee when thou wast an enemy to him and so reconcile thee to himselfe and Father and now when he findes sin and corruption in thee inabilities to performe holy duties c. which he knew would be in thee before doest think he will now reject thee and cast thee off no no he will not cast thee off do not think it nay know it that God expected no better of thee he knew that thou wouldest have a vain foolish minde full of passion pride and the like farther then he gave thee power to subdue it he knew that without him thou canst doe nothing Iohn 15.5 ô therefore be not discouraged look to the Lord Jesus thy High-Priest who hath reconciled thee when thou wert an enemy Rom. 5.8 9. But God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more now being justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him ver 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved 3 A Third thing that many times troubles the Saints it is those temptations and persecutions they are lyable to in this world for the name and sake of Christ For this I shall propound these five considerations as remedies all flowing from Christ our great High-Priest 1 Consider that he hath made the salvation of every believer sure Esay 55.3 The Covenant God makes with his people is the sure mercie of David I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David that is of Christ It is sure the devill may rage and men may rage but they shall never be able to prevail Mat. 16.18 The gates of hell shall not prevail c. Feare not hell thy High-priest hath the keyes of death and hell there shall not one soule goe in there more then Christ thy High-priest permits therefore feare not him that can imprison banish kill the body and cannot kill the soule but feare him that can kill both body and soule be not afraid to confesse Christ before men and devils they shall never be able to separate between God and thy soule see the confidence of the Apostle Paul and this was his comfort and this will be thy comfort Rom. 8.35 38 39. Who shall separate us from the love of God I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord true it is afflictions will come stormes and tempests will arise but you being founded upon the rock Christ Jesus shall stand see Mat. 25. The raine discended and the flouds came and the winde blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock a poor weak soule carryed out of it selfe to Christ built wholly upon him shall stand when perhaps some that have seemed to be far more glorious professors building upon the sand upon duties and professions shall fall 2 Consider that Christ thy High-priest hath gone before thee in every condition therefore it follows Heb. 4.15 He was in all points tempted like unto us yet without sin O how should the consideration of this helpe thee through thy temptations art troubled with sin so was Christ with thy sin yet himself without sin he was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 yea and a curse for sin too and that thou shalt never be Gal. 3.13 art troubled with the Devill with temptations it may be to pride to the world c. so was Christ Mat. 4. Art persecuted so was Christ art contradicted of sinners so was Christ Heb. 12 3. art mocked scorned set out at nought so was Christ John 8.48 52. art accused perhaps for an Incendiary or pervertor of the City of the Nation so was Christ Luke 23.2 They began to accuse him saying we found this fellow perverting the Nation 3 Consider that Christ hath not only gone before in the Saints sufferings whereby hee is sensible and feelingly sensible of all the Saints sufferings but hee goes with them into their sufferings Consider Christ will be as deep in thy affliction as thy self hee takes all as done to himself Acts 9. Saul Saul why persecutest thou Me. Christ wil go with thee into thy affliction Esay 41.3 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not over flow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt and Esay 41.10 Feare not for I am with thee what to do not for nothing I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse and this you see verified Dan. 3.25 Acts 12.7 8 6.25 in all which Christ manifested his gracious presence both for support and preservation 4 Use Is a word of consolation beloved all the Saints consolation flows frō the manifestation of Gods love in Christ their High-priest Many are the consolations that issues forth to the Saints from this full fountain of grace all received in by faith a Christians justification which he receives by faith it comes in by the bloud of CHRIST Romans 5.9 Beloved it is Christ dying that is a Christians justification Rom. 8.33 and that is the reason why the Apostle is so carefull to make known a crucified Christ 1 Co. 15.3 Christ dying for sin because it was the first truth to be received for a sinners justification but now beloved supposing I speak to those that have received this dying Christ as their alone justification I shall rather passe this first particular and come to speak of the true effects of this receiving Christ and all flows from Christ as our High-priest The first is reconciliation and peace with God every man and woman that have indeed received Christ in a way of believing as they are justified so they have peace with God this is a truth the Lord helpe you to see it Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And this peace Christ hath made for us by his bloud Col. 1.20 And having made peace by the bloud of his crosse c. this is a sweet mercy a rich grace for a poore sinfull creature to be reconciled to and made one with the God of Heaven think upon it beloved is not this a ground of consolation now God has nothing against thee to whom he hath given faith in his Son although it is true the Devill hee