and do rest my soule on thy precious blood trusting that it was shed for the remission of my sins I have taken thee to be my Christ and therefore I commit the answering of my sinful debt to thy full satisfaction and sufferings Put the case to a beleeving heart you have many sinful debts to answer for sinnes before conversion and sinnes after conversion sins of ignorance and sinnes of knowledge these sinnes have that in them which bindes you over to wrath and curse now to whom doth it belong to pardon these sinnes your soul answers to God Who can forgive sinnes but God only And I even I am he that blotteth out thy sins c. yea but for whose sake will God pardon them the soul answers onely for Christ Jesus sake for he did shed his blood for their remission and therefore faith goes with the soul to Christ and saith O blessed Saviour thy blood was shed for the remission of sinnes and thou hast invited all that are heavy laden to come unto thee and thou wilt ease them Thou sayest if any man sinne 1 John 2. 1. he hath an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for sinnes Now I am thus and thus sinful and these guilts lie upon my conscience I am never able to get them to be pardoned for any thing in me but I do put my soul upon thee and do trust to thee to get off these sinnes I put them on thy account yea all of them and do beleeve that in thy blood they shall be pardoned c. SECT VII NOw for the second thing which faith looks on in Christ and that is Righteousnesse Beloved this know that God doth never Justifie a man nor will ever save a man who hath not a perfect Righteousnesse for he is a Righteous God and will not pronounce the sinner guiltlesse his Law and Justice must be satisfied in all points or else the sinner shall never come to heaven Now the soul of a person is marvellously distressed when it seriously thinks of this How shall I stand before the great and holy God another day being by nature so wholly sinful and at the best being but defectively and imperfectly good But faith in this case brings the soul to Christ and in him it findes a most perfect and absolute righteousnesse For whom saith the scrupulous soul for thee saith Faith what for me yea for thee for the Scripture saith That Christ was made the righteousnesse of 1 Cor. 1. 30. God for us and that he was made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So that if thou wouldst 2 Cor. 5. 21. have such a righteousnesse as may answer the Law and satisfie God and which God will accept for Justification Thou must by faith get out of thy self and lay hold on that righteousness which is in Christ As Paul I account all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith Phil. 3. 8 9. There is a twofold righteousnesse One inherent which is in us and this imperfect it can never justifie us in the sight of God Another is imputed which is not in us yet it is for us And this is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ both in his nature and in his obedience Active and Passive which God reckons unto him who doth beleeve in Christ of which the Apostle abundantly in Rom. 4. 12. c. 5. on this doth faith rest only in the matter of justication Though inherent righteousnesse be absolutely required to salvation yet no righteousnesse but that only which is Christs and is imputed to beleevers is the matter of our justification When a sinner comes to account it with God he can never say Lord Lo here I am see if there be any sin in my person or defect in my holinesse I will expostulate with thee upon bare termes I have not offended thee or if I have here 's grace enough to answer for me my heart is wholly cleane my duties at all times in every respect for matter and manner have been performed just as thou requirest in thy holy Law enter into judgement with me if thou pleasest I will be tryed by my own holinesse by my own goodnesse O no there can be no such thing no sinner can be pronounced just this way ever the Saints must cast their crowns to the ground and give glory to the Lamb who only is worthy For when we come to the point of justification before God we must renounce our own righteousnesse as filthy rags we must cry out enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified But as they who were in danger fled to the hornes of the Altar for their lives so must we if we would be justified fly by faith to the Altar of Christs perfect righteousnesse and so doth faith when it would present the person of a sinner perfect and unblameable before God It doth bring him unto Christ and saith before God I beleeve in him to be the Lord my righteousnesse CHAP. VII How it may appeare that to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved BEfore I give you the Arguments or Reasons to evince this I must premise some particulars viz. First That beleeving or faith may be considered four wayes either 1. Absolutely as a simple habit or quality of grace apt to change the unbelievingnesse of the heart and to send forth the acts of trusting and acceptance 3. Premises Thus faith is not the only way of salvation partly because other habits are required as well as faith and partly because there is not in faith absolutely considered any meritorious dignity of it self to challenge salvation We say that a Ring is worth a hundred pound not absolutely considered not that the gold which makes the Ring amounts to that value but in respect of the Diamond set in that Ring so faith is a grace of wonderful price much more precious then gold Not so much in respect of it self as if it did by its own natural dignity cause our Justification and salvation but in respect of Christ whose person it takes and on whose righteousnesse it doth rely so though this be true we are justified by faith yet this is as true we are not justified for faith but for Christ on whom faith doth trust 2. Actually that is for the very act of beleeving Arminius and Birtius and some of that cut do say That not the righteousnesse of Christ is that which justifieth but the act of beleeving on it is that which is imputed in our Justification A righteousnesse of Christ they do grant but 't is the act of our beleeving on this which by divine acceptation or favour is imputed for
the inward frame of the heart but an action changing the great estimation of the person as when one of a bond-man is made free this alters the state but not the nature of the person when a gilty person is pardoned by his Prince this alters not his nature but it doth alter his condition he is now in the state of life who before was in the state of death So is it in justification it is such an action which alters the state that is the man who is in the state of wrath and condemnation being justified is now acquitted and so passed into the state of life and salvation A man who before was guilty of sin and damnation the same man remaining a sinner in himself and in himself worthy of damnation is in his justification absolved from the gilt of sin and accepted as righteous in Christ and is passed into the state of salvation We deny not but the blood and the water goes together that is whom God justifieth by the blood of Christ him also he sanctifieth and washeth by the Spirit of Christ but the action of the blood is one thing and the action of the water is another thing The light and heat in the fire go together yet the action of light is not the action of heat So here The action of the blood is a justifying action and this is without us yet for us and of us The action of the water is a sanctifying action and this is for us and in us too SECT III. THe person justified is a believing sinner the Apostle is clear Rom. 4. 5. To him that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse There is great dispute which is first of Faith or Justification to me now it seemes a fruitlesse trouble to molest our selves with priorities in this kinde I conceive we may distinguish 'twixt the purchase of our Justification which was long ago in the blood of Christ He was a Lamb slaine long since for to merit the remission of sinnes neither doth he now begin his merit who hath heretofore performed it Secondly 'twixt the imputation of that purchase It is true whiles I am an unbelieving person my justification is already as a purchase but untill I believe God imputes it not unto me My meaning is this there is a righteousnesse of Christ which hath deserved pardon of sinne before ever I believe nay be before ever I was borne but God imputes this over to me when I believe as soon as ever I take Christ by faith God imputes the righteousnesse of Christ unto me and will not impute my sinnes to me And Scripture is open enough for this we reading so constantly in the New-Testament for men to come in and believe that they may have remission of sinnes in the blood of Christ and through him also eternal life I only propound this scruple whether faith be to deale with the person of Christ first or with his benefits first Surely we say with his person and then with his portion well then if faith deales with the person of Christ immediately then it appears that a man must believe and so be justified forasmuch as justification is an action of God imputing the righteousnesse of Christ and not imputing sin which are the generall benefits as I may so speak of Christ It is not handsome to conceive that God should first pardon me and then I believe or that I should have the righteousnesse of Christ before I have Christ himself which must be if there be a priority of justification before faith For my part I conjecture that they are Semultaneous things that is they go both together If yet any men will be acute let them be so The perill is little on either side so that I have faith and then am justified or so that I am justified and then have faith or so that I have faith to be justified will in the substance and event redound all to one SECT IV. REmission of sinnes belong to justification that is when God justifieth the person he doth absolve or forgive him his sins There be in sin two things One is the staine pollution defilement of it and corrupt inclination Two things in sin with this Justification deales not but Sanctification Another is the gilt and punishment and with this doth Justification deal Suppose you saw a sick thief there are two sorts of persons to deal with him a Physitian because he is sick and a Judge because he is a thief If the Judge acquit or pardon him this clears him as a thief and guilty person if the Physitian heal and cure him this respects him as a sick and diseased person the case is our own Now I say that God in justification remits or absolves the sinner Two things are here considerable First quid secondly quousque Remission what First quid what this remission is I answer it is an exempting of the sinner from guilt redounding to punishment If any man sin guilt cleaves universally to the sin but then in Justification it shall not be imputed it shall be taken away in respect of efficacy and redundancy Suppose a person areigned and cast for a murder and the King graciously steps in and pardons him though this pardon makes not the murder formally to be no murder and though it makes not the murder now meritoriously deadly yet it doth hold off the efficacy of that gilt that now it shall not prove death to this person because he pardons him So in Justification where God pardons the sinner he doth not make sinne to be no sinne or that there should not be any natural condemnability in sinne but that it shall not effectually redound to the death and damnation and hell of the person whom he hath acquitted for Christ Secondly quousque How farre remission of sinnes extend in Justification There is a twofold remission A twofold remission One particular which is circumscribed to some particular facts and is ordinary in the Courts of humane Princes who limit and restreine their discharges of offenders Another universall which reacheth to the whole estate of gilt now this I take as sure that whomsoever God justifieth he will forgive unto him all his sinnes All his sinnes Jer. 33. â— before conversion and all his sinnes after conversion But whither this forgiving of all be once for all simul semel as they speak I am not able to speak my thoughts fully It is true I confesse and embrace that opinion that justification is not a divided act it is not repeated over and over and over but it is one act only but whither it be one transient act as if all were dashed out with a pen or whither it be one continued act is very disputable The Scripture leanes much to this latter and therefore describes God to be a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sinnes importing a course of pardoning and not a momentany act Againe it is hard
to utter how God doth forgive a sinner before he hath sinned which must be if pardon for all sins be a momentany act Yet I had rather captivate my judgment then occasion dispute only remember two things First no doubt but the justified person shall have every sin pardoned not some only but all Secondly justification doth not admit degrees though it may a continuance The righteousnesse and merit of Christ which is our justification is not more or lesse but is at all times one and most perfect SECT V. THe righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is that by which only we are justified The righteousnesse of Christ is the matter of our justification not the essential righteousnesse of his God-head but the righteousnesse of Christ as Mediator both God and man which was either The habitual holinesse of his Person in the absence of all sinne and in the rich and plentiful presence of all holy and requisite qualities Or the actual holinesse of his life and death by obedience the once perfectly fulfilling the commands and by the passive obedience of the other voluntarily suffering the penalty and commination of the Law for transgressions Now all this righteousnesse is imputed to us in justification For First no other righteousnesse can justifie Secondly as Christ was made sinne for us so we are made righteousnesse by him viz. only by imputation The Papists call upon us for a righteousnesse in Justification they will bring one forth of their hearts and good works Menstruous cloths saith the Scripture but we produce a righteousnesse most full perfect every way exact not in us but in Christ yet imputed to us by God How clear is the Scripture for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Jer. 23. 6. The Lord our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ Jesus is made unto us of God c. righteousnesse How often doth the Apostle peculiarly interest imputed righteousnesse handling the doctrine of Justification Rom. 4. But the Apostle clears all Rom. 5. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Adae peccatum imputabitur mihi Christi justitia non pertinebit ad me said Bernard Object But Christs righteousnesse is His and how can it present us righteous before God It is none of ours Sol. First it is his in respect of Inhaesion but it is ours in respect of imputation His personally ours meritoriously Secondly we may be considered two wayes either absolutely 〈…〉 for me and alone or else as conjoyned with Christ and thus being by faith made one with Christ he makes over his righteousnesse unto us upon which God looks as ours in the matter of justification Ob. But if Christs righteousnesse becomes ours so by imputation that we may be truly accounted and accepted of as righteous Then by the like reason because redemption is made ours we may likewise be reputed true Redeemers and Saviours Sol. This is one of the arrows which Bellarmine draws out of his Quiver against the imputation of Christs righteousnesse but it is of no force For he is to be termed a Redeemer and Saviour not who doth receive and take the redemption and salvation procured by another but who brings redemption and salvation we are by the Redemption of Christ truly said to be redeemed though not our Redeemers and so by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse are we truly accounted righteous persons Obj. Againe if the righteousnesse of Christ be so imputed to us in justification that for it we are accounted perfectly righteous as if it were our own most perfect and intrinsecal Then why may not we be accounted as righteous as Christ yea and having Christs righteousnesse why may we not be the Saviours of men Since that is the righteousnesse which doth save all that are saved Sol. I answer To compare the same righteousnesse with the same is illogical and grosse for it is one and the same righteousnesse which is inherent in Christ and imputed to the beleeving soule Secondly the righteousnesse of Christ is not imputed to any particular beleever according to the whole latitude of its efficacy but according to the particular exigence of the person It is not imputed to Paul as the general price of redemption for all but as the price by which his soul in particular is redeemed These things being dispatched there is a difference amongst some Divines about that righteousnesse which is imputed some holding the passive onely others the active and passive Sol. The latter seems most solid Reasons these First there is no Justification without the fulfilling the whole Law but now to the fulfilling of the Law since the fall of Adam two things are required one is perfect and personal conformity to the Law in answering that active condition of it Do this and live Another is a plenary satisfaction to the sentence of the Law by bearing the penalty therein denounced in regard of sins already committed Secondly Again faith doth not abrogate the Law but establish it but if it should teach justification without Christs fulfilling of the Law it should abrogate the Law SECT VI. THe last thing which I should have inserted before is this That the justification of a sinner is a gracious and just action It is a gracious action that is the gracious love and favour of God was the cause of it It was his own free grace and favour that gave Christ his Sonne to be our righteousnesse and it is his free grace to give us faith to beleeve on his Son and when we do beleeve it is his Grace which imputeth unto us the righteousnesse of Christ Secondly it is a just and righteous action Rom. 3. 25 26. That he might be just and the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus Gods justice is such that he will forgive no man his sinnes for which he is not perfectly satisfied neither will he accept of any as righteous who hath not a personal righteousnesse but having received a perfect satisfaction he will acquit the sinner beleeving for he is just and righteous and his Justice will not make a second demand yet here is the graciousnesse of God which will admit of the satisfaction and of the righteousnesse of another for us CHAP. X. The difficulty of beleeving in Jesus Christ A Second Use from this great assertion shall be to put our selves to a Tryal and Examination If to Vse 2 beleeve in Jesus Christ our Lord be the only way to be saved Then it doth much concerne us to search our selves whether we do beleeve indeed in Iesus Christ There are three things which I will premise as so many grounds why we should put our selves upon this enquiry and then I will give unto you the discoveries themselves The premises are these First the difficulty of beleeving in Jesus Christ Secondly the facility of errour
enemy to deal with It is thy Father to whom thou art bending the knee 3. He hath a mighty intercessor look as Jesus Christ is the mighty Redeemer for the persons of men so he is the mighty intercessor for the services of men and he ever lives to make intercession If thy wants be never so great yet thy God is able to supply them and if thy infirmities be never so many yet thy intercessor is able to cover and expiate them Thy services as thine â— carry with them a prejudice there was iniquity in the holy offering but then Aaron did bear the iniquity of them so thy Priest thy Christ thy intercessor he doth take off by the Application of his merits whatsoever is amisse and offensive and he doth ingratiate thy requests and procures audience and acceptance for thee Therefore now if thou be a beleever then in thy prayers come confidently to God if thou canst finde a promise and a Christ and a faith thou mayest cheerfully put up thy petitions to heaven What should hinder us from being confident Is God unwilling No he hath engated himself unto thee Is God unable Why He is able to do abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think Doest thou feare thy own distance Why but thou comest to a Father and thou comest by the blood of a gracious of a beloved of a powerful Mediator and Intercessor Hebrews 4. Having such an High Priest we may come boldly to the throne of grace See Heb. 10. Doest thou feare because of enmity Christ hath slaine that or because of infirmity Christ will cure that CHAP. XV. The Agreement and difference of strong and weak faith BUt now some may reply These are sweet comforts Obj. to beleevers but as the Eunuch to Philip of whom speaks the Prophet this of himselfe or of some other So here why to whom are these comforts to all or to some choice beleevers are they common comforts to every beleever or peculiar to the eminent and strong only This scruple hath made way for a singular point I will satisfie it by opening four particulars Sol. 1. The common unity of all true faith in respect of the habit yet the intensive diversity in respect of acts and degrees 2. The proofs of a strong faith with the instances of a weak faith in truth 3. The concordance of faith in all fundamental Comforts 4. The inequality of strong and weak faith in many true yet not essential consequences and consolations Concerning the first which respects the common unity of faith in respect of the habit and the diversity of it in respect of the acts and degrees Observe these things for the unity of faith SECT I. FIrst that all true faith though in a comparison of faith with faith in several subjects it may admit of several diversities and differences yet they consent and agree in these things viz. First in the immediate and special cause weak faith as faith comes not from one cause and strong faith from another cause but both the one and the other from one and the same cause viz. the blessed Spirit of God Not onely the flames but the sparks of fire are kindled by that Spirit which blows where it lists As in the Orchard the tree which stands strong and the tender plant which stands trembling both of them were at first set by one and the same hand so the faith which is now well grown and that faith which is as yet tender and full of doubtings both of them are the peculiar fruits of Gods sanctifying Spirit Though this childe in the cradle cannot runne and move as well as that in the field at work yet the father begat the one as well as the other and owns them both by vertue of one equal relation The day of small things are not despised by God who sees weaknesse in the strongest Faith and Truth in the weakest and is the Parent both of this and that 2. In the remote and singular cause You know that Gods free grace and love is the first wheele of all singular good unto men out of it came that great gift of Christ and that great work of Election from whence doth flow all the graces which sanctifie and bring to glory As many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Now all faith is a drop out of this fountaine the weak faith is a fruit of that great love of God Acts 13. 48. electing us in Christ as well as the strong and is though not so sensibly evident yet as really a true testimony of our election The reason whereof is this not grace restrictively considered but grace in the whole latitude of it is the fruit of Gods election my meaning is this not only Graces as eminent as raised and elevated to some more perfect quality and pitch but grace in the whole compasse of it from the conception of it to the perfection of it from the dawning to the full day from the nature to the act from the acts to the degrees all of it in nature in parts in totum solidum all of it whether more or lesse strong or weak all is out of the same grace of Election It was not one love which elected him who is therefore now strong in beleeving with Abraham and another love which elected him who is now weak in beleeving with the father of the childe No but it was one and the self-same love which produced this and that faith yea that electing love was intensively one in producing of both It was as equally high towards this person as towards that and was as equally causative of the faith that is weak as of the faith which is strong being habitually considered and also in relation to the grace of Gods love in election 3. In the ordinary and usual instrumental cause the same womb of the word brought them both forth being efficaciously assisted by that Almighty Spirit That word which discovered misery and impotency and necessity to the one did so to the other That word which revealed the Covenant of grace and mercy in Christ to the one did so to the other beleever also That word which did assure the one that if he would come in and accept of Christ be should be saved did also of this assure the other That word which did encline the heart of the one to trust upon Gods promise and so to accept of Christ did likewise being quickened with the same Spirit draw and perswade the other 4. In the lively nature of beleeving look as the strong and weak man though they do differ in the measure of power yet they do agree in the nature of man though they differ in respect of working yet they agree in respect of being And as the sick man and the healthy man though they vary in their temper yet they agree in their nature though they differ in livelihood yet not in life So though the strong and weak faith differ exceedingly in
she yea the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table As if she might say Be it so Lord Jesus I am no better then a dogge an unworthy creature yet let me have the compassions to a dogge though not plenty yet the crumbs Now what saith Christ of her Then Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith Remember it that the faith which can bring up the soul which can lead it up to heaven against discouragements Though God doth not answer yet I will seek though he kill me yet I will trust in him I say such a faith is strong an expostulating faith a faith which will make the soul to presse on after denials Job after suspensions it is come to a great measure of faith which will not be answered or will not be gone a faith that will not let God go or Christ until it speed Jacob was as a wrestler he would not let God go except he blessed him A faith that can dispute it much with God which will in a holy reasoning take and urge God with God and will so enforce the promises on him which he hath made that God is even faine to yeild Be it unto thee as thou wilt this is faith ripened 3. The more entirely the soul is carried to expectation from the sole strength of a Divine promise the greater and the stronger is that faith As in Abrahams case He wanted a sonne and God promised him an Isaac Abraham did not now stagger through unbelief he did not consult the truth of it from his own natural abilities How unable he was that he neglected but how able God was to perform his own word upon this his faith did pitch And for this the text saith that he was strong in faith Rom. 4. 20. Remember this that the more sensible helps the soul needs to draw out the act of beleeving the weaker is the faith as the man is judged to be very weak who cannot go without many crutches and holdings But the more strength a naked promise hath with the soule when it alone puts life and quietnesse into us now faith is grown As David said The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me So when we can quash all our troubles with the sight of a promise I have Gods word for my pardon his word for my help his Word for my comfort I desire no better pay-master then God no better security then his own promise though all things stand contrary in sense and feeling yet all is sure in Gods promise and there I will settle this argues a great faith 4. The more ability a man hath to deny himself in neare and great occurrences the greater is his faith Abraham in leaving of his countrey parting with Isaac The more easily we can beleeve great things and part with great things the stronger is our faith There is nothing more hard then to give up a mans self There is a threefold self First his sinful self in respect of old and dear sins Secondly his natural self in respect of the separation of soul and body Thirdly his temporal self in respect of the comforts of this life And it must be a strong faith which must enable to strong denials of our selves when a thing comes nearer to the quick either when God denies a man a special comfort or draws off from him a special comfort now to submit now to be quiet I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me said Paul I know how to want and how to abound to be exalted and to be abased I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be contented To have the heart pleased with Christ alone and satisfied with his presence mark it the more entirely that the soul makes up its state in Christ and the lesse power that the world imprints upon the heart in its changes this imports the faith is come to strength Strong faith is like a strong tree which holds its body unmovable against great tempests but weak faith is like a plant which every winde makes almost to touch the ground Fifthly the weaker the arguments of distrust grow in the heart this is a signe that the faith is got to a strength This I conjecture that the strength or weaknesse of faith is not to be judged by the multiplicity of distrustful arguments but by the force and efficacy of them It is possible that manifold arguments of feare and doubts may present themselves to the minde of a strong beleever as well as unto the judgement of a weak beleever but then if faith be strong it doth weigh them down it doth prevaile over them that is it brings the soul to Christ it cleaves still unto him The soul maintaines its title to Christ and owns God in his promises it will not cast away its hope nor its strength wherein the soul can habitually foyle the reasonings which crosse its way and can cleare up and vindicate its state what God is to it and Christ is to it and what it hath received from them this is an argument that it is not weak but strong Sixthly the more easie compliance with change of a mans condition is an evidence of a faith which is more strong There are several changes incident to mans temporal life the Moon sometimes is ful and anon it is in the Eclipse our sea doth ebb and flow sometimes prosperity like the candle of the Lord shines upon us by and by adversity like the winde blows out the candle sometimes we abound and our mountaine seemes strong anon we are stript and our mountaine is shaked one while health and presence of friends another while sicknesse and losse of all Now in these changes not to be changed like the ship right up in a calme but tossing and reeling in a storme but to be as the rock fixed and setled holding up and rejoycing in the God of our salvation and encouraging our selves in the Lord our God and willing to be any thing in any condition yea to blesse God for all as Job did If I die I shall go to God If I live I will serve my God If I enjoy I will be fruitful If I want I will be thankful The more Passive the heart is the more active and strong the faith is Paul had been learning that lesson In every state therewith to be content O when a Christian can comply with contrary states not through an insensiblenesse of Spirit but from an apprehension and approbation of divine wisdome goodnesse love and authority his faith is singularly cleared and well improved 7. The more satisfaction and quiescence that the soul hath in Christ alone the greater is the faith when a naked Christ is the centre and loadstone and the All in all As the Sunne to make day I desire to know nothing but Christ crucified said Paul 1 Cor. 2. 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there
in thy stead and answered Justice for all thy sins 3. Divine justice will not desire a double satisfaction It will not require satisfaction from thee and from thy surety too The quarrel ceaseth 'twixt thee and God for Christ hath by his own blood taken that up As Elihu spake of uprightnesse that I say of believing in the Lord Jesus if thou doest then the Lord will be gracious unto thee and will say deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransome Job 33. 23 24. Obj. But I who am I so totally unworthy there is nothing in me to move Christ to engratiate me he will never bestow himself on such an one as I am will ever Christ look on such a dead dog as I am I answer to this 1. Personal unworthinesse it is no prejudice You read in Mat. 7. Things 8. 8. that the Centurion came to Christ for his servant and believed on him and sped well Yea will you say but he was worthy nay he professeth the Obj. contrary Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Sol. as if he should say I have nothing in me to demerit and challenge this gracious act of thine nothing and yet I believe that thou canst and wilt heal my servant so the Prodigal I am not worthy to be c. 2. Nay the humble sense of our unworthinesse it is a furtherance Christ doth not expect any excellencies and meritorious motives from thee thou must come unto him as an empty vessel the full soul and the sound spirit is not for him bring a soul to Christ which is spread all over with misery and need why such a soul is a proper object for mercy to deal with bring a soul to Christ which is all over with lostnesse with poverty with sicknesse with unworthinesse why this is the soul upon which Christ will look It s never well with a man untill he can take Christ upon his knee upon a bare knee with an empty hand that is till he be brought to be poor in spirit that he is nothing and deserves nothing and begs of Christ to accept of him even for Christs sake The Lord be merciful to me a sinner went home justified when the thank God I am not as other men returned as he came a proud Pharisee You shall finde it thus that God looks most on him who looks least on himself The humble and contrite spirits which are broken out of themselves and can cry out O Lord I am really vile and mostly unworthy These the high God who inhabits the lofty places doth behold And Christ is ready to take him by the hand who thinks himself unworthy to touch his feet There are two tempers which like Christ well one is a beleeving heart and another an humble soul 3. Personal worthinesse is not the motive nor designed ground for faith in Christ The ground of belief that which invites the soul to draw on it self to Christ is no deserving or eminent quality in our selves but the goodnesse and fidelity of the promise and the gracious offer of Christ himself to the soul Behold he calls thee why this is enough if thou canst finde God holding forth the golden Scepter offering Christ unto thee upon such and such termes and thou consent unto them with all thy heart thou mayest confidently close and lay hold on Christ by faith This is the wise skill of a Christian truly to observe the proper rise of faith When God promised Abraham a son the text saith he did not consider his own body Rom. 4 19. that is he did not consult with the strength of his own nature what an able principle there was in himself to compass such an effect but he was fully perswaded that what God had promised that he was able to performe The ability and fidelity of Gods promise exceedingly enclined his heart to believe So is it here about faith in Christ if thou doest consider thy own body thy own deserts thy own excellencies thou shalt never beleeve for faith can finde no ground in these to encourage the soul but the ground of faith is without our selves Why God offers me Christ and Christ calls me unto him being heavy laden and he saith that he who beleeves in him shall have eternal life Now this is a word of truth and this word of his is worthy of all acceptation I will venture my soul upon it It is with faith as with a bird cast him into the water he cannot flie that element is too grosse for him he cannot gather and beat his wings there and therefore is kept down but cast him into the aire which is a more pure element then he can clap and â—pread the wings and mount why faith is the wing of the soul and the promise is that spiritual element that aire which breaths a life and motion to faith faith is raised by it alone and it is checked and hindered whiles the soul would force it to act it self upon those poor and grosse excellencies in our selves Faith desires no better object then Christ nor suâ—â—r pawnes then Gods promâ—se Fourthly to receive Christ by faith it is not a matter of merit but a point of duty When God commands a sinner to repent and to forsake his sinnes and take him he shall have mercy iâ—â—e will do it This may not now be said O Lord I am not worthy to obey thee in this duty if I were worthy to repeâ—t I would repent nay but O man divine commands are to be obeyed it is thy duty to repent So God commands the soul to beleeve in Christ to accept of him The soul now looks on the excellencies of the gift but forgets the obligation of duty It s true Christ is a most excellent gift and blessing there is not such a thing in all the world for a poore sinner as Christ but then know that his excellencies may not take thee off from thy duty This is his Commandment that we beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Brethren you are mistaken to beleeve in Christ being proposed unto us in the Gospel it is not a matter of indifferency I may or I may not nor is it a matter of curtesie as if we did a work of supererogation more then God requires nay but it is a matter of conscience a man sinnes he violates a command an evangelical precept if he doth not beleeve It is not a dispute of worthinesse or unworthinesse but it is obedience to the Command which thou art to look upon 5. Christ is given out of rich grace and mercy and love and therefore none can receive him but the unworthy There is this difference 'twixt the reward of Justice and the gift of graciousnesse Justice hath an eye upon the disposition and acts of the person and according unto their qualities and degrees doth it commensurate reward or punishment But graciousnesse hath an eye only upon it self the free
bound for me alas saith he all my estate will not reach or extend to satisfie half of what thou owest Then he goes to another Sir be you pleased to engage your self Alas saith he I am so poore that the Creditor will not take my word Even thus it is when a man will runne to something in himself to justifie him before God alas saith holinesse I am not able enough and saith good works God may finde reason enough to discard us Therefore saith Faith To Christ To Christ None but Christ SECT II. SEcondly All that can justifie and save a man is only to be found in Christ as in the meritorious cause Ergo the only way to be saved is to be beleeve in Jesus Christ Hence is Christ called Heb. 2. 10. The Chaptaine of our salvation Heb. 5. 18. The Author of eternal salvation There be two things which if a man had he should be saved one is the forgivenesse of his sinnes Ergo saith David Ps 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered ver 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Another is the possession of a most compleat righteousnesse by which he might stand and appeare perfectly just before the judgement seat of God so that if divine justice should look on it with the exactest eye yet it were every way unspotted and full Now these two are to be found only in Christ and by him First Remission of sinnes It is the purchase of his blood onely and therefore often in Scripture assigned thereto Thou canst not with all thy teares wipe off meritoriously the least of thy sinnes nor with all thy grace buy out the pardon of thy present failings All Remission is by blood by the only blood of Christ Secondly the righteousnesse which justifies and saves us is only in Christ He is made righteousnesse to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. and Rom. 5. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous see verse 21. Grace reignes through righteousnesse unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. I know that this Point of imputed righteousnesse is the great quarrel 'twixt us and the Church of Rome I shall therefore reserve the handling of it to the Uses where I may more fitly clear our doctrine Now put things together Whatsoever will save us is in Christ And faith is the only grace to conjoyne us with Christ and therefore To believe in Jesus Christ is the only way to saved SECT III. THirdly Salvation is by grace only Eph. 2. 5. Rom. 11. 6. And it is a free gift Rom. 5. 15. The free gift the grace of God and the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many and v. 16. the free gift is of many offences to justification and v. 18. the free gift came upon all men to justification of life Now if it be so then here 's roome for beleeving For Faith brings nothing of its own but receives all as gift from God It is the receiving grace Lord give me thy Son Lord give me the pardon of my sinnes Lord give me a righteousnesse Lord give me eternal life all these things are gifts and faith only receives these gifts Ergo. SECT IV. FOurthly Salvation is only conferr'd in such a way whereby God only may have the glory of it Though God doth bestow great matters on us for our good yet all the end of them is for his own glory To commend the riches of his grace and mercy Ephes 2. 7 8. so v. 9. Not of works least any man should boast that is he should vaunt and say I have got heaven by my own merits I have my wages for my labour and my happinesse for my penny Now the way of beleeving is the only way of acknowledgeing a God and of emptying of our proud imaginations whatsoever faith hath it hath taken the same out of a gracious hand All is almes which comes to faith and it will confesse I have nothing and am nothing but what I have received and what I expect I expect it for his sake who promiseth it not for my sake who receives it and thus faith puts all the glory on God SECT V. FIfthly neither would our salvation be sure nor our comfort sure if we were to be saved any other way then by believing in Jesus Christ Salvation would not be sure because First our happinesse would be no more sure now being in our own hands out of Christs then was Adams left to himself Secondly we would never be sure of salvation by any thing against which God might take just exception No sure comfort because conscience troubled with the sence of sin could never be pacified with imperfections and sins That which will not satisfie God can never pacifie conscience But saith the Apostle Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God faith findes one who was delivered for our offences who pacified God to the utmost who was without spot whose righteousnesse is full imputed to us accepted for us and so hereupon doth graciously quiet and still the heart We must distinguish 'twixt the root and fountaine and ground of our comfort and between the testimonies of our interest in the root of our comfort only Jesus Christ is the ground of a Christians comfort and therefore saith Paul God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ If at any time we behold holinesse or any part of it in our hearts we take comfort in it not as the ground but as in the testimony because it doth manifest our interest in him who is our comfort our peace our joy our salvation our all in all Thus much for the Explication and confirmation of this great assertion viz. That to beleeve in Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation Now I descend to the useful Application of all to our selves CHAP. VIII The preaching and hearing of the Gospel of singular use THe first Use shall be for Information which consists in many profitable consectaries or inferences which will flow from this truth If beleeving in the Lord Jesus Christ be the only way to be saved Then first hence it will follow That the preaching of the Gospel is worthy the while it is of necessary and singular consequence Peruse that place Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Chrict for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth verse 17. for there is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith The Apostle presents two arguments of his honourable estimation and confident preaching of the Gospel 1. One is that it is the power of God to salvation that is it is the instrument which God useth and into which he doth imprint a power to save men It is called the power of
from gilt and condemnation And thus is it for ought I can learn altogether used and sensed in the Scriptures which speak of our justification before God viz. for such an action of God whereby after the manner of a Judge he absolveth and acquitteth an accused person Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth verse 34. Who is he that condemneth where you have a manifest Antithesis or opposition 'twixt justification and condemnation now as condemnation is an action of the Judge a sentence of his pronouncing the person gilty and obnoxious so justification being contrary to it must import an action or sentence acquitting and absolving Yea and again as condemnation most improperly and abusively must be interpreted if we expound it to be a making of a man so and so sinful by infusion so is justification unrightly conceited when men make it to be a making of a person just by infusion of holinesse It is observed that in this kinde of justification viz. which is judicial There are foure persons as it were First the Agent One who begins the suit accuseth layeth such and such things to the charge of another the Apostle said it Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge c. Secondly the Patient the person accused and charged with default and offence and gilt Thirdly the Advocate who endeavours to vindicate the party so charged from the accusation either by declaring the innocency of the person or impleading satisfaction Fourthly the Judge who in justification of that person gives sentence for the person accused according to the valid plea of the Advocate and so absolveth him It is thus in the point of our justification there is Satan accusing and something else There is man accused of sinne and gilt there is Christ interposing and pleading as an advocate by his blood and righteousnesse and there is God as a Judge for Christs sake acquitting and absolving and pronouncing righteous and accepting to everlasting life So then the proper and punctual acception of the word justification is not according to infusion but according to absolution and pronunciation It is not Physical as when a man is made whole but it is judicial as when a man is cleared at the bar He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just they are both an abomination to the Lord Proverbs 17. 15. There is the word againe Not I trust to be expounded by way of infusion that is he who makes a wicked man a good man by impression of righteousnesse is an abomination to God but it is to be expounded by way of judiciary sentence that is he who pronounceth of a wicked man in the Court of Justice as if he were just and reputes him as so and accepts him as so This man is an abomination to the Lord. Now take one distinction and then I will to the nature of Justification There is a twofold Justification A twofold Justification One of the cause and this is a particular kinde of acquittance touching such and such things which are laid to a person perhaps sometimes very unjustly Secondly another of the person when he is throughly purged and absolved now in this respect we speak of justification which I think for the nature of it may be thus defined SECT II. JVstification of a sinner it is a gracious and just action of God whereby he imputing the righteousnesse of Christ to a believing sinner absolveth or acquitteth him from his sins and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heire of eternal life There are diverse things considerable in this description 3. Things in this description First Justification immediately belongs to God it is his action It is God that justifieth saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 33. And who can forgive sins but God only Luk. 5. 21. We well distinguish 'twixt officia and beneficia 'twixt duties and 'twixt blessings duties belong to us but blessings belong to God It is God who is offended and therefore condemnation and absolution belong to him to the Judge not to any other hence saith the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5. 19. not imputing their sin You do well to distinguish of the causes of our Justification There is first the prime cause the Author and this is God the Father who gave his only begotten Son for us and set him forth to be a propitiation for sinne through faith in his blood that all who do believe in him should be justified Rom. 3. 25. And who is the Judge absolving all that believe and pronouncing them just in Christ Secondly The meritorious cause so the Son of God our Mediator is said to justifie us both as our surety in paying our debt and laying down the full price of our redemption Isai 53. 11. thereby affording unto us the matter and merit of our Justification and as our Intercessor and Advocate pleading effectually for us that his merits may be imputed to us Hence is it Isai 53. 11. My righteous servant shall justifie many God the Father justifies as a Judge by way of prime authority and God the Son justifies as a Mediator The Son justifies as a surety paying our debt and giving satisfaction to the Father for us to the utmost and the Father justifieth us as a Creditor fully accepting of that price and satisfaction Thirdly The applying cause and thus the Holy Ghost may be said to justifie in asmuch as he conjoynes Christ and the soul by faith together whence ariseth a participation of the righteousnesse of Christ and the pardon of sin by him Once more distinguish of justification it may be taken two wayes either actively as a judiciary sentence absolving acquitting c. and so we say God justifieth Or Passively as a thing apprehended and rested on and so we say that Faith justifieth not as if faith did acquit but as it takes and receiveth the acquittance not as if faith did impute a righteousnesse but because it receiveth and resteth on the righteousnesse of Christ by God imputed to us now when we say that justification is an Action of God it is meet for you to understand somewhat of the kinde of this action For the actions of God are of different sorts Some which are produced within us and make a reall alteration 2. Sorts of actions and change in the soul of man thus sanctification is an action of God that is such an action of God as is altering the inward frame and qualities of the soul of unholy making them holy of unbelieving making them believing of hard making them soft of earthly making them heavenly c. Others are wrought for us but not in us and though they import a change of the condition and state of the person yet properly and formally they imprint no change in the inward disposition And thus Justification is an action of God not an action changing
acts of self-denial as in Abraham and his unstaggering embracing of a promise against which both reason and sense and nature might have disputed and urged O say they we have no faith Abrahams faith wrought full assurance removed all staggerings our hearts are still doubting we can hardly be perswaded we reel and stagger like the waves now on the shore and then instantly off now we beleeve anon we let go our hold and doubt And hence they uncomfortably conclude against their own souls the utter absence of faith from the defect of some particular and eminent expressions of faith not absolutely as faith but of faith as strong and exceedingly ripened we must not conclude negatively from the degrees to the habit As if one should conclude that he hath no silver in his purse because another hath a bank of many thousands or that he hath no legges to go because he is not so swift as Asahel or that the Sparrow flies not because he cannot mount up to the Sunne with the Eagle or that a child is no man because he cannot expresse the acts of a strong man 4. There are and will be many inward contrarieties to the intrinsecal acts and fruits of faith notwithstanding faith be truly in the soul and works there Faith though it hath the preheminence of other graces in respect of its office being the only Embassador as it were of the soul to Christ yet it hath no priviledge above them in respect of the subject that is in respect of the act and workings of it there but look as every other Grace hath some or other particular corruption opposite to its particular nature and its particular actings So even faith it self hath infidelity and unbelief opposing it both in the quality and in the several exercisings or actings of it There may be flame of the smoak and a hand with shaking and a tree trembling and a faith of doubting Yea if any grace hath the hardnesse of a more general and 〈◊〉 opposition then faith is it it being a grace of general 〈◊〉 and use to fetch in more grace and more strength against aâ—l sinne Now in our trials for faith it will be with us as with the Artificer in his search for the little raies of gold It 's true he shaâ—l finde much drosse here and there and yet if he can finde a very little peece of gold though amidst an heap of drosse he will say this is gold and will preciously esteeme of it and lay it up So when we are searching our hearts by the light of Gods Word for true faith without all doubt we shall meet with many doubtings much unbelief yet if we can finde any one degree of true faith which is more precious then gold we may not cast it away because it is found amongst its contraries but we must cherish and embrace it because the touchstone of the Word hath approved it to be a precious faith For and mark this we are not able to give you any evidences of faith or any other grace by way of abstraction but by way of existence that is not what may discover faith in a notional and the most singularly conceivable profession of it but such testimonies you have to discover faith as faith is now abiding in sinful persons who though they may have true faith yet as long as they live in earth will have many things in them contrary to faith There is a double contrariety to faith A double contrariety One is natural and this more or lesse will be in the soul of any beleeving person tell you can utterly raise the heart and eject sinne by the alteration of glory So long as we have flesh and spirit there will be a conflâ—cting 'twixt faith and unbelief As there was a mixtuâ—e of joy and sorrow at the erecting of the Temple Another is approved when a man neither doth nor will beleeve he neither doth accept of Christ nor will he have Christ to reigne over him and he likes his unbeleeving condition this is a fearful estate But though the contraries to faith do arise yet if they be not approved yet if they be resisted we must not conclude that we have no faith because of the opposition but rather assure our selves that we have it because of the resistance of that opposition We must not conclude against faith because of opposition inward or outward This inequality of acts conclude not an absence of the habit of faith Distinguish of 1. Radical habits 2. Actual exercisings which are sometimes more sometimes lesse sometimes clear sometimes interrupted sometimes the soul is free sometimes oppressed and violently carried by temptation to misjudge the condition The censure of our faith must not be allowed as is given in the time of our temptation and passion c. I said in my haste Psalme 116. Obj. But you will say we grant all this But how may a man know that his faith in Jesus Christ is a true and lively faith Sol. I answer SECT II. FIrst A true love of Christ is an infallible and essential evidence of a true faith in Christ There are foure things which will clear this as a lively testimony 4. Things of true faith If we can prove First that love is not separated from faith Secondly that there is no beleever in any degrees of faith but he hath a love of Christ Thirdly That there is no time or circumstance into which the beleeving soul is cast but still he loves Christ Fourthly that no unbeleeving heart can and doth love Christ I say if we can prove these foure conclusions then it will be most evident and certaine that the love of Christ is an infallible Argument or Testimony of a true faith in Christ Thus then 1. Love is not separated from faith If you peruse the Scripture you shall finde them go hand in hand Gal. 5. 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcission availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which works by love that is Christ is not mine because I am a Jew nor is he mine because I am a Gentile but he is mine because I am a Beleever and if my Faith in him be true it will expresse it self by love I Thes 1. 3. Your work of faith and labour of love in our Lord Jesus Christ Faith and love are like a warm hand faith is the hand and love is the warmth in it faith cannot be the hand to take Christ but love will be the warmth to heat our affections unto Christ 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Ghrist Jesus Faith and love are like the husband and the wife and faith and love are like the mother and the daughter See 2 Tim. 1. 13. and Phil. 5. And indeed it stands with unanswerable reason that faith and love cannot be divided for as much as faith in Christ First represents the absolute and effectual cause of love to Christ
another thing for thee to be a servant of sin Not who assaults me but whom I love and serve he is my Lord. When the heart goes off from Christ to the approbation and love and habitual obedience of sin now sin is thy Lord But if by faith thou hast sworne fealty to Christ then though all temptations begirt thee though the insolencies of corrupt nature break in upon thee to captivate or to alienate thy heart from service to Christ yet amidst all oppressions yea under all the knocks and buffettings and interruptions by sinne the heart cries out I acknowledge no Lord but Christ him I would obey him I honour I love his I am and I yet hate those sins which yet I cannot conquer SECT V. FOurthly a fourth tryal of true faith is this It makes the heart humble and lowly Every unbeleeving heart is proud and hath high imaginations and stands upon its own bottom It hath no sound experience either of God or of it self But true faith casts a man quite out of himselfe it sees no ground of confidence and excellency from any thing in our selves Faith hath a double aspect 1. One is upon us 2. Another A double aspect of faith is upon God and Christ When faith looks down upon us alas it findes no matter of boasting in the world for either it findes sinnes which should abase our hearts or else imperfections which should curb our pride or wants which should shew unto us our indigence and dependance The Evil which it findes may confound us and the good which it findes may make us ashamed not only because it is so short and defective in what we ought to have but also because we have not answered the giving of that good with just thanks or we have not improved that good to the advantage as we might have done When faith looks upward to God and Christ there it sees all the causes of all our mercy and of all our happinesse have we pardon of sinnes why saith Faith the cause of this is in Gods love Have we righteousnesse why saith Faith the cause of this is in Christs merits Have we any gifts any acceptance any remembrance from heaven why saith faith the cause of this is only in Christs blood All that I have is given me and the cause of all that giving is utterly out of my self so that the soul sits down now and sayes O Lord in my selfe I am nothing nay of my self worse then nothing but what I am I am that by thy grace All I have is thine my bread my health my life my body my soul all thine If any love if any mercy if any Christ if any grace if any comfort if any strength if any stedfastnesse if any performances if a good work if a good word if a good affection if a good thought why all is thine thou only art the cause I am lesse then the least of thy mercies and what is thy servant that thou shouldest look on such a one as I am Thou madest me and thou boughtest me and thou calledst me and thou justifiest me and thou savest me Though faith makes thy condition high yet it makes thy person low Thou shouldst by faith be not high minded but feare Rom. 11. 20. why not high minded because standing by faith Because this standing of faith is not of our selves but in God but in Christ Faith is the foot of the soul but heaven the grace of heaven the strength of heaven is the ground upon which the foot doth stand SECT VI. FIfthly true faith is fruitful James 2. 18. I will shew thee my faith by my works ver 21. Was not our father Abraham justified by works verse 22. seest thou how faith wrought by his works and by works was faith made perfect The Apostle in that Chapter speaks of a double faith A double faith One was a counterfeit faith a shadow as it were which had the looks but not the substance it was a dead faith which hath the limbs but not the soul and life But how did it appeare that this faith was dead did it not speak many good words yes saith Saint James It gave gâ—od words praeteria nihil no good works It could say to the poore be ye cloathed and be ye warme but gave nothing to cloath or to feed why saith he this mans faith is vaine â—hat is he hath not the true quality of faith and it will stand him in no stead Another was a lively and justifying faith It had in it the true nature and property of faith but how did that appear The Apostle answers by Works You know that there is a great difference 'twixt these two viz. the justifying of a mans person before God and the justifying of a mans faith before the world That which justifies my person before God is only faith in Jesus Christ and that which Justifies as one particular my faith before men not to be a dead but a living faith is the acting of good works Hence that of Paul Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and those things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Right is the speech of Saint Augustine sequuntur justificatum though non precedunt justificandum As in a clock the finger makes not the clock to Austin go but the clock it and yet the motion of the finger without shews whether the clock goes within So although works do not cause or infuse justifying faith nor yet cause our Justification yet they do cleerly manifest whether we have such a faith as doth indeed justifie or not Obj. You will say the work of Faith is to look up and to come and to deal with God only and therefore to breath out good works which respect men seems not to be any testimony of faith Sol. I answer 1. The Apostle there expressely distinguisheth the lively and the dead faith by works as if he said it is so 2. There is if you will let me distinguish so as it were a double act of faith One is proper and personal and this is circumscribed to that Heavenly employment of receiving or presenting in and through Christ Another is Grateful and this is extended to the sending forth of good works Not as if it were a work of superarogation for faith findes the doing of good works under many commands and also the rewards of them under many promises but because faith sees also a sweet and reasonable equity that if God be good to me in Christ I should be good to some for Christs sake And verily as the worklesse person doth not now own Christ by faith so hereafter Christ will not own him by mercy depart from me Obj. But yet you will reply good works cannot be a sure testimony of faith because many evil men may performe them and some beleevers have not wherewithal
is like the starres twinkling though placed in the heavens and every duty though it be a motion yet it is like that of Jacobs thigh which was touched and halted to his dying day So that if God should enter into judgment with the righteous person even the righteousnesse that is in him would not be safety and defence unto him As a man that hath a precious â—â—ding dares not to adventure it in any crackt and broken vessel so no Christian may or can dare to adventure the safety of his soul upon the leaking vessels and bottoms of his own holinesse or services This very smoak of doubtings which still mount up with our flames of faith and the grosse affections which cling to the root of our most heavenly love and part of that rock of hardnesse is seated and complanted with the freshest spring of softnesse and mournings and those infinite and frequent intermissions both of our prayers and hearings and readings and any kinde of dutiful doings that we are so shufled away from our devotions by the invasions and entertainment of strange thoughts in the times of our devotion I say those and infinite emaculations or spots do so adhere and cling about and defile our selves and that which comes from us that in proceeding of pure justice we may cast down our selves on the ground and beg for mercy much rather then to stand at the barre and plead for reward But now here is the great stay of a beleeving soul which hath truly received Christ that Christ will finde a full exact compleat most acepâ—able righteousnesse for it in which the soul shall stand boldly before the judgement seat Rom. 3. 19. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 2 Cor. 5. 21. We are made the righteousnesse of God in him 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ye are of him in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse c. Jer. 23. 6. In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ is therefore called the righteousnesse of God Rom. 8. 17 because it is it which God hath designed and which God doth accept for us in our justification and for and in which he doth acquit and pronounce us righteous Now in this lies our comfort thus viz. 1. That though our inherent holinesse be imperfect yet Christs righteousnesse is absolute 2. That as it is a full righteousnesse and every way answerable so it was designed by God to be that which should justifie the beleeving sinner 3. That God accepts of that righteousnesse and will clear any who hath it 4. That if by faith we have taken Christ Christ doth assuredly bestow his righteousnesse on us not by putting it into our persons but by improving it to our good It is though not infused into us yet imputed unto us and God will through it pronounce us clear SECT III. THirdly a third comfort to a beleever in Jesus Christ is this That he is in singular Covenant with God for the Covenant is with faith in Jesus Christ it was to Abraham and to his seed that is to all the faithful Observe a few things here 1. The Covenant of grace in the offer and revelation of it is the treaty of eternal happinesse 'twixt God and sinners whatsoever good a soul can desire to exempt it from misery and to make it truly happy there it is 2. The Covenant of Grace in respect of our entrance and admission into it is a most gracious and spiritual and firme engagement of God to be our God and to performe all the good which he hath there undertaken I will be a God unto you I will shew mercy unto you you shall have loving kindnesse I will give you grace in all kindes I will not faile to assist and guide and lead and uphold you I will be a father to you a rock to you a Sanctuary an alsufficiency an exceeding great reward So that if you need any thing come to me I have it for you and do not fear to come for I will assuredly do you good I am willing to do it for I have promised it and be you confident to possesse for I have obliged my self by Covenant to performe 3. He that beleeves in Jesus Christ is assuredly in the Covenant for Christ on whom he beleeves is the Messenger of the Covenant and his blood is the blood of the Covenant and in him all the promises of the Covenant are Yea and Amen If thou hast given thy consent to Christ if thou hast bestowed thy heart on him if thou hast truly received him to be thy Lord and Saviour undoubtedly God is become thy God and all those ample and rich and congruous and blessed undertakings in his Covenant they are all for thee thou art the man to whom God saith I will surely have mercy on him and to whom he saith Sin shall not have dominion over him for he is under grace and to whom he saith I will hear him and heale him and guide him and keep him Thou mayest go to all those treasures of divine promises as to thy own garden and take of any flower lay hold on any promise respecting thy particular exigence and say this is mine When thou lookest down into thy self thou mayest reade many wants with wet and sad eyes but then if thou look up to the Covenant thou mayest by faith espy all thy supplies with a glad heart Why God did put thy good into the Covenant and there thou shalt assuredly finde it Doest thou read of any altering grace of any pardoning grace of any enlarging grace of any preventing grace of any assisting grace of any preserving and upholding grace of any recovering and raising grace of any pacifying and comforting grace why all this is for thee and all that God hath there undertaken is thine SECT IV. FOurthly if you do beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ you may then with boldnesse approach the throne of grace Ephes 2. 18. For through him we both have accesse by one Spirit to the Father Heb 10. 21. Having an high Priest over the house of God Ver. 2â— Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith 1 John 5. 13. These things I write unto you that beleeve in the Name of the Sonne of God Ver. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Obj. You shall finde in your heart many sinful modesties you are afraid to be so bold with God and whether God will do such great matters for you yea and there are many unbeleeving fears our broken services shall never be accepted and who are we that the Lord should regard our prayers Sol. But if a man doth truly beleeve in Jesus Christ 1. His way is open to Heaven 2. He hath a friend and not an
respect of particular abilities and exercises yet there is a true nature of faith in the weakest as well as in the strongest There is as true a knowledge of the sinful and miserable condition in our selves and of the blessed condition in Christ in the one as well as in the other There is as true an assent to the word of grace the Gospel of salvation revealed in the one as well as in the other I say as true though perhaps not equal and full There is as true accepting and embracing of Christ to be Lord and Saviour the will doth as truly receive Christ offered though perhaps there be not such a strength of adherence at the first There is so much in the weakest faith as makes up the match 'twixt Christ and the soul nay there is not any thing in the strongest faith which is an effectual ingredient to espouse the soul with Christ but the same also is in the weakest faith Doth strong faith take Christ so doth the weakest doth it acknowledge him the only Saviour so doth the weakest doth it embrace him as its Lord so doth the weakest doth it breed union so doth the weakest doth it make a man a member of Christ and heire of promises so doth the weakest Thus you briefly perceive the habitual unity of all true faith SECT II. SEcondly now a word of the intensive diversities of faith How faith differs from faith I do not mean a true faith from a false but a true faith from true faith As one man truly living may differ from another truly living notwithstanding they agree in the common nature of man and life Or to use the Apostles Simile as one star may differ from another star in glory though all be in the heavens The rounds in Jacobs ladder are not all at the top yet are they every one of them steps to heaven so of faith every faith is not triumphing yet every faith is mounting up to the Lord of life and King of glory The severall and particular habits of faith though they consent in one truth of nature yet they differ in many things First in the strength of the parts and acts As in the eyes of men though the visive faculty be equal in all yet vision or the act of seeing is diverse one sees the colours more clearly then another So is it in faith which is the eye of the soul Though the nature be common and equall yet the act of beleeving is different There are three acts of faith and in respect of all of them there Three acts may be a diversity among believers 1. Knowledge and apprehension this is as it were the ground work of faith for believing is not rooted in ignorance but in light Now every believer hath not so full and distinct a knowledge as another Divine revelations which are the generall objects of faith are not clasped alike by all No nor yet the promises which are the special objects of faith they are not so equally apprehended There are severall promises and in them severall parts and degrees of goodnesse and truth now it is possible for some believers not to be acquainted with all their treasuries they have not been so long acquainted with the word as to know all the good which doth concerne them And that special good which they do apprehend one believer reacheth the large compasse of it more then another All even in Christ is not equally known by all who believe in Christ Hence it is that age and time and communion and study and use of meanes and experience do raise the apprehension and knowledge to farre more degrees and strength then at the first and the believing soul which at first saw things as the man whose eyes were touched by Christ dimly at length riseth by degrees to a more perfect light of the same truthes and to a more full and enlarged apprehension of other truths which he was ignorant of before 2. Assent even in this also may one beleever differ from another I confesse the usual and palpable diversities of faith be most in things as good rather then in things as true Neverthelesse every believer as so assents to all revelations as in particular to those of Christ as true yet the assents in believers may very much not only in the circumstances of the assent but also in the immediate workings of the assent The Judgement is not equally captivated in all or else why do some believers question and scruple more then others yea and why else needs there a farther evidence and demonstration to establish some in doctrinall truths if all believers were equally grounded and rooted in the word Yea and why are some good people more apt to errors then others no plausible error can be taught or spread with the speciousnesse of taking reason but presently they are questioning their old truths for new opinions which shews that all assents to divine truths are not alike in all believers Nay and this appeares to be so by the severall instances of diabolicall temptations which in some are of that great force as to make them not only question their particular interests in God and Christ which may befall the highest believer but also to question the first principles of Religion whether there be a God and whether the Scriptures are his Word and whether true or false 3. Reception embracing or consent though it be hearty and sincere in all yet one believer cannot so rest on Christ as another nor doth every one take Christ by the hand alike Like a child who gives out a trembling hand with some shruggings Simile even to his Father so the believer may put forth his hand of faith even to Christ with many feares and shakings O that I may have him that I might receive him that he would be mine that I could lay hold on him O that God would pardon my sinnes saith one yet another raiseth up the soul I will rest on his promise in Christ to pardon all In the measure of degrees Hence you read of that by Christ I have not found so great faith no not in Israel and O woman great is thy faith Abraham strong in faith Paul perswaded c. and Job I know that my c. In a comparative opposition to which you read those phrases O ye of little faith And why didst thou doubt O thou of little faith and of the weak in faith The degrees of faith are many viz. the habitual inclination of the heart toward Christ the actual laying hold on him the strong embracing of him reflection of the act that I know I take him as Lord and Saviour reflection of the object I know that he is my Lord and Saviour then a fulnesse of this reflexive assurance I doubt it not then the reasons of this full assurance which whether it meane the great continuance or the great abundance of the measure of assurance is disputable Againe the longer duration of this full and
for certain God hath spoken such good things but further that he will assuredly performe them Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Jacob Jer. 33. 14. 6. His performance of them to them that have lived by faith When persons have committed themselves and their conditions unto him when they have trusted upon his word he hath not failed them he hath made it good Abraham he did live by faith when God promised him a Son the text saith that he did beleeve he did not consider his own body but gave glory to God nâ—resting upon the sole goodnesse fidelity and strength of his promise and God did indeed perform the same unto him Not any of the Kings of Israel and Judah but expressely sped well when in their exigencies they did trust unto God Our father 's trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them they trusted in thee and were not confounded Psal 22 4 5. The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I was helped saith David Psal 28. 7. The Lord shall help them and deliver them speaking of the righteous and save them because they trust in him Psal 37. 40. Now put all together should we not live by faith trust upon God in Christ and through and for Christ for all our helps of soul who is 1. An alsufficient fountaine 2. Who commands us in unto himself for our helps 3. Who hath promised all good unto us if we will but trust him 4. Who is able enough to make good whatsoever he promiseth 5. Who cannot and will not lie deceive or faile us 6. Who hath given testimony of his truth in all ages Who hath performed his oath to Jacob and remembred his mercy to Abraham who hath been ever in all ages mindful of his Covenant to such as durst by saith live upon him and trust in him Thirdly consider the qualities of this life of faith and these may much prevaile with us to labour to live upon God in Christ by faith There be foure ingredients in this kinde of life all which are admirable and indeed they are peculiar priviledges of it 1. It is the only Christian life 2. It is the only comfortable life 3. It is the only getting and thriving life Four excellencies of this life 4. It is the only certain and stedfast life 1. The life of faith it is the only Christian life The Christian hath a life common with many creatures his life of eating and drinking of nourishing and growth it is such a life as the beasts live as well as he his life of reason and labour that also is such a life which all men live as well as he but thee life of faith that is singular and proper to the beleever for no man hath that faith which the true beleever hath and no man hath his estate so in heaven so in Gods hands so inclosed and treasured in the Covenant of promises as he What Christ spake to his Disciples about this very matter Mat. 6. 31. Take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be cloathed Ver. 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek As if he should say it is enough for meer sinners for such as have not God to be their God who cannot in Christ call him Father it is enough for them to lead such a vexing and distrustful life That I say here Why it is enough for men of this life the men of this world for them who have their onely portion here to live the life of sense to be scraping to be plodding to be vexing their thoughts and hearts how to compasse how to fetch in how to lengthen an estate To have a God and yet to live without him a Christ and not to live upon him as if either were nothing in this Christian But for the beleever who hath a God and a Christ and all good undertaken for him by a full and faithful Covenant It is his life now to trust upon his God to rely upon his Saviour to quiet himself in Gods Word of promise As Christ spake in another case If you love them that love you and if ye do good to them that do good unto you what singular thing do you do not even the Publicans and sinners the same That I say in this case if ye will make up your own estate if ye will live upon what you see and what you taste and what you handle and go not above and beyond these and your selves do not sinners do not the worst of sinners do the same If the vilest person can rejoyce when his table is full and hang down his head when sensibles go off wherein doth the beleever exceed him who is merry and cheerful only in a sensible plenty and his heart is ready to break in the ebbe and substraction of that by the dayes or years of scarsity and sensible distresse If thou didst look upon God as thy Father and Christ as thy plentiful redemption and the promises as a goodly portion and thine inheritance then the dayes of tears to others would be houres of thankfulnesse unto thee and the nights of fears to others would be times of sweet repose and contentment unto thee When the spiders web was swept away yet thou couldest see the house standing and sure even in all sensible abstractions of the olive and vine and stalles thou couldest yet rejoyce in the God of thy salvation For the place of thy defence is the munition of rocks bread shall be given unto thee and thy waters shall be sure Isaiah 33 16. I observe a threefold difference 'twixt an unbeleever and a beleever One is in the very estate for the beleever hath a far better portion then the unbeleever he hath a portion set out for this life and a portion also for a better he hath food for his body and grace for his soul Another is in the manner of settling the estate for general providence relieves the one and special affections provides for the other The one is helped by common goodnesse of universal kindnesse and the other is undertaken for and secured by a singular bond of Covenant God hath made over himself and all his goodnesse unto him in his Sonne Jesus Christ He hath taken upon himself all the care and all the good and only wills the beleever to be upright and diligent and so to trust upon him he hath settled all his grace and strength and comfort in Christ c. A third is in the manner of managing The unbeleever he will like the prodigal have all the estate into his own hands he will trust upon himself he dares not settle on God for he feares him he suspects him he thinks verily God will not do him good but he will faile But the beleever knows whom he hath trusted God is
us p. 153 God The actions of God of several sorts p. 72 How many things in God encourage to live by faith as Gods alsufficiency p. 231 Gods command p. 232 Gods promises p. 233 Gods power p. 234 Gods truth and fidelity p. 236 Gods performance to them that have lived by faith p. 237 Goodness Hatred of goodnesse precipitates evil men to acts of injustice p. 2 Gospel The preaching of the Gospel is of necessary and singular consequence p. 65 Ghost Holy Ghost how he may be said to justifie p. 71 Grace Salvation is only by grace p. 63 The best graces are but imperfect excellencies p. 113 H Habits Two sorts of habits acquired and infused p. 33 Hasty A soul hasty to be answered is weak in faith p. 132 Heart Heart or will the seat of faith p. 35 Hearing Meer hearing of Christ and his Doctrine will not save p. 66 Divers sorts of hearing Ib. Historical vid. Faith Holinesse Inherent holinesse cannot justifie and save p. 56 Inherent holiness is defective and imperfect p. 57 The conscience dares not rest upon it p. 58 Actual holinesse no meritorious efficacy in it p. 58 Humble humbled Faith makes the heart humble p. 103 A soul that thinks himself not humbled enough answered p. 197 A twofold humbling according to a double cause of it and the workings of each p. 197 198 Fitnesse for Christ not to be judged by the measure and strength of legal humblings the reasons of it p. 198 Some things which if they follow upon legal humblings may be subordinate encouragements to the heart to put it selfe upon Christ p. 199 Humblings and meltings of soul not hindred by faith Ibid But furthered by it p. 200 I James James what kind of faith he speaks of p. 104 105 Ignorance Grosse ignorance an impediment to getting faith p. 169 170 Ignorance of our sinful condition of Gods justice and of the excellency of Christ impediments to getting faith p. 170 Imputed vid. Righteousness Infidelity The dangerous state of positive infidelity p. 158 The degrees of positive infidelity p. 159 Intercession vid. Priest A twofold intercession p. 24 25 Christs intercession what is meant by it p. 25. Inherent Inherent qualities and abilities insisted on as means of perswasion argues weaknesse of faith p. 134 Joy Spiritual joy the sole fruit of faith p. 92 Several sorts of joy whence they spring p. 92 Joy an inseparable fruit of faith p. 92 Joy three wayes considered p. 146 147 Justifie Justification There is not a co-operation of faith and other graces to justifie yet there is a co-existence of them in the person justified p. 55 Justification only in Jesus Christ p. 68 Justification the word opened p. 69 The nature of it designed p. 70 Justification an action in God p. 71 The kinde of this action p. 72 The meritorious cause of it p. 71 The applying cause of it p. 71 Whether Justification be before faith p. 73 Justification not a divided act p. 75 Whether it be one transient act or one continued act p. 75 Justification of a sinner a gracious and just action p. 78 Justification by imputed righteousnesse all beleevers have an equal interest in it p. 142 Justice Gods Justice should constraine us to believe p. 187 K King Christ ancinted to be a King p. 27 His Kingly office what it imports Ib. Knowledge Knowledge how one beleever differs from another therein p. 121 L Law No ability to keep the whole Law wholly Reasons of it p. 60 Life Living A heart inclined to the life of sense is weak in faith p. 133 Of living by faith p. 216 What it is in general to live by faith p. 218 To live by faith is to commit all to God Ibid To live by faith is to depend upon God for all p. 219 Living by faith extends to two sorts of life p. 220 To live by faith on Christ described p. 221 The several exigencies and conditions of soule in which we had need to live by faith p. 221 222 Encouragements from Christs fulnesse to live by faith in those exigencies p. 223 224 The conjunction of our own exigencies and Christs fulnesse is the very living by faith upon Christ p. 225 To live by faith on Christ is more then a meer complaining of our wants or an acknowledging of his fulnesse p. 226 To live by faith on Christ is more then a meer going to Christ p. 227 To live by faith on Christ is not only to trust on Christ for supply but to expect performance p. 227 To live by faith on Christ is an extensive work p. 228 Arguments to perswade to live by faith p. 229 The life of faith is congruous to our condition p. 229 The necessity of living by faith in all sensible sequestrations p. 231 Six arguments from God himself to perswade to live by faith p. 231 The life of faith is the only Christian life p. 238 The life of faith is the only comfortable life p. 240 What things make the life uncomfortable and what makes it comfortable p. 241 The life of faith easeth of all burdens and secures against all prejudices p. 240 The life of faith makes the present condition good enough and assures of universal and reasonable supplies p. 244 The life of faith is the only getting and thriving life p. 245 The Reasons of it p. 247 Divers arguments from Jesus Christ himself to perswade us to live by faith on him p. 248 Vid. Christ Lord. True faith takes Christ only to be its Lord. p. 101 No unbeleever can accept of Christ to be his Lord only Reasons of it p. 191 Every beleever admits of Christ to be his Lord Reasons of it p. 102 How to know whether Christ or sin be our Lord. p. 103 Weak faith will honour Christ as a Lord though it be not sure that he is its Saviour p. 136 Love True love of Christ an infallible evidence of true faith p. 96 Love is not separated from faith p. 96 Reasons of it p. 97 True love to Christ three tryals of it p. 98 Every beleever hath an equal interest in Gods special love p. 145 The love of God in giving Christ and the love of Christ in giving of himself p. 161 M Ministers Ministery The best Ministers do most good and finde most affliction p. 1 Good Ministers and covetous hearts cannot agree p. 2 Ministers better esteemed when the heart is changed p. 5 Ministers must forget personal injuries when they deal with sensible sinners p. 10 How Ministers must deal with stout and resolute and how with bleeding and afflicted sinners p. 11 How preciously dear the Ministery of the Gospel should be unto us p. 68 Miracles vid. Faith N Natural No natural principle of justifying faith now in a man p. 79 80 A natural principle of unbeliefe and infidelity in every mans heart p. 80 There is a natural opposition in the heart against Christ. p. 81 Natural condition throughly studyed a way to get a beleeving