sound consolation in this assurance And this is the maine end that God ordained preaching for So Zachary saith that Iohn the Baptist was sent to that end Luke 1.77 To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sinnes When God had promised Esa. 57.18 that he would restore comfort to his Israel and to his mourners he telleth us in the next words verse 19. the meanes whereby he will doe it I create the fruit of the lips my word in the speech and ministery of my servants Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keepe knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouth peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him God hath promised to worke by the ministery of his servants in the hearts of his people abundance of peace and comfort which cannot be without assurance of his favour and to heale them of all that anguish of heart which the doubting of his favour did breed in them And no maruell though the Word have this force to breed this assurance for therein are all the promises of God to be found which are the ground and evidence upon which all true assurance of Gods favour is built In God will I praise his word saith David Psal. 56.4 in God have I put my trust I will not feare what flesh can doe unto mee All his comfort all his assurance and confidence was grounded upon the Word The second ordinance of God that hath great force in it to breed in our hearts this assurance of Gods favour and to preserve it in us and to recover it when it is lost is the conscionable use of the holy Sacrament We reade of Gods people that had received the Passeover with good hearts that had prepared their hearts to seeke the Lord in that his ordinance as Hezâ—kiah speaketh of them 2 Chron. 30.19 that they found marvellous comfort in it verse 21. They kept the feast with great gladnesse And verse 26. There was great joy in Ierusalem And that Sacrament we know was the same in substance with our Lords Supper Certainely there is not more vertue in any ordinance of God to confirme us in the comfortable assurance of Gods favour then in this if it be worthily received For 1 Christ is no where so particularly offered and applied to us as in it 1 Cor. 11.24 Take eate this is my body which was broken for you 2 He is offered to us as meat and drinke to feede upon and what is so neerely applyed to us and made ours as our food which is turned into our very substance and made one with us 3 He is offered to us as bread and wine which of all food hath most force to strengthen and make glad our hearts Psa. 104.15 4 The Sacraments are ordained to be his seales to assure and confirme his covenant unto us they are seales of the righteousnesse which is by faith as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 4.11 The third and last ordinance of God that hath great force to breed and preserve this assurance of Gods favour in our hearts to recover it when we have lost it is prayer Aske and you shall receive saith our Saviour Iohn 16.14 that your joy may be full This is one of the principall fruits of prayer it breedeth full and sound joy in the heart which necessarily presupposeth assurance of Gods favour This course David oft tooke to recover his assurance and comfort and found great successe in it When he made that prayer that is set downe Psal. 6. he was in great anguish of minde through the losse of the assurance of Gods favour as appeareth verse 1 4. to recover his assurance he falleth to fervent prayer and before he had ended his prayer he was so filled with the assurance of Gods favour that he bursteth forth into these patheticall expressions of his joy verse 8 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplications the Lord will receive my prayer And Psal. 31. when he had lost his assurance so farre that he said in his hast verse 22. hee was cast out of Gods sight to recover it he betooke himselfe to prayer and prevailed so thereby that he cryeth out verse 21. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindnesse As though hee had said The Lord hath given mee againe a sweet and comfortable assurance of his favour I do not deny but many yea many of Gods owne children may use all these three ordinances of God that I have named unto you and use them often too read and heare and receive and pray and yet never attaine to this assurance of Gods favour by them Alas this will never be obtained without great diligence in the use of all meanes that God hath appointed Give diligence saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 to make your calling and election sure Yea verse 5. Give even all diligence thereunto Alas we do not in our hearing receiving praying seeke or aime at this to get assurance thereby that wee are in Gods favour or if we doe seeke it yet use we no diligence in the use of these meanes that we might obtaine that which we seeke in them But if wee cannot obtaine it by these meanes there is a third thing to bee done Seeke to bee more humbled in thy selfe in the apprehension of thine owne wretchednes Seeke the Lord and his favour with an humbled soule When Ieremy prophesieth of the comfort that Gods people should find upon their earnest seeking of his favour before the end of their captivitie he speaketh thus of them Ieremy 50.4 Going and weeping they shall goe and seeke the Lord their God When we can lament after the Lord as Israell did 1 Sam. 7.2 mourne for the losse of his favour and goe weeping to him to seeke the recovery of it wee need not doubt of prevailing with him God resisteth the proud saith the Apostle Iames 4.6 but hee giveth grace to the humble Specially this grace of a comfortable assurance of his favour hee useth not to give unto any but unto the humbled soule And thereupon the Apostle inferreth verse 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and hee shall lift you up The want of sound humiliation is the chiefe cause wee cannot attaine unto sound assurance of Gods favour Never did any attaine unto any great measure of assurance of Gods favour that had not first bin deeply humbled in themselves Neither doth God use to give the spirit of adoption to his people till hee have first given them the spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 God comforteth those that are cast downe saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.6 Therefore the day of humiliation wherein Gods people did afflict their soules is called the day of atonement betweene God and them Levit. 23.27 28. Such God hath bound himselfe by promise to speake peace unto Blessed are they that mourne saith our Saviour
every truth of God even the least truth that God hath taught us in his holy Word The fourth and last direction is this He that desires to abide in the truth and keep himselfe from being drawne into errour must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods holy ordinances and meanes of grace How effectuall and forcible a means this is to uphold a man in the constant profession and love of the truth I will shew you by instancing in three particular ordinances of God that is 1 The Ministery of the Word 2 The Sacrament of the Lords Supper and 3 Prayer For the first The constant frequenting of the Ministerie of the Word is a singular means to preserve men from errours of all sorts and to establish them in the truth The Apostle tels us Eph. 4.14 that God ordained it for this end that we should no longer be as children tossed to and fro of every wind of doctrine And as God ordained it to that end so he hath given to us his promise Esa. 55.11 that it shall prosper in the thing whereunto he sent it Certainly they that frequent it and depend upon it with honest and good hearts shall not like children be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine nor seduced by erroneous spirits When the Apostle had said Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast our profession without wavering he adds Ver. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is He that gives liberty to himselfe to forsake or neglect the Church-assemblies how is it possible that he should hold fast the profession of his faith without wavering And this is the reason that the Spouse and Church of Christ gives of that prayer she makes unto him Cant. 1.7 Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noone that is direct me to the place where I may enjoy the sound Ministerie of thy Word for by that Christ useth to feed and refresh his flock and then mark the reason she gives for this suit For why should I be saith she as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions Why should I harken unto or follow after any of these heretickes and seducers who though they pretend to be thy companions and friends as the false Apostles transformed themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 yet indeed are not so Certainely if ye bee true members of the Church of Christ if ye bee such as can truly say Christ is he whom your soule loveth above all other things ye will highly esteeme of a sound ministery ye will seeke it and enquire after it you will take paines to enjoy it and when you have it you will be thankfull for it and make much of it For 1 without it you will never attaine to that knowledge and understanding as shall feed and nourish you and make you thrive and grow in grace This is the meanes whereby Christ the great and master shepheard of the sheepe as the Apostle calls him Heb. 13.20 doth feed his flock I will give you pastours according to mine owne heart saith the Lord Ier. 3.15 which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding 2 Without it you will never attaine to that sound comfort as may be able to refresh your soules in the scorching heate of all persecutions and tentations for this is the meanes whereby Christ maketh his flock to rest at noone when the Sunne is at his height I create the fruit of the lips the preaching of the Word saith the Lord Esa. 57 â—9 to be peace peace that is the meanes of abundant and constant peace to him that is a farre off and to him that is neare that is to all mine elect Gentiles and Iewes saith the Lord and I will heale him by this meanes I will cure all the wounds that doe put his soule to anguish and paine In this placâ— Hag. 2.9 in mine house which is the place and seate of the sound Ministery in this placâ— will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts 3. And lastly Without it you will be ready ever and anon to be seduced and drawne into one errour or other by those false companions that by much flight and cunning crafâ—inessâ— lye in wait to deceive as the Apostle speaketh Eph 4.14 For it is the meanes that God hath sanctified to preserve you from that danger as the Apostle teacheth us in that place And the Church heere you see had no hope to keepe her selfe from turning aside by the flocks of such companions unlesse Christ would direct her to the place where she might enjoy a sound ministery where he feedeth his flocke and maketh them to rest at noone The second ordinance of God that is effectuall this way is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper He that oft frequents the Lords Table and receiveth that Sacrament with faith and understanding having first duly prepared his heart unto it shall find great force in it to strengthen and preserve him from falling from the truth Three evident reasons there bee for this For 1. As Baptisme was the Sacrament of our regeneration and new birth so this is the Sacrament of our nourishing and strengthening in that state of grace and Christ therein is received as bread the use whereof is to strengthen mans heart Psalme 104.15 and it must needs therefore bee most effectuall to make us stand fast in the faith and to be strong in it 2. This Sacrament is a seale of that everlasting covenant whereof the Lord speaketh Ier. 32.40 whereof this is one branch that wee shall never depart from God and consequently never fall away from his truth 3. And lastly In and by this Sacrament is represented and confirmed to us the communion that wee have both with Christ himselfe and with all his faithfull people throughout the world The bread which we breake saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.16 17. is it not the communion of the body of Christ for wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread And while we hold and are confirmed in our communion with Christ and all his faithfull people we are safe enough from forsaking his truth and falling into any dangerous errour for that would separate us from Christ and from his faithfull people The third and last ordinance I said I would instance in is prayer Fervent and constant humble and faithfull prayer is a most effectuall meane to make us stand fast in the truth and to keepe us from declining from it He that out of the sense of his owne ignorance unsetlednesse weakenesse and unability to stand against the subtilty of seducers can flee to God this way and depend upon him for strength is safe enough Therefore have godly people ever beene wont by this meanes to seeke helpe of God in this case even to keepe themselves from all kindes of declining and falling from God either in
us in his eternall counsell to be of that small number that should receive benefit by him Iohn 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me and vers 9. I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me for they are thine Thirdly It was the wonderfull mercy of God to us and nothing else that moved him to give any of us the grace to receive Christ by faith being offered to us in the ministery of the Gospell and to obey him Iohn 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Fourthly It was the wonderfull mercy of God and nothing else that moved him to accept of the satisfaction which Christ our surety hath made for us and not to exact it at our owne hands For nothing bound him to it but his owne free promise In which respect all the Elect that shall have benefite by Christ are called heires of promise Hebr. 6.17 And therefore the Apostle saith Ephesians 1.6 It was to the praise of the glory of his Grace that he hath made us accepted in his beloved As though he should say the glory of his grace is wonderfully set forth in this that hee will accept of Christs satisfaction for us Fiftly and lastly It is his wonderfull mercy and nothing else that moveth him to performe this promise and to keepe covenant with us considering how weake and staggering our faith and obedience is and how oft we breake covenant with him And this made Solomon to fall into that admiration 1 Kin. 8.23 O Lord God of Israel there is no God like unto thee in heaven above or in earth beneath who keepeth covenant and mercy with thy servants that walke before thee with all their heart As if hee had said It is the mercy of God that he keepeth Covenant even with such And thus have I finished the answer to the first objection and shewed you that it doth no whit derogate from the mercy and free grace of God but amplifieth and advanceth it greatly that wee obtaine pardon of our sins by the merit of Christs bloud and no other way The second objection is How can it bee said that wee have no ground of hope to find favour with God and the pardon of our sins but onely in Gods meere mercy and free grace Will a mans good workes do him no good in this case Is there no ground of hope and comfort for us in that goodnesse and grace that God hath wrought in our hearts by his holy spirit The Scripture teacheth us that there bee sundry graces and good workes that may give us much comfort in this case and bee good grounds of hope unto us that wee shall finde favour with God As 1. If a man can find hee doth truly feare God Proverbs 14.26 In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge 2. If a man can find hee hath bin of conscience towards God given unto works of mercy Psal. 18. â—5 With the mercifull thou wilt shew thy selfe mercifull and 41 1. Blessed is hee that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble and Iam. 2.13 Mercy rejoyceth against judgement 3. If a man can find that of conscience towards God he can forgive his enemies Matth. 6.14 If yee forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father also will forgive you 4. If a man can find that he is able with an upright heart to confesse his sin unto God even that is a good ground of hope that God will forgive it For thus David reasoneth here verse 2 3. Cleanse me from my sinne for I acknowledge my transgressions 5. and lastly If a man can but humble himselfe and mourne before God for his sin even that will give him good hope of comfort For Christ saith Mat 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted And the Publican doing so went home justified Luke 18.14 My answer to this objection shall consist of two parts 1. I will shew you how much is to bee ascribed unto good works and to that goodnesse and grace that Gods children may find in themselves 2. I will let you see that this doth nothing derogate from the truth of my Doctrine concerning the reposing all our hope in the mercy of God only For the first I say first of all that these good works and graces we find in our selves though they bee not the causes why God pardoneth our sins yet are they certaine and infallible signes that wee have found mercy with God and that our sins are pardoned For thus runneth the covenant of God Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleane and then followeth verse 26. A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you And thus speaketh our Saviour of Mary Lu. 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she hath loved much As if he had said shee could not have had this grace to love me as she doth if her sins had not bin forgiven Secondly This grace and goodnesse which a man findeth in himselfe may bee a ground of hope unto him that God will respect his prayers Iohn 9 3. Weâ— know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Iohn 3.22 Whatsoever wee aske we receive of him because we keepe his commandements and doe those things that are pleasing in his sight The Angell telleth Cornelius Acts 10.4 thy prayers and thine almes are come up for a memoriall before God Certainely his almes made his prayers more effectuall with God Thirdly The goodnesse and grace which a man findeth in himselfe may bee a sound ground of comfort unto him even in greatest affliction So was it to Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this even the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity wee have had our conversation in the world So was it to Iob the testimony that his owne heart gave him of the conscience hee had made of all uncleannesse of dealing equally with his servants of his mercifulnesse to the poore of his freedome from covetousnesse and maliciousnesse Iob 31. And of his hearts love to the Word and pure worship of God Iob 23.12 susteined and yeelded him great comfort in his extreame affliction as you may see Iob 31.35 36. If mine adversarie man or Satan had written a booke against mee surely I should take it upon my shoulder and bind it as a crowne to mee So was it to Hezechiah when he had received from God the message of death Esay 38.3 Remember ô Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Fourthly These good works this goodnesse and grace that a man findeth in himselfe are foundations upon which a man may confidently ground and build
should be as odious to God as theirs were I answer 1. Many heavy judgments have befallen the infants even of Gods owne people have not many of them bin born naturall fooles or deafe or blind as we see Iohn 9.1 have not many of them beene smitten with many grievous and strange diseases as Davids child was 2 Sam. 12.15 2. The infant of a Christian yea the elect infant is by nature no better then the infant of a Sodomite as we heard out of Ephes. 2.3 3. The sin of those infants that they stood guilty of was the cause why the Lord the righteous judge did thus deale with them Rom. 5.12 And hee hateth sin as much in our infants as in theirs without all respect of persons Psal. 5.5 If any shall say yet these were but temporall judgements that fell upon those infants and doe not prove that any sin that is in infants doth make them odious unto God or doth deserve eternall death Eccle 9.2 I answer 1. That even those temporall judgements are in themselves fruits of the wrath of God and part of that curse that is due to sin Ephe. 5.6 And God even by these judgments upon infants hath reveiled from heaven that his wrath is due unto them Rom. 1.18 2 Vpon infants they are more certaine evidences of his wrath against their sin then upon his people that are in yeares For to them they are sometimes only for triall 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Sometimes onely as chastisements to reforme and better them Ps. 119.67 71. but they cannot be so to infants though I deny not but there may be an evasion for infants out of the cursednes of these judgments 3. It is evident that God hath witnessed his wrath against the sin of infants not only by hating their sin but even their persons also Rom. 9.11.13 And not only by inflicting temporall punishments upon them but even by casting them into hell For of those that perished in Sodom and Gomorrah it is expresly said Iude 7. that they were not onely consumed with fire and brimstone but that they suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And the Apostle proving infants to be sinners by this argument because death raigneth over them Rom 5.14 sheweth plainly he meaneth not a temporall death only but such as he calleth condemnation ver 16. Such as he opposeth to justification verse 16. and to eternall life verse 21. The reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are two First Every infant so soone as it is borne standeth guilty of the first sin of Adam in whom saith the Apostle Rom. 5.12 for so is that place to be rendred all have sinned Adam being then not as one particular person but as the common stocke and root of all mankind that that he received by his creation he received not for himselfe alone but for all mankind and that which he lost by his fall he lost not from himselfe alone but from all mankind Therefore is this sin imputed unto all mankind Esa. 43.27 Secondly Every infant hath originally from the very birth and conception a sinfull nature which consisteth in three points 1. They have in them by nature no seeds no inclinations unto any thing that is good indeed I know saith Paul Rom 7.18 that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves 2. There is in them a naturall untowardnes unto every thing that is good yea an aversenesse from it and pronesse to shun and dislike it The wicked saith David Ps. 58.3 are estranged from the womb Being alienated saith the Apostle Eph. 4 18. from the life of God 3. and lastly There is in them a naturall pronesse disposition and inclination to every thing that is evill as there is in the youngest whelpe of a Lyon or of a Beare or of a Wolfe unto cruelty or in the very egge of a cockatrice before it bee hatched which is the comparison that the holy Ghost useth Esa. 59.5 And from hence it commeth that the imagination of mans heart as the Lord speaketh Gen. 8.11 is evill from his very youth and that as David speakeh Psal. 58.3 men goe astray so soone as they be borne Now the use that this doctrine serveth unto is First for confutation of the Anabaptist who to maintaine his errour that infants should not bee baptized holdeth with the Pelagians of old 1. that they have no sin 2. that there is no Originall sinne at all 3. that no sinne commeth by nature but it is learneâ— onely by example and imitation of others 4. that all that die in their infancy shall certainely goe to heaven Against these damnable errours you have heard it evidently proved 1 That all infants are sinners and deserve damnation 2. That many infants have bin vessells of wrath and fire-brands of hell 3. That all sin is not learned by example or imitation for what example had Cain to teach him to be an hypocrite in Gods service or to murder his brother but our very nature carrieth us unto it Insomuch as if it were possible to keep children from ever hearing a lye or seeing the practise of any filthinesse or cruelty yet their very nature upon occasion offered would carry them to these sins The second use of this Doctrine is for instruction to teach us what great need there is that infants should be baptized for this maketh greatly for the confirmation of the faith and comfort of their parents for the present and of their owne afterwards that as they are by nature so filthy loathsome in the sight of God so the Lord hath in the blood of Iesus Christ wherof the water in baptisme is a signe and seale provided a laver to wash cleanse them in even the laver of regeneration as the Apostle calleth it Tit. 3.5 yea a fountaine opened as the Prophet calleth it Zac. 13.1 for sin for uncleannes sufficient to clense them from all this filthines and corruption of their nature The third use that this Doctrine serveth unto is both for exhortation humiliation also to perswade us to observe and take notice of the sharpe and heavy judgements that oft light upon little ones yea to take them to heart and to bee much affected with them as with most evident demonstrations of Gods wrath against sin even against the sin of our nature We read of our Saviour that when he was to cure the man that was deafe and had an impediment in his speech Marke 7.34 hee sighed to behold that judgement of God and signe of Gods anger upon man for sinne How much more doth it become us to doe so in this case The Lord in his judgements upon us that are of yeares may have other ends and respects as we heard even now but in those upon infants he can have no other if wee respect the infants themselves and without consideration of Gods covenant but
The promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are a farre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Yea that Christ is offered so unto me as I am commanded to beleeve that he belongeth unto me Come unto me saith our Saviour Matth. 11.28 that is beleeve in mee for so is that phrase expounded by himselfe Iohn 6 35. all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest 3. I must know how and upon what termes and conditions Christ is offered unto me in the Gospell that is to say If I will receive him as in a matrimoniall covenant For so is the covenant of the Gospell oft called in the holy Scripture Hos. 2.19 20. I wish betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betrâ—th thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfullnesse In this respect also the preachers of the Gospell are called the friends of the Bridegroome Iohn 3.29 such as woo for him and whose whole endeavour is to make this match betweene Christ and his people I have espoused you saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.2 to one husband that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ. Now in the matrimoniall covenant we know the spouse 1. Taketh her husband so as she bindeth her selfe to forsake all others and to keepe her selfe onely to him so long as they both shall live and so must we take and receive Christ Psal. 45.10 Matth. 10.37 Luke 14 2â— 2. She taketh him not onely to receive protection and wealth and credit by him but as her head and guide to be governed and ruled by him and he bindeth her selfe to serve honour and obey him Gen. 3.16 1 Cor. 11.3 Ephes. 5.22 23. And so must Christ be taken and received by us not onely for our Saviour but our Prophet yea our Lord and King Psal. 45.11 Iohn 20.28 and 3.35 Heb. 5.9 3. She taketh him for better for worse for richer for poorer in sicknesse and in health and bindeth her selfe to cleave to him in every estate Gen. 2.24 1 Cor. 7.10 And so must Christ be taken and received by us Luke 9 23. This knowledge of the Gospell is as I told you the first thing wherein the nature and essence of true faith consisteth In which respect faith is called the knowledge of Christ Esa. 53.11 Iohn 17.3 Ephes. 4.13 The second act of the soule wherein the nature of true faith consisteth is the assent and credit that the mind giveth unto all this that the Gospell hath revealed concerning Christ as to an undoubted truth that Christ is indeed an all sufficient Saviour and that God offereth him uâ—to me and commandeth me to receive him and that in this his gracious offer he meaneth as he saith and that he and all his merits do certainely belong to me if I will receive him upon those termes that the Lord offereth him on When I can say with Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying So is the faith of the old fathers described Heb. 11.13 They saw the promises a farre off and were perswaded of them In respect of this second property faith is called a beleeving of Christ Iohn 3.36 And a beleeving of God 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom 4.3 Till Naaman could thus beleeve he could not be healed 2 King 5.11 12. The third act of the soule wherein the essence of a true and justifying faith consisteth is the consent that the will giveth to this blessed offer of Christ in the Gospell not onely for the undoubted truth but for the incomparable goodnesse and excellencie of it When the heart accepteth of and embraceth it and saith with Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 this is not onely a faithfull saying but worthy of all acceptation So is the faith of the fathers described Heb 11.13 At the least though the beleever find in respect of the sense he hath of his owne unworthinesse much reluctancy and doubting which hindreth this act of faith yet his soule unfeignedly desireth and longeth to receive and take Christ in this matrimoniall covenant and saith with the blessed Virgin Luke 1.38 Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word In respect of this property faith is called sometimes a receiving of Christ Ioh. 1.12 somtimes a tâ—â—isting after him Rev. 21.6 Where that promise is made to him that thirsteth which none can possibly be partakers of but hee onely that truly beleeveth The fourth and last act of the soule wherein the nature of true faith consisteth is a resting and relying upon Christ and him alone for the obtaining of the favour of God and of eternall life And indeed this is of all other the chiefe act of the soule in true faith and that wherein the being and essence of it doth chiefly consist In respect of this property it is so oft called a beleeving in or on Christ and his name Iohn 3.16.18 36. 1 Iohn 5.10 a trusting in Christ Ephes. 1.12 a resting upon God 2 Chron. 14.11 a resting upon his promise 2 Chron. 32.8 a relying upon God 2 Chron 16 8. a staying our selves upon him Esa. 50.10 a cleaving and sticking close unto him Acts 11.23 beleeving in him and trusting in him are made all one Psalme 78.22 He that findeth these properties of faith in him hath certainely true faith though he want yet the assurance of Gods favour Followeth now the third and last point which I propounded That though there may be true faith where there is not this assurance yet certainely true faith if it be exercised and put forth will breed this comfortable assurance of Gods savour in the end That man that with an humbled and penitent soule can cast himselfe upon Christ trust unto him alone and rely upon him for favour with God for pardon of his sins and for eternall salvation shall certainely obtaine assurance and comfort in the end Alas may some man say how can I thus trust in Christ and relie upon him when I have no assurance but so much doubting in mee of the favour of God To such I answer Yes this is very possible Iob did so Though he slay me saith he Iob 13.15 yet will I trust in him David did so Psal 13. For though he thought God had long forgotten him and hid his face from him verse 1. yet saith he verse 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy So Psal. 143. when he cryeth thus verse 7. My spirit faileth hide not thy face from me he addeth verse 8. Cause me to heare thy loving kindnesse in the morning for in thee doe I trust He trusted in God and looked for comfort even then So did the woman of Canaan Matth. 15.22 28. For though she had received three fearefull repulses from Christ and therefore could have no assurance of his favour yet trusted she still in him for mercy and would not give over importuning him for it
Rom. 3.24 And thus runneth the promise Revel 21.6 I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely To this I answer that though the pardon of our sins and salvation of our souls be in respect of Christ our surety no free gift but a deare purchase neither do we obtaine it till it was dearely bought and purchased for us Ye are bought with a price saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.20 Yea such a price as the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.6 calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully answerable in worth to the soules of all Gods redeemed ones and to that which God hath given us yet in respect of our selves and of our obtaining of it it is meerly of grace it is the free gift of God It is meerly of mercy and free grace that any of us are saved This will evidently appeare unto us in five points First It was the free grace of God and nothing els that first moved him to find out and appoint this way to save us by and to satisfie his own justice for us He purposed this in himselfe saith the Apostle Eph. 1.9 there was nothing out of himselfe that moved him to it He devised this way how to make satisfaction unto himselfe God was in Christ saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 and reconciled the world of the elect he meaneth for certainly all are not reconciled unto him to himselfe This was certainly the free grace and meere mercy of God and nothing els that moved him to do this Yea his love and mercy to his elect appeared more in this than if by his absolute prerogative and soveraignty he had forgiven us without exacting any satisfaction for us at all God so loved the world saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Secondly It was the free grace of God and nothing els that moved him to give any of us to Christ and to appoint us in his eternall counsell to be of that small number that should receive mercy by him He predestinated us saith the Apostle Eph. 1.5 unto the adoption of Children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will As if hee had said The good pleasure of his owne will and nothing els moved him to do this In this respect our Saviour saith of his faithfull Disciples Ioh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me And Verse 9. I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given mee for they are thine Thirdly It was the free grace of God and nothing els that moved him to give to any of us that grace to receive Christ by faith being offered unto us in the ministery of the Gospell No man can come to me saith our Saviour Ioh. 6.65 except it were given unto him of my Father Fourthly It is the free grace of God and nothing els that moveth him to accept of that satisfaction which Christ our Surety hath made for us and not to exact it at our own hands And that maketh the Apostle to say Ephes. 1.6 that it is to the praise of the glory of his grace that he hath made us accepted in his beloved nothing hath bound him to do it but his owne free promise and grace onely Fiftly and lastly It is the free grace of God and nothing els that moveth him after we have received Christ by faith and thereby are brought into covenant with him to performe his promise and to keepe covenant with us considering how oft we break our covenant with him how weake and wavering our faith and obedience is And this made Solomon breake forth into those termes of admiration and wonderment 1 King 8.23 O Lord God of Israel there is no god like unto thee who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walke before thee with all their heart As if he should have said It is the marvellous mercy of God that hee keepeth covenant even with the best of his servants considering how many their failings be And thus have I finished my Answer to the Question and shewed you that though our salvation were not free to Christ but hee payed deare for it yet to us it is free we obtaine it onely through the free grace and mercy of God Lecture CXIX On Psalme 51.7 May 26. 1619. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the uses that this Doctrine serveth unto and those are three principally 1. For instrustion 2. For exhortation 3. For comfort For the first This Doctrine will teach us to judge rightly of sinne and to esteeme of it as it doth deserve Foure points there are to be observed in this Doctrine that do notably set forth the odiousnesse and hainousnesse of sinne First no creature in heaven or earth can cleanse thee from the least of all thy sinnes nor procure thee a pardon for it Christ Iesus onely was able to doe it He is the propitiation for our sinnes saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2.2 and he alone In Popery men are taught that many will doe it Pardons may be bought of the Pope we know and the larger summ a man is content to disburse for it the larger shall his pardon be They teach also that men may by their almsdeeds and good works specially by doing good to the Church redeem and buy out their iniquities and make satisfaction to the justice of God for the temporall punishment that is due to them for sin so that the more bountifull a man is that way the lesse he shall need to feare the fire of Purgatory or any other temporall punishment whatsoever And this hath certainly been a most profitable and gainfull Doctrine to the Church of Rome But a most blasphemous Doctrine it is and such as mâ—keth the Crosse of Christ of none effect a Doctrine directly contrary to the holy Scriptures and to that which the Apostle Peter whom they make the rock upon which their Church is built did teach Ye know saith he 1 Pet. 1.18 that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fethers No silver and gold though we had never so many thousands to give unto pious uses can redeeme and buy out the least of our sinnes no not our vaine conversation our unprofitable walking our sinnes of omission or any part of the punishment that is due to us for it And this ye know saith the Apostle this was a truth clearely knowne to all Gods people then The Churches that were planted by the Apostles were fully perswaded of it And if the present Church of Rome had beene of the Apostle Peters founding as they pretend certainly silver and gold could not be of such use and worth there for procuring pardons for sinne as all the world knoweth that now it is But what speak we of silver and gold Not all the Angels or Saints in heaven or earth were ever able by all their holinesse and
Christ. Two plaine testimonies I will give you for this and trouble you with no more The first is that in 2 Cor. 3.6 8. where the Apostle having spoken of the fruit of his Ministery in the hearts of the Corinthians he telleth them God had made him and his fellow Apostles able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit As if he had said by my preaching of the new testament the new covenant the covenant of grace you were converted the spirit of God was conveied into your hearts And making a comparison betweene the Ministery of the law and of the Gospell in the next verses he calleth the preaching of the Gospell in the new Testament the ministration of the spirit that ministery whereby the spirit of grace is infused into the hearts of men The other testimony which I will bring you for this is that of the Apostle Gal. 3.2 where appealing unto their owne consciences he asketh them how and by what meanes they first received the spirit of God This only would I learne of you saith he received ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith that is by the hearing of the doctrine of faith the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth justification by faith only And thus have I confirmed this fourth Motive unto you in the generall that we can never be sanctified till we be justified first that the man that desireth to amend his heart and life must first seeke to know that his sins are forgiven that he is reconciled unto God in Christ Followeth now that we shew you this likewise in both the parts of sanctification more plainly and particularly And first for mortification of the old man the best way that any man can take to mortifie and subdue any lust and corruption that is strongest in him and that troubleth him most is to get assurance by faith that Christ is his that his sinnes are forgiven him and God is reconciled unto him in Christ and when he hath once got this assurance to make use of his faith in this worke to stirre it up and exercise it by thinking and meditating oft of the marvellous love of God to him in Christ and by making claime to the promises of God which through Christ he hath just title unto Faith purifieth the heart saith the Apostle Acts 15.9 It purgeth out the corruption that it findeth in it it killeth sinne wheresoever it commeth Not all at once indeed but by little and little so soone as ever it entreth into the heart it giveth sinne the deathes wound so as it shall languish ever after and never recover the strength and vigour againe that it had before Every faithfull man hath this promise given him of God Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for yee are not under the Law but under grace So that the man that knoweth himselfe to bee in Christ and so within the covenant of grace may goe boldly to the throne of grace when he findeth himselfe unable to subdue any strong lust and corruption and even ready to be mastered and overcome of it nay he ought then to exercise and make use of his faith by challenging and making claime to this promise of God and say Lord thou hast promised that no sinne shall have dominion over them that are not under the law but under grace and I know that thou art faithfull that hast promised this and able to performe what thou hast promised Lord make good this promise of thine now unto me let not this lust and corruption have dominion over me But I shall make this plainer to you and shew you what force there is in justifying faith that assureth us of Gods favour in Christ to mortifie sinne by instancing in foure of the strongest lusts and corruptions that the faithfull are wont to bee cumbred with all The first is covetousnesse and the love of the world And for the force that is in justifying faith to mortifie this corruption wee have an example first in Abraham and Sarah and some others of whom the Apostle speaketh Heb. 11.8 14 15. of whom the Apostle saith that they willingly forsooke their owne country and all the comforts that they had there and went willingly upon the Lords call they knew not whither and had no desire to returne to their owne country againe nor were so much as mindefull of it they never thought of it nor looked backe as Lots Wife did and he telleth us plainly it was nothing but faith that did thus weane their hearts from the world and made them so willing to part with it See an example of this in Zachâ—us like wise Luke 19. Of him we reade Verse 2. That he was the chiefe among the Publicans and Verse 7. That he was a sinner a noted and infamous man And for what sinne Surely for covetousnesse for getting his wealth by extortion and such like unjust meanes And yet so soone as this man had received Christ not into his house only but much more into his heart when he considered and weighed with himselfe the wonderfull love and goodnesse of Christ towards him that was so vile and unworthy a wretch how Christ tooke particular notice of him and called him by his name how he offered himselfe unsought to to bee his guest to abide in his house which was no more then he hath done for every poore soule amongst us that truly beleeveth in him when Zacheus I say saw and considered this wonderfull love of Christ towards him see what a change it wrought in him how it mortified that lust that had so raigned in him before he became presently a most liberall man as you may see Verse 8. both by his bounty towards the poore and by his readinesse to make restitution to all such as had beene wronged by him And thus doth the Apostle teach us to mortifie this corruption Heb. 13.5 6. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper and I will not feare what man shall doe unto me As if he should say If thou wouldest purge thy heart from covetousnesse and get strength against it make use of thy faith remember the promises that thou being in Christ hast title unto If thou hadst no body to take care for thee but thy selfe thou hadst some reason to toile and moile to carke and care for this world as thou dost but being in Christ and having these promises it is madnesse for thee to doe it A second strong corruption and lust that Gods people are troubled with is uncharitablenesse towards them that have done them wrong How may a Christian best mortifie and get strength against this corruption Surely by getting assurance to his heart of Gods love in Christ and making use of his faith This is evident by that
right hand of my righteousnesse And Vers. 14. Feare not thou worme Iacob thou that art so base and contemptible in thine owne eye I will helpe thee saith the Lord. Yea of all the faithfull those that are now before-hand so fearfull and weake have most promises of God that he will give them strength sufficient when the time of tryall shall come Out of weakenesse they were made strong as you heard Hâ—b 11.34 My grace is sufficient for thee saith the Lord to Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse He giveth power to the saint saith the Prophet Esa. â—0 29 and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Certainly if Gods people would make use of their faith in making claim to these promises of God and challenging of him in humble prayer the performance of them unto themselves they could not be so tormented with slavish feares as they are The fourth and last corruption that much troubleth the best of Gods people is the hardnesse of their hearts they cannot mourne they say nor weep for their sinnes they are not sensible either of the judgements or mercies of God they cannot pray nor heare nor read nor receive with any feeling or affection at all See how Gods people complaine and were afflicted with this Esa 63.17 Why hast thou hardened our heart from thy feâ—râ— Now the best way that any soule can take to cure this stoninesse of the heart to make it soft and tender able to mourne kindly for sinne and to serve God with feeling and affection is to get assurance by a lively faith of Gods love to him in Christ and of the forgivenesse of his sinnes Foure notable experiments we have for this two in the old Testament and two in the new The first is that of Gods people mentioned in Ezek. 36.28 31. after that they were become Gods people and God was become their God and he had saved them from all their uncleannesses as you read Vers. 28 29. that is after that they were entred into the covenant of grace assured of Gods favour and of the forgivenesse of their sinnes then shall ye remember saith the Lord of them Vers. 31. your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquity and for your abominations Nothing hath that force to make a man loath himselfe for his sinnes as the knowledge and consideration of Gods love in the pardoning of his sinnes and the receiving of him into a covenant of grace and mercy that hath beene so extreamely unworthy of it The second experiment of this force of faith to soften the heart is that of Gods people whom the Prophet speaketh of Zach. 12.10 that they should mourne as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne And the Prophet alledgeth two causes of this 1. The Spirit of grace that God had powred upon them that is the Spirit of adoption whereby God had assured their hearts of his favour and love in Christ. 2. The looking upon Christ whom they had pierced that is the weighing with themselves seriously what Christ had done and suffred for them And therfore also it is said they mourned for him they were in bitternesse for him It is the Spirit of grace and adoption assuring us of Gods fatherly love to us in Christ it is the weighing with our selves seriously how dearely Christ hath loved us that will make us mourne for sinne more than for any thing in the world all the terrours of the law all the judgements of God are of no force to soften the heart in comparison of this The third experiment of this is in Mary Magdalen Luke 7. Of her we read Ver. 38. that she had a very soft heart she was able to weep abundantly for her sinnes so abundantly as she could wash Christs feet with her teares And what was it that made her heart so soft Surely the knowledge and assurance she had of Christs marvellous love to her in pardoning her sinnes her so many and so hainous sinnes was that that did it as our Saviour plainely telleth us Vers. 43 48. The fourth and last example is that of Peter of whom we read Luke 22.62 that he had a most soft heart he was able to weepe bitterly for his sinnes And what was it that wrought so upon his heart That the Holy Ghost telleth us Vers. 61. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembred the Word of the Lord how he had said unto him before the cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice When he considered the marvellous love of Christ to him that though he had so shamefully denied and forsaken him yet he was pleased still in the midst of all his troubles to think upon him to have care of him to turn himself about and cast a gracious eye upon him this brought Peter to remember what he had done this even broke his heart and made him weep abundantly And surely look what force a true and lively faith had in all these examples the same it would have in us if we did stir it up and make use of it as they did The true cause why our hearts are so hard is this that either we have no faith no assurance of Gods love to us in Christ or if we have it we make not use of it unto this work of softning our hearts For all that are in the covenant of grace reconciled to God in Christ have this promise given them of God Ezek. 11.19 which is also repeated 36.26 I will take saith the Lord the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh And if any of the faithfull when they are most troubled with the hardnesse of their hearts could make claime unto this promise and presse the Lord with it as he loveth to be importuned as you may see Luke 18.1 7 certainely they might have helpe against it And so much for the force that faith hath in the first part of our sanctification for the mortifying of sinne The second part I must leave till the next day Lecture CXLI On Psalme 51.7 Febr. 23. 1629. IT followeth now that I shew you likewise the force of justifying faith in the second part of true sanctification in making us partakers of the divine nature and renewing the image of God in our hearts in producing the fruits of the Spirit in us in the breeding and working of every saving grace When a man is once justified by faith in Christ is reconciled unto God through his bloud then shall he bring forth fruit unto God and never till then This will make the heart of a man fruitfull in holinesse and righteousnesse and nothing but this will ever be able to doe it For the first that is to say that faith will make the heart fruitfull we have a plaine proofe in that speech of the