CXLV Expository Sermons UPON The whole 17th CHAPTER OF THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO St JOHN OR CHRISTS PRAYER Before his PASSION Explicated AND BOTH Practically and Polemically Improved By Anthony Burgess Minister of the Gospel sometime Fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge and now Pastour of the Church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire LONDON Printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill at the Anchor and Bible in St Pauls Church-yard MDCLVI TO The Christian READER THe Evangelist John because of that admirable usefull and excellent matter which he hath left on Record for the good of the Church is dignified with some remarkable Titles That which is the principall and most to be observed is the name Christ himself gave him Mark 3.17 He with his brother James are called Sons of Thunder When our Saviour changed Peters Name there is the reason of that mutation expressed but because here is none given therefore the conjectures of Interpreters are various As for the application of it to John Some say It was because of the greatnesse and vehemency of his voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is hard to prove that Grotius thinketh our Saviour doth allude to that of Haggai chap. 2.6 Yet once it is a little while and I will shake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which he makes Boanerges though other Criticks judge much otherwise the Heavens and Earth c. This Promise was fulfilled in the great Mutation and Change which was made by the Gospel in which this Evangelist was an excellent Instrument Some attribute it to the Secrecy and Sublimity of that matter which he delivereth as having more familiarity with Christ then others for he used to lean on his Breast and so might receive some peculiar instruction from Christ Thus Heinfius making Thunder to be no more then the Hebrew Shechina Gods Presence and Majesty applying that place Psal 81.7 I have heard thee in the secret place of Thunder But that which is most probable is Because of the admirable gravity and weight in the matter delivered as also the short and sudden expressions thereof Those Sentences in the beginning of his first â—hapter are like so many thunderbolts insomuch that if you do regard the Matter and Manner of his expression he might more truly be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then Pericles in his Orations Whatsoever therefore we finde delivered by this Divine Pen-man we are with much reverence and awfull respect to receive it Antiquity also hath in a peculiar manner honoured him with some other names He is called the Heavenly Eagle and that because of the sublime Mysteries manifested by him in reference to the Godhead of Christ And to this purpose he is likewise styled Theologos the Divine where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not used in that sense as afterwards it was in the Church of God for it is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence they say the other Evangelists do deliver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ the manner of his Humane Nativity but this Evangelist doth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Nature of Christ although the Socinians have sacrilegiously perverted the beginning of that first Chapter of John to another sense then of Christs Eternal Deity which yet was used instrumentally to convert Junius from his Atheisme Now although the whole matter delivered thus by this Evangelist be so admirable and excellent yet this Seventeenth Chapter wherein is related the Prayer of Christ for believers not long before his Death and mentioned onely by him hath some appropriated Reasons for a more peculiar Attention and Affection towards it Hence it hath alwayes had a peculiar Presidency in the hearts of Believers So that the opening of this precious Box of Ointment must needs send forth a refreshing fragrant smell to those that are spiritual For it is truly said by Melancthon concerning this Prayer Nec digniorem necsanctiorem nec fructuosiorem nec magis patheticam vocem in Coelo ac Terrâ unquam fuisse auditam quam hanc ipsius Filii precationem There was never a more excellent more holy more fruitfull and more affectionate voice ever heard in Heaven or Earth then this Prayer So that we may call this Chapter as some of the Psalms are A Chapter of Degrees If this reason may be admitted of that Inscription because they did surpasse other Psalmes in Excellency as also thereby the soul was like Elijah carried up in a fiery Chariot to Heaven At the end of every verse we may write Selah There was a very superstitious Custome among Christians in Chrysostome's time which he doth severely inveigh against that they would hang this Gospel of John or part of it about their necks as an Anulete nor a Spell against malignant things But certainly a gracious heart preserving this Prayer of Christ and making a wise and skilfull improvement thereof will finde it wonderfully advantagious both for the increase of Godlinesse and Comfort here will be both Bread to nourish and Wine to refresh and comfort Although therefore multitude of Books be complained of as glutting the world So that we may justly think there are more Books then Readers yet the Excellency perpetual Usefulnesse and ravishing Consolations of the matter delivered by our Saviour in this Valedictory Prayer have prevailed with me to publish these Expository Sermons to the world and the rather not knowing of any English Writer who hath purposely made it his businesse to explicate and practically improve this Chapter whereas some other parts of Scripture have been diligently discussed In the managing of this Work I have occasionally entered into some Socinian and Arminian Disputes some Verses in this Chapter being the proper subject for them Although the greatest part of my Work is to make Honey rather then to sting to informe us how to believe and walk in a Christian life then to dispute and digladiate about Controversies for we seldome gather Grapes from such Thistles Yea sometimes in stead of Conviction they work confirmation in those Errours the mindes of men are prepossessed with And here I shall take leave to enter into a short Digression which would have come out more seasonably long before this time but I had no opportunity till this occasion was offered to me Not long since I published The Second Part of the Treatise of Justification wherein among other particulars my Work was to prove That Works though done by Grace are not the Condition of our Justification but that we are justified alone by Faith as the Means or Instrument receiving of it These two kindes of Justification viz. by Faith receiving or Faith and Workes as a Condition I conceive to differ specifically one from the other and that he who is justified the one way cannot be the other The former way as the Scripture doth maintain so generally the Reformed Churches have readily insisted in The latter way the Remonstrants have vehemently pleaded for opposing Faiths instrumentality in
Justification with whom Vorstius and Grotius in this Opinion associate themselves as also one or two late English Writers Doctor Hammond Pract. Catech. lib. â— Sect. 3. Now when I had endeavoured to state the Question in a most candid and fair way between those that deny Works to be a Condition sine quâ non of our Justification and those who affirme A Reverend and Learned Brother judging himself to be concerned in this Opinion likewise doth complain of the want of candor and truth Confess Preface in my stating of the Question wherein I rather expected thanks for my ingenuity For first I said All Merit and Efficiency was with great distaste removed from these works of Grace in our Justification Therefore the Question was Upon what account these are required in Justified persons Whether in some Causality or Concurrence as Faith is onely not with such a Degree of Excellency Now let any Judicious Reader that is acquainted with this Controversie decide wherein any candour or truth may be desired herein For I say Causality which is a general word not Efficiencie or Merit Againe I say Some Causalitie Causalitas quaedam which is Terminus diminuens Yea I added the word Concurrence which might easily satisfie any how low I brought the Question Yea as if this had not been enough I propounded it in other termes Whether good Workes be required as well as Faith Yet when I had done all this he complaineth as if wrong were done I am still more confirmed and that by this instance in what I delivered in that Preface That it is not a compendious or proper way to finde out truth and discover an Errour by dealing with persons according to their particular expressions or to attend to personall reflexions but to abstract the Question and to handle it in Thesi For how many words upon words may be multiplied in this very particular My Reverend Brother saith He vehemently disclaimeth all Causality of Workes in Justification Surely his meaning is all Proper Causall Efficiency and so did I in the stating of it but to deny Causality in a large sense is plainly to contradict himself For in his Aphorisme 74 Thesis They both viz. Faith and Works justifie in the same kinde of Causality viz. as Causae siâ—e qâ—ibus non or mâ—dâ—ate and improper Causes Or as Doctor Twiss Causae diâ—positivae but with this difference Faith as the principall part Obedience as the lesse princâ—pall Here is Causality though improper Here is a Causa dispositiva and yet shall I be blamed after I had removed Efficiency and Merit to staâ—e it with a Causalitas quaedam some Causality or Concurrence And therefore all the Arguments I produce are not against any supposed Causality but that Faith onely is that which justifieth and that good Works quâ Workes let them be Meritorious Efficient or Conditions onely are excluded as to the Act of Justification Grotius in cap. 2. Jacobi who maketh this Promise of Justification and Salvation Ad donationem sub conditione quam ad proprie dictam locuâ—ionem conductionem propius accedere happily this may occasion such great recourse to the Lawyers about the Nature of Conditions doth yet notwithstanding on the 2â—th verse of the 2d Chapter of James from that expression of the Apostle Faith did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inferre Docemur non male fidem opera fidei posse dici causam Justificationis modo non intelligamus cauâ—am primariam sed conditiones quae saepe cauâ—ae sine quibus non aut sui generis causae dicuâ—tur But I need not runne to this for my Arguments militate against Workes as Workes justifying under any pretended Notion whatsoever And this maketh me admire how my Learned Brother could let â—f all one Passage wherein he may be so pâ—lpâ—bly and ocularly convinced to the contrary by the first looking upon my Arguments That which he saith is The strength of my Arguments lieth upon a supposition That Conditions have a moral Efficiency not to examine how freely he manageth his Answer to such a supposition Now this is that which I affâ—rme That there is not one oâ— these ten Arguments brought against Justification by Workes as a Conditio sine quâ non that is built upon this suâ—position or hath any dependance on it onely in the fourth Argument after the full strength thereof is delivered then I do ex abunâ—anti and by way of amplification shew that a Condition in a Covenant strictly taken I put in that limitation hath a moral Efficiencie and is a causa cum quâ not a causa sine quâ non But this is onely by way of addition The Argument did not depend on this Assertion And my Learned Brother saith Some conditions and most among men are Morall Impulsive causes I finde another thing urged likewise as not fair dealing and that is To fasten upon his Opinion that we may say a Justifying Repentance as well as Justifying Faith and also Justifying Love Indeed in my Book it is Law and that was the Printers fault which I am sorry for because I see my Learned Brother so much moved at that as if he were charged to hold a justifying Law it should have been Love But why doth this offend my Reverend Brother He doth not say It is not true to say justifying Repentance or justifying Love but it is not fit to say Confess in the Pref. Why is it not fit if it be true It may be such an expression would be offensive to godly eares and therefore not fit Can Love be a Condition of Justification and yet not Justifying Love as a Condition This seemeth very strange But it 's said Faith hath a peculiar fitnesse and aptnesse to receive Christ which Love hath not It is true and therefore Faith onely Justifieth and not Love Thus it maketh against him and not for him Besides with him Faith justifieth as a Condition not from its peculiar aptnesse and therefore Love and Repentance being Conditions must justifie aequè with Faith though not aequaliter Faiths aptnesse is the remote reason as it is a Condition that is the proxime and formall reason Now Repentance and Love have this formall reason for they are Conditions Certainly if Brutum were Animal rationale he would be Homo as well as man is Some other minute and inconsiderable Objections are also brought in but they are not worthy of a contest I therefore return again from this Digression to the Subject in hand which is to take notice of the great Usefulness and Excellency of the matter contained in this Prayer of Christs Luther did justly call John the Evangelist for this Book Malleus Pelagianorum the hammer of Pelagians we may adde also of Socinians and Arians Hence Sixtus Senensis speaketh of some Heretiques called Alogi a name that Epiphanius did justly put upon them because they rejected this Gospel of John and could not endure this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word so often mentioned by
God he is a Son and God is his Father Father glorifie thy Sonne 2. From the seasonablenesse of it Now is the time Tho hour is come 3. From the finall cause he desireth not this glory for himself only but he would be glorified that he might glorifie the Father Every one of these Arguments doth deserve at least a Sermon to open the excellency of it and 1. I shall begin with the relation expressed in that compellation Father Now it is true God is the Father of Christ in a farre more transcendent way then he is ours for that is a true Rule quod Christus naturâ nos sumus gratiâ That which Christ hath by nature we have by grace Christ therefore is Son to the Father yet so that he is of the same nature with the Father having all the properties of the Godhead with him but we are Sonnes only by grace and adoption and therefore cannot call God Father in that respect as Christ doth yet because a Father to both and that we may improve this Title for comfort with him our Saviour doth put these together in a most excellent manner Joh. 10.17 I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Go and tell my Brethren so The Apostle admireth this that he was not ashamed to call them brethren Heb. 2.11 and in this Praier how wonderfull are those expressions That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Let not therefore the great distance between us and Christ trouble us in this dear relation for he is our Father as well as Christs though not in the same manner From this Argument further observe That those Praiers are successefull and are sure to speed which are poured out to God as a Father It 's this Title this relation that giveth life and efficacy to our praiers Dulce nomen Patris said he it works much both in the Father to move his bowels and in the Sonne to enlarge his affections and hopes Although that Faith whereby Christ called God Father was not like that in us which we call justifying in respect of that act for Christ did not need justification for himself because there was no sin found in him yet as faith in the generall betokens a fiduciall dependance on God and application of his favour so Christ did with faith call God Father Thus at other times we see Christ in his praiers using this compellation as the ground of his being heard and having all his requests granted him Luke 23.34 46. Joh. 11.41 Joh. 12.27 28. And that we may not think this Prerogative belongs only to him our Saviour in that Directory of praier which he hath left teacheth us to come unto him as unto a Father and this is the faith we must pray in else we are sure to be sent away empty Hence Christ Mat. 6. and Mat. 7 11. laieth all the ground of confidence and hope to speed on this because he is our Father an heavenly Father farre above all earthly Fathers Nemo tam Pater as one in another case I need not tell you that God is a Father either by Creation in which sence Paul alloweth that of the Poet We are his Offspring for this it makes not any thing to confidence in Praier for so the devils and wicked men had their being from God But 2. He is a Father by grace by adoption and reconciliation through Christ This is the relation that sweetens all This is that which makes us confident he cannot or will not deny any thing that is good to us When the Prodigal Sonne came with this Title in his mouth Father I have sinned the bowels of the Father immediatly moved and he runneth to meet him Luk. 15.18 First That every one by nature and through sinne is in a state of enmity against God God is so farre from being a Father to such that he is a Judge and an adversary to every wicked man so that it is a very rare thing and few there are who may call God Father Is God the Father of Drunkards adulterers proud and prophane persons It 's blasphemy and an high dishonour to God to think so No the Scripture telleth us of another Father to such Ye âre of your Father the devil Joh. 8.44 There are many may say Our Father which art in hell not which art in heaven This I would presse upon you that you may not blaspheme God by calling him Father when you do the works of the devil If children only and not dogs must eat the meat on the Table much more must they only be taken into the Fathers bosome The Scripture will inform you that none may presume to take this excellent Title into his mouth unlesse he shew his filiall fear and obedience Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour 1 Pet. 1.15 If ye call on the Father passe the time of your sojourning here in fear Hence it is resolved by Austin that none but a just and righteous man may pray the Lords Praier because God is not a Father to any but those that walk holily Oh that this might strike to the very heart of every ungodly man Thou hopest in thy praiers and trustest in thy praiers when yet thou hast no right to call God thy Father He owneth no such enemies as thou art for his Sonne Secondly This sweet relation of Sonship to God the Father is purchased at a dear rate by Christ He shed his precious bloud that we might be put into so happy a relation We that were afar off are made neer by him Hence it is that Christ is the Elder brother the Heir and we made coheirs with him so that we had nothing to do with God in any comfortable way we could not have praied to him but had been like the devil in hell had not Christ purchased this sure and comfortable condition for us It costs the mother much ere she be mother of a childe In sorrow she was to bring forth but Christ was a man of greater sorrow ere he could see his seed and his soul be satisfied Among Brethren what envy is there apt to be yea what murthers have been committed by one brother upon another that they might solely enjoy the dignity and great estate but how farre was Christ from this who though only beloved of the Father and heir to all glory yet grudgeth not to take in others to a copartnership well then This word Father or to be able to call God Father cost Christ dear even more then to make a world for there was but a word here were great sufferings Thirdly To be able to call God Father is so great a matter that there needeth the Spirit of Adoption to move us thereunto Gal. 4 6. He hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father Although it be easie for a presumptuous
by the Revelation of God and in this respect though most people may have some generall apprehensions about God yet about Christ they have none at all unlesse by hear-say It behoveth us therefore who are called Christians to know what that Christ is whom we worship and trust in for salvation and the great ignorance of Christ is present death He is the door he is the truth the way and the life Joh. 14.6 All that misse of him are carried violently to death and destruction For 1. Where this ignorance of Christ is there cannot be any historical faith which is the least degree of faith that can be and where there is no historical faith there cannot be any justifying for how can a man trust in Christ for salvation whom he doth not beleeve to be so that historical or as some call it dogmaticall faith whereby we beleeve that there was a Christ both God and man is the first stone that must be laid in our Christian building and without this we have not so much as learned the Alphabet of our Religion yet this is the case of thousands that have no explicit formal faith in this fundamental Point I grant they have a traditional forme whereby they say they beleeve in Christ but they have no expresse faith concerning the person and natures of Christ Now that traditional form is not a reasonable worship of God as the Scripture expresseth it Rom. 12. where we are commanded to give up our selves as reasonable sacrifices But here men are as bruit beasts in respect of any expresse formal faith insomuch that hundreds of people if they be asked what they beleeve concerning Christ they cannot give any knowing or expresse answer Oh how near are such foolish and stupid persons to the very brink of hellâ— and if you should say If it be Faith then it cannot be knowledge Vbi rides non est fides and by all faith and knowledge are opposed but that is to be handled afterwards viz. how that Faith doth necessarily require knowledge and yet there is some kinde of knowledge that Faith is opposite unto for the present we conclude that where there is not some knowledge of Christ there cannot be so much as a bare historical faith They have no faith that have no knowledge I know whom I have beleeved saith Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 2. Where grosse Ignorance is if there cannot be historical Faith about Christ much lesse can there be saving and justifying Faith a fiducial relying and resting of the soul upon him as the Mediatour appointed by God The Scripture doth often speak that we are justified by faith Rom. 5.1 that we have remission of sinnes through Faith in Christs bloud Rom. 3.25 So that Justification and Faith are inseparably joyned together but where ignorance of Christ is there cannot be any of this saving faith for can any man trust in that which he doth not know of yea though such ignorant men say they trust in Christ yet because they know not Christ these are but traditional and customary words They speak falsly and say they do not know what Philosophers say there is actio hominis and actio humana an humane action is that which comes expresly or impliedly from reason but actio hominis is that which is done by a man but not as a man as the moving of the foot or lifting up a straw which came from the imagination meerly So truly we may say there is actio Christiani and actio Christiani a Christian action is that which comes from knowledge and faith either directly or indirectly but that is an action of one that is a Christian in name and profession only that doth such actions as others doe but not from any knowledge or faith within only from custome and meer tradition if then knowledge be in all the historicall and justifying acts of Faith where shall the stupid and ignorant man appear 3. The grosse ignorant man cannot admire blesse and praise God for Jesus Christ the Medtatour This is evident he that knoweth not the nature office and use of Christ what he was and why he came into the world what was that which he did for us it 's impossible he should ever be affected with the love of God or with the love of Christ This made the Apostle pray that they might know the breadth and depth of the love of God through Christ Eph. 3. For without this knowledge all Gods love and Christs love is disregarded We reade of Pauls divine raptures and holy extasies because of Christ I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 2 Cor. 2.2 It is impossible in a lively manner to know this divine truth of God the Fathers love in sending his only begotten Sonne to die for us and not break out in heavenly praises and admirations but the blinde ignorant man seeth nothing of this admirable mystery As he said it fell out ill with Artificers when ignorant men judged of their works Thus certainly God loseth much of his glory-Christ much of his honour when ignorant men only speak of this Doctrine As Christ Joh. 4. said to the woman of Samaria If thou hadst known who it is speaketh to thee thou wouldest have asked for the water of Life So here if thou hadst known what is in this love of God and Christ if thy heart did meditate and study on it thou wouldst be more affected and enlarged in thy affections to Christ 4. Where grosse Ignorance is of Christ there cannot be any improving of him for all these blessed effects to which he is appointed by God Christ is of God unto us wisedom righteousnesse and sanctification 1 Cor. 1. Of his Fulnesse we all receive grace for grace Joh. 3. But the ignorant and unwise man cannot make any advantage of this The ignorant man knoweth not the vertue and good use may be made of such herbs as grow in the field but the wise Artist doth Solomon asketh Why is a price put into the hands of a Fool seeing he knoweth not how to make use of it If the man in the Parable that found a Pearl had not known it to be a Pearl he would not have sold all to have bought it So then let there be never so much fulnesse and sufficiency in Christ yet he is a Fountain sealed up and a garden enclosed to the ignorant man and this must necessarily exclude such from heaven because in Christ is all our salvation whatsoever conduceth to our happinesse is bound up in him now the ignorant man not knowing this treasure must needs perish in his sinnes 5. Where a man is ignorant of Christ he must needs be in a damnable condition because thereby he is also ignorant of himself he knoweth not his own sinfulnesse and misery and so cannot desire a remedy These two are necessarily known together or unknown Christ the Physician and sinne a desperate disease Christ a Saviour and the sinner that is lost But the
see many of the Christian Teachers and disciples were led away in this as appeareth by the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians What a great task hath the Apostle to take all off from works and the obedience to the Law and to give all to Christ They would give part to Christ and part to their works but not all to Christ so that it 's a very hard thing to pull this weed out of our breast We see all Popery and Socinianisme goeth this way also To doe something that they may be justified thereby 3. Thus they cannot think that it 's so acceptable to beleeve in a Mediatour because it 's chiefly their comfort and their good thereby so that they look upon it as self-seeking and immoderately desiring their own good and peace not as any waies tending to the glory of God But we shall shew you that Faith in the Mediatour doth not only bring comfort and joy to us but admirable glory to God even more then Martyrdom or the highest expressions of Obedience Do not therefore tempt thy self and be a Satan to thy own peace What though thy comfort thy salvation bound up in beleeving yet if God will be honoured and glorified this way Thou art rather joyfully to receive his grace then frowardly to dispute against it so that if this beleeving be a self-seeking it 's such as God would have thee to do and as he that will not eat or drink is guilty of bodily murder so he that will not beleeve on Christ which is called eating and drinking is guilty of soul-murder 4 This is strange and difficult to the godly a long while because our justification and acceptation by him is wholly of supernatural Revelation It 's like the doctrine of the Trinity or of Christs Incarnation As humane reason would never assent to such a Truth were it not for divine Revelation that overpowers all so that all our sins are pardoned through Faith in Christs bloud is likewise of meer divine manifestation For see what nature doth incline us unto in all the heathens when they had sinned so as their Conscience condemned them they went to some solemn sacrifice or other extraordinary work thinking thereby to pacifie the wrath of God Adam was created in a state of Righteousnesse and so by his Obedience of works he was to be justified And upon his fall it became impossible that any should be justified by what he did unlesse sinne could justifie a man Therefore when God discovered a Christ and Justification by faith in him This is new doctrine from heaven Neither Men or Angels could have found out such a way so that it 's no wonder if man be thus averse to this Faith in the Promise because it 's a way that neither the state of Integrity or of man fallen was acquainted with insomuch that a godly man in the sence of his sins must bring such a faith in the Mediatour as he doth in other mysterious supernatural objects of Faith and his heart saith It 's unlikely such a sinner such an offender should finde mercy say O my Soul Are not the other supernaturall Points of Religion that I beleeve very unlikely also and incredible to flesh and bloud Lastly Therefore this seemeth hard to the godly broken hearted sinner because though Faith in a Mediatour be a duty yet it 's not to every one that live that wallow in their sins Christ is not a Mediator whether men repent or not repent You are not to think that it is all one godlinesse or no godlinesse If then such only may beleeve in a Mediatour as do truly and sincerely repent of sinne This will be hard to finde out for there are Ahabs tears and Judas's tears for sinne and indeed upon this depends all In this the godly are so much plunged Christ indeed bids those Come that are heavy laden that hunger and thirst after him But I have great cause to question my self whether I doe thus or not In the second place Why is it so that Prophane and ungodly men think it so easie to beleeve in Christ And they say they do it with all their heart when it 's plain by the Scripture they are not such to whom those glorious things of the Gospel do belong And 1. They think it so easie because they take presumption for faith They think they beleeve when they presume Now to presume is easie because it 's a work of the flesh it 's sutable to our corruptions that the Jews though they committed all lewdnesse yet the Prophet complaineth they would come and lean themselves upon the Lord and trust in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord c. That is not faith which most of the world have It 's presumption it 's carnal-confidence such as those had who said Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name Such as the foolish Virgins had Mat. 25. Such as Paul had before his Conversion when he said He was alive Rom. 7. Oh then tremble at that security and confidence thou hast Thou maist be sure it 's a sinne and of the devil it 's so easie whereas Faith is very difficult 2. They look upon Faith in Christ as easie because they divide the Object they take some things of Christ not whole Christ They think it 's only beleeving on him as a Saviour for pardon of sinne They do not choose him as a Lord to whom in all obedience they resign themselves This is indeed the rock that splits many tell them of beleeving in Christ and they think that is only to rest for salvation They attend not that it 's the receiving of Christ for all the ends and purposes God sent him into the world Now one main end besides our justification and salvation is our Sanctification To redeem to himself a people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 To communicate his Spirit for to make holy as well as his merit to make happy Lastly They think it easie because they never think on any qualifications which are required in those who partake of Christ It 's true there are the Antecedent Conditions of merit or worth Let that Popery be abandoned but yet the Scripture tels who and what kinde of persons they are that must claim an Interest in Christ They are blessed that hunger and thirst for such shall be satisfied Mat. 5. Every one that is athirst is to Come Rev. 22.17 Repent that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 Now prophane secure people they never think of these qualifications They say God is merciful They say Christ is a Saviour but then they never consider of whom They think not that many are called but few chosen They love not those places The way to heaven is a narrow and straight way Not all that say Lord Lord shall finde the gate of heaven opened to them If they thought seriously of these things it would cause an holy trembling in them These things premised Let us consider Why it
what Enemies are we to our selves because ignorant herein SERMON XXXIX Further sheweth How acceptable unto God it is to beleeve in Christ the Mediatour And setteth forth the dangerous Nature of Trusting in our own Righteousnesse JOH 17.8 And they have known assuredly I came from thee and have beleeved thou hast sent me WE are prosecuting this Evangelical Point That Faith in Christ as a Mediatour is acceptable unto God as well as obedience to a command That as love is the fullfilling of the Law so Faith of the Gospel Several Reasons have already been laid down we now proceed to give you more 1. Therefore Faith in Christ as a Mediatour is acceptable because of the difficulty of and opposition to it When we are seriously sensible of sinne yet to rely on the love of God in Christ is like Esthers venturing into Ahashuerus his presence If I perish I perish or like the Lepers into their enemies the Syrians Camp Thus saith the afflicted soul If I lye despairing under the burthen of my sin I am sure to be undone I cannot finde any hope within my self It 's therefore venturing on Christ It 's good to go to him I am like that woman of the bloudy Issue that had spent all she had on Physicians but yet could not be cured I have run to every refuge tried every conclusion but still my soul cannot have any safe bottome to stand upon Let me therefore by Faith fly to him as a Mediatour In the midst of these depths and agonies of heart to trust in Christ is an high heroical disposition like that of Job Though he kill me I will trust in him Job 13.15 Like that of the Canaanitish woman whose faith Christ so commended Though she were put off and called dog and told the bread did not belong to her Mat. 15.27 the promises of grace and pardon were not her due yet for all that she will hold upon Christ and not let him go Oh then consider that if thou like Peter wilt venture to go though upon the waters to him here is a special discovery of the noblenesse of thy Faith That thou regardest Gods command and his promise more then all Satans temptations and the sence or suggestions of thy own soul As it is with love to God when God doth afflict and chastise us yet to keep up a tender fervent love to God argueth the greatnesse and purity of thy love so in the midst of broken bones and trouble for sinne to depend upon the grace of God in Christ argueth the excellency of Faith Our Saviour when he said Blessed are they that beleeve and see not sheweth that he who beleeveth Joh. 20 9. when he hath the least prop of sence and encouragement from outward things doth put forth the purer and nobler acts of Faith Now for Abraham to beleeve though Sarahs womb was a dead womb argued stronger Faith then if she had been a fruitful woman Thus the difficulty and opposition in such temptations makes faith the more acceptable 2 Faith in Christ must be as acceptable as Obedience because there is great Obedience in Faith For although Faith in Christ doth not justifie us as it 's an Obediential act for then we should be justified by a work but as it 's an Instrument receiving the Righteousnesse of Christ an hand to take that inriching Treasure yet there is very great Obedience in every act of beleeving go over the several acts of it knowledge assent and fiduciall application all these are therefore put forth by a beleever because God saith it Hence it 's called the Obedience of faith Rom. 10.26 And we are said to captivate our understandings herein 2 Cor. 10.5 For a man in beleeving walketh not by sence or humane reason or principles of the world but the meer revealed will of God so that whether we regard the doctrine to be beleeved or the promises to be embraced we must conclude that faith is a spiritual Martyrdom It 's not reason but Gods Word moveth thee as we told you in the Jews They went about to establish their own righteousnesse and would not submit themselves to the Righteousnesse by Christ Rom. 10.3 You see by that expressien how a man must be much humbled and captivated ere he can yield up himself to Christs Righteousnesse Oh then think not that Faith is not an high degree of Obedience It 's a renouncing of all humane thoughts apprehensions and whatsoever seeming worth or righteousnesse may be in us Oh how deeply was Paul humbled ere Phil. 3. he would come to account all things dung and drosse and to be found not having his own righteousnesse but that which is by Faith in Christ So that although Faith as it is a work doth not justifie yet it 's a great work and that of pure and meer obedience For whereas in all other moral duties Love and Patience there is some ingrafted notions within that convince of that In beleeving there is nothing but the command of God and his promise that inviteth to this duty 3. Faith must needs be acceptable to God because that only of all graces hath a relative fitnesse to receive Christ and his benefits Rom. 3.23 and in many other places Remission of sinne and so the Spirit of promise and also Justification is still said to be by Faith not by Love or Zeal or any other grace because they are of an active nature and go out to God This of a passive nature and receiveth Christ so that the Scripture useth a peculiar phrase to expresse the nature of Faith making it a supernatural Instrument or organon to receive Christ as the hand of all parts of the body taketh a Treasure when given and thereby a man is enriched It 's true it 's not for the dignity or merit of Faith that we are justified Therefore the Learned observe well that it 's never said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for Faith as a cause but by Faith as an Instrument so that it 's not properly Faith in Christ that justifieth but Christ apprehended by Faith as it is not the hand but the treasure taken by the hand that enricheth or as the Scripture excellently describeth it It was not the bare seeing of the brazen Serpent or any excellency in the eye but the brazen Serpent that did heal Seeing that Faith hath that aptitude of all other graces to apply Christ and God makes use of it and appoints it for this end no wonder if that be so well-pleasing to him 4. Faith in Christ as a Mediatour is well-pleasing because by this we also are enabled to all obedience to all duties of mortification and holinesse so that this Faith which receiveth Christ as a Mediatour receiveth him in his fulnesse of grace as an head and thereby we have strength and ability to every thing that is holy Act. 15. purifying their hearts by Faith That implieth both our Justification and our Sanctification Hence
to beleeve though it might be matter of comfort and priviledge yet it was not of duty But O how graciously hath God taught thee otherwise Now thou ar◠as much afraid not to lay hold on Christ as to commit any other sin Thou art as consciencious in believing every promise as in conforming to every command Thou darest no longer listen to doubts and fears to Satans Temptations in this matter then thou darest to the lusts and pleasures of sin 2. The Spirit of God doth instruct us in this That thus to beleeve and rest on Christ is to perform or to do that to which Justification is promised He that believeth is passed from death to life and still Remission of sins is said to be received by Faith and we are justified by Faith Rom. 5. So that when the Soul doth rest on Christ he performeth that to which Christ with all his benefits are promised Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternnl Life So that the humbled sinner having his eyes thus opened he seeth it the greatest madnesse and folly that can be not to receive Christ and to rest on him Why thus he argueth I cannot he justified I cannot partake of Christ till I do believe so that to believe is as necessary in an instrumental way as Christ in a meritorious way Shall the diseased Patient question whether he shall take that medicine which will certainly heal him Shall the hungry man doubt whether he may receive that alms which will preserve his Life Thus the humbled sinner is convinced that as he must not murther his own body wilfully by refusing to eat meat so he must not his own soul by a wilful rejecting of the promise 3. The Spirit of God instructs him in this also That by beleeving he doth not only bring comfort and salvation to his soul but in a most eminent manner doth also glorifie God As Abraham by that remarkable act of Faith is said to give Glory to God Rom. 4.20 The tempted Soul is apt to think Why should I believe this is but to seek my self This is because I would have comfort whatever becometh of Gods Glory Oh but saith the believer when thus awakened if I could perform all the Commandments of God if I could love God so as to give my body to be burnt for his Name yet I could not glorifie God so much as by believing for this acknowledgeth God in Christ wherein God is more to be admired then in the creation and government of the world Lastly He is enabled to see the folly and unprofitablenesse of Vnbelief If he go not to Christ where can Salvation be had he is sure to be damned by keeping from Christ Therefore with those Lepers he is resolved not to perish but to go to God though he seem an Enemy to him And then 2. God worketh faith in us effectively as you heard by strengthening the heart of a man fiducially to repose on Christ if other graces as love and patience do not grow of themselves in mans heart much lesse doth Faith which is so supernatural every way SERMON CIX Of Justifying Faith JOHN 17.20 But for them also who shall believe in me through their word WE are treating upon the Doctrine of Justifying Faith and certainly we may say It 's good to be on this Mount of Transfiguration and having declared that method Gods Spirit leads an humbled soul into when it 's enabled to believe We proceed to further particulars instructive in this business The ultimate and last act of justifying faith was a fiducial resting upon Christ for all spiritual benefits But to understand this further Consider that the Scripture expression of it is very emphatical and denoteth several notions in it as when it expresseth it by receiving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word often applied to faith in this act it receiveth Christ Joh. 1.12 it receiveth the promise it receiveth forgivenesse of sins Act. 26.18 so that in this justifying act of faith we are to conceive a precious treasure offered by the grace of God even Christ himself and faith as the hand receiving of it and this expression is full of excellent matter for it teacheth 1. That we in this act of Justification or laying hold on Christ have nothing of our own All our righteousness is without us we are to receive it offered we have nothing inherent This Paul knew experimentally Phil. 3. when he would be found not in his own righteousness but that which is by faith His own mark that Any thing we may call our own we must not be found in and that is our own which is not only so effectivé by our own procuring and labour or merit but subjectivé which is inherent in us though it be wrought by the grace of God as the Just is said to live by his faith Hab. 2.4 It 's his faith subjectively though Gods effectively This word then receiving doth carry every man humbled Evangelically wholly out of himself and as was said to the woman looking into the Sepulchre Why look you for him he is not here he is risen So it may be said Why art thou searching and digging into thine own heart Thy works or graces these are not the object of faith It 's above thee It 's without thee though by faith applied to thee Even as the poor cripple that desired to be healed looked upon Christ expecting help from him he knew he had nothing in himself or as the indigent beggar looks without him and stretcheth out his hand to receive food or money So is it with the humbled sinner Oh then be directed here why doth God make thy own heart thy own wayes so bitter to thee Is it not because thou shouldst seek out for a Christ and look for a righteousnesse without thee 2. This word receiving implieth That we are wholly passive in our Justification That we are not justified by doing any thing or offering any thing to God but receiving from him Even as some Philosophers say Intelligere and sentire are passions Though we express them actively yet the soul therein is passive So when by believing a man is justified we are not to consider what he brings to God or doth for God but what he receiveth from him This is a fundamental principle to be grounded in it 's a mercy of mercies to be directed in the agonies of thy soul to the right way of believing to know the way to this City of refuge If a manslayer pursued by the avenger had not known the way to the City of refuge what danger had he been in It 's like the childe not coming the right way in it's birth now naturally we all think by doing to partake of Christ not receiving which made the Apostle so industriously assert this That it 's not to him that worketh but to him that believeth
object of justifying faith it 's not meant antecedenter but consequenter Not as if we were to look for a special or particular promise made either to Thomas or Peter as sometimes Christ did to those who were then alive as when he spoke to that woman Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee here was a special promise to her in particular but it 's not so now the promise is general but it 's made special by beleeving and indeed without this special applying act our faith brings no peace no comfort no more then for a Lazarus to hear there was plentifull food in Dives his house but he had not so much as the crums thereof Thus you see how comprehensive this act of beleeving is In the next place This recumbent act of Faith may not only thus receive Christ but we may also be assured and know that we do believe and that Christ is ours Indeed former Divines from an opposition to Popery which teacheth doubting in our Justification and uncertainty did define justifying faith to be a full perswasion of the heart whereby we beleeve our sins are pardoned and that Christ died for us but to beleeve that Christ is mine or that I am justified cannot be justifying faith but it supposeth it for Christ must be mine before I know he is mine The object must be before the act Therefore faith hath two acts a Direct Act whereby it layeth hold on Christ and a Reflex Act whereby I know that I do lay hold on him or that I am such an one to whom the promises do belong Now this beleeving on Christ which justifieth is in the former act out of the sense of my sins and deep unworthiness to lay hold on Christ The latter which we call Assurance Though the people of God may and ought to attain unto yet is not to be confounded with the former nay it may be and is often separated from it and this is much to be heeded by practical Christians you would have assurance first and then you would beleeve in Christ you would know whether your graces are true whether you are so and so qualified and then you would beleeve This is as if a woman would be assured such a man were her husband and then she would marry him whereas it is marriage makes the husband It 's beleeving makes Christ thine and when he is thine then thou mayest be assured he is thine The cripple and the woman labouring under a bloody issue felt themselves whole after Christ had healed them they could not before So when faith hath made Christ thine that thou canst say with Thomas My God my Lord then you may come to be assured he is thine Christ had not that sense of Gods favour when yet he had that fiducial confidence crying out My God my God c. The promise is made to him that beleeveth not to him that knoweth he doth beleeve It 's not said If you have assurance but if you beleeve you shall be saved 3. Though faith doth thus repose it self fiducially upon Christ yet you must know this is not done without opposition of unbelief and diffidence 1 Joh. 3.19 The Apostle saith We assure our hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswade This implyeth that the heart of a man is full of objections and hath many cavils There is much ado ere the heart be perswaded to rest on Christ only many Lions and mountains are in the way That man spake the sense of all beleevers who prayed Lord I beleeve help my unbelief Mark 9.24 Oh how often is thy heart ready to be cast down and to have no hope You may see these ebbings and flowings in Davids heart faith and diffidence were like two twins strugling in the womb do not therefore expect such a quiet resting upon Christ as shall have no opposition No sometimes thy heart may even rage with unbelief like that poor demoniack the Evangelist speaks of Mar. 5.4 that tore chains asunder and no man could tame him Such an unruly thing may thy heart be Now there are two great opposites to this recumbency viz. The terrible things of thy heart the guilt of sin the temptations of Satan the sad fears that molest thee and then the sweet pleasing things of thy soul which are self-righteousness trusting in thy own heart in thy own works Oh this self-fulnesse this mountain must be levelled as well as this valley be exalted else the way is not prepared for Christ SERMON CX Of Justifying Faith That it is a fiducial Recumbency on Christ JOH 17.20 But for those also that shall beleeve in me I shall now conclude this part which containeth the Qualification of the subject of Christs Praier That beleeve in Christ And whereas Faith hath a twofold Object either general of which v. 21. or special This last is meant here of which much hath been said to clear the nature of it I shall end at this time And 1. I shall prove that it 's the duty of an humbled sinner to have such a fiducial recumbency on Christ and that for the pardon of his sins in particular It 's not enough to believe that Christ will save sinners that repent and convert unto him but they are to appropriate him to their own particular To say with Thomas My Lord My God Now that Faith is such a particular application of Christ whatsoever Papists and others gainsay may appear from these Arguments amongst others 1. From the names and Titles that beleeving in Christ hath which do evidently denote more then a meer intellectual assent unto the promises as true They imply some cordial motions of the soul The Names are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth signifie a confidence of the heart and that which doth imbolden the soul in the presence of God yea to this beleeving there is attributed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5.1 Phil 3.3 This boasting must need be more then a bare apprehension in the minde It 's like Aarons oyle that descends from the head to other places also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4 21. This is also emphatical some make the word to be from the Sails of Ships when filled with the Winde which carry the Ship away speedily Thus the heart of man that lay groveled and could not move when beleeving is mightily carried on in all duties It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often Heb. 11.1 Heb. 3.14 that denoteth the things we beleeve to have such a subsistence in our souls as if we were no longer our selves but the thing believed as Paul said I no longer live but Christ within me Gal. 2.20 So this Faith in Christ doth as it were incarnate the Promises and transubstantiate them into the believer Another word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 4.16 Let us come with confidence Indeed Ephes 3. Confidence or boldnesse is made an effect of faith but confidence could not be an effect of faith if faith had not this
upon this will bring much Consolation Considering 1. Gods taking the more care of them 2. Their being quaiified as that come under Christs Fraier 3. And that God will ere long take them out of the world Quest Answ Observ How many wayes a godly man may be more sanctified 1. Inrensively 2. Extensively 3. In the deeper radication of grace in our hearts 4. Subjectively 5. Efficienter Growth in Sanctification illustrated by the contraries unto it which are these Reasons Vse Observ That the word of God is the instrument of our sanctification The explication of the point The necessity of learned officers in the Church The Word is Gods instrument and faith is mans The Word is not the principal or efficient but the instrumental cause The necessity of Gods efficiency Without Gods blessing men may by the Scriptures through interpretation be corrupted Instrumentall Causes are physical natural or moral One cause must not be opposed to other causes The Word is the ordinary means The word to some through their wickednes becomes an instrument of greater sinfullness Doct. The Word of God is Truth In how many particulars Gods Word is true I. In regard of the efficient Cause God II. It 's the Rule of all Truth III. It 's true materially IV. Qualitatively V. It 's true Instrumentally There is a threefold Truth we cannot attain to without the Scripture 1. True Doctrine 2. True Piety 3. True Consolation VI. The Scripture is true oppositely to all the Opinions Doctrines and Religions that men set up by their own fancy The excellent properties of the truth of Scripture 1. It 's the truth of God 2. It 's infallible 3. Eternal 4. Universal 5. Supernaturall 6. A holy truth 7. A precious truth 8. A bitter truth Doct. Truth and holinesse are requisite in Ministers of the Gospel Why it is requisite Ministers should be endowed with soundnesse of judgement Why Ministers must be holy Vse T Doct. 2. That Christ hath a peculiar love of those who are in Church-Office according to his rule and way In what particular Christs care is shewed to his Ministers Observ Christ was sent of the Father and did not of himself undertake that office he was imployed in while on the earth Of Christs Commission consider these things The necessity of Christs being sent Observ None may undertake the publike Office of the Ministry without a lawful Call thereunto Dist 1. There is a two-fold sending Mediate and Immediate Dist 2. The substance of the Ministerial Office is the same with that which every Minister hath Rules for private Christians exercising their Gifts Whether reading be preaching Heinsius Grotius Vocation to the Office of the Ministry consists in these things I. Inward qualifications II. Outward Distinct ult That there is a distinct Oâ—fice of the Ministry That none may enter into this Office without an authoritative mission Doct. That Christ set himself apart to be a Sacrifice for us In my Treatise of justification What Christs sanctifying himself implieth I. His purity and holinesse II His ready offering himself for us III. His fitnesse for the office of a Mediatour 1. The fitnesse of his Person 2. His fitnesse in regard of his Offices 1. Prophetical 2. Priestly 3. Kingly IV. He is prepared for this work Benefits of Christs sanctifying himself V. That he was wholly set apart for us VI. That if by faith we improve him not for those ends God appointed him we make him a Christ in vain VII It denotes him a sinner by imputation VIII That he was a Priest to make atonement for us Concerning Christs priestly-office Consider these things Wherein this prayer and his intercession in heaven differ The adâ—unct of his Priestly Office Observ That Christ was not only the Priest but the Sacrifice it self Propositions concerning Christs Priesthood I. That Christ was both Priest Sacrifice and Altar II. What things are necessary to a Sacrifice III. He offered himself to God IV. It was by way of Expiotion V. The necessity of it The properties of Christs Sacrifice I. It hath infinite worth in it II. Though Christ offered himself as a Sacrifiae yet the application must be as God hath appointed III. Christs bloud washeth away not only the guilt of sin but the filth of it IV. The vertue of his Sacrifice abides for ever V. It 's continually useful VI. It 's prevalent with God VII It 's that Christ presents to his Father VIII The purity of it IX The vertue of it Observ Christ died not only for our justification also Concerning this point consider I. How many wayes is the Christ is the cause of our Sanctification II. What is implied in our being sanctified by Christ III. What may be inferred from our being sanctified by Christs sanctifying himself IV. Wherein the truth of Sanctification lieth Doct. That Christ though God yet as man did pray unto the Father Upon what grounds Christ who was God as well as man did pray The difference between Christs praier and ours What advantage Beleevers have by Christ Doct. In what respects Christ did as much for one believer as another There is some difference between beleevers in respect of Christs Death Observ That such is Christs care and love to his remembred in his prayer and death even before they had a being Doct. Reasons Doct. That the faith which â—ustififieth and saveth us maketh us wholly to depend on Christ The several kinds of faith The object of faith It 's an act of the will as wel as the understanding The seat of faith These things are required to justifying faith I. Of faith under the notion of receiving Christ The receiving of Christ implyeth 1. That we have nothing of our own 2. That we are wholly passive in justification 3. That faith doth not justifie for any intrinsecal worth in it 4. Faith is excluded as it is a work 5. And why faith and no other grace doth justifie II. This receiving is not a bare receiving but an imbracing also III. In this act of faith there is a fiducial reposing of the soul upon Christ IV. An application of Christ V. This recumbent act of faith may not only thus receive Christ but we may be assured that Christ is ours Faith hath two acts a direct and a reflex Quest Observ God hath appointed a perpetual Ministry to the end of the world Quest Answ Doct. Consider That there is a two-fold Unity among the godly I. Invisible II. Visible III. 1. The excellency and necessity of unity among Christians appears by the vehement and affectionate praier for it 2. It s a means to bring the world to believe the truth 3. It s promised as a special part of the Covenant 4 Hereby a serviceable helping of one another in spirituaâ—l things is preserved 5. God suffers sad persecutions to befall them that thereby their discords may be removed 6. Unity strengthens 7. It is beautifull and comely 9. Divisions are the fruit of the flesh 10. Because all things
is insufficient to salvation Therefore it 's a pernicious assertion of Venator the Remonstrant that the Heathens they had the Light as it were of the Starres The Jews of the Moon The Christians of the Sunne and all might be saved by their respective Lights 4. God is manifested by the Scriptures in a common way of Light Many men by an Historicall faith beleeving the Scriptures must also beleeve a God for there is no such clear evidence any way as by that and thus we may judge of most Christians they know there is a God they beleeve him to be because the Word doth so fully affirm it Lastly There is a knowledge of God in a practicall obedient way so to know him as to fear him to obey his Commandments to walk humbly before him and to depend upon him and this is the manifestation or knowledge the truly godly only have and the number of these is very few so that if you set aside those who know God only upon a natural conscience or by education or by a general historical Faith The residue who know him by speciall illumination and sanctification are like the gleaning after harvest so that we may hence conclude that whatsoever parts learning understanding men have in Religion yet till inwardly sanctified they know not God They are wholly estranged from him They live without God in the world Eph. 2. God is not in their thoughts in their hearts neither have they any enjoyment of him Oh that we could make every Auditor sensible of this I live in the world I know much I have great acquaintance but yet am a stranger to God Now these following particulars will plainly discover that the godly only do truly know God R. 1 First Because though men have this speculative knowledge yet they do not love him and delight in him above all things It 's Gods command that we should love him with all our heart our minds and strength yea above Father Mother life and every thing that is dear Insomuch that the Scripture saith Whosoever loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 Now whence is it that we love these poor empty comforts more then God Is it not because we do not know God Had we clear manifestations of the goodnesse excellency and fulnesse that is in God our whole heart would be ravished with him As it is with the glorified Saints in heaven they have an immediate vision of God They behold him in this glorious beauty and hence it is that they cannot sinne The understanding seeth such infinite perfection in God that they abhorre all things that would divert from him As the eye dazled with the Beam-light of the Sun cannot behold any thing else As he that hath eaten honey findeth all things else unsavoury As the Saints in heaven do thus so the Saints on earth do in part and in some good measure They beholding the Image of God 2 Cor. 4. are transformed into the same Image The more we know God as revealed in the word the more our hearts pant after him as you see David often manifesting the breaking of his heart after God Well then by this you see that few know God if they did how could they leave the Ocean for a drop how could they part with God for every fading creature thy lusts thy sins are more then God in thy thoughts and affections Oh pray for a knowledge of God in Christ The blinde man doth not admire the glory of the Sunne because he cannot see it ignoti nulla cupido R. 2 2. No wicked man though never so great a Scholar knoweth God if he doe not fear him if he stands not in an holy awe and reverence of him who would not fear thee Isa 10. O thou King of Nations for to thee it appertaineth and sanctifie the Lord God let him be your dread Our Saviour likewise Fear not them that can kill the body Mat. 10.28 but I tell you whom you shall fear c. You see then that if we did rightly know God how pure and just he is how full of wrath and vengeance against impenitent sinners we would cry out with Joseph upon every temptation How can I do this and sinne against God I cannot I dare not Thus Paul Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 Did men know the greatnesse and the terrour of God the power and Majesty he is cloathed with That no sinner though never so great can stand before him any more then the stubble before the fire That he can immediatly raise hellish torments in thy conscience That he can bid thee go out of this Church a trembling Cain a despairing Judas Did I say People know this God to be so great how could they riot it in all excesse as they do as our Saviour told the Woman Joh. 4. If thou hadst known who it is that asked water of thee thou wouldst have given him Had you or did you know that the God whom you offend all the day long is so great and terrible in Majesty it would have been a stop to all thy bold impieties but men know not God R. 3 3. Only the godly know God because they only are carefull to obey his Commandments and to walk in the way he requireth 1 Joh. 2. If we say we know him and keep not his Commandments we are lyars and abide not in the Truth Their knowledge of God and a carefull obedience to his commands cannot be separated The Apostle saith all others are but lyars and hypocrites Dost thou boast of knowledge and yet break his Sabbath wallow in the lusts of the flesh Thou art a lyar thou dost not know God Hence it followeth in my Text I have manifested thy Name to my Disciples and they have kept thy Word Oh then never talk of thy knowledge never speak of what thou readest or what thou understandest unlesse also thy obedience to Gods will be as manifest so that when we see any prophane wicked man indued with great parts you may say Lo there is such an one though he knoweth all Points in Religion though he knoweth every Chapter in the Bible yet he knoweth nothing of God for whereas God saith Be not drunk with wine c. and Wo be to those that are strong to drink yet every week if not every day he is drunk Though God saith Swear not at all yet some cannot speak without an Oath scarce Oh that these things might enter into you If you know God you would obey him you would say I dare not I must not do this or that God whom I know and serve commands the contrary Therefore the Prophet Hosea when he speaketh of much wickednesse in a Land swearing and whoring and injustice he saith There is no Knowledge of God in the Land Hos 4.1 Argum. 4 4. The godly man only knoweth God because he only hath these gracious effects of Gods grace upon his heart
heed of spiritual wantonesse and luxury to make the Bible the argument of thy opinions or notions thereby to get applause and esteem No thou are to prize it for the spiritual effects of it That it cureth thee of thy blindenesse spiritualizeth thee against thy carnality quickens thee against thy formality 2. We are to prize it for the necessity of it because that containeth the words of eternal life we cannot think a thought or step a step without the guidance of it This is able to make thee wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 A man cannot have any wise thought or purpose towards heaven but by this This made Job as you heard prize it more then his necessary food for the soul needeth this bread of life as much as the body doth material bread If we set up any other principle to walk by but this we run our selves into the mouth of hell 3. For the usefulnesse of it The Scripture is profitable for instruction exhortation and to make a man perfect for every good work 2 Tim. 3. There is no sin to be avoided no duty to be done but the Word of God will direct thee therein There is no temptation so subtle but this will discover it If at any time thou art unprepared and indisposed for such or such a duty thou hast no heart to pray no spirit to beleeve on the promise Come to this and it will quicken thee for it's eyesalve to thy blindenesse It 's an hammer against thy corruptions It 's fire to consume thy drosse It 's oyl for thy wounds It 's a Catholicon an universal Shop of all spiritual medicines The rich man the poor man the husband the wife all may learn from hence what to do 4. The preciousnesse and dignity of it The Word of God is full of heavenly and supernatural excellency especially the Gospel or the will of God revealed for the salvation of man Oh how welcome must these glad tidings be to the troubled sinner that hath received the sentence of condemnation upon his soul Christ with his benefits discovered are the onely treasure to a tender broken heart The Scriptures they are the Mine wherein this treasure is to be found They are the Field wherein this pearl is hid To you that beleeve Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 and it must needs be so for he is the Mediatour between God and them he hath fulnesse for all their wants and necessities He is made wisedome righteousnesse and sanctification 1 Cor. 1. It 's not what they are but what Christ is Lastly They keep the Word who persevere in it notwithstanding all the temptations and difficulties It 's both against the flesh and the devil for any man to keep Christs Word and how many have begun well but at last have given over to their great destruction Therefore John saith If ye continue in my word and Mat. 13. The good ground is said to hold fast the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth so to hold as that many are striving to take it out of our hearts again and they are said to bring forth fruit in patience because there is great contrariety and opposition unto Gods Word if possible the fowls of the air will take away this seed as soon as it is sown The Apostle James speaks of a forgetful hearer Jam. 1.24 and therefore would have us abide looking into the glasse of the Word Oh take we heed that we be not in the number of those whose latter end is worse then the beginning Take heed it be not said They are turned out or gone from us because they were not of us Vse of Instruction what they may judge of themselves who though living long under the means of grace finde the Word hath no place in their hearts their lives their conversation proclaim to all that they care not for Gods Word Oh what a sad Symptome is this of thy obstinate incurable condition oh men to be mourned over as dead and buried in the grave of sin If ye were of God you would hear his Word It 's said of many they did not hear the Word of God because it was of the Lord to destroy them O take heed this be not true of thee Vse of Exhortation to the godly keep close to Gods Word let your thoughts your affections your actions be according to that you never wound your consciences you never bring woe to your selves you never are at a distance from God but when you go astray from this rule Keep to this as in an Ark be in all your relations by it live by it die by it you are like a tree planted by the water-side while attending to this and if you keep the Word of God Gods Word will keep you 1. In the hour of temptation that you sin not 2. At the hour of death that you sink not It will be a tree of life to you that we through the Scriptures might have consolation The Word that was your rule will now be your comfort it will speak nothing but consolation to thee It will be more then all friends all comforters whatsoever 3. It is everlasting it will abide for ever the consolations of it will be eternal SERMON XXXIV Of Growth in Grace The Duty Necessity and Glory of it JOH 17.7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee OUR Saviour doth still relate those commendable considerations that were in his Disciples that thereby God should hear his praier for them It was not for worldly wicked sinners but such as knew and obeyed him that he praied for This is the more to endear them to God Now as before he had commended them for their obedience so here for their faith in him as a Mediatour and this faith is necessary to all Christian obedience For without it a man by his Legal righteousnesse becomes a confident presumer trusting in his works that he doth or else despaireth Seeing it impossible that ever he should attain to such a righteousnesse that is required Therefore when we have done all and got up to the very pinacle of grace we are in matter of Justification to leave our obedience and fly to faith so then we have the disciples Faith in Christ as a Mediatour described and commended 1. By one main particular act which doth synecdochically contain the whole They have known By the next Verse it appeareth that beleeving and knowing are all one 2. There is the Object of their faith which is twofold 1. All things that the Father had given Christ 2. That they were of him the sence is They knew whatsoever Christ had it was given him of the Father and that he had these things from him to be a Mediatour Here then you see what an acceptable thing it is to God to beleeve in Christ as sent by him The poor humbled sinner he trembleth and doubteth whether he may come to this Mediatour or no
Admonition To hearers for many times a vain people make vain unprofitable Preaching They have such wanton stomacks that they love nothing that is solid and sound give them words rattles and baby-clouts these things please them but to convince the Conscience to command the heart to make it tremble for sin that they cannot abide SERMON XXXVIII Of the Excellency and Necessity of Beleeving in Christ as a Mediatour That it is acceptable to God as well as Obedience to a Command Yet withall sheweth the difficulty of it and whence it comes to passe that the Children of God sensible of their sinnes are so hardly brought to beleeve As also why ungodly men think it so easie a thing JOH 17.8 And they have known surely that I came out from thee and they have beleeved that thou didst send me OUR Saviour commended their Obedience in the former part of this Verse Now he doth the like for their Faith For Obedience without faith is but a maimed and lame Sacrifice yea there cannot be any acceptation of our Obedience because of the imperfection of it unlesse Faith cover it in Christ and this our Saviour now undertakes that the Disciples were not as the Pharisees and Jews who trusted in the righteousnesse of their Obedience but when they had done all looked out for a Mediatour to stand between Gods perfection the Laws perfection and thine Imperfection Their Faith is commended by our Saviour 1. In the Acts. 2. The quality 3. The object of it The Acts are one of them large and comprehensive They have beleeved 2. More narrow and particular They have known Here you see that Faith is not a blinde ignorant assent but accompanied with a true and sure knowledge of that we beleeve Secondly There is the quality of their Faith They have known surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be opposed either to hypocrisie or false ends They did unfeignedly upon true grounds beleeve not like those that are said to beleeve yet our Saviour would not commit himself to them because they sought the glory of men more then of God Joh. 2. or else it may be opposed to doubting and staggering as our Translators seem to go They did surely overcoming all unbelief and doubts that might oppose them Lastly Here is the object of their Faith viz. That Christ came from the Father as sent to be a Mediatour working salvation for those that did receive him They looked upon him not only in respect of his person God and man but also in relation to his office that he was the Jesus and the anointed one to save his people from their sinnes Whereas then we see our Saviour in many words commending this faith of theirs as a most special consideration in them and which would be very acceptable to God we may observe That Faith in Christ as a Mediatour is acceptable and well pleasing as well as Obedience to a command It 's not Gods will that a childe of his should be alwaies either thinking of sinne or obedience but also of beleeving or resting the soul upon Christ as in whom all fulnesse is and though when God only becomes well-pleased with us Joh. 6.29 when the people asked What they should do that they might do the works of God Christ answers This is the work of God that ye beleeve in him Faith is here called the work of God 1. Because it 's wrought by him We are not able of our selves to beleeve but in this sence it 's not meant here 2. By work of God is meant that which in a most eminent manner is acceptable to him that which he seemeth to delight in more then any other and that is faith and indeed the people of God they are hardly perswaded of this They doubt rather whether it be a duty at all Oh how long are they kept in the uncertain wilderness of tears and dejections ere they come to know the way of beleeving They still hope by something they do to be accepted so that to the humbled sinner there seemeth nothing more paradoxal and difficult Whereas we would think thus to beleeve in Christ and receive him as a Mediatour would be very easie for all None would keep off For it is to come and take comfort and ease and who will refuse this But it 's certain that the Children of God sensible of their sinnes are a long while ere they are fully directed into this way of beleeving They do not presently understand how well-pleasing it is to God that they should cast off their burthen on Christ That they should cover themselves with his robes and so come and appear before God The Grounds of such discouragements in Gods Children are 1. The real and bitter sence of their sinnes in the nature frequency and all aggravations of them So that while they are thus broken in heart nothing but sin sin doth present it self in the guilt thereof See it in David Psa 51. His sinnes were alwaies before him His murder his adultery these were ever in his eyes and what a work is it to bring him to a joyful spirit in the mercies of God The godly therefore being many times attent to their sins they are carefull that their repentance be reall bitter and deep enough and withall seeing sinnes rising up in their hearts after one another as one wave after another They grow wholly despondent and all their thoughts and Meditations are as if there were nothing but sinne to be thought upon Nothing but sin to be meditated on and this extremity of sorrow makes the ear deaf to Christ so that it refuseth like Rachel to be comforted Thus the Incestuous person when he did feel the bitternesse of his sin was in danger of being swallowed up with too much sorrow He thinketh not only the Priest and the Levite but even the good Samaritan will also passe him by and powr no Oyle in his wounds When one eye is intent downwards the other cannot look upwards When the heart is greatly grieved from one object it can hardly be prepared to receive comfort from another 2. There is an innate inbred principle of a Legal Justification or acceptation by works that we doe and this makes Faith in the Mediatour as a stranger as an absurd thing and indeed this is the main reason why all the godly finde it so hard to beleeve why they are so loth to be beholding to grace onely to resign every thing and to be saved by Christ meerly Even that inbred principle of being justified by what we do See how all they that come to Christ propound this What shall we do that we may be saved They look upon doing not beleeving Thus the Jews generally they sought to establish the righteousnesse of the Law and would not submit to the Righteousnesse of faith Rom. 10.3 Oh it is a great matter to humble and empty the heart of a man so as that he will submit to a Righteousnesse of Faith yea we
the flames and yet expect Gods power to keep thee this is to tempt God Peter will be in the High-Priests hall and where wicked company is and no wonder if it prove a Temptation to him he that handleth pitch shall be defiled with it He that cometh near an infected person may blame himself if the plague seaze on him Thirdly Be thankefull unto God for every daily assistance Be much in praise and acknowledgement of this his gracious power Unthankfulnesse makes God withdraw his mercy how often hath God assisted thee both by preserving in what is good and from what is evil yet thou hast not called upon thy Soul and all within thee to blesse his holy Name Therefore thou shalt to thy woe finde what a sad thing it is to be left to thy own self and not to have his grace to help in time of need The second Interpretation takes Name for the Knowledge of God and Faith in him So that the sence is Keep those thou hast given me by Faith as 1 Pet. 1.5 This is part of the meaning and from thence we observe Obs That the people of God are kept to Salvation through Faith Faith is a special Instrument to preserve us We are not only justified but sanctified and preserved through Faith hence the Apostle John cals faith our Victory over the world 1 Joh. 5.4 And Eph. 6. when we are exhorted to put on the whole Armour of Christianity he saith Above all take the Shield of Faith he giveth the preheminency to that To open this Consider 1. That whatsoever priviledge is attributed to Faith either in respect of Justification or Salvation it 's not for any merit or dignity in Faith Therefore it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is through faith not for Faith for if it were for Faith as a work then the Apostle Rom 4. would not oppose working to beleeving and the worker to a Beleever so that to put any confidence in our Beleeving to trust in our trusting is to give that to Faith which the Jews did to works and in this sense not only those that seek to be justified by the Law or works fall from Christ and make him to die in vain but also those that set up Faith in this Consideration 2. Therefore though Faith be instrumentall thus to our Conservation yet Faith it self needeth Gods help as well as other Graces We need his help to beleeve as well as to love God and arise from sinne Therefore though the power of God keeps us by Faith yet it also keeps Faith Vt nos custodiat per fidem ipsam custodit fidem We should fall from our Faith as well as other graces did not God strengthen and confirm that Onely when that is established God by it doth preserve us in the exercise of other graces so that being confirmed by God this confirmeth and establisheth us rather then other graces and that in these particulars Faith is that grace to which the promise of Gods power is made preheminently To him that beleeveth all things are possible Mar. 9.23 So that as all the promises are yea and amen in Christ as the Foundation and meritorious cause so they are yea and amen to Faith as instrumentall It 's of Faith that the promise may be sure Rom 4.16 What promises then or deeds of gift God hath made over to his people They are all made effectuall to the beleever No Faith no help no assistance 2. Faith only receiveth into the Soul Christ who is the authour and procurer of all strength Paul saith He can do all things through Christ that strengthens him Phil. 4.13 But how shall we make Christ ours How shall he come to dwell in us The Apostle saith By Faith Eph. 3.12 So that herein Faith is greatly instrumentall to keep us because it brings Christ with all his power into our soul It deriveth all ability from him It 's not Faith but Christ by Faith received that doth thus enable It was not Sampsons hair the weakest part about him but Gods power whereof that was a Symbole or sign that did confirm him No wonder then if Faith be thus serviceable to preserve us Seeing that by it Christ is wholly made ours in whom all Fulnesse both of grace and power dwels 3. Faith doth instrumentally preserve us in that it renounceth all our abilities and carrieth out to God onely This Faith hath peculiar to its nature above all other graces it emptieth a man of himself it makes a man renounce whatsoever priviledge and righteousnesse he may seem to have Thus Phil. 3 Paul refuseth all priviledges accounts all gain losse in respect of Christs Righteousnesse which is by Faith As the Criple cast his eye upon the Apostles hoping to be healed he had no thoughts of his own Sufficiency but their power only So it is here Faith makes a man cast his eye upon God and look up to him only for ability Oh then prize and nourish this grace of faith which doth so nullifie thee and omnifie God 4. Faith is serviceable to keep us by improving and making effectuall those instituted means appointed by God for to preserve us Such is the Ministery of the Word preached c. These are ordained by God to keep a man in holinesse Those that think they are above these and can be kept without them Let them think as well that they can live without food But how come these iustituted means of grace to be effectuall in us the Scripture attributes it to beleeving The Word did not profit when it was not mixed with faith Heb. 4.6 So that as the Word preached is used by God to beget Faith in us at first so afterwards Faith doth improve the means of grace for all encrease If therefore we would expect to have the Ministry and the holy means of grace to keep us in the way to heaven it must be faith that makes all these profitable 5. Faith is a means to preserve us because by that the devil who doth most sollicite our undoing is repelled No grace but Faith doth so immediately and formally repell him Whom resist stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5 9. And by Faith we overcome the wicked one for Faith is not strong with its own strength and therefore it must needs overcome the devil as David overcame Goliah not by his own valour but in the Name of the Lord. 6. Faith is therefore helpfull to our preservation because in some sence it stirreth up and acts all other graces What the Papists say of Charity that it is the assistant form of all other graces we may say of Faith That it doth direct act and stir up all other graces to work Therefore faith is said to work by love Gal. 5.6 Thus it works by patience it works by repentance Therefore Heb. 11. all the glorious atchievements that those Worthies wrought are attributed to Faith Thus we see how many
bring others into the same estate and condition also but then those who professe holinesse from carnall and corrupt ends they care not for this work of Conversion in others like Adulterers that respect not Children but their lusts Secondly We may be more sanctified in the better improving of the means of Sanctification For God he hath appointed spirituall Ordinances the good managing whereof will greatly advance the Principles of Sanctification within us Now the Ordinances are Prayer Hearing of the Word and Sacraments and whatsoever holy Institution Christ hath appointed and decreed for to make us better The way therefore to be more Sanctified is to pray better to hear better and indeed it would be well if thou didst set upon the Reformation of thy Corruptions but not only of them but of thy Duties also Not only to resolve I will be proud no more and earthly no more and passionate no more but I will not pray so formally so coldly nor so negligently as I have done any more A man that groweth better in his Health eats his meat better and doth digest it better And thus if thou wilt proceed from Holinesse to Holinesse Thou wilt pray with more Zeal and Faith hear with more attention and fear It 's impossible you should ever grow in Sanctification unlesse you do begin to amend in your duties As the Disciples were mending their nets else they could get no fish Thirdly and Lastly We are to be more sanctified in respect of Continuance and Duration It is not enough that thou wert once made holy and Righteous but thou art to continue and persevere therein to the end For how many did begin in the Spirit but yet have ended in the Flesh You have a terrible Instance Hebr. 10.29 where a man said to be Sanctified by the Bloud of Christ is yet said at last to tread under foot the Bloud of Christ making no account of it It is true this man was not truly Sanctified for then he could not have so totally apostatized for he had some imperfect and inchoate motions of Sanctification He was an Embryo and did prove abortive and thus all the Ages of the Church have given sundry and sad Instances of such Hypocrisies and Apostacies Therefore the Apostle John Revel 22.12 after the divers Visions and Revelations he had about the Church he concludeth Let him that is holy be holy still Let him continue and persist in his Holinesse So that whatsoever changes and alterations there may be in the Church yet thou art not to change or to vary in thy Holinesse and certainly such is the opposition and so great are the Contrarieties to all Sanctification in Heavens way That it 's a wonder of wonders that a man is not deprived doth not lose all or be discouraged out of it In the next place Let us illustrate this Growth in Sanctification by the opposites and contraries to it and they are First Idlenesse Negligence or Security He that is idle in his outward Calling can never expect to encrease in his Wealth Poverty comes like an armed man upon such and thus it is with him that is lazy in his spiritual Calling As Solomon observeth of the Sluggard He passed by and saw his Field full of Thorns and Briars Thus it is with every one that liveth negligently his whole life will immediatly be filled with all kinde of vice and folly Want of Exercise doth breed Diseases in the body and so neglect of spirituall Exercise doth consume the Soul Idlenesse and further Sanctification can be no more consistent then light and darknesse together Secondly Barrennesse This is the fruit of Idlenesse As the Apostle saith He that doth not work let him not eat Let him starve if he will This is also true here He that will not labour in a spirituall manner he shall not eat he shall neither have more Grace or more comfort Barrennesse in one that looketh to Heaven is a very hainous sinne Heb. 6.7 The Earth which drinketh in much rain and yet is barren is nigh to cursing Did not our Saviour say to the Fig-Tree that had no fruit on it Never fruit grow on thee more Matth. 21.12 So that God punisheth barrennesse with barrennesse It 's thy sinne to bear no fruit and it shall be thy Curse How severely was that unprofitable Servant dealt with who though he did not imbezill his Masters Talent yet because he hid it in a Napkin and did not improve it Therefore he is commanded to be cast into utter darknesse Matth. 25.30 Tremble then under all manner of unfruitfulnesse and unprofitablenesse Say How doth this agree with Growth in Grace Thirdly Another great opposite to further Sanctification is Apostacy and declinings in godlinesse which are either gradual in the truly godly or totall in him that appeareth to be so only Rev. 2. Gods great Controversie with some of those Churches was because they fell from their first love and they are commanded to strengthen the things that are ready to die This is to be a very Antipodes to encrease in grace when thy Sunne doth not stand still but go backward and still more backward Oh fear these Consumptions of the Soul Thou hast not the life the vigour the zeal of Grace once thou hadst thou art not the man thou wert once Thou art like Sampson that hath lost his strength like old Barzillai that canst not take thy wonted delight in heavenly things Oh be afraid of these languors and repent from whence thou art fallen But the godly Soul may be hereupon dejected and question whether ever it were truly sanctified or not for they finde much decay They have often dead and cold hearts yea they are not as lively as they have been They are even turned into stones and are like Idols in Christianity having eyes they see not and hearts they understand hot 1. Art thou thus exercised Despise not this Chastisement of God yea make an advantage of it To feel the disease is the way to be cured Blesse God that hath done thus for thee that though thou dost not grow in grace or encrease yet thou seest this decay and bewailest it A man that sees he goes behinde in his Estate and layeth it to his heart he will be careful to prevent it betimes 2. Know these humiliations and bewailings are a kinde of further Sanctification in thee For to grow in Grace is to discern more and more our Imperfections to be acquainted with all the need and wants that we are in As he that groweth in Learning seeth how much he is ignorant of and thus he that groweth in holinesse he seeth himself more unholy then ever he thinketh he hath lesse Grace then ever because he is more tender and discerning then he was before As a man recovering out of a disease is more sensible of pain and his weaknesse then he was in the height of his sicknesse 3. There may be a growing in gifts and parts and a growing in
fervent affections of faith Are you to meditate on this Sacrifice This blood speaks all good things for thee SERMON C. Of Jesus Christ as Priest Sacrifice and Altar The Properties of that Sacrifice The way how men come to partake of the Benefit of it Its Efficacy as to Sanctification as well as Justification JOH 17.19 I Sanctifie my self for them c. FRom the Person Sanctifying we proceed to the Object-matter which is said to be sanctified and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My self The Priests in the Old Testament consecrated and offered their brute Beasts which though commanded by God to have perfect Qualifications in them yet because Beasts still therefore our Saviours Priesthood doth farre transcend that because it is his own precious body that he thus offers to be an Oblation for himself From whence Observe That Christ was not only the Priest but the Sacrifice it self He offered up himself in that bloudy and ignominious death for our sakes This is the great mystery of our Christian Religion whether you do regard the Doctrinal part of it as a Truth to be beleeved or as it 's Declarative of the love of God and Christ to his Church The Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. is of old long before it was accomplished greatly affected with it and Paul upon every occasion is largely amplifying this substantial Point To clear it Consider these Introductions First That Christ was both Priest Sacrifice and Altar Every thing in Christ is wonderful There is nothing in him after the ordinary manner of nature and therefore he may justly by the Prophet be called Wonderfull and as in other particulars so in this it is true That he should be Priest Sacrifice and Altar Priest he was in both his Natures as God and man Sacrifice he was in his humane nature because that only could suffer And Altar he was in respect of his Divine Nature because by that he was sanctified Oh then the admirable wisedom of God that hath thus appointed all fulnesse to be in him When Abraham was to offer Isaac and the Childe was bound ready to be sacrificed he asketh his Father but where is the Sacrifice God saith Abraham will provide one Thus when all mankinde like Isaac was ready to be Sacrificed to the Eternal displeasure of God even then God found a Sacrifice for us Secondly Consider what is necessary to a Sacrifice and that is That there be some kinde of destruction or annihilation of the thing to the honour and glory of God And thus a Sacrifice and a Sacrament differ a Sacrifice is by offering up of something to God a Sacrament is when God offers and giveth something to us Therefore when the Papists make the Lords Supper to be a Sacrament and a Sacrifice also they speak repugnancies In a Sacrament God giveth to us In a Sacrifice we give to God Now among the Jews there were many kindes of Sacrifices and most of them did typically represent Christ The Paschal Lamb and the Sacrificing of the Red Heifer these are plainly applied unto Christ but above all kindes of Sacrifices those that we called Holocatomata whole burnt-Offerings These did in a most lively manner typifie him for there the whole was to be burnt in fire and offered to God which denoted the great humiliation of Christ both in Soul and body and also the exquisite Torments and Sufferings which were upon him so that he was wounded all over for our Transgressions Thirdly Take notice that he offered up his body as a Sacrifice to God It was in reference to him not meerly in respect of men to witnesse the Truth of God but as every Sacrifice ought to be it was wholly in reference to God though tending thereby to our good It 's unlawful to offer Sacrifices to any but God because hereby is represented Gods supreme dominion and Majesty which is signified by the annihilation or destruction of the thing offered Now though Christ did not cease to be God yet by his Death there was a separation of the soul and body though not of the divine nature from either It was then unto God that he offered up himself Fourthly This Sacrifice it was by way of expiation and propitiation to atone and pacifie the Justice of God which otherwise would have been a consuming fire to all mankinde as it was to the Apostate Angels Sacrifices do imply some kinde of Expiation and by Heathens were used to pacifie the wrath of their gods and thus if Christs body offered was truly and properly a Sacrifice then it could be no other but by way of expiation and satisfaction Now that it was such an expiatory Sacrifice is plain by the Apostle at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews where he compareth Christ dying with those Sacrifices and sheweth the insufficiency of them in respect of Christs once Oblation of himself which comparison would be weak and absurd if Christs Death was not propitiatory No wonder then if the devil hath raised up blasphemous Heretiques to overthrow this Doctrine because in this is contained that happy Reconciliation between God and a sinner In that Christ shed his bloud to atone for us is the whole hope and comfort of the Church of God Fifthly The holy and just nature of God against sinne was such that there was a necessity of Christs sacrificing himself upon the Crosse for us It 's hotly disputed whether God might have forgiven sinne absolutely without Christs Death or by any other way then by Satisfaction But when all is said it 's acknowledged it is the most convenient way and if we do suppose that God would save mankinde no other way but by justice as well as mercy then it was absolutely necessary that Christ should become man seeing no meer man could compensate God neither could the Obedience of any man have delighted God as much as Adams disobedience did offend him Therefore it 's highly derogatory from Christ which Durand saith that if it had pleased God it might have been that as by Adams disobedience all were made sinners so by the same Adams Obedience repenting and beleeving all might have been made Righteous In the second place Consider the properties of this Sacrifice And First It had infinite worth in it Insomuch that had God ordained it so it would have procured Reconciliation for all the sins of all men in the world yea if there had been a thousand worlds of sinners This is that which Divines say That it was a sufficient price and ransome for all though not efficacious Though therefore many are damned this doth not arise from any weaknesse or insufficiency in Christs Death but from the wickednesse and rebellion of men who refuse the means to improve this Ransome for their good There is infinite worth in it and that upon a threefold respect 1. The Person offering who is God as well as man So that what dignity and worth the divine Nature can put
riches his honours his greatness his parts his morality doth not free him from this impurity so that he ought to abhor himself as a monster as a toad This is the foundation of all our misery that we doe not look upon our selves as so many vile carkasses as so many dead dogs Till this be laid as the first principle Christ is not prized Sanctification is not sought after Oh therefore stand like the leprous person afarre off and cry out I am unclean unclean Thou wouldst be ashamed as Adam was to come with this nakednesse and filthinesse upon thee into Gods presence 2. Being unsanctified doth imply That even the holy things we are imployed about do not sanctifie us but we rather pollute them Hag. 2. He that was unclean though he touched the holy things though he ranne to the Temple and the Altar yet he was not thereby sanctified but he rather polluted them and thus while a man is unsanctified those very duties prayers and ordinances he doth runne unto will condemn him as appeareth Isa 1. by that severe expostulation with them that abounded in their Sacrifices yet did not wash them or make them clean 3. There is implied an utter unfitnesse and indisposition to any good work as on the other side a vessel sanctified was meet for his masters use So that till we be sanctified by Christs blood we have no fitnesse for any holy duty iron can as well swim and logs flie as a natural man be prepared to do that which is holy and supernatural Thirdly That our Sanctification is here attributed to Christs Sanctification of himself we see 1. That the initials and beginnings of Sanctification are wholly from him Some have endeavoured to make the very Heathens partakers of some kinde of sanctification making a pietas pagana as well as Christiana but they are to fear lest that might be applied to them which Bernard did to Abailardus Dum sudat Platonem facere Christianum scriptum facit Ethnicum There is no sanctification but where Christ is and Christ and his body cannot be separated as the gold onely in the Temple was sanctified and this is good to lay us low and to make us admiring of the grace of Christ How is it thou art sanctified and others remain prophane polluted like bruit beasts who hath made this difference Who infused this holy nature into thee Wast thou not as loathsom as wallowing in the filth of thy lusts as others till Christs blood did cleanse thee 2. Not only the initials but progressives and consummatives in Sanctification are to be attributed to his Sanctification Therefore you heard him called the finisher as well as the authour of our faith and the Disciples though already sanctified yet are still more and more to be sanctified It 's true here is a difference between our first Sanctification and the increase of it at first we were wholly passive Christ found us dead in our sinnes and wallowing in our blood but afterwards he findes us alive onely needing his continual exciting and quickening grace Therefore Paul though converted yet still lives a life of faith in Christ we need Christ all the day long How unholy earthly dull and lumpish is thy heart if Christ did not constantly sanctifie it Fourthly This Sanctification purchased by Christ must be in truth and integrity so Christ addeth sanctified in the truth that is truly in opposition to those legal and ceremonial sanctifications which did only cleanse the body but not reach to the soul Although in the New Testament we have no such external bodily Sanctification yet still there is an outward Sanctification and an inward both coming by Christ and one separable from the other Thus you heard the apostate is said to be sanctified by the blood of Christ which was not indeed and truly so for then he would not have totally fallen off but in respect of the external administration Hence 1 Cor. 1.2 the whole Church of Corinth though afterwards reproved for many sinfull practices yet are called sanctified and that partly because of the external dispensation of the Ordinances which they enjoyed So that there is a Sanctification external and a Sanctification internall External is when by our Baptisme and Christian profession We acknowledge our selves separated from the world to live unto God but internal is when we are so indeed How shall we call the prophane ungodly person a sanctified one Look to the truth of Sanctification here mentioned in the Text. Now the truth of it lieth 1. In the manner of working of it The Spirit of God by the Word doth thus sanctifie therefore some understand this in the Text by the truth as formerly our Saviour prayed God himself is the onely Authour of Sanctification We cannot make our selves holy no more then we can make our selves men yet God works not in the order of grace immediately no more then in the order of nature where he makes use of second causes Thus in the working of grace he appointeth second means as the Ministry and Ordinances and therefore Paul 1 Cor. 3. saith They were Ministers by whom the Corinthians did beleeve and there is no better discovery of true Sanctification then to examine the manner and way how thou hast received it for if the Spirit of God by the Word hath wrought it in thee then fear not this is of a more noble and supernatural being then what morality or principles of civility can incline unto thee As Christ himself was in his bodily nature conceived by the holy Ghost in an extraordinary manner Thus is every one sanctified in an higher and more sublime way then all the moral and prudential dictates of nature can carry us unto Oh then prove thy self what hath the Spirit of God and his Word done unto thee That was not more wonderfull in those who had a prophetical Spirit then in such who are sanctified To enable men to speak with strange Tongues is not more admirable then to give a man a strange heart to what he had once and strange in respect of others 2. It 's true Sanctification when it hath the universality and integrity of all parts which is the whole Image of God as Paul prayeth 1 Thess 5. I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit soul and body This work of Sanctification it 's an entire compleat harmonical compages of all holinesse take any part of it away and you dissolve the whole fabrick It 's true Sanctification though it have not perfect and compleat degrees but not true if it want any essential parts and therefore called the Image of God which cannot be one grace no more then a man can be a man in one part and a beast in another but the Systeme of all 3. It 's true Sanctification in the permanency and continuance of it Perseverance doth not make Sanctification to be true but the truth of Sanctification makes it persevere Perseverance is an effect not a cause of
open this Doctrine it 's good to consider these things First That Christ being God as well as man and so a Mediatour in both Natures did know all those who were given unto him by the Father he knew the charge and trust that was committed unto him Even all that have been or shall be and therefore as the High-priest had the names of the twelve Tribes on his breast-plate Thus our Mediatour resembleth him for he hath the name of every one he is the good Shepherd who as he did lay down his life for so also he must necessarily know every one of them This then is to be taken notice of that the Father gave such a number of persons neither more nor lesse unto Christ to purchase their salvation and every one of these he did exactly know for to him as God all things past and to come are as present And therefore though these in the Text are to believe in the future and so have no present being yet they are here comprehended in Christs prayer But of this truth more in the second Description which is of the circumstance of time Secondly As Christ in a Mediatory way did thus receive equally every one to his charge and trust so in the discharge of it he had an equal respect to all Christ did not will the salvation of one beleever more than another he did not intend his blood in the efficacy of it more for Paul or Peter then he did for Mary Magdalen a great sinner if then we speak quoad affectum and intentionem not quoad efficaciam and fructum So Christ was equally a Mediatour to all that are given him by the Father Though we judge that a most unsavoury and unthankfull Doctrine that holds Christ did intentionally and equally die for all for Judas as well as Peter That Christ had no more love in his death to one then another yet if we speak of those who are interessed in him spiritually so it 's true Christ died equally for all that are his he made no difference in his Mediatory acts his eye and love with all that he did was to one as well as another None can say he is my Christ more then anothers he intended me in his death more then another This you heard proved by the Apostle when he said in Christ Jesus there was no respect of persons relations or other differences Hence thirdly Even in respect of the effects and fruits of his Mediatory love in some particulars all are alike There is no difference between one and the other As for instance in Justification all beleevers stand alike justified through the blood of Christ all are accepted of and beloved in Christ alike This we truly maintain when against Papists we affirm That any poor weak woman yea one that hath been a grievous sinner yet if beleeving in Christ is equally justified with the Virgin Mary and the ground is because the reason of our Justification is without us in respect of Christ not in our selves so that as Christ is every where the same thus must our Justification be every where the same It 's true one is more justified then another extensively but not intensively that is one hath more sin forgiven then another Mary Magdalen had more forgiven her then the Virgin Mary but intensively as our Justâ—fication doth consist in Gods favour and acceptation so they were both equal Again if we speak of the application of Christs righteousness so indeed there is a great difference for though Christs righteousnesse be the same yet because some receive this with a stronger faith then others and because the application of this righteousnesse is in us not according to the latitude and worth that it is in Christ but according to our necessity and indigency Therefore we may say Some partake of it more then another Though Christs righteousnesse be in it self the same to all Even as the light of the Sun is the same to every Starre though one Starre partaketh more of it then another This then must needs encourage every believer for he hath the same Christ the same righteousnesse to offer unto God for satisfaction as any Paul or Abraham though the father of the faithfull had If we were to come in our graces and duties to be accepted of then we might truely say I am not comparable to such worthies I cannot speed so well as those that have more eminency but though I have not the same grace with Paul yet I have the same Christ with Paul the same righteousnesse he would be found in the same also I desire to be found in Thus our righteousnesse is alike in Christ Fourthly In the application of Christs benefits there is no regard to external temporal differences Christ doth not communicate himself to a Christian for any external consideration nor are his favours dispensed with such references but according to their spiritual capacities Hence it comes about that some poor weak Christian may enjoy far more of God and Christ then the richest man or the learnedst man that is in the world because Christ dispenseth himself in a spiritual way because they are his members and believe in him not for accidental respects Thus Christ saith I stand at the door and knock Rev. 3.20 if any man open I will come in and sup with him Christ will come to a poor mans house and knock there and will sup with him The meaning is he will manifest himself in a gracious comfortable way to such an one let him be never so contemptible Know then to partake of Christ and to have intimate fellowship with him is not according to the manners of great Kings and Potentates in the earth It 's not here as with Ahashuerus none might come into his presence but such as were perfumed and gloriously prepared for his presence a long while together Every believer may come boldly to the throne of grace and call God Father and never be discouraged for external respects God may make the poor mans cottage an heaven whereas the rich mans palace or hall is many times an hell Christ regards not great men but good men yet this must not be wrested to an Anabaptistical errour that because in spiritual dispensations Christ makes no such difference therefore the publique civil order that is between rich and poor honourable and base is to be confounded No Christs Gospel doth not abolish humane policies and civil differences but doth with great diligence command the renewing of them Take an instance about a believing servant 1 Tim. 6.2 They that have believing masters let them not despise them because they are brethren Servants might think that by Christ all difference is taken away why should he be a servant he hath as much of Christ and is equally beloved of him with his Master Oh saith the Apostle take heed of such corruption grace doth not confound and abolish relations and order but rather confirmeth them and commands to discharge
Christs Prayer even in respect of those who shall beleeve is because They were given to him by the Father as appeareth vers 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me Seeing therefore the Foundation of Christs Intercession is because they were given by Election to Christ as a people to be saved through him it 's plain that Christ praied not because he foresaw that they would beleeve but because they were Elected It 's true the Arminians do in a most violent and strange manner wrest that phrase of being given to Christ They understand it not of an action of the Father but of the disposition of the Subject Hence it is they speak so much of a probum ingenium or a docilis indoles as if it were some towardly disposition in man that fitted him for grace but thus it would be rather who have given themselves to Christ rather then that the Father had given them and indeed this is such a thorn in their sides that they cannot pull out if by such who shall beleeve were to be understood those that upon Gods foresight were known to improve the means of Faith better then others then all the difference from others and the utmost resolution of salvation yea and Election would be unto a mans self when yet the Apostle doth expresly stop such mouths What hast thou that thou hast not received and who made thee to differ from another 1 Cor. 4.7 The Text thus vindicated and explained I gather this Observation That Christ died not and so we were not Elected because we will beleeve but our beleef is the effect and fruit of Christs death and our Election Our Faith is not a condition upon which our Election or Christs Death stands suspended and indeterminate but these do make us infallibly and effectually to beleeve in time There are two common Opinions The one holding That God from all Eternity knew who would beleeve in time and persevere therein and thereupon they were Elected and Christ died for us This way go Arminians and others But 2. The Orthodox they affirm that God did from all Eternity choose some out of the corrupt masse to Eternall glory and for this end to give them Faith and holinesse as the means thereunto So that God did not elect us because we did or would beleeve but that we might beleeve we beleeve because we are Elected not Elected because we beleeve This Doctrine is very useful because it tends to humble and debase man and wholly to exalt the grace of God and therefore the more diligently to be confirmed because of late so greatly opposed And before we bring Scripture-Arguments Let us Consider some few things that will clear the state of the Question As 1. There is a difference of those who hold our Election and so Christs Death to be upon the foresight of something in us Some are more grosse then others For there are some that hold a man is Elected to glory upon the foresight of his cooperation with the grace of God as a true merit deserving this Election so that with them God did behold who by his free will would improve the offer of grace and for this as a meritorious cause they say God did Elect them unto Eternal Glory But this is so highly injurious to the Grace of God that though some Papists have maintained it yet Bellarmine Valentia and other Jesuites wholly disclaim it at least in words making no other cause of predestination in respect of all the effects of it but the sole and meer good pleasure of God 2. There are others and they say the foresight of the good or better use of our free-will then others is not a meritorious but a moving cause with God of our Election to Happinesse So that our Faith and Holinesse though they were not a meriting Cause yet were a moving Cause of our predestination but this is also too grosly repugnant and contradictory to Scripture 3. There are those who refine it more subtlely and that is That God did foresee who would beleeve and persevere therein to Death and such are peremptorily chosen to Eternall Life not that their Faith or Perseverance is any merit or moving Cause but a Conditio sine quâ non without which God would not choose such to happinesse so that say they it 's not for any intrinsecall Dignity or excellent worth in Faith but because of the many possible waies and means to Salvation God appoints this way of beleeving rather then another and thus the Arminians Only they acknowledge Holinesse of Life and Obedience to God to be thus a Condition foreseen as well as Faith though they would seem utterly to deny it 4. There are the Lutherans and they indeed hold Faith fore-seen as a Condition in our Election Only they say It 's not considered as a merit or a Cause no nor as a work but as an Instrument apprehending Christs merits and therefore make Election to be by Faith in the same sence as we are justified by Faith Hence they deny Holinesse or Obedience to be a condition ingredient to Election because Christ is not laid hold upon by that as by Faith although herein they contradict themselves because they acknowledge not Faith singly as so but Perseverance in Faith to be the Condition and that must be necessarily looked upon as a work not as an Instrument receiving Christ But the Orthodox they affirm consonantly to Scripture and sutably to the Glory of Gods Grace That God did from all Eternity choose some men out of that corrupt masse in which all were to Eternall Glory and by the same Act did prepare and appoint all those means which would effectually produce the same So that this Election is the Originall and Fountain of all Spirituall mercies because Elected Christ is appointed a Mediatour Because Elected they are called and enabled to beleeve in time So that we deny there are two Elections One to Glory another to Grace But God by the same single Act doth will both and therefore that there is not the same Reason of Election and of Justification or Salvation for these being Acts done in time do require Faith and Holinesse as antecedent but Election being an Act of God from all Eternity cannot presuppose any thing in us Now the Arguments to confirm us in this Truth they are these following First Because the Scripture when it speaketh of this great and wonderfull work of Election it doth still resolve all into the Counsell of his will not into any thing fore seen in a man Ephes 8. Roman 8. Roman 9. and in many other places it is still said He hath chosen us according to his Will according to his purpose Now if so be it were for any thing foreseen in us it would be rather according to the Counsell of our will and according to our purpose There cannot any rationall Answer be given unto this Argument for according to the Adversaries
unity is seen in the sympathizing that all believers have one with another and that in respect of mourning and rejoycing In respect of those that mourn So we are to weep and mourn with them We are to bear one anothers burdens We are to be affected with the Churches calamities as being also of the body As the Apostle said the care of all Churches lay upon him 2 Cor. 11.28 Who was afflicted and he did not burn the same proportionably is to be in every believer Therefore this unity of believers should be vigorous this way what evils what exercises befall others they should be affected with them as their own This discovers they are lively members of the body for if Christ though in Heaven was sensible of the persecutions done by Paul against the Church saying Why persecutest thou me how much rather should every particular member account the temptations of others as his own As it is thus for mourning so also for rejoycing there ought to be such an unity among believers that we are to rejoyce in the gifts graces and good things that others have as if they were our own But O the self-love the envy the repinings that are apt to be in one godly man against another The spirit in us lusteth to envy saith the Apostle even in believers Hence are those daily exhortations against grudgings murmurings and envyings one against another and these are made the fruit of the flesh because where the Spirit of God worketh and enliveneth there is joy peace and long-suffering all graces contrary to such unquiet distempers Now this is very difficult to flesh and bloud that those parts and gifts which obscure thine and those good things in others that seem to hinder thine yet to rejoyce and blesse God for them as if it were to thy own self but this spiritual and mystical unity will enable thee thereunto Neither is the Sun or air more requisite then this union no wonder if our Saviour doth thus affectionately pray for it 6. This union is seen in their mutual striving together in promoting the Kingdome and glory of Christ They all have the same heart the same shoulders the same tongue to blesse and praise God They are like so many servants in the same house all promoting and furthering their masters work That as the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. saith all the Officers are one He that plants and he that waters are one because they agree in one end which is to set forward the work of God Thus it is here Though there be never so much variety in the gifts and graces and conditions of Gods people yet they are all one in this work The Glory of God is the end they all look upon Thus you see in how many particulars this Unity diffuseth it self In the third place We are to know that the invisible unity doth extend it self farther then the visible For this is to the visible Church only but that to the invisible So that in this respect there is an unity between all believers that ever have been with Enoch Abel Abraham and all that of old ever were This is believed in that which usually is called the Apostles Creed I believe the Catholike Church Sometimes there was added the one Catholike Church and this is believed and not seen but by this it is that all the godly who have been are and ever shall be make up one body All Christs sheep will have one sheepfold So that there is an invisible Union where there cannot be a visible one In the fourth place Concerning this visible Union for we make these all one you are to know some are of this unity both visibly and invisibly externally and internally and in appearance Now such only who are both waies of this Unity enjoy God are indeed members of Christ and receive benefit by him but the other are only in name and title like a withered branch in a Tree or an artificiall eye or leg which though joyned to the body yet receive no life or nourishment thereof Think it not therefore enough to be of this unity many have gloried and rested on this that they are of such and such a Church yet their condemnation is greater then those of Sodom and Gomorrha In the fifth place This unity therefore when it 's true and advantagious doth first terminate on Christ and then descends to others Hence it 's added That they may be one in us There must be first an unity with Christ the Head and then it extends to other members So that this is to be looked upon as the foundation and cause of all there must be first an incorporating into Christ He that is joyned to the Lord is made one spirit with him Lastly This Union visible is not interrupted in some effects of it by distance of place For in regard of praier there every one is remembred when the Churth is praied for So that the poor Christian who cannot pray for himself yet hath the praiers of the whole Church of God what a comfortable refreshing should this be to every godly soul Vse of Exhortation to lay to heart more the divisions differences and breaches that are among the godly Learn of Christ here to be affected with the unity of the Church and again and again he commended peace to them We are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem God is the God of peace the Gospel is the Gospel of peace Believers are called the children of peace Take heed of being a Jonah in this Ship Let not thy pride thy conceits thy discontents make thee tear and rend the Church that Jerusalem may be as a City compact together SERMON CXIII Of Vnity among Christians the Benefits and Necessity of it And the mischief of Division JOHN 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee c. WE have declared the Nature of this Unity Let us now consider the Excellency Benefit and Necessity of Union amongst the godly and the mischiefs of breaches and differences amongst them First The Excellency and Necessity of it appeareth in the vehement and affectionate prayer for it made by our Saviour When he puts the whole company of believers together he pitcheth upon this as the most eminent That they may be one And although our Saviour had not the Spirit in measure and so could not vainly repeat the same thing often yet within a little space he doth four times mention this vers 21 22 23. Now certainly that thing which our Saviour in whom the treasures of all wisdom are did much press and urge must needs be of very great moment here is not pardon of their sins Justification Adoption Glorification mentioned but Vnity as if the whole kingdome of grace and glory did consist in this obtain this and you have all and our Saviour as he pray'd then so he preached Love and Unity so that whereas in matter of Justification he commended Faith above
Jesus is the Lord but by the Spirit Acts 18.27 Some have thought that we may by humane strength come to beleeve divine truths as we may by our industry attain to philosophicall knowledge but this is to be ignorant of mans weaknesse and Gods power It 's true men may in an humane way comprehend the sense and meaning of the Scripture but to give a divine assent to it that is the gift of God For every good and perfect gift whereof this faith is a principal one cometh from the Father of lights James 1. Did not many learned Heathens Porphyrius Celsus Julian and others know what was asserted in the Scripture yet they did not believe but contemn it And certainly we are bound to acknowledge it a great mercy of God to have dogmatical faith For why are so many Heretiques left to themselves Some deny the Natures one or the other of Christ some his Person some his Offices and shouldst not thou doe thus if left to thy self Nay Is not a godly man sometimes sadly tempted about his dogmatical faith that he doubteth of a God or about the truths of the Scripture Certainly it 's a speciall mercy thus to be inabled to believe and it is good to be observed one reason why faith must needs be of God which is because the nature of it lieth more in the firmness of the act then in the certainty of the subject It 's not so much the object without as something within makes a man believe Gods Spirit doth more work in corroborating the heart then revealing the object Hence though the Doctrine be revealed to some yet they do not believe when at another time though they have but the same measure of light and the same argument propounded they do believe and why is all this but because Gods work in the believer is more ex parte subjecti then objecti Therefore it 's horrible debasing of Gods grace in working faith to make it no more then the revealing of the object for then man by his own power doth believe as when a man brings a candle in the room then a man seeth by his own power who could not before for God doth not only propound the object but enlightens the understanding and boweth the heart to believe 2. God works faith in us not absolutely or by the creatures the beholding and seeing of them but by the word Thus Rom. 10. Preaching hearing and believing are chained together We are then in and by the Word to expect this work of God not to flie to the creatures making them equal to Gods word for begetting faith or to enthusiasmes and private revelations but to the word of God which gives light to the simple but as the Word is an instrument of begetting faith so faith is afterwards an instrument of improving the Word for the Word doth not profit in the increase and benefit thereof unlesse there be Faith Thus as the Spirit of God doth at first work Faith and yet by Faith we are made further partakers of Gods Spirit So the Word doth at first produce Faith in us which when wrought doth againe improve the Word for further edification and growth in grace 3. The heart of man is naturally not only unfit but contrary and opposite unto the way of believing of heavenly Truth And by this it 's plain Faith is the gift of God because man hath not only an unfitnesse but a contrary repugnancy to the things of God Therefore 1 Cor. 4.14 the natural man is said not to receive the things of God neither can be both the act and the power is denied to him Therefore when Peter made that Confession of faith Thou art the Son of God Christ tels him Flesh and bloud had not revealed that to him Mat. 16.17 Therefore the Pharisees though they heard so much of Christ and saw all his Miracles yet they derided and opposed Christ They did not hear his Word because they were not of God as Christ told them Job 8.47 Know then as in respect of grosse sinne thou wouldst be like a Cain a Judas if God did not keep thee so also in respect of doctrine thou wouldst be the vilest Atheist or the most blasphemous heretique that ever was if God did not enlighten and confirm thee 4. Though God work faith thus yet it may be without a Sanctification of the inward man For seeing Faith as it's dogmatical carrying a man only to the Contents of the Scripture as they are true is seated in the understanding no wonder if thereby a man be enlightned only but not regenerated Hence we reade of some who did beleeve Joh. 2. yet they loved the praise of men more then of God That light in their minde did not serve to produce supernatural life and heat in the heart It was not a faith that did purifie the heart which is called the Faith of the Elect Tit. 1.1 because only appropriated to them The whole Epistle of James is on purpose to shew such a Faith that is not accompanied with holy works although therefore we say a true lively Faith can never be separated from sanctification yet men may be enlightned only in their mindes and perswaded of the truth in their hearts without any effectual change upon them It 's not enough to have such a faith as may make a man a true Protestant or orthodox so as to be neither Papist nor heretique for all this is but a cure of thy minde and with illumination may consist grievous pollutions Yet 5. Where there is but a bare dogmaticall Faith enabled thereunto by the Spirit of God there must needs be some kinde of pious disposition and tractablenesse of the heart For seeing the nature of faith lyeth in assenting to a Testimony and that of God there cannot be but some flexiblenesse of the heart to submit thereunto If indeed the Christian Religion were like the Arts and Sciences then there was no submission of the understanding required seeing it assents upon reason which is a sutable and connaturall argument to the minde as food is to the appetite of hunger But because these things are received for authority sake and have a supereminency to our naturall understanding Therefore it must be captivated Thus the Apostle excellently expresseth it 2 Cor. 10.5 the word doth bring into captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ a man before he believeth hath many proud thoughts many subtle thoughts many obstinate thoughts but Faith brings these down and submits because God saith so Now this cannot be done without some yeelding and flexiblenesse Hence the Schoolmen do determine that in faith and they acknowledge none besides miraculous but dogmaticall There is a pia affectio some pious and affectionate disposition to him for whose authority we do beleeve So that this dogmatical faith even in unregenerated persons is not like that of the devils for though the Apostle James saith They believe and tremble Jam. 2.19 yet their
of all gross and prophane ignorance There cannot be any faith all the while this darkness is upon thy minde and if there be no Faith there is no Justification no Salvation Christ is become of no effect unto thee and yet how boldly will many ignorant people talk of their good faith they are not led aside with the giddy errours of many they cleave to the old faith but doest thou know what thy old faith is if it were Turcism and Popery it would be all one to thee SERMON CXXXI Of the unspeakable Love of God to Believers Shewing wherein Gods Love to Christ and to Believers is alike and wherein it differs JOHN 17.23 And hast loved them as thou hast loved me A Two-fold Effect or Event is propounded by our Saviour of the unity which believers have first in Christ and then amongst themselves The first is That the world may know thou hast sent me of which we have briefly treated already because our Saviour had mentioned it v. 21. and indeed our Saviour doth in these verses with so much plainness ingeminate the matter of his Petition that Luther on the place saith These words do pueriliter sonare judicio rationis and that he was wont to say often That he never read a book containing such excellent and sublime matter in such simple and plain words The second Effect or Event is That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me So that in this latter particular there is one truth supposed and another proposed That which is supposed is that it 's of great consequence for the world to know that God loveth believers it would stop much of their malice and violence if they did truly know that such whom they oppose and persecute are the believed ones of God But of that afterwards That which is expresly affirmed is that the Father loveth believers as he loveth Christ himself A wonderfull and amazing expression it is that believers and Christ should be thus coupled together that when there is such an infinite disparity that yet they should both agree in the same love So that in the words you have the mercy and priviledge God vouchsafeth to believers he loveth them Now when we say God loveth it 's to say all things for that is the fountain and treasury of all good things his love is like himself infinite omnipotent and efficacious 2. You have the example or manner of this love and that is said to be as he loveth Christ The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Austin and Calvin do explain not of similitude but of causality and so resolve it into this sense The Father loveth believers because he loveth Christ and indeed this is a grand truth that in Christ only we are accepted of and beloved It 's not because of our selves but of Christ that we are approved of yet there is no necessity of leaving the grammatical interpretation for the Father doth love us as he loveth Christ not in respect of equality but similitude as they are said to be one as the Father and Son are one These words then do contain the very honey and honey-comb of Christianity in that they are loved of the Father as Christ is they need nothing more for Gods love will put him upon all those effects that a believer stands in need of Observ That God the Father loveth believers even as he loveth Christ himself A great truth and as you would think a bold and presumptuous affirmation Therefore to clear it Let us consider wherein the love of God to Christ and believers is not alike and wherein they are like one to another And First The love of the Father to Christ is as to his onely natural begotten Sonne but to believers as to his adopted children And therefore between these there must be a vast difference The love of the Father to the Sonne is like that of the Father to himself because he is of the same essence with him so that he loveth the glory and honour of his Sonne as his own glory but now that love which he beareth to his adopted children is of an inferiour nature they are creatures onely and their holinesse is but imperfect and by way of quality or accident in them but the Sonne is essentially holy so that in this respect there is no comparison to be made between the Sonne and us That love differeth toto genere in this sense from the love bestowed on us even as his filiation is not of the same univocal nature with ours Secondly Therefore the love which the Father sheweth to his Sonne is necessary and natural he could not but love him no more then he could not but beget him whereas to believers it's voluntary and wholly of free dispensation It 's disputed in the Schools Whether the Father did beget the Sonne necessarily or freely and so by consequence Whether his love be necessary or free but the soundest Writers say That a necessity of unitability and freedom do not oppose one another a necessity from natural imperfection contradicts liberty as a perfection but not that which ariseth from the chiefest and highest perfection and so it is in God It 's from his infinite perfection that he cannot but love himself and his Sonne but now in respect of his adopted sons all is of meer grace which he doth to them John 1. It 's he that gives an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a right and priviledge to them to become the sons of God God could have taken infinite delight in his own Sonne that was object satisfying enough there needed no other then him to take his delight in yet he was pleased contrary to the customs of men though he had a natural Sonne of his own to assume adopted ones likewise Thirdly The Father loveth the Sonne originally for his own sake but he loveth believers for Christs sake And this indeed doth mainly put the difference between the Fathers love to us and Christ here Christ is loved for his own sake he needed no Mediator or another Christ to procure his acceptance for so there would have been imperfection in Christ but in us all our hope all our well-pleasing is through him So that as every Starre shineth by the light of the Sunne thus doth every believer appear comely in the robes of Christs righteousnesse only Thus the Apostle Phil. 3. declareth fully When he would not be found in his own righteousnesse but that which is through faith in Christ So that as it was the Temple which made every thing holy thus it is the Lord Christ which makes every creature accepted of Lastly Christ is not capable of some effects of such love which the Father doth vouchsafe believers To us he gives Pardon of sinne Justification by faith in us he works repentance faith and subdueth the reliques of corruption in us but such was the perfection of Christ that he could not have such kinde of love demonstrated to him
It 's good to distinguish between the sufficiency of Christs death and the effectual application of iâ— IV. Christs speciall love to some rather then others is no ground of despair V. In this Point as in all others we must not go according to our carnal affections but Scripture VI. That the Scripture speaketh indefinitely of All. Why the expressions of Christs dying for all is to be taken in definitely and not universally I. Reasons why the Scripture speaketh thus universally about Christs Death II. Reprobates receive much benefit by Christs death How the maintainers of Universal Redemption differ among themselves Grounds of the Point The Qualifications of such to whom Christs death is made savingly advantagious The priviledges that come by Christs Death to those that have interest therein Doct. That all the spirituall good the godly enjoy is only the gift of God I. Election is free II. Vocation is of grace III. Justification is of grace Reasons IV. Glorification is of grace Reasens Of Gods peculiar propriety in his people as the ground of Christs praier for them care of them and of all the good that accrueth unto them Propositions concerning Gods peculiar propriety in his people 1. A people become Gods peculiar ones freely by grace 2. And from his meer goodness not out of any want 3. They are Christs and the holy Ghosts as well as the Fathers 4. Their being Gods excludeth all other creatures How the propriety in God is the cause of all good Doct. Christ hath all things the Father hath 1. The same Name and Titles 2. The same nature and essence 3. All the essential properties of God 4. Christ doth all the works the Father doth 5. The saâ—e will 6. The same propriety in all the godly How all Christ hath is the Fathers 1. By eternal generation 2. By vertue of the hypostatical Union Vse Therefore 1. Christ is truly God 2. The people of God are happy 3. Take heed of refusing Christ speoking Doct. As the people of God make in their work to glorifie Christ so it is well-pleasing to God How many waies the people of God glorifie Christ 1. When by faith they own him to be the promised Messias 2. When there is relying on him as Mediatour 3. To glorifie Christ there must be an outward profession of him 4. A receiving him as Lord and King 5. A suffering persecution for his sake 6. And by a holy life 7. By walking chearfully in the midst of all troubles Why it is our duty to glorifie Christ 1. Because Gods purpose from Eternity was to put infinite glory on Christ 2. It is the end of the Ministry to glorifie Christ Vse Doct. The greater the dangers are Christs people are in the greater is Christs care of them I. If God remove some mercies he makes a supply of others If he greateâ—â—gers 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 strenâ— III. Christs care of his appears in the dangers themselves IV. Christs care in sanctifying the troubles that they may be for spiritual benefit Doct. The godly mans life is full of spiritual danger I. Of the contagion of sin in the world II. Of the temptations in the world by lawful comforts III. He is in danger from the deceitfulnesse of all things in the world IV. From the sutablenesse of the worlds temptation to that corruption within V. Because of the clogging disposition all things in the world work in erspect of heavenly things VI. In respect of the discouragements the world puts upon godly men 7. Because the worldly snares are improved to the utmost by the devil 8. A godly mans danger appears by the Examples of Scripture The worlds great enmity against those that are godly The several waies whereby a godly man fals into trouble in this world 1. Because of their many sinnes God brings many troubles on them 2. From Satan 3. Their trouble ariseth from the wicked and prophane in the world 4. And sometimes from the godly themselves 5. No condition and relation free from trouble 6. A mans trouble ariseth from himself Doct. Christ by Death went to the Father All these particulars are involved or implied in the Point The benefits of Christs aseension and exaltation Doct. That all Governors that have a charge over others are to watch and pray for the good of those they are betrusted with Doct. God is an holy God and able to make others holy I. He is essentially holy II. Oppositely holy to all false Gods III. Holy in his Will and commands IV. Holy efficiently V. He is finally holy VI. Holy exemplarily Doct. That all the people of God if not kept by Gods grace would be undone in soul and body That God keeps all his from temporal dangers prove Of Gods keeping all true beleevers from spiritual evils 1. God keeps the truth of grace in them 2. He keeps in the actual stirrings of the soul to good 3. He makes them hold out to the end Observ That it s not enough to be put into the state of grace unless by Gods power we are kept therein Quest Answ How far men may acknowledge Gods help and yet not give the full glory to him How many ways the power of God doth keep us Why there is such a necessity of Gods preserving power From the Apostate Angels and lapsed Adam Quest Answ Vse Depend on Gods gracious power only in thy way to heaven And take heed of these things Doct. That the people of God are kept to salvation through Faith Consider these Propositions 1. That whatsoever priviledge is attributed to faith either in respect of justification or salvation it is not for any dignity in faith 2. Though faith be instrumental to our conservation yet faith it self needeth Gods help as well as other graces Why faith confirmeth us rather then other graces Observ That its a special mercy to be kept in the truth and pure faith we have received Grounds proving it to be such a special mercy I. Because of the frequent and diligent exhortations given to all that they fall not from the truth 2. Because one main end of the Scripture is to inform and keep us therein 3. Because the Lord hath appointed Officers in the Church for this end among others to preserve the truth 4. Because the more godly endeared any are to God this priviledge they shall have to be kept in the truth at least so as not damnably to erre 5. Because that is the foundation and necessary pre-requisite to hoâ—inesse 6. Because of the proneness that is in men to be lead aside by errours 7. Errors of judgment are damnable as well as sinfull practises 8. Because of those heavy censures the Scripture inflicts upon heretical persons 9. The more noble the subject is in which any habit or perfection doth consist the more noble is that perfection 10. Gods command is laid upon us to believe the true Doctrine as well as obey the holy command Doct. It is a special mercy for Ministers of the Gospel to
are reduced to one Quest Seeing God hath promised one heart and way and Christ praied for it how comes it to passe there are so many breaches among the godly Answ 1. True unity is from Christ and terminated in him There is a wicked unity 2. A directed and ordered unity 3. It is consistent with such graces that yet have an outward appearance of dissolving unity Remedies for the preventing and healing divisions in the Church False wayes of unity 1. By Papists 2. By Socinians The true uniting principles As to true Doctrine II. Rules to keep up unity in Church-order and to prevent Schism III. Rules for Unity in respect of love to prevent wrath and quarrellings Observ The Father and Son are two distinct Persons yet one in Nature and Essence Consider 1. God considered absolutely and relatively 2. There is notwithstanding but one God 3. This Doctrine of the Trinity is an object of faith and cannot be demonstrated by reason The characteristical properties of the Persons in the Godhead Observ That all believers are united to Christ and in him to the Father I. Consider those Scripture-expressions to represent this Unity II. There must be an unition before there can be an union III. There is a naturall union with Christ and a supernatural IV. This union is wholly spiritual V. It 's also reall VI. The necessity of this union with Christ VII The excellecy of it VIII IX X. XI Observ That Unity among believers is a special means to inlarge the kingdom of Christ Consid I. That notwithstanding the Doctrine yet unity simply as such is not an infallible note of the true Church The Papist answered Unity without true Doctrine no note of a true Church The Papist no such cause to boast of Unity Why Unity is an attractive loadstone to bring others unto the faith What those proper sins are that divisions amongst the godly are apt to breed in the world Observ That the believing of Christ being sent unto the world is the foundation of our conversion unto God Of the nature of Faith as it is dogmaticall or historicall 1. It 's wrought by the grace of God By means of the Word 3. The heart of man is naturally not only unfit but contrary and opposite to the way of beleeving heavenly truths 4. This faith may be without sanctification of the inward man 5. Where this faith is there will be some kinde of pious disposition of heart 6. The motive of it is divine 7. It s grace though but common grace 8. It s the foundation of conversion The properties of it 1. It lifts a man above his natural reason 2. It contradicts not reason 3. It s the substance of things hoped for c. 4. It hath universality in its assenting Observ That the glory which Christ hath he communicates one way or other to his people Consider I. Christs personal glory is incommunicable II. What are those effects of that glory which Christ vouchsafeth to his III. None are made partakers of that glory of Christ but by union with him 1. No man till he be united unto Christ hath any true and solid glory In what respects humane and earthly glory comes short of heavenly Corollary II. That the meanest Christian surpasses Solomon in all his glory Corollary III. IV. It consumes all love and desire of vain-glory V. Let them faithfully do Christs work notwithstanding all reproaches wicked men load them with VI. Admire the bounty of his grace VII Doct. Christ though God had many things given him of his Father There is a twofold giving What things were given Christ of the Father Observ Unity among believers is part of that glory which Christ as Mediator hath obtained for them Consid I. Unity is the Churches glory Their glory actively and passively II. Christ purchased as Mediator this priviledge as well as others Christ said to be in believers several wayes 1. By communication of the same nature with us 2. Sacramentally 3. By his Spirit 4. By a gracious inhabitation and sanctifying presence Doct. How Christ lives in a believer The false ways of Christs being in his people How or in what manner Christ is in his people How Christ is in his people more particularly The fruits and effects of Christs being in us Doct. As Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us How the Father is in Christ Quest How the Father and Son can be in believers and yet they have such great remainders of sinne in them Answ Doct. The Father and Christs being in believers is the cause of that perfect and consummaâ—e unity which they ought to have of themselves What is implied in their being made perfect in one The causes of this unity Doct. That faith is knowledge What knowledge faith is not 1. Not a knowledge by sense 2. Not a perfect comprehension and intuitive vision of the thing we believe 3. Nor like those imperfect acts of the soul which are called Suspicion opinion or doubting 4. Nor is it from the evidence of any internal principles What knowledge the knowledge of faith is Reasons why faith must be knowing or have knowledge accompanying of it Observ God the Father loveth believers even as he loveth Christ I. Wherein the love of God to Christ and believers is not alike II. Wherein Gods love to Christ and believers is alike 1. In loving Christ and them as one mystical person 2. In the properties of it 3. In regard of the effects of it Obj. Answ Doct. It 's of great consequence to the world to know how greatly believers are loved of God The usefulness of the worlds knowing how greatly the Saints are beloved of God will appear in these particulars How difficult it is for the world to be so perswaded Observ Without grace here there is no glory hereafter What we mean by grace Doct. 2. Glory is a gift Observ The greatest part of our happinesse that we shall have in heaven lies in this that then we shall be with Christ and have immediate communion with the Lord. Of immediate communion with Christ in heaven Consider these things The grounds why Gods presence in heaven is that which makes the happinesse of a glorified beleever Doct. It is a necessary duty in a Christian in his approaches to God to think on those attributes and relations in him which may excite and stirre up holy confindence and boldnesse Consid I. No wicked man is in a condition fit to pray or approach unto God upon these terms II. It s of great consequence for the humbled Christian in his prayer to improve this relation of a Father Doct. 2. Christs prayer for his people will certainly and infallibly prevail for them Doct. The great end of our being in heaven is to behold and enjoy the glory of Christ How much is comprehended in this expression of beholding Christs glory What is that glory which they shall behold shining in Christ Doct. Christ as Mediator had his glory given him Propositions aâ—out this point Christ as God cannot have any thing given him unless by way of manifestation and external celebration Obj. Answ Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Socinians Argument Answered How many wayes we may glorifie Christ Doct. 2. That it s no free-will or preparatory work in man that begins either his grace or glory but the sole gift of God Observ That God the Father loved Christ as Mediatour and thereby all believers in him from all Eternity How righteousness may be attributed unto God Observ God whether considered as a Judge of the world or a Father to beleevers is righteous in all his wayes I. God is just in all his administrations to devils and wicked men II. The righteousnes of God as a Father to his people in all their afflictions Observ The world is ignorant of God in a saving manner Demonstrations of the Point The causes of salvation Observ Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have Propositions about the point Doct. That it 's an indearing respect of believers to God that they do own him and cleave to hint when the whole world go quite contrary Propositions clearing the Point Doct. That Believers do not only at their first conversion but in the whole progress of their life need constant illumination and teaching from God I. In respect of the object II Observ That it is not enough for the people of God to be loved by him but they are to endeavour after the sence and apprehension of this in their own hearts Conside I. The love of God is taken two waies in Scripture II. God may love a man and he know it not III. The sence of Gods love to be laboured for IV. The sence of Gods love may be immediate or mediate V. The love of God to his is incomprehensible The advantage a believer hath by having the powerful feeling of Gods love Propositions to inform in this point I. II. It s possible for the sense of Gods favour to consist with some doubtings III. The sense of Gods love may consist with a feeling of a spiritual combate within us Helps to get and keep this favour of God
we are said to be in the Olive Tree viz. Christ and to receive of the fatnesse thereof by Faith Rom. 11. Thus all Beleevers they are branches in Christ the Vine Joh. 15. So that you see there is great reason why Faith in Christ as a Mediatour should be preserved because that enableth to all lively and active Obedience Heb. 11. You see it was Faith that put all those Worthies upon such notable Obedience And when Christ praied for Peter he praied that his Faith might not fail him Luk. 22.32 why not his courage and boldnesse but because Faith is the root of all So that in Christianity we by Faith in Christ come to be holy and then beleeve in Christ Per fidem venitur ad opera non per opera ad fidem Insomuch that it 's a grosse mistake in the people of God when they think to attain to such a degree of Repentance and mortification and then they would beleeve in Christ whereas by Faith in Christ and coming to him they would have strength to such duties Thou dost as if the branch separated from the Vine should think thereby to grow and flourish 5. Faith in Christ is so well pleasing to Christ because that only will put us upon such a life and conversation as is acceptable to him which is joy and thankefulnesse It 's very pleasing to God that those who are his would walk chearfully and thankfully that all the world may see it 's better to serve the Lord then sinne Hence you see the Psalmist so often calling upon the Righteous to rejoyce and be glad yea to shout for joy and in the New Testament Rejoyce and again I say rejoyce Hence it 's called Joy unspeakable and full of glory And for thankfulnesse we should have our hearts and mouths filled with praises Praise is comely for the upright Psa 33.1 It is very fit that he who is full of Gods love and his mercies should also be full of Thanks-giving In all things give thanks 1 Thes 5.18 So that you see joy and thankfulnesse should be the constant life of a Christian he cannot honour Christ or the Gospel more but how can these be unlesse there be faith in Christ Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 where there is no peace there is no joy no thankfulnesse and indeed all those bitrer briars and thorns which the godly have arise from that bitter root of unbelief Why is it that they go bowed down and none seem farther from comfort and thankfulnesse then they do but because they exercise not this faith in Christ It 's more pleasing to God to be filled with heavenly joy then tormenting doubts and this joy is the daughter of faith If then all these things be duely considered by the godly Convert he may be awakened and wonder how he indulged himself in such doubting fearing and unbeleeving thoughts he may cry out what glory have I rob'd Christ and the Gospel of What heretiques and Papists with their corrupt doctrines have done against Christ the same did my perplexing inflaming fears do I lived not as if I had received the Spirit of Adoption but of bondage and fear Thou wilt then finde the dark Cloud with Lightning and Thunder to passe away and the clear Sunshine to appear Thou that wast like the Disciples afraid of Christ as if he had been some formidable Spirit wilt then know what Christ is and how ready and willing to receive afflicted sinners Thou wilt then stand and wonder how could I be so injurious by my low and narrow thoughts of Christ Was it for a light matter that Christ should leave all his heavenly glory and come to endure all that reproach and misery for our sakes But we proceed to some Uses And Vse 1 First Is Faith in Christ as a Mediatour so acceptable to God even above all Obedience so that as he said in some sence he would have Obedience rather then Sacrifice so may we say in some respects He will have Faith rather then Obedience Then let it instruct us in the hainous and dangerous nature of that close secret and unperceivable sinne of trusting in our own Righteousnesse Let there be no secret depending upon thy good heart thy good life thy good duties for if contraries are known by contraries then as faith renouncing all we are and have to be found in Christ is of so great acceptance Then to rely upon any thing we do to have inward restings upon our own actions is a sinne highly offending God We can hardly commit a sinne worse The Publican in some respects is better then the Pharisee as those Diseases which are quickly discerned are more curable then those that are not discovered Ille morbus vix est sanabilis qui sanitatem imitatur Our Saviour found this untoward disposition in the Pharisees as that which was plainly their mortal disease had not this besotted and benummed them they had sooner set open the gates of their soul for the Prince of Glory to come The Apostle makes this desire and endeavour to set up their own Righteousnesse to be that which wholly undid them and our Saviour himself looks upon this as the root of all bitternesse and therefore laid the Axe to it when he told them They were such as justified themselves but what was highly esteemed amongst men was abomination before God Luk 18. So that not only prophane and grosse sins but the civil Pharisaical man who stands on his own bottome and feeleth not the absolute necessity of faith in Christ is in a perishing condition And because this undoeth thousands as well as grosse wickednesse Let us see whether we can pierce the Scales of this Leviathan whether we may remove this Mountain and throw it into the Sea of Repentance and humiliation The greatnesse therefore of this sinne is seen in the unperceivablenesse of it A man may with 〈◊〉 whole might trust in himself and yet think the clean contrary Paul said 〈…〉 alive once he was at hearts ease Rom 7. judged himself in a secure safe condition because of his spiritual estate but when his eyes were opened and he awakened by grace those things that were once a gain and a priviledge he accounted dung and drosse But Paul while in that Pharisaical Righteousnesse was as senceless of any such spiritual confidence in himself as any dead man of the greatest burden upon him Oh then what hopes have we to make such men see the black dungeon they are in and the cursed opposition they stand in to Christ For the principium is loesum Christ came not to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 The Righteous are such as the Pharisees who trusted in themselves thought all well with them Now such can never hunger and thirst after Christ They are full of themselves as they say in Philosophy the sensible Object put upon the sence hinders all sensation as in the eye or ear Thus it is
all in matter of Sanctification he comprehends all in love John 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another A new Commandment not but that the duty was old onely envy and malice had so prevailed amongst the Jews that to love was a new thing as if it had not been a duty required before In John's Epistles it's called both new and old 1 John 2.8 And then again new because there are new motives and a new patern Love one another as I have loved you There was never such a Patern and President before so that it 's not every kinde of love and unity which will give content but that which is in the highest degree of unity it's added vers 35. By this shall all men know ye ' are my Disciples if ye love one another not if ye work miracles if ye cast out devils but if you cast out discord and variance and therefore there is not a greater scandal to Religion and holines then when those that do believe are as the Levites Concubine that was cut into many peeces Again Ch. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you This is Christs Commandment as if there were nothing else he required but this and as if this were not enough at verse 17. These things I command you that ye love one another as if he should have said If bare information will not do it if instruction will not do it I lay my command and charge upon you Secondly This Vnity and Love is a special means to bring the world to believe the truth and receive Christ So that what the preaching of the Word and Gifts yea miracles use to do that unity and agreement may do This is twice affirmed to be the consequent of unity vers 21. vers 23. That the world may believe thou hast sent me It 's a special way to convince all the enemies of the truth Thus Chap. 13.35 Men shall know ye are my Disciples if ye love one another and do we not see by experience That Papists Heretiques and all prophane men are confirmed in their wickednesse by nothing more then the differences and opinions of such who are godly Do they not by books and otherwise in derision say One Sect saith that hath the Spirit of God another saith that hath and yet both are contrary one to another Can the Spirit of God be contrary to it self Can it be a Spirit of truth in one and a Spirit of falshood in others Now although this be no good argument because the Spirit of God is communicated but in measure to the godly they know but in part and so they love but in part many errours and divisions we are prone unto yet this is a very great stumbling block and therefore woe be to that godly man who by his pride self-conceit or erroneous Doctrine shall bring such a scandal to Religion what if many perish in hell because of thy froward spirit It is true there ought to be zeal against errours and corruptions though in the godly You see when Peter did not walk right Paul resisted him to the face and would not give place to him or other false teachers no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 Mark that No not for an hour Some think let them alone they will recover themselves they will do no hurt truth needs not be afraid yet Paul was afraid that an hours forbearance might do hurt Therefore he addeth That the truth of the Gospel might continue amongst you as if an hours forbearance might hinder the continuance of truth so that we are to use Scripture-zeal and Scripture-means to convince even those that are godly when erring in Doctrine Therefore the Scripture doth not commend an unity and love so as to let all errours and prophanenesse alone but in that which is good unity in that which is truth and holinesse is that which Christ meaneth here in his prayer and where this is it 's very potent to winne all gain-sayers It 's admirable to mollifie the hearts of the opposers Hence it 's so often reported of the primitive Christians That they were daily with one accord together Therefore the Evangelist Luke records it at least five times so that if nothing else should make thee tender about causing any breaches in the Church of God this should thou dost as much as lieth in thee to hinder any man that knoweth thee ever to believe and to be converted Thirdly This Vnity is promised as a special part of the Covenant of Grace That very Covenant which promiseth to write the Law of God in our hearts and to put his fear in our inward parts that also promiseth unity at the same time Jer. 32.39 I will be their God and they shall be my people I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever Insomuch that it 's one main branch in the Covenant of Grace So Zech 14.9 In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one The meaning is They shall not worship many gods or serve in different wayes of worship but they shall be one To this purpose Ezekiel prophesieth Chap. 37.16 22. which is not to be limited to the Jews only but also to all the believing Gentiles Oh then in these times of differences and breaches amongst the godly What should we runne unto What should we plead in prayer but these promises O Lord to be thus divided to have Altar against Altar Church against Church Prophet against Prophet Is this to have one heart and one way But you may say If God hath thus promised it and Christ hath prayed for it who was heard of the Father in every thing How comes it about that the contrary appeareth This is to be answered in it's time Fourthly Vnity is necessary because hereby a serviceable and beneficiall helping of one another in spiritual things is preserved The people of God are compared to living stones built up together while the stones keep in the building they bear one another but if once removed it fals down They are compared to members in the body while they are joyned together There is a mutual ministration to each other but when divided from the body no part can receive any nourishment Thus it is here while the people of God are in union Oh the wonderfull help they are to one another they provoke one another they stirre up one anothers graces but take these coals from one another and then the fire goeth out And this may be the reason why our Saviour doth not mention the Sanctification and holinesse of believers but their unity because this is a special means to preserve and increase holinesse Two are better then one because of heat and of help saith the Wise-man Eccles 4.10 and so it 's in this work of Grace two are better then one to warm one another How may thy zeal help against anothers lukewarmnesse