godliness But ye know a spark of fire though it be but a spark of fire it will not oppose the flame though it be not so great as the flame yet it will not oppose the flame it opposes the water but it doth not oppose the flame of fire And so if a man have grace though it be but a spark of grace yet notwithstanding if it be in truth it will not oppose a flame But now Civil and Moral men that walk in a way of works and are under the Law Oh! how do they oppose those that have the power of godliness that have more grace than themselves that are in a flame for Christ them they oppose Is it so with you that make this Objection Oh! No I praise the Lord your soul will say if it speak in truth though I have but little the Lord knows I do not oppose them that have much I rejoyce rather in those that have more than my self yea I rejoyce in those that have the power of godlinesse And Lord thou knowest I do not stint and limit my self Oh! I can never be godly enough and I can never Repent enough and I can never mourn for my sins enough Well be of good comfort this may be no other stream then what flows from this blessed fountain Free-remission and Justification by faith alone Object 3 Thirdly Will some say I fear that upon all this account my Obedience and my Holiness is not right for I do not find the visible Characters of Justification upon my Sanctification Justification by faith alone is the fountain of all our Holiness Then if my obedience were right it would tast of my Justification and of Free-remission if my Holiness were right it would savour of Free-remission but I do not find any visible Characters of Justification upon my Sanctification I do not find that my Sanctification does relish or savour of Free-remission or Justification by faith alone therfore I fear al is naught my obedience hath been naught and wrong all this while Answ For answer to this Know ye not beloved That a mans Justification may be hidden from Sence when Sanctification is in truth Know ye not That the life of grace is a hidden life not only hidden from the world but hidden from ones own soule many times Quest But what are those Visible Characters of Justification which are engraven upon a mans Sanctification so that when a man does see them he may say Surely here is a Sanctification that is no other than that which flows from Free-remission and Justification by Faith along Answ 1 First When a man does mourn for his sin because it is pardoned does not this repentance savour of Free-remission When a man does obey the Lord because God hath pardoned and forgiven him does not this Sanctification then savour of his Justification and of Free-remission Secondly When there is a meeting of all graces and one good work and duty and grace is reconciled to another in a mans life is there not then a tast and a savour of Justification and Free-remission When the Lord does justifie a poor sinner then al the Attributes of God are reconciled to one another Justice is reconciled to Mercy and Mercy is reconciled to Justice and all these reconciled Attributes of the Lord do meet upon the soul of a justified person and accordingly there is a meeting of all graces in the soul and all good works and graces they are reconciled to one another That whereas before a man was justified they were at ods at a distance one from another and were inimititious one to another now they are not Whereas before a man was justified he could not rejoyce in God but it hindred his mourning for sin and he could not mourn for sin but it hindred his faith and he could not beleeve but his beleeving hindred his repentance But now when a man is justified and reconciled to the Lord then all those Works Duties and Graces are reconciled to one another Why Because the Attributes of God are reconciled unto one another and all the Attributes of God they meet upon the heart of a justified person and so there are the Characters of his Justification upon his Sanctification here And I appeal to ye who ever you are that labor under this scruple Is it not thus with thy soul in truth Do not you find it thus That now you look upon the very Justice of the Lord as your friend the Justice and Righteousness of the Lord as your friend That now ye are reconcil'd as it were to those Duties that heretofore you looked upon as your Enemies That now you rest upon the Lord Christ that you may be Obedient and your very resting upon Christ makes you obedient your very beholding of Christ changes you from glory to glory as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3.18 If you would speak in truth from your soul you would say thus Lord thus 't is with me Now I am reconciled to that Duty that before was an enemy to me and now these Workes Duties and Graces are reconciled for now the more I can rejoyce in God the more I can mourn for sin and the more I Beleeve the more I can Repent Heretofore the more I Beleeved the lesse I Repented my Beleeving was my Security but now I see these works and Duties are friends to one another that now the more I Repent the more I Beleeve and the more I Beleeve the more I Repent all these works are reconciled in me And Lord thou that knowest all things knowest That therefore I grieve for my sins because thou hast pardoned them and therefore I desire to obey thee because thou hast forgiven me Well then here are the Visible Characters of thy Justification upon thy Sanctification And therefore be of good comfort notwithstanding this Objection Only let me tell thee this It may be thou hast not stood enough at a distance from thy own Doings and Duties as to the matter of thy Acceptance with God But would you be more Spiritual and Holy in your lives labour more and more to stand at a distance from all your Duties and Doings as to the great matter of your Acceptance with God the father Quest But you will say Suppose that I have not stood cleare from my owne Doings as to the matter of my Justification or Acceptance with God the Father what shall I do that now I may stand clear in this matter that so this fountain of Free-remission and Justification by faith alone may be opened upon my soul and my Spiritual life thereby may be more inlarged and increased Some things by way of Answer to this and so I have done First Be ye humbled in the sight and presence of the Lord that you have walked in that way that you have tied Jesus Christ unto your conditions and that you have made use of Christ only to eek out your Performance as to the matter of your Acceptance Secondly Study much
taken from us and we have not a better life what a sad condition shall we be in Wherefore I beseech ye in the Lord labor to get another life this Spiritual life that shall never be taken from you and the Lord give you hearts to do it Quest But you will say How should that be done Answ Come unto Jesus Christ whatever thou beest man or woman now come unto Jesus Christ Saies the Lord Christ They will not come unto me that they might have life John 5.40 There are Three things that keep men from Coming to Jesus Christ one thing is Mens Negligence men think they can repent afterward and they may have Christ afterward and so for the present they neglect coming to Jesus Christ Sometimes nay alwaies Vnbelief keeps men off from comming to Jesus Christ For as faith brings Christ and the Soul together So Unbelief keeps a man from coming to Jesus Christ And another thing is Vnwillingnes to part with all for Jesus Christ The young man ye have read of in the Gospel went away sorrowful when Christ said to him Go and sel al to come to Christ so he did not come to Christ upon that account And so when we come to men and women and say You must come to Christ and leave all your former Company Nay say they I can have Christ better cheap upon better terms and I cannot leave my Company and my merry meetings and so they come not to Christ But I beseech you in the Lord Come unto Jesus Christ Oh! what ever thou hast been Come unto Jesus Christ that you may have life Object I know many will say I have been long dead in my trespasses and sins and I fear there is no hope of life for me Answ Now mark what I say to that and so I wil end al. There are Three mentioned in the Gospel whom Christ raised from the dead One a Maid that lay in her fathers house and Christ came in and took her by the hand and said unto her Arise Another was a Young-man that was carried out of his fathers house and was laid out upon the Hearse and Christ came and said unto him Arise And the third was Lazarus that had been four dayes dead and stank again and Christ speaks to Lazarus and he comes forth And these Three saies Austin shews those that Christ wil raise up from the dead again The first the maid that lay in her fathers house notes that sort of sinners that commit Secret sins never come abroad never come into act The second the son that was carried out of his fathers house and laid upon the Hearse notes that sort of sinners that sin openly Swearers and Drunkards whose sins are abroad And the Third that of Lazarus notes that sort of sinner that hath lien so long in the grave that he even smels again Now I pray further observe this That when Christ came to raise Lazarus then Christ prayed but he did not pray when he raised the other two and he groan'd over him he did not groan over the maid nor over the young-man but he groan'd over Lazarus to shew the difficulty of raising a poor sinner from the dead that hath lien long in his sin And therefore if there be ever a poor soul here that is dead in his sins Oh! go to Christ while thou art young and fall down before him and say Oh! Lord I have a dead heart of mine own Oh! let me have life from thee But whether thou beest young or old here is yet hope Lazarus raised as well as the young-maid young-man Lazarus that lay til he stank again in the grave and therefore yet there is hope though thou hast lien long Wherfore in the Name of the Lord I beseech you all Come unto Jesus Christ this morning If there be ever a poor dead soul in this Congregation as may be some there is some Drunkard crept in some Swearer some Unclean wanton Well if there be ever a dead soul in this Congregation now go to Christ that thou mayest have life and I say to thee Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and the Lord Jesus give us life SERMON II. Preached at Stepney July 9. 1648. GALATIANS 2. part of the 20. vers Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me YE heard the last day that two things especially are observable from these words First That every godly gracious man is a living man is in the state of life lives a spiritual life And this I have spoken to Doct. 2 Secondly That our justification by faith alone is no enemy but a real friend unto this our Spiritual life Nevertheless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and now I live but now I live As if he should say I never did live before but now being justified by faith alone and having the experience of this great Truth Now I live At the 16. verse he had said That a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ Whereupon it was or might be objected If a man be not justified by the works of the Law then is he free from the Law then is he dead unto the Law then may a man live as he lists Nay not so saies the Apostle at the 19. verse For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God quite contrary That I might live to God I am dead to the Law Yea and though I am crucified with Christ yet now I live and I never did live till now but now I live This very principle of justification by faith alone is the fountain and original of all my spiritual life And thus indeed you shall find for if you look into those three Epistles of Paul To the Romans the Galatians and the Hebrews ye shall find that the Apostle does give this as the rise unto all his Exhortations unto Holiness of life In the latter end of the Epistle to the Romans the Apostle does exhort unto holy practises and to a godly conversation but in the begining he does state and prove this Doctrine of Justification by faith alone So in this Epistle to the Galatians So in the Epistle to the Hebrews As if the only rise of all our Holiness and Godly Conversation were this Our free-Free-justification through the Blood of Christ by faith alone For the opening and cleering of this great Truth I shal spend a little time in the Explication of the terms First Justification by faith alone Secondly I shall labor to demonstrate this Truth unto you That Justification by faith alone Is the Fountain and Original of all our Holiness and Spiritual life Thirdly Answer to some Objections Fourthly Labor to shew ye What there is in this free-Free-justification by faith alone that may can or doth advance our Holiness Quest 1 What is meant by this Justification by faith alone Answ That I may be understood by the meanest
By this justification I mean That act of Gods grace wherby through the imputation of our sins to Christ and Christs righteousness unto us God the father doth pronounce us righteous in his sight This is justification And this is done by the Righteousness and the Blood of Christ only as the Material and Meritorious cause 'T is done only by Faith as the Instrumental cause so we are said to be justified by Faith alone Yet not so as that a man is justified by faith which hath no works for all justifying faith is full of works but these works do not come into our justification As now a mans servants they have him to bed Servants have their Master and Mistris to bed tend upon them to bed but they do not go into the bed with them They are with them again in the morning they bring them water and necessary things but they do not come to bed to them Now saies Luther Justification is that bed where Christ and a Beleeving soul lies though good works Duties and Prayers tend upon Christ and where ever there is faith there are these yet this bed of Justification is kept free and entire and only for the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and they come not to bed they come not into this work Or if you will thus Ye know that when an Israelite was stung in the wilderness by a fiery biting serpent he was then to look upon the Brasen serpent and by the beholding of the Brasen-serpent he was cured the looking of his eyes cured him He had other members there was the Arms and the Legs and other members that did accompany the Eyes but though there were other members that did accompany the Eyes it was the seeing of the Eyes that did cure the person And so though works do accompany faith and there is no saving justifying faith but works accompany it yet it is only the beholding of this Brasen-serpent by the eye of faith that does cure the soul as to the point of Justification When Abraham went up into the mountain to offer up his son he spake to his servants to stay below Gen. 22.5 Stay you here till I come again at the foot and the bottom of this hill and so they did Servants he had but they stayed below And so when a man goes up into this hil of justification this high mountain he takes only his faith with him and he sayes unto all his works and unto all his duties stay you below at the bottom of the hil and there they attend So that faith justifying faith though it hath alwaies works yet they come not into this matter of Justification 'T is Faith alone that justifies This by way of Explication Quest 2 But Secondly You will say How may it appear now that this free-free-justification of a poor sinner by Faith alone is the original of all our Holiness and Spiritual life Answ 1 Thus it appears by contraries Contraries have contrary Consequences If the Law and Justification thereby be no friend but a real enemy unto all our Grace and Holinesse then Justification by faith alone is a friend to it But now take the Law and you shall find that justification thereby is no friend but a real enemy unto all our Holiness and the power of godliness What greater enemies had the world ever to the power of godliness than the Jews were and they sought to establish their own Righteousness and to be justified by the Law And now a dayes What more bitter more fel enemy unto the power of godliness than a Moral Civil man Why Because though he do not understand himself yet he doth secretly seek his acceptance with God by his own doing and good meaning A man can never live to God that lives in himself So long as a man seeks Justification by his own doing working he lives in himself Therefore saies the Apostle Phil. 3.9 I desire not to be found in mine own righteousness to be found in it Hope is the Spring of action The Plow-man plowes in hope he sows in hope Hope is the Spring of action Now if a man seeks to be justified by the Law or the works of the Law there is no hope for all works are imperfect and if no hope saies the soul why should I work as good never a whit as never the better That cannot be the Principle of our grace and holiness which can neither Convert a man nor mortifie his sins nor quicken one to what is good nor comfort or free him from temptation Now I pray What is it that Converts a soul to Christ is it the Law or the preaching of the Law Nay Joh. 16.9 saies our Savior I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin But where do I receive the Spirit Saies the Apostle in the next chapter the 3. of the Galatians O ye foolish Galatians this would I know of ye Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Not by the preaching of the Law And as for Mortification of sin Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle in the 8. of the Romans The Law is weak What the Law could not do being weak God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh So that the Law cannot mortifie sin the Law cannot do it And as for our Quickening unto what is good Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle The Law is a dead letter and the Law is the ministration of death And can that which is a dead letter and the ministraction of death quicken us unto what is good certainly it cannot And as for our Temptations and freedom from them Does the Law do that Ye know the Apostle triumphs Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And who shall lay any thing to may charge shall the Anger and Wrath of God shall Satan or mine own Conscience I will not be much afflicted saies he why for It is God that justifies He does not say for it is Moses that justifies but 't is Christ that died and God justifies not Moses Sampson ye know found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon not in hives at home or trees abroad but he found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon So does a poor tempted soul find all the honey-combs of comfort in the body of the dead Lyon of the tribe of Judah not in his own hive I have read of a certain man that was much in prayer fasting and reading and the Devil came to him and told him Friend Why doest thou Pray so much and Reade so much and Fast so much 't is all to n purpose for thou shalt go to Hell at the last thou shalt never go to Heaven Saies he As for that I leave that to God it is not my Question whether I shall go to Heaven or Hell but my Question is How shall I serve God
and live to God Had he now sought Justification in a away of works and by the Law could he have ever bin able to have answered to this temptation Ye may see what the Apostle saies in the 7. chap. of his Epistle to the Romans he gives you a Similitude thus As a woman so is the sould of every man So long as a woman is married unto one man she brings forth children unto him and not unto any other but is dead unto all others but when that man dies she is free to marry and she marries another and she brings forth children unto him Now saies the Apostle at the 4. verse Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God So that so long as a man is married to the Law he can never bring forth fruit unto God Now then thus lies the Reason If that the Law and Justification thereby be no Friend but a real Enemy unto all our Holiness then contraries having contrarie consequences Justification by faith alone is a friend and no Enemy unto our Spiritual life and Holiness Seondly This also will appear if ye consider the paralel between the first and second Adam Christ is our second Adam Now saies the Apostle in the 5. of the Romans As by the sin of one death came upon all men to condemnation so by the Righteousness of one life comes unto many Well but how came condemnation upon all men by the sin of one The first Adam he was a common person he did stand for all mankind when he sinned all mankind sinned and therefore assoon as any one is born the sin of Adam being imputed to him judicially that imputation is the original of all the Unholiness that is among the children of men So our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being our second Adam he is a Common person stands in the room of al the Elect he was obedient not for Himself but for Them Christus non meruit sibi Obeyed not for Himself and he died not for himself but for them righteous for them When therefore a man is born into the world is regenerate by faith then all that Righteousness of Christ the second Adam is imputed to him And this imputation of his Righteousness by faith is the original of all that Holiness that is in our lives thus As al the Unholiness and Wickedness that is in the world does flow from the imputation of the first Adams sin So al that grace and holiness that is in the world does flow from the imputation of the second Adams Righteousness Now by faith alone this Righteousnes is imputed and does become ours and therefore Justification by faith alone is the principle and original of all our grace and holiness Thirdly If free-remission of sin and the sence thereof be the cause of our Holiness then Justification by faith alone must needs be a friend unto it For these Two Free-remission of sin and justification by faith alone go together and are ordinarily taken for one And therefore in the 3. of the Romans The Apostle having said as the 24. verse Being justified freely by his grace he saies at the 28. ver That a man is justified by faith and saying That a man is justified by faith he saies That a man is justified freely by grace these are put together Now Free-remission of sin and the sence thereof is the Cause of al our Holiness Ye know what the Apostle saies Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God hath appeared unto all men teaching us to deny Vngodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly in this present world All Holiness comes from thence The apparition of grace Free-remission of sin And ye know what it is that doth hatch the Chicken 't is not the fire that does hatch the Chicken nor is it the cold water that does hatch the Chicken but laying of the eggs under the warm feathers of the living Hen. Come to a man or woman that hath many eggs that are yet not Chickens within a month or two these are al become living Chickens Say you How comes it to pass that all these are now living Chickens What! did you lay these eggs unto the fire No for then they would have been roasted What! did you lay these eggs in the cold water No then they would have rotted but I laid them under the warm wings of the living Hen and so they are become chickens So you come to a living soul a living heart and you say Friend how came you to be thus enlivened and quickned a month or two ago I heard you complaining of your dead heart Oh! my heart is dead but how came you to be thus enlivened and to be thus quickned Did you go and lay your heart against the fire of the Law No that would have scorch'd me and tormented me What did you go and lay your heart in the cold world No that would have rotted me How then Truly after all my fears and after all my doubtings I went and laid my cold heart under the warm wings of Divine-love and so it came to pass that I am thus enlivened and I am thus quickened as you see this day for the which I blesse the Lord for ever Three things there are that do make up a gracious Conversation Repentance for sin past Mortification of sin present and the Obedience of faith or Obedience Now as for Repentance look I pray what is said in the 7. Chapter of Luke and see what is the Cause of that You reade there a story of a great Sinner that became a great Penitent at the 37. verse Behold a woman in the City which was a great sinner and she came and stood behind Jesus at the 38. verse weeping and began to wash his feet with tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head She wept much Why for saies the text at the latter end of the Chapter she loved much But why did she love much She loved much because much was forgiven her So then Remission is the Cause of Repentance And have ye not so much expresly in that 16. Chapter of Ezekiel and the last verse I will establish my Covenant with thee that thou maiest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done So that this shame and repentence comes from pacification And as for this matter Luther had so great a fight into it that saies he before I was justified by faith alone and saw into this matter of Free-remission I look't upon that word Repent as a terrible word I did even hate that word and I wish't that there had been no such word in all the book of God but after once that word justitia was opened the righteousnesse
strait And in another place I knew a man saies he that was taken up into the third heaven whether in the body 2 Cor. 12.2 or out of the body I cannot say That was himself but he would not own himself in it And in another place he saies Rom. 9.3 That he could wish himself accursed for his brethren according to the flesh that they might receive the Gospel Oh! what a Self-Denying frame of heart is here But where is this Self-Denying frame of heart now to be found amongst us How does this I this same Self creep into all our Speeches and into all our Doings If it please the Lord to use a Minister in his service what I-ing is there I converted such a man and I comforted such a man and it was My Ministry that did it Oh! what Self is here what I-ing is here So if it please God to use a Physitian for the curing of the outward man It was My Prescription and it was My Receipt and I did it And if a Christian do but Pray or perform any Duty Thus and thus I said and these words I spake Did not I tell ye so I told ye what would come to pass Oh! what I-ing is there among people how does Self this I and Self creep into all our Speeches and into all our Doings But is this our Faith and is this the fruit of our Faith Every true Beleever that seeks Justification by faith alone is an Humble Self-Denying person that denies himself in Spiritual things Then how few are there that have true saving faith Certainly this saving justifying faith is another manner of thing than the world takes it to be Reply But will some say Upon this account we hope we have all Faith for we can all say concerning our Duties and our Performances that they are nothing my Prayer is nothing and my Hearing is nothing but Christ is all in all Yea and we can say severally all of us as Paul does here I live yet not I and therefore we all now hope that we have Faith indeed for we are able thus to Deny our selves in Spiritual things Answ I wish it were so that al were indeed able to Deny themselves in Spiritual things But give me leave a little to speak something to ye by way of Convincement Are there not some here that cannot deny themselves in Outward things Some here that cannot Deny themselves in their Appetite their Eating and their Drinking for Jesus Christ Some here that cannot Deny themselves of their wicked Company Some here that cannot Deny themselves of a Frothy Vain Jest or Jeer at the people of God for Christs sake Are there not some here that cannot Deny themselves in Cloaths in their Words in an Oath for Christ Are there not some here that cannot deny themselves in their Passions for Christ froward and they live frowardly in their Families Our Saviour saies Learn of me for I am meek and lowly Meekness and Humility go together Matth. 11.29 Frowardness and Pride therefore go together Now when you cannot deny your selves in your Passions in your Cloaths in your Company in a foolish Word for Christ Doest thou think that thou canst deny thy self or doest deny thy self in thy Duties or in thy Righteousness or in thy Spiritual things for Christ Be not deceived Again Are there not some here that do Seek themselves in Spiritual things Self-Seeking and Self-Advancing as I have said do differ but the one is a sign of the other A man can never Deny himself that Seeks himself I say He cannot Deny himself in Spiritual things that Seeks himself in Spiritual things Now I pray consider it When ye meet with any Spiritual losse Whose Accompt and Head do ye set it down upon Ye know how it is in Trade and Merchandizing Some men trade for themselves and some trade for others If I trade for my Self when I meet with a losse I set it down upon mine own Accompt and upon mine own Head If I trade for Another when I meet with a losse I set it down upon his Accompt and upon his Head Now when you meet with spiritual losses whose Accompt do you set down your spiritual losses upon upon whose Head Are there not many here that set down their spiritual losses upon their own Accompt Indeed I have lost such an Opportunity and I have sinned so and therefore shame will come unto me vexation and trouble What a dishonor is this unto Jesus Christ Some indeed when they meet with a Spiritual losse they set it down upon Christs Accompt and they break their hearts with the Sence of this Others they set down all their spiritual losses upon their own heads and their own Accompts what does this argue but that they trade for themselves and not for Christ they Seek themselves and therefore they don't Deny themselves Are there not some that do stint and limit themselves in the service of God O my soul thou hast enough for to bring thee to heaven already and what needest thou more Is not this for to Seek ones self in spiritual things is not here abundance of Self Again Are there not some that dare prescribe the Lord If a General give out an Order to have a thing done so and a common Souldier comes and saies No not so but thus does not this common Souldier advance himself in prescribing the General The Lord Christ hath said that we may come unto him and the first thing of all is for to come unto him But man saies No unless I find my heart Humbled first and Broken first I will not go to Christ I have no rule for it This is to prescribe Christ and this is to advance ones self Again Are there not some among us that when they have been at Duty in the company of others have strange repetitions passe upon their hearts When you pray all alone you have no such repetitions but when you have prayed or been Exercising in a Company doth not your heart run back sometimes and say Thus and thus I said and this and this I did and this Expression I had Hath there not been strange kind of repetitions after you have performed Duty in Company Is not here Self is not here the I Again Are there not some that never to this day were sensible of their Pride in spiritual things Now I dare boldly say unto thee from the Lord Thou hast not yet learned this lesson of Self-Denyal in spiritual things that wert never Humbled for thy Pride in spiritual things I repeat it again I say If thou wert never humbled for thy Pride in spiritual things to this day the Lord knows thou hast not learned this great lesson of Self-Denial in spiritual things I say no more by way of Convincement Only this There is nothing that a Professor is more apt to be proud of than spiritual things Before a man takes up a Profession possibly then he is proud of his
for first r. last p. 108. l. 12. for Dominus reginae r. Domina regina p. 109. l. 13. dele two p. 199. l. 13. for rigorous r. vigorous THE CONTENTS Of the Third VOLVMNE SERMON I GALATIANS 2.20 TEXT Opened Page 2 Doctrine 1 Every godly gracious man is a living man and lives a spiritual life Page 3 Explication 1 What this spiritual life is 1. A supernatual perfection Page 3 2 It ariseth from our Vnion with Christ by the Spirit Page 4 3 By it we act move and work towards God Ibid 2 How it may appear that every godly gracious man is thus a living man Proved 1 By vegetative life Page 5 2 By sensitive life ib. 1 They are sensible of their sins Page 6 2 Of the hiding of Gods face ibid 3 Of the miseries of the Churches Page 7 3 By rational life ibid How it may appear that others are not in this state of life Page 8 Objections answered Page 9. 10 Application Comforts for the Saints 1. It is above the life of Adam in innocency Page 12 2. It is the most pleasant life ibid 3. It is the most communicative life Page 13 4. The Lord looks upon all our former sins under a mollifying consideration ibid Object I am afraid I have not this spiritual life because I am dead cold and stiff Answered There is a deadness opposite to liveliness as well as a death opposite to life Page 15 There is a difference between the coldness of a living man and the coldness of a dead man ibid Object I am afraid I am not alive because I do not grow Answered 1. Do you grow out of love with your own righteousness Page 16 2. Are you less subject to be offended than before Page 17 3. Do you grow more off from youth ful things that godly men look to ibid Object I am alive to the world Answered Page 18 Duties flowing from this spiritual life 1. We should live at a higher rate than the world doth Page 20 2. Our hearts should not run too much after the things of this world Page 21 3. Our comunion and fellowship should be more with the living ibid Exhortation to those that are dead in sins to come to Christ Page 23 SERMON II. Gal. 2.20 Doctrine 2. Our Justification by faith alone is no enemy but a real friend to our spiritual life Page 26 Explication 1. What is meant by Justification by faith alone Page 27 2. How doth it appear that free Justification by faith alone is the original of all our holiness 1. By contraries Page 29 2. By the paralel between the first and second Adam Page 31 3. By the sence of free remission of sin Page 32 Instanced in 1. Repentance Page 33 2. Mortification ibid 3. Obedience Page 34 3. Objections Answered Page 34. 35 4. What there is in free Justification by faith that doth advance our holiness 1. The more a man forsakes his own good for Christ the more is Christ engaged to give his good to him Page 36 2. God doth never suffer any man to pass under relation but he writes the Law of that relation in his heart ibid 3. The more a man agrees with God the fitter he is to walk with God Page 36 4. As by seeking Justification by works a man is estated in the covenant of works so by seeking Justification by faith alone a man is estated in the covenant of grace Page 37 Application Hence we see the reason why men are no more gracious Page 39 Object I fear my obedience was never right because I have turned aside to a covenant of works Answered Page 41 Object My obedience is not right because it is so little Answer 1. Doest thou limit thy self Page 42 2 Doest thou oppose them that have much ibid Object My obedience is not right because I do not find the visible characters of Justification upon my Sanctification Answered 1. Doest thou mourn for sin because 't is pardoned Page 44 2. Is there a meeting of all graces in thee ibid Object Suppose I have not stood cleer from my own doings in matter of Justification how shall I do to do it Answered 1. Be humbled in the sight of God Page 46 2. Study much the transaction of things between God the father and Jesus Christ ib. 3. Acquaint your souls with the difference between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace ibid 4. When your duties are highest let your souls go beyond them ibid 5. When they are lowest you have an opportunity to stand cleer from them Page 47 SERMON III. Gal. 2.20 Doctrine Every true beleever that seeks Justification by faith alone is a self-denying person Page 50 Explication 1. What it is for a man to deny himself Answered Page 51 2. Whereby it may appear that the Gospel works this grace in the heart of man Answered 1. If the Law cannot do it the Gospel must Page 52 2. He that lives under the Gospel is of a disposition contrary to the world Page 53 3. He is tender of intrenching upon Gods prerogative Page 54 4. The more truly a man repents the more sensible he is of his own unworthiness ibid An objection How doth the Gospel only do this seeing moral men Heathens and Papists have spoken and written much for humility and self-denial Answer 1 Though they be humble yet they are proud of humility Page 56 2 'T is only in some particulars ibid 3 He is ruled by reason and not by the spirit ibid 4 There is no mysterie in it as there is in a Christians For 1 A Christian cries out what shall he do to be saved and yet he expects not to be saved by doing Page 57 2 He accounts himself lesse than the least of all Gods mercies and yet he thinks God hath done more for him than if he had given him all the world ib. 3 He prizes every duty though never so small and yet counts all dung in respect of Jesus Christ ib. 4 He looks upon himslf as the greatest of sinners yet would not change condition with a Drunkard c. for all the world ib. 5 He mourns under reproaches and yet triumphs over them ib. 6 He counts all he doth nothing and yet praiseth God for every thing ib. 4 What there is in the Gospel to being a mans heart to this frame Answered 1 The more of Gods glory a man sees the more humble he is Page 58 2 The more self-denial a man sees in Christ the more he denies himself Page 60 3 The more a man sees himself a debter to Christ the more humble he is Page 61 4 When Christ comes into the soule all other things must out ib. Application How hard a thing it is to Beleeve Page 62 Reply We hope we all have faith Answer Are there not some that 1 Cannot deny themselves in outward things Page 64 2 Seek themselves in spiritual things ib. 3 Stint themselves in the service of God Page 65
live Yes saies he at the 20. ver I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Nevertheless or now I live I live that is a spiritual life There is a Natural life and there is a Spiritual life He does not here speak of the Natural life when he saies Nevertheless I live because he adds yet not I but Christ liveth in me that is Spiritually And when he saies I live he speaks it in the Person of every Believer not in his Own Person but he personates a Believer all along I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God I a Believer And I am crucified with Christ I a Believer And Nevertheless I live All along he does personate a Believer and does not speak in his own Person but in the Person of a Believer And he saies here Nevertheless I live He had said before That we are justified by Faith alone and not by the works of the Law and that a Believer was crucified with Christ Now saies he This Doctrine that I have preach'd unto you is no way opposit unto our Spiritual life or unto our Holiness yet now I live or nevertheless I live From whence then you may observe these Two things First That every true Believer every Godly Gracious man is a living man lives aspiritual life is in the state of life Secondly That our justification by faith alone and our being crucified with Christ is no enemy but a friend unto this Spiritual life Nevertheless I live Doct. 1 First of all Every Godly Gracious man is a living man is in the state of life lives a Spiritual life And this ye have most expresly in that 6. Chap. of John at the 40. vers This is the will of him that sent me That every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day But though he shall have everlasting life hereafter it may be he hath not this life for the present Look therfore what he saies at the 47. vers Verily verily I say unto you He that beleeveth on me hath everlasting life 'T is not said He shall have everlasting life but he hath everlasting life everlasting life is begun in him already And that ye may be the more sure of it he gives you a double Verily Verily verily I say unto ye He that believeth on me hath everlasting life But how can this be Nay how should it be otherwise for a mans life is as his meat is and saies our Saviour I am the bread of life at the 48. vers Then at the 54. vers Whesoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life For my flesh at the 55. vers is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me So that ye see this Chapter is ful of it here is a cloud of winesses I say therfore That every godly gracious man is a living man and lives another life from the life of the world a spiritual life and is in the state of spiritual life For the opening of this Truth unto ye We must first of all enquire What this Spiritual life is Take therefore this description of it It is that supernatural perfection of soul whereby a man being united unto Christ by the Spirit is able to act move and work towards God as his utmost end First I say It is a supernatural perfection There is some perfection in every life Life is the greatest good and perfection Death is the greatest evil Therefore when the Lord theratned Adam to punish him for eating the forbidden-fruit he saies The day thou eatest thereof Gen. 2. thou shalt die the DEATH Death is the greatest evil and so Life is the greatest good and perfection And this the Devil knew full well Joh 2.4 when he said Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life So that life is a perfection But I say this Spiritual life It is the Supernatural perfection of the soul And therefore in the 4. chapter of the Ephesians and the 18 verse This life of the Saints the very life of the Saints is called The life of God 'T is a supernatural perfection of soul therefore Secondly As it is a supernatural perfection of Soul So it rises from our Vnion with Christ by the Spirit A man is united to God by faith and by the Spirit and as our outward life does arise from the union between the soul and the body and though the body be never so fair or full yet if it be not united to the soul it is but a dead carkass So our Spiritual life it doth arise from our union with Christ and though a man have never so many moral virtues and his conversation be never so fair yet if not united to Christ by the Spirit he is but a dead man spiritually a dead man And therefore saies the Apostle here in the Text Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Thirdly As it arises from our union with Christ by the Spirit So I say It is that Supernatural I perfection whereby a man is able to act and move and work towards God as his utmost and last end And therefore saies the Apostle in the former verse I through the Law am dead unto the Law that I may live to God To God as my last and my utmost end And when a man is able to act and move and work towards God as his last and utmost end then he is said to live spiritually So that then ye have this description of our spiritual life I repeat it again It is that supernaturall perfection of soul whereby a man being united unto Christ by the Spirit is able to act and move and work towards God as his utmost end Quest 2 Secondly Whereby may it appear That every godly gracious man is thus a living man made partaker of this spiritual life so as to he able to act and move and work towards God as his utmost end Answ I will take but the Three ordinary lives that are in the world The vegetative life the life of Plants and Herbs The Sensitive life the life of Beasts And the Rational life the life of Man And I wil shew ye That the Essential properties of all these lives are in a Spiritual way in the godly and then the Argument will lie thus If the Essential properties of all these lives be in a spiritual way in every godly man then certainly every godly gracious man is a living man and in the state of life living another life from the life of the world First Take the life of plants and herbs or of flowers and what is the Essential property of
of faith and after once I understood this Doctrine of Free-remission and Justification by faith alone then I loved Repentance As for the Mortification of sin Ye know what the Apostle saies Let not sin raign in your mortal bodies Rom. 6.12 14. or have dominion over you why for ye are not under the Law but under grace So then 't is being under grace that does mortifie sin And as for the matter of Obedience Ye know what the Psalmist saies There is mercy with thee O Lord Psal 130 4 that thou maiest be feared That is that thou maiest be Served that thou maiest be Obeyed So that Obedience also comes from the sight of mercy and of Free-remission Now if Free-remission and the sence thereof be the Cause of our Holinesse then surely Justification by faith alone can be no Enemy but must needs be a real friend unto all our spiritual life Object But by way of Objection it will be said In the Third place This Doctrine of Free-remission and Justification by faith alone seems to carry somwhat with it that is opposite unto Grace and Holiness for the more a man is bound unto the Law and takes himself to be so the more obedient he will be to the Law but now a man never takes himself more to be bound unto the Law than when he seeks to be justified by the works of the Law and so he will be most obedient Answ For Answer Ye must know that the word Law in the new Testament is taken Two waies Either it is taken for the Covenant of Works thus If you keep the Ten Commandements perfectly you shall live for ever this is the Covenant of Works Somtimes the Law is taken for the Ten Commandements the Rule of mans life In the first sence a Christian is dead vnto the Law and is freed from it but in the second sence a Beleever a Justified person is more bound to the Law to observe it as a Rule of life than ever he was Onely you must know there is a Twofold Bond There is the bond of Love and there is the bond of Fear as there is the Law of Love and the Law of Fear Love and the bond of Love is stronger than Fear and the bond of Fear for Fear is servant to Love Fear is the hand maid to Love for ye never Fear the losing of any good thing but what ye first Love Fear is the servant to Love and therefore Love is stronger than Fear and the bond of Love stronger than the bond of Fear Now though a Justified person be not bound unto the Law with the bond of a servile-Fear yet he is bound unto the Law with the bond of Love and so he is more obedient as the bond of Love is stronger than the bond of Fear A man must needs be obedient unto Christ that takes himself to be none of his own but Christs Therfore saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorify Christ with your body because ye are bought with a price and because ye are Gods So long as a man seeks to be justified by works and by the Law so long he looks upon himself as his own but when a man sees that he is justified by faith alone then he looks upon himself as Christs that he is not his own and so he is more obedient unto Christ than ever be was before Object 2 Secondly If this be such a principle of Grace and Holiness How comes it to passe that men sin the more as they hear more of this Free-remission and Justification of a poor sinner by faith alone Oh! saies one God is merciful and gracious and therefore I will now live as I list and repent afterward If this Doctrine this truth and this Grace of God be the Principle of all our Holiness How comes it to passe that men sin more hereby Answ I pray How comes it to passe if that water do cleanse that it doth not cleanse the Blackmore and if fire do warm how comes it to passe that it doth not put heat into the Dead man and if the Sun do enlighten how comes it to passe it doth not enlighten those that are blind I may ask you the reason likewise But I wil tel you the reason the reason of this is Because men are contrary unto God and all that do make this use application of the Lords mercy and grace they are contrary unto God for God works good out of evil Now a wicked man being contrary unto God he works evil out of good God works the greatest good grace out of the greatest evil sin a wicked man he works the greatest evil sin out of the greatest good Gods love and grace Why because he is contrary to God But now take this Truth and this Grace of God as it is in it self and so it is a very real friend unto all our grace and holiness Quest 4 But in the Fourth place You will say then What is there in this Justification by faith alone or Free-remission that does advance our Holiness how comes it to passe what is there in this that hath such an influence upon our lives to make us the more holy the more heavenly Answ 1 First The more a man does forsake any good thing of his own for Christ the more Christ is engaged to give a man his good things There is no losing in losing for Jesus Christ what ye lose for Chirst ye shal gain by Christ And the greater and sweeter any blessing is that ye lose for Christ the greater blessing will Christ give unto ye in the room thereof Now what neerer thing is there to a man than his own Righteousness In Justification by faith alone a man laies down al his own Righteousness at the feet of Jesus Christ and therfore Christ is engaged to give him a better Righteousness the Righteousness of God Secondly God does never cause any man to passe under any Relation but he does write the Law of that Relation upon his heart For example If the Lord does cause a man to passe under the Relation of a Magistrate God wil write the Law of that Relation upon him and give him ability to it If God doe cause a man to passe under the Relation of a Minister God will write the Law of that Relation on him If God do cause a man to passe under the Relation of a Husband or a Father God will cause the Law of that Relation to be written upon his heart Now when a man is justified by faith alone then he becomes the Son of God To as many as receive him he gives power to be called the Sons of God even to as many as beleeve on his Name John 1.12 I say When a man is justified by faith alone he becomes the Son of God he passes under that Relation therefore then does the Lord write the Law of that Relation of a Son upon his heart and thereby he is made more Son-like by his
obedience Thirdly The more a man does agree with God and the Law the more fit he is to walk with God and observe the Law when a man is justified by faith then he is agreed with God Amos 3.3 Can two walk together unless they be agreed Now when a man is justified by faith he is Reconciled to God reconciled to the Justice of God reconciled to the Anger of God reconciled to the Law of God the Law is his friend Now before a man was justified the Anger of God was his enemy and the Justice of God his enemy and the Law his enemy but now being justified he is reconciled to God reconciled to his Anger that is satisfied by Christ reconciled to the Law that is satisfied by Christ thus he is made a friend to God he is agreed with God and with the Law and so he can walk with God and so he is the more obedient But Fourthly and especially thus As by Works and seeking Justification by Works a man is Estated in the Covenant of Works So by Faith and seeking Justification by Faith alone a man is Estated in the Covenant of Grace When a man is Estated in the Covenant of grace God is engaged to give grace unto him to make him Holy For that I pray do but reade what ye have in that 36. Chapter of Ezekiel at the 25. verse and so downwards Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I wil give you an heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them First I pray mark here That the Lord does promise Remission of sin although it be never so great I will sprinkle clean water upon you and wash ye from all your filthiness and from all your idols wil I cleanse you But saies a poor doubting soul Though the Lord do thus wash me I am so foule and so unclean that I am afraid I shall never be cleansed Yes saies the Lord I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean But though I be clean and cleansed from my guilt and my sin pardoned yet notwithstanding I have such a naughty filthy heart as I shall foul my self again See what follows A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Oh! but my heart is so hard like a stone that I shall resist this mercy of God Nay saies he And I will take away the stony heart cut of your flesh I will take away the Resistance the stony heart out of your flesh But though it be so as long as my nature is unchanged I shal never do that which is right Saies God I will change your nature for you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh I wil make such a change in you That whereas before Naturally ye were as hard as a stone now I wil make you as soft as flesh But though the Lord do thus change my Nature yet notwithstanding I shall never be able to order my conversation aright I shall never be obedient Mark what follows I will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes I will make you obedient saies God Oh! what streams of mercy are here But I pray mind the Fountain whence these flow They al flow from this fountain of Free-remission The first is I will sprinkle clean water upon you and cleanse you from all your idols I will forgive you freely I but though this be set first it may be this is not the Cause of the rest how shal it appear that this Free-remission is the Cause of all our holiness Then I pray look into the 8. chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrews where this Covenant of grace is repeated at the 10. verse For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel saith the Lord I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest Why for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more So that Remission is the Cause of Sanctification I will thus and thus sanctifie saies the Lord For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more this is the Cause of all that Now I say When a man is once estated in this Covenant of grace the Lord ye see is engaged then for to make him holy And as by works and seeking Justification by works a man is estated in the Covenant of works So by faith and seeking Justification by faith alone a man is estated in the Covenant of grace and so the Lord is engaged for to make him holy So that thus you see now This Free-grace of God Justification of a poor sinner by faith alone it is no enemy but a real friend unto all our Holiness and Spiritual life No wonder therefore that the Apostle saies And now I live Applyca By way of Application If all these things be so Then here we see the reason why men are no more Gracious no more Heavenly no more Holy no more Spiritual in their lives because they think not of this they study not this they never had the true sence of this Even because they do not stand cleer from their own Duties and their own Doings as to the great matter of Justification and acceptance with God Is the Free-remission of sin and Justification by faith alone the Fountain and Original of all our Holiness Then why stand ye gazing upon your own Duties upon your own Prayers and Mournings Would ye live I know you would Skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life But would you live Spiritually would you live an Eternal life that life that never dies that Communicative life that life that is better than you should have had in the State of innocencie Then do you stand clear from all your own Doings and Duties and Workings as to this great matter of your Acceptance with God the Father Do ye think that Jesus Christ will present a Duty or a service unto God the Father that steps into his room and place and Office What is the Place and room of Christ He is our Saviour and the Mediator between God and man that stands between God and man for to cause Acceptance with God the Father if then you Pray Hear Reade Mourn and think
by al these to fetch in your Acceptance with God the Father Do you not bring your Duty into the room of Christ and into the place of Christ and do ye think that the Lord Jesus Christ will ever present such a Duty unto God the Father as steps into his room and place What a sad thing is it for a man to draw his own Works or his own Doings into his Acceptance or Justification for a man to turn aside to the Covenant of Works Object You will say But when may a man be said for to draw his own Works or Duties into his Acceptance with God the Father Or when may a man be said To turn aside to the Covenant of Works Answ Even godly men do it too much Abraham though the father of the faithful went into Hagar the type of the Law And so now the children of Abraham Beleevers do too much go into Hagar still and to the Law still When a man cannot dares not relye upon Jesus Christ till he first sees his own Duty and his own Prayer and Inlargment in Duty then he does this too much When a man does measure all his Acceptance with God the Father by his own Performance if I be Enlarged then I am Accepted if I am straightened now I am not Accepted then he does this too much When a man will not come to Christ till his heart be first quickened and warmed by some particular word then he does this too much But Oh! you you that are godly labour I beseech ye in Christ to stand clear from your own Duties and Doings The more distinct knowledge ye have in this Truth and the more ye walk in the sence of it the more Spiritual and Holy ye will be Object 1 But will some say that I may take off some scruples and answer some Cases of Conscience If these things be so then do I fear that my Obedience was never right for truly I have even turned aside to a Covenant of Works the Lord knows I have I remember the time when I had Legal-breakings and all my Obedience hath flowed from thence Is Free-remission and Justification by faith alone the fountain and spring-head of all our Obedience and Holiness then seeing that Legal-breakings have been the spring-head of all my Obedience then do I fear my Obedience was never right Oh! I fear that I have been wrong all this while that I have been but an Hypocrite all this while and have deceived my self and been under the Law all this while Answ Stay a little You read in Scripture concerning Jacob and Esau 't is said That the Elder shall serve the Younger Gen. 25.23 That is saies Luther in a spiritual way the Elder the Law shall serve the Younger the Gospel and the Elder Sin shall serve the Younger Grace Now have your former Legal-breakings made you more for to prize Grace and to prize Christ and to prize Free-remission and Justification by faith alone Here then the Elder does serve the Younger And what though Legal-breakings were first and were the Elder in your heart yet so long as the Elder does serve the Younger thou hast no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 2 I fear that my Obedience and my Holiness is not right because it is so little and so scant Free-remission the fountain of all our Holiness that is a full Fountain and if my Holiness were a stream from that Fountain it would be more full and more abundant The Jews they knew little of this Truth Justification by faith alone and yet they were Holy David holy and Moses holy and Josiah holy is this the fountain of all our Grace and of all our Holiness Free-remission and Justification by faith alone Then the more discovery there is of this the more Holy we should be but alas I find my Holiness and my Obedience so scant and little that I am afraid it can never come from so full a fountain as this is Answ Beloved There is nothing little between God and a gracious soul There is nothing smal that comes from God to you because it comes from an infinite God There is nothing smal that goes from a gracious soul unto God again because it comes from an infinite desire of pleasing God It is one thing to be more in the Shell and another thing to be more in the Kernel Luther professes that when he was a Monke as it seems by his writings he was fifteen years in a Cloyster Saies he When I was a Monke I was a great deal more Holy then according to the outward appearance than I am now then I Prayed and then I Fasted and then I Macerated my body and then I went meanly but now I Eat and I Drink and I Cloath my self as others do and yet now one little Prayer is more accepted with God than all my fifteen years Prayers before why because saies he then I prayed in a way of Works and sought Justification in a way of Works but now I have had a taste of this Justification by faith alone and a little from thence is more pleasing unto the Lord then all the fifteen years before But who ever you are that make this Objection Give me leave to propound these Two Questions to you First Whereas you say It is little and therefore you fear it cannot come from so full a fountain Doest thou stint or limit thy self in thy Obedience or in thy Holiness A man that seeks to be justified and saved by his working he does stint and limit himself I have enough saies he for to bring me to heaven and what need I more a great many are very precise and strict but I praise the Lord I have enough for to bring me to heaven and what need I more So he stints and limits himself And I have been Weeping and Mourning enough for to get forgivenesse and the Lord now hath forgiven me and what need I more Thus he stints and limits himself because he is under the Law and under a Covenant of Works Again Though your Obedience as you think is very little and very small Do you oppose those that have much do you oppose those that have the power of godliness and those that have more than your self A man that seeks Justification by Works he does oppose those men that have more Holiness than himself See I pray how it was with the Jews in that 9. of the Romans and the 31. vers But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone They stumbled at Christ they stumbled at Christianity they stumbled at the corner stone And so now Moral and Civil men that seek acceptance though they do not understand themselves in a way of working they oppose those that are more godly that have the power of
the Transactions of things between God the Father and Jesus Christ And then you will find That Jesus Christ had satisfied God the Father before ever you came into the world and therefore your souls when you think of this will say How therefore can my Work or my Duty any way bring in Satisfaction or Acceptance with God the Father Study I say the Transactions between God the Father and Jesus Christ Thirdly Acquaint your soul much with the difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of Works a mans Work is first accepted and then his Person But in the Covenant of Grace a mans Person is first accepted and then his Work And when you understand this then you will say I if this be true That a mans Person is first accepted and then his Work How can my Work any way fetch me in acceptance with God the Father O my soul for ever stand clear in this great matter of my Acceptance in my Duties Fourthly when ever your Duties your Works and your Graces are Highest then and then especially use thy soul to be beyond them and say thus Though now I blesse the Lord my heart is thus and thus Inlarged yet I do not count upon my Acceptance by reason of this Inlargment Though I blesse the Lord I have now Prayer that before had none yet I do not count my Acceptance with God the Father by this Prayer When I say thy Duty is Highest use thy soul to be beyond it Fifthly When your Duty Grace and Holiness is lowest then know that now ye have an opportunity to stand clear from your own Duties and Workings as to the matter of your Acceptance and Justification by faith alone If I have a friend in my house that lives in my house with me whom I would not have privy unto a Work or a business I 'le take the opportunity to do the Work when that friend is out of doors now say I he is abroad if he were at home he would be prying over my shoulder and he would have a singer in the business and he would see it but now he is abroad now I will take the time to do it My brethren your Duties Prayer and Humiliation they are all friends to your Justification but when Prayer is out and Duty is out and abroad and out of sight and not at home Now take your time to be clear in the matter of nesting upon Christ ad one and say Now my Prayer is gone and Duties gone and all out of sight Oh! Lord now I have an opportunity to rest upon Christ alone had my Prayer been at home and Duties at home they would have been peering and prying into this Work but now they are all out of sight now I will rest upon Christ and his righteousness alone This is certain that this Justification by faith alone and Free-remission of a poor sinner 't is the great fountain and principle of all our Grace and Holiness and therefore if you would be more Gracious and more Holy I beseech ye in the Name of Christ study it much and walk in the sence of it And what 's the reason that many Professors are no more Holy and Humble but waspish and peevish and harsh and of a rugged disposition but because they have not studied the Gospel more and Free-remission and Justification by faith alone and they have not the sence of this upon then hearts poor souls you want the Experience of this you think some of you there is no such way to be Holy and Gracious as to have Legal-breakings to have the Law prest upon you but I do here tell you in the Name of the Lord and I lie not That Justification by faith alone and Free-remission is the principle of all our Obedience and all our Holiness And when Paul came to this and the sence of this Now I live saies he And so wilt thou say poor foul when thou comest to the sence of this Truth I was dead before but now I live indeed I was down and my heart dead when I hung upon my owne Duties but now I live Now there fore as you desire to live and liue spiritually the Lord give you hearts to live in the sence and experience of this great Truth Justification and Free-remission by faith alone SERMON III. Preached at Stepney July 16. 1648. GALATIANS 2. part of the 20. vers Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me THE Apostle Paul having spoken of our living to God in the former verse of our spiritual life in those words Yet now I live He proceeds unto the Properties of this spiritual life and those are Three First It is a Self-denying life Yet not I. I live yet not I. Secondly It is a Christ-advancing life But Christ liveth in me Thirdly It is The life of Faith And the life which I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God I begin with the First at this time in those words Yet not I. The words hold forth a Self-Depression or Self-Annihilation The words are spoken in the Person of a Beleever So that in all these I's I through the Law and I am crucified and I live Paul doth personate a Beleever one that seeks Justification by faith alone according to the tenure of the Gospel And so the Observation is this Doct. Every true Beleever that seeks Justification by faith alone is an Humble Self-Denying person denying himself in Spiritual things The way of the Gospel is a Self-denying way Though a Beleever that seeks Justification by faith alone and not by the Works of the Law does live a spiritual life and so does act move and work towards God yet he cannot endure to write an I upon his own Performance Yet not I. He will Obey God but he will not have an I to be written upon his Obedience He will Pray to God but he will not have an I to be written upon his Performance Yet not I. I live yet not I. Where ever the Gospel comes in Power it does work this Self-denying frame of soul and spirit And thus it was with Paul in regard of his own Person as ye reade in the 1 Cor. 15. chapter speaking with relation unto the other Apostles at the 10. verse I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I. I have been a Preacher of the Gospel and have been a means to convert many souls unto Jesus Christ Yet not I but the grace of God with me I have comforted many Afflicted souls yet not I. I have been a means to plant many Churches Yet not I but the grace of God with me He will not have his work defil'd with Self or this I to be written upon what he doth And so it is with every Beleever more or lesse this is the way and this
of the world To write an I upon what they do Ye know what that proud King said Have not I built this great Babel Dan. 4.30 Luke 18.11 21. for the honor of my Majestie have not I built it And ye know what the Legal-Pharisie said Lord I thank thee that I am not as other men no Extortioner and the like I fast I pray I give almes He writes an I upon what he does Now the spirit of a Beleever is contrary and though a Beleever say I pray yet he will bite that I in again and he will say yet not I but the grace of God within me He is of a disposition contrary unto that of the world and therefore cannot write an I upon what he does Thirdly Every Godly Gracious man that liveth under the Gospel is very tender of trenching upon or doing any thing contrary to Gods Prerogative unto Christs Prerogative This is the Prerogative of God of Christ to write an I upon what he does Isa 59.19 Isa 43.25 Luke 13.32 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace saies God I even I am he So in many places Go saies our Saviour Christ tell that fox Herod that I work to day and to morrow This is the great Prerogative of God and of Christ for to write an I upon what they do Now Beleevers they are very tender of doing any thing that may intrench upon Gods Prerogative and therefore they cannot write an I upon what they do but deny themselves in Spiritual things Fourthly The more truly any man does Repent the more sensible he is of his own Unworthiness and so the more Self-denying in Spiritual things Ye know how it is with the Prodigal in the Parable when he comes home saies he upon his return Luke 15 18 19. I will go unto my father and I will say I am not worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants In my fathers house there is bread and I 'le go home and be contented to be one of my fathers hired-servants Before he went out no Room in his fathers house was good enough for him but now upon his return any room in his fathers house is good enough Before he went out No Diet no meat and drink in his fathers house would serve his turn but away he goes but now in his return In my fathers house there is bread enough saith he And let me be as one of thy hired seruants Thus sensible of his own unworthyness and with self deniall Why because now Repentance had taken hold on his heart Well the more therefore a man does Repent the more sensible he is of his own unworthyness and the more he will deny himself in Spiritual things But I pray what is it that does cause true Repentance Is it the Gospel or is it the Law Nay not the Law but the Gospel Ye know what John said ye know what our Savior said and ye know what the Apostle said for they all preach the same things the same words Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand They do not say Repent for the kingdom of Hell is at hand repent or ye shall be damn'd but repent for the kingdom of Grace Mercy and of Free-remission is at hand So that it is the Gospel that does work Repentance and therefore it is the Gospel and the Gospel only that does make a man sensible of his own unworthiness and to deny himself in spiritual things Object But it will be Objected now in the Third place How say ye That the Gospel only works this for have we not heard and have we not read That many Moral-men Heathen-men and divers Papists that have written much and spoken much for Humility and Self-Denial yea and have gone very far in the practice of it How therefore say ye That this is only the work of the Gospel that this only is wrought where the Gospel comes inpower in the heart of a Beleever that seeks Justification by faith alone Answ For Answer I grant ye that the very Heathen Papists and Moral men have spoken much and written much concerning Humility and Self-Denial and have seemed to go far in the practice of it I have read of some Papists that have been so abstenious that they have gone up and down from one Tavern to another and from one Feast to another and when men have been Eating and Drinking liberally they have sate down absteining from all Meats and Drinks presenting themselves as patterns of Self-Denial in the point of appetite And indeed we reade of Three Degrees that the more moderate Papists do make of Self-Denial and Humility The first Degree saies Granatensis and divers others is for a man to acknowledge That all comes from God and nothing from himself The Second Degree of Humility is to acknowledge That whatsoever a man hath from God he hath it not from Merit but from Grace and meer Mercy The Third Degree of Humility or Self-Denial is for a man To be Eagle-eyed and quick sighted in beholding another mans excellency but Mole-eyed and not seeing his own Excellency Even thus far the Papists So that I grant men may seem to go very far herein But I speak of Self-Denial in Spiritual things and do we reade of Moral Heathen men and the like that do deny themselves it may be in Words but I say in Practice that do Deny or have Denyed themselves in Spiritual things Take a Moral Civil man and though he may seem to be very Humble and Deny himself yet he is proud of his Humility Saies one Philosopher when he came unto Plato's house and saw his house lie very neat I trample upon Plato's pride saies he But Plato answered again Not without your own pride But now take a Beleever and he doth not only Deny himself but is sensible of his own pride when he is most Humble in that very thing wherein he is Humble Again Take a Moral Civil man and though he may seem to be very Humble and to Deny himself yet it is but in this or that particular thing But now a Beleever Denies himself in all Phil. 3.8 I count ALL things but dung and dross saies the Apostle for Christ Again Take a Moral Civil man and though he seem to be very Humble and to Deny himself yet notwithstanding it is but the Artifice of his Reason and his Resolution If I go on in such and such a way saies he I shall be undone and therefore I must deny my self of this Company and of this Pleasure and so by the strength of his Reason and Resolution he does Deny himself But now a Beleever a Christian he denies himself in Spiritual things by the beholding of Jesus Christ Again Take a Moral Civil man though he may seem to be Humble and Denie himself yet there is no Mysterie no Spiritual Mysterie in his Self-Denial In Gospel-Self-denial there is the Gospel does work Mysteriously like it self it is
the great Mysterie Take a Christian a Beleever I pray do but observe a little What a great Mysterie there is in all his Humilitie and Self-denial wrought by the Gospel As thus He ever cries out What shall I do to be saved what shall I do to be saved And yet he professes That he does not expect to be saved by Doing Here 's a Mysterie Again He counts himself lesse than the least of all Gods mercies And yet he thinks God hath done more for him than if he had given him all the world Here 's a Mysterie Again He prizes every Duties and every Gift and every Grace although it be never so small prizes it above all the world And yet he counts al but dung and dross in regard of Christ Here 's a Mysterie Again He looks upon himself as the greatest sinner and thinks of every one better than himself And yet when he looks upon a Drunkard or a Swearer or the like professes that he would not change his condition with him for al the world He looks upon himself as the greatest sinner and thinks of every one better than himself and yet he saies concerning such and such he would not change his condition with them for al the world What a Mysterie is this Again He mourns under Reproaches and the Despisings of men And yet he triumphs over them and is above them Here 's a Mysterie Again He counts himself nothing and all that ever he does nothing And yet he praises the Lord for every little and thinks that God hath done more for him in giving him Christ than if he had given him all the world Here 's a Mysterie Now as for the seeming Humility and Self-denial that is in Heathen or Moral Civil men there is none of this Mystery but there is a Spiritual Mysterie that runs along in the veins of all this Gospel-Humility and Self-denial But I speak of Self-Denial in Spiritual things and what Moral Civil man does deny himself in Spiritual things Dies Lusitanus I remember one makes mention of a certain godly man that was sorely tempted by Satan in his time the man was much in Duty and Satan comes unto him and saies Why doest thou take thus much pains thou doest Fast and Watch but O man what is there that thou doest more than I do Art thou no Drunkard or no Adulterer Saies Satan I never was Drunk nor I never committed Adultery What doest thou Watch Saies Satan I never slept Doest thou Fast Saies Satan I never ate any Meat or drank any Beer or Wine What therefore O man saies Satan doest thou do more than I do Yes saies he Satan I will tell thee what I do I Pray and I Serve the Lord and walk Humbly and Deny my self True indeed then saies Satan I confesse herein thou doest go beyond me for I am Proud and I have Exalted my self and therefore that thou doest Deny thy self and walk Humbly with thy God herein indeed thou goest beyond me And know a Christian does not only go beyond Satan but he goes beyond Moral Civil Legal men and where ever the Gospel comes in power it works this disposition and frame of heart there it is wrought indeed Quest 4 You will say What is there in the Gospel or the way of the Gospel which lies in Justification by faith alone that can work a mans heart unto this frame and disposition Answ I shall name Three or Four things of many First The more a man does see the Glory of God the more Humble he will be and Deny himself even in Spiritual things Ye may reade how it was with Job in the 9. chapter of Job ye do not reade in all that book that Job does any where in one chapter so much Deny himself as concerning his own Righteousness which he stood much upon to his friends as in this 9th chapter verse the 15. Whom speaking of God though I were righteous yet I would not answer but I would make supplication to my judge Verse the 16. If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not beleeve that he had hearkened unto my voice Then at the 20. verse If I Justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Verse the 21. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soul I would dispise my life Then at the 30. verse If I wash my self with snow water and make my hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me But whence did all this Self-Denial in Spiritual things proceed now If you look into the former part of the chapter ye shall see that Job had a great prospect of the glory of God I know it is so of a truth but how should man be just with God verse the 2. If he will contend with him he cannot answer him God is wise in heart and mighty in strength verse the 4. Then verse the 5. Which removeth the mountains and they know not which overturneth them in his anger Which shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble Which commandeth the Sun and it riseth not and sealeth up the Stars Which alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea Which maketh Arcturus Orion and Plejades and the chambers of the South Which doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number And now having this prospect of the Greatness and Glory of the Lord he Denies his own Righteousness Denies himself in Spiritual things And ye know how it was with the Prophet Isaiah in the 6. chapter and the 5. verse Then said I Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwel in the midst of a people of unclean lips Wo is me I am undone a man of unclean lips But stay O thou blessed Prophet thou art a great and hast been a great Preacher a Gospel Preacher yea thou art a Prophet Well saies he yet Wo is me for I am undone I am a man of unclean lips Why what 's the matter At the latter end of the verse for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts And if ye look into the former verses of that chapter ye shall find That it was a sight of Christ in his glory as will more fully appear by comparing of that and the 4. chapter of the Revelation together at your leisure But where can a man see the Glory of God but in the Gospel The Gospel is called The Glorious Gospel there the Glory of God is to be seen With open face there as in a glass we behold the Glory of the Lord. Secondly The more I see Christ as an Eminent Transcendent Example of Humility and Self-Denial the more I learn to Deny my self even in Spiritual things Now the Gospel holds forth Christ as the most Eminent Example of Humility and
Faith laies aside all its own Righteousness Page 202 As temptations encrease so also shall faith encrease Page 206 Faith riseth above nature Page 209 Faith commends Christ above all other graces Page 210 The strength of faith doth not lie in the assurance of our salvation Page 212 See Justification Fall see Perfection Froward Froward spirits do little good in a common wealth Page L. 30 G Grace Growth in grace how it is known Page 17 Gracious The reason why men are no more gracious Page 39 The Saints should live gracious lives Page 114 See Quality God Gods willingnesse to hide his people in time of his anger Page L. 11 See Faith promise anger Godly Every godly man is a living man Page 3 Godly men reflect upon their own actions Page 8 Difference between wicked and godly men Page 112 Godly see Preachers Gospel How the Gospel causeth Self-denial Page 58 Gospel see Learned Growth see Grace H Heaven see Kingdom Hide Whom the Lord will hide in times of danger Page L. 14 Holy The reason why men are no more holy Page 39 Holiness see Original Justification House God hath 3. houses 1. A house of instruction Page L. 7 2. A house of Correction Page L. 7 3. A house of destruction Page L. 7 Humble see Beleever Humility Christ is an example of humility Page 60 Hypocrite What a Beleever hath more than an Hypocrite Page 85 Hypocrisie It is an evil thing to call Duties by the name of Hypocrisie Page 113 I In-Being What the In-being of Christ in a beleever is Page 76 The In-being of Christ in a beleever is hard to be understood Page 77 Limitations concerning the In-being of Christ in a beleever Page 78 In-being see Benefit Christ Incertainty Gods people must trust in him in incertainties Page L. 18 Injustice see Oppression Infinite The infinite love of Christ manifested Page 114 Justification The cause of our Justification Page 26 Justification by faith is a friend to Holiness Page 28 Justification by the works of the Law is an enemy to Holiness Page 29 How Justification by faith advanceth our holiness Page 36 Our Justification may be hidden from our sence Page 43 Visible Characters of Justification laid down Page 44 How a man may stand cleer to himself in Justification by faith alone Page 46 K Kingdom How the Kingdom of Heaven is taken in Scripture Page C. 1 L Law see Faith Justification Law how taken in Scripture Page 34 The preaching of the Law cannot make a man deny himself Page 52 Learned Learned men are most opposite to the Gospel Page 199 Living see Duty Life Life is the greatest good Page 4 How vegetative life is in Sants Page 5 How sensitive life is in Saints Page 6 How rational life is in Saints Page 7 Life see Spiritual Wicked Motion Little There is nothing little between God and man Page 41 Love The infinite love of Christ to man Page 87 Love see Infinite M Man see Godly Meditations Practical Meditations for beleevers Page 112 Meek Meek men do much good in the earth and why Page L. 30 Mercy Difference between Gods Mercy and his anger Page L. 5 Mercy see Temptation Mystery Mysteries that are in self-denial Page 57 Monument Monuments of praise erected and why Page C. 13 Morral Difference in self-denial between morral men and Christians Page 55 Mortification Whence mortification comes Page 33 Motion All motion comes from life Page 9 N Nation see Wrath Nature see Faith Natural see Perfection Notion Vnder what Notion the Lord looks vpon the sins of the Saints Page 13 O Obedience Obedience whence it comes Page 24 Objections against the smalness of obedience answered Page 42 Observations Waking observations for sleeping people Page C. 20 Oppression Oppression and injustice reign still in this kingdom Page L. 22 Ordinances How Ordinances are needful Page 100 Original What the Original of all our holiness is Page 28 P Papists How Papists deny themselves Page 55 People Why godly people are exposed to danger Page L. 12 Gods people are often left at great incertainties Page L. 16 Why Gods people are so often left at incertainties Page L. 18 Perfection There is some natural perfection still left in man from the fall Page 9 Pleasant The pleasant lives of the Saints Page 12 Prayers The Saints may have no present answer of their prayrs Page 204 The Saints duties when they have no present answer to their prayers Page 205 Prayer see Temptation Preachers Godly Preachers ought to be sent out and why Page L. 9 Preservation see Angel Present see Prayer Profession see Saints Promise Gods dealing sometimes seems to run cross to his promise Page 206 True faith finds out a promise in the refusal Page 208 Q Quallity The quallity of a gracious man Page 54 R Rational see Life Religion Men lose Religion by seeking after Religion Page L. 29 Repentance Repentance whenee it comes Page 33 Righteousness How Righteousness must be sought Page L. 24 Righteousness see Faith S Saints It is a desperate thing to oppose the Saints and why Page 112 Wherein Saints and carnal professors agree Page C. 2 Wherein Saints and carnal professors disagree Page C. 3 A shelter for Saints in the midst of a storm Page L. 13 Saints see Conversion Comfort Life Pleasure Self How self creeps into all actions Page 63 How self acts in man Page 10 Self-denial Self-denial what it is Page 50 Every beleever is a self-denying person Page 49 Tryal of self-denial Page 64 Self-denial is a hard duty Page 70 How self-denial may be attained Page 71 Self-denial see Beleever Law Moral Mystery Gospel Security A caution against Security Page C. 11 Sence see Justification Sensitive see Life Sleep see Desperate Sleepers Two sorts of sleepers their difference and events Page C. 21 Spirit The Spirit of Christ is in every beleever Page 98 The Spirit is the free gift of God Page 104 Spiritual What spiritual life is Page 3 Duties flowing from spiritual life Page 20 How to get spiritual life Page 23 Strength see faith Sudden see Christ T Temptations Temptations may rise higher after prayer Page 206 Temptations sometime come about Election Page 206 When Temptations come about Election the best way is to lay aside dispute and fly to prayer Page 206 Temptation see Faith Thankfulness An exhortation to thankfulness Page C. 16 Truth No truth to be dispised Page L. 27 U Vegitative see life Union Union of Christ with beleevers Page 75 Uncertainties What to do in uncertainties Page L. 24 W Wicked Wicked men are not in the state of life proved Page 8 Wicked see Godly Witness Three that bear witness in Heaven opened Page 85 Wonderful see Dispensation World The danger of the world Page 19 Wrath Gods wrath is not yet pacified towards this Nation Page L. 20 FINIS