inviolable adherence of the soul to Christ So Act. 11. 23. Barnabas exhorts them with ful purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. Faith is a mighty adhesive and tenacious Grace it adheres to Christ as the Needle to the Loadstone yea it follows hard after Christ though he may seem to run from the soul yea to turne against it as an enemie Thus Psal 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee Christ had deserted him but he could not desert or leave Christ his soul cleaves fast to Christ albeit Christ seems to shake off his soul for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and so it is rendred by some My soul adheres to thee Such is the temper of Faith But now Unbelief is alwaiâ—s drawing back from Christ Though it may under a storme shelter it self under Christs wing and give him some forced reception yet it soon has enough of Christ and therefore cares not how soon it be rid of him when its turne is served This backsliding temper of Unbelief is wel expressed Hebr. 3. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God An unbelieving heart is a backsliding heart Unbelief is one of the greatest cowards in the world every shadow of danger makes it draw back from Christ Whereas true faith is ful of Masculine undaunted courage it can follow Christ through a sea of bloud yea it dares not let go its confidence in Christ though he seem to shake the soul over the flames of Hel or drag it through the lake of fire The weakest believer at his greatest straits keeps his Reversion of Christ Though Christs Divine Suavities and spiritual consolations forsake him yet he doth not totally forsake Christ nor yet his dutie He may fal into sin and fal backward unto backsliding yet he dares not lie in his fals His soul is rooted in Christ and the Covenant and therefore never dies The spirit of Christ abides in him and that causeth him to abide in Christ radically and habitually even under the most severe Winter of Tentation So it followes ver 14. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred here Confidence signifies in its primary notion a firme basis or foundation a subsistence and substance Faith gives a firme foundation subsistence and stabilitie to the soul so that it keeps stedfast in adhering unto Christ even in the most unstedfast times But now Unbelief has no foundation and therefore no subsistence It is stable in nothing but Instabilitie Oh! how fluctuating staggering unstedfast is the unbelieving heart even in the most stedfast times How apt is it to draw back from Christ on the least apparence of difficultie Unbelievers do as the Philistines 2 Sam. 5. 21. forsake their God when their God forsakes them And this drawing back is so essential and natural to Unbelief as that they are reciprocally used one for the other So Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shal live by faith but if any man draw back i. e believes not in or adheres not to me Thus again ver 39. But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul Where drawing back is opposed to believing and so expressive of Unbelief its most natural genius and disposition which is to draw back from Christ Now this drawing back of Unbelief has a double Object 1. God in Christ the supreme end and object of faith and 2. Divine Institutions and Appointments which are the Means in and by which Faith adheres to God in Christ This later seems chiefly though not exclusively intended in this place as it appears by the whole scope of the precedent discourse wherein the Author gives the Hebrews a strict Admonition To beware how they did forsake the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some was to avoid persecution v. 25 c. So that to draw back from the Institutions and Ordinances of Christ is here as it may justly be interpreted a drawing back from Christ And this is grounded on a great Maxime in Nature which teacheth us That he who forsakes the means forsakes the end For he that firmely wils and adheres to an end doth also firmely wil and adhere to the means which have an intimate and essential connexion therewith Yea the more difficult the means we undertake for Christ are the firmer is our adherence to him as our End Whence it is evident that so far as any soul forsakes the Institutions and Ordinances of Christ so far he forsakes Christ Withdrawment from the means of Grace appointed by Christ is a withdrawment from himself and herein much of the spirit of Unbelief discovers itself and its maligne influences This was the great iniquitie of the unbelieving Israelites as we find them characterised Hos 11. 7. And my people are bent to back-sliding from me Their backsliding lay chiefly in forsaking the Institutions and Appointments of God and giving up themselves to Idolatrie and superstitious Worship This also was their sin in the Wildernesse as it appears Psal 78. 37. For their heart was not right with me neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Albeit they had engaged themselves to Christ by a solemne League and Covenant yet what a crooked perverse lying heart was there in them How unstedfast were they in his Covenant how did they play off and on fast and loose to and fro up and down with Christ Such is the nature of Unbelief whereas our blessed Lord instructs us Luke 9. 62. That no man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of God i. e He that doth not persevere in adhering to Christ never truely believed on him A temporary faith is no better than real Unbelief That faith was never real which is not lasting 4. Another branch of Unbelief consists in Diffidence and Distrust as it is opposed to the Recumbence of faith Faith is the most passive Grace it can do or suffer nothing without Christ and therefore its force and strength consists in Recumbence on Christ Faith never knows better days than when it goes most out of it self and rests on Christ Hence we find the Nature of Faith oft described by its Recumbence So Psal 37. 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shal bring it to passe Commit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e Devolve or Rol thy way i. e thine Affairs thy cares from thy self or thine own heart upon thy Lord. So Psal 22. 8. He trusted on the Lord or according to the Hebr. He rolled himself or his burdens on the Lord. It seems to be a Metaphor borrowed from Porters who exonerate or unlode their Burden on some place fit to receive it Faith rols off al the sinners burdens whether of
99. 1. Vnbelief as to the Scriptures in general 100. 2. Vnbelief as to the Gospel 104. 1. As to maters of Grace 105. 1. The Realitie of Evangelic offers 106. 2. The freedome of the Covenant 107. 3. The Vniversalitie of its offers 108. 4. The Riches of Grace in the Covenant 109. 5. The Immutabilitie of the Covenant 111. 2. Vnbelief as to maters of Providence 112-115 3. Vnbelief as to future Glorie ibid. The formal object of Vnbelief 117. Chap. 4. Vnbelief as opposed to the Assent of Faith 119. 1. Rejection of Divine Truths 120. 2. Non-Attention to sacred Notions ibid. 3. Implicite Assent is Vnbelief 121. 4. When Assent is not supernatural 123. 5. When Assent is only superficial 125. 6. When Assent is not real 126. 7. When Assent is not Spiritual 128. 8. A general confused Assent 129. 9. A suspense douting Assent 130-133 10. An inevident obscure Assent 133. 11. A legal Assent 134. 12. A forced Assent 135. 13. A fluctuating Assent 138. 14. An undervaluing Assent 140. 15. A barren Assent 141. Chap. 5. The real Objects of Infidelitie 142. Infidelitie strikes at 1. God himself 143. 2. His Divine Attributes Soveraintie c. 144. 3. Divine Providences 4. Ordinances ib. Vnbelief rejects Christ 145. Vnbelief rejects Heaven 146. The Acts of Vnbelief 1. Rejection of Chirst 147. 1. By open opposition of him 148. 2. By Dislikes of him 149. 3. By heart-Cavils against him 150. 4. By not approving the reports of Christ 151. 5. By Delays as to a closure with him 153. Chap. 6. The Wils defective reception of Christ 156. 1. As to the Object 1. in receiving a false Christ 158. 1. A compound Christ Ibid. 2. A Divided Christ 160. 2. The true Christ under false respects 163. 1. In regard of Motives Ibid. 2. In regard of Christs Grandeur 164. 3. When Christ is not received as offered 165. 2. The Defects of the subject 1. When the Wil is rotten 166. 2. When the Wil is languid and faint 167. 3. When the Wil is only terrified 169. Ch. 7. 3. Vnbelief as opposed to Adherence 174. 4. Diffidence and Distrust Pag. 178. 5. Dissatisfaction of heart 182. 6. The Disobedience of Vnbelief 185. 7. Non-application of Christs Grace 189. 8. Putting far off Christs coming 190. Chap. 8. Doctrinal Corollaries Cor. 1. Almost-Believers may procede very far and yet remain Infidels 195. 1. How far as to Assent 196. 2. How far as to Consent 197. Cor. 2. There is a boundlesse difference betwixt Saving Faith and Commun As to 199. 1. Knowlege 200. 2. Self-denial 201. 3. A legal and evangelic spirit 202. 4. The Bent of the wil towards Christ 204. 5. Purifying the heart from Sin 206. 6. Transformation of the heart into the Image of Christ 207. 7. The use of means 208. 8. The Foundation 209. 9. The End and Rule Ibid. 10. Gods Faithfulnesse ibid. Cor. 3. No middle 'twixt Faith Vnbelief ib. Cor. 4. Saving Faith most rare but Commun faith most cheap 211. Cor. 5. Believers have much Unbeief 214. Cor. 6. Unbelief is the greatest Sin 217. Cor. 7. This justifies God in his greatest severitie against Unbelievers 221. Chap. 9. Practic Vses Vse 1. Studie the Mysterie of Infidelitie 224. Studie the Causes of Infidelitie 227. 1. Spiritual darknesse 2. Carnal reason 228. 3. Carnal Securitie 4. Self-love ibid. 5. Spiritual Pride 6. Short-spiritednesse 229. 7. Beloved lusts Ibid. Use 2. Of Lamentation and Humiliation for the prevalence of Infidelitie 230. Motives to humble our selves for Vnbelief 232. Use 3. Of Examination whether our Faith be saving or only commun also how far we fal under Infidelitie 233. Heart-examens by way of Soliloquie 236. Use 4. Of Exhortation to deal with Infidelite as our worst enemie 238. Use 5. Pursue after Faith as the most excellent and useful Grace 245. The excellent effects of Faith 246. The opposite Qualities of Faith and Vnbelief 249 Scriptures Explicated Chap. Ver. Page Genesis 4. 7. 19. Deuteronomie 10. 20. 174. 32. 34 45. 38. 2 Samuel 23. 5. 111. 2 Chronicles 28. 22. 37. Job 1. 20. 185. Psalmes 37. 1 7. 187. 37. 5. 179. 63. 8. 175. 78. 34. 171. 78. 37. 178. 119. 11. 139. 119. 16. 138. Esaias 2. 10. 32. 30. 13. 22. 〈◊〉 25. 30. Chap. Ver. Page Jeremie 3. 10. 169. 7. 4. 25. 8. 14 15. 32. 31. 32. 61. Lamentations 1. 9. 30. 1. 15. 41. 2. 1. 42. 2. 14. 26. 4. 16. 42. Hosea 4. 16. 161. 11. 7. 178. Matthew 6. 30 31 32. 113. 11. 6. 149. 19. 20 21 22. 159. Luke 7. 29 30. 152. 11. 41. 182. 12. 22-29 114. 12. 29. 132 14. 26 33. 185. Luke 19. 6. 171. 19. 41. 3 c. 19. 42. 76 c. 19. 44. 44. 20. 5. 151. 24. 45. 124. John 1. 11. 61 161. 3. 36. 286. 5. 38. 139. 5. 39. 129. 7. 28. 141. 10. 24. 132. 12. 12 13. 10. Acts. 2. 41. 135. 17. 11. 137. Romans 2. 17-20 126. 4. 19 20 21. 131. 5. 20. 110. 10. 15 16. 106. 1 Corinthians 2. 14. 128. Galatians 4. 9 21. 184. Ephesians 1. 13 14. 191. Philippians 3. 3. 183. 1 Thessalonians 2. 13. 117. Hebrews 3. 12 14. 175 176. 4. 2. 135. 11. 1. 116. 12. 38 39. 177. James 2. 26. 142. 2 Peter 1. 9. 130. ERRATA PAge 11. l. 5. read pretensions P. 12. running title r. without P. 23. l. 2. for ying r. lying P. 37. l. 28. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 62. l. ◠after his own put a Colon. P. 78. l. 7. r. particle P. 85. l. 21. for thenc r. thence P. 111. l. 21. r. whereon P. 144. l. 18. after under adde the. P. 178. l. 18. for me r. him P. 179. l. 11. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 191. l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 192. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 193. l. 1. for has leaning read hastening The Anatomie of Infidelitie BOOK I. A general account of Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem Luke 19. 41. And when he was come near he beheld the citie and wept over it CHAP. I. An Explication of the Text Luke 19. 41. AS Israels Temporal Benedictions were Symbolic Images or Types of Spiritual blessings promissed to the believing seed of Abraham so her Temporal Jugements were also Symbols or Typi◠Shadows of Spiritual Jugements threatned to and inflicted on Evangelic Unbelievers And to confirme this 't is worth our observation that most if not al of those expressions in Scripture whereby the place of eternal punishment is represented relate and allude to some places or stories remarquable for Gods exemplary vengeance executed on sinners under the old Testament Yea the last Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus here foretold and lamented by our Lord is by a learned Author stiled a Map af Hel. The Contemplation whereof is that which inclines me to pitch on this Scripture as the seat of our ensuing Discourse touching the Nature Aggravations and Punishment of Vnbelief And I
no way dout but that it wil appear in the 〈◊〉 to be a truth beyond al question that our blessed Lord in this his sad Lamentation over unbelieving Jerusalem had no smal regard to Evangelic Unbelievers who should despise the things that belong unto their peace in these last days For 〈◊〉 is a golden rule given us by a great Master of wisdome That the Word of God has various complements or fulfillings in successive periods and Ages of the Church And that this text in particular may not be confined to the Judaic Church but also justly be applied to Evangelic Unbelievers in al Ages and particularly in this wil appear by what follows in the parallel or proportion between one and t'other As for the Contexture or coherence of our Text with the precedent discourse it deserves a particular Remarque as it lies couched in the first particle And as also in that following expression when he was come near which evidently connecteth this historie with what precedes Our Evangelist had hitherto declared with what joyous Acclamations and Congratulations the vulgar Jews welcomed their promissed Messias How chearfully they recognised him as their soverain Lord and King What loud Hosanna's and Psalmes of praise they sang unto him He now procedes to expound with what a triste and pensive minde with what a bleeding and melted Heart with what a mournful and weeping countenance Christ received them They rejoice in their new-found Messias and King but he weeps over them They seem to Instal him and lift him on his Throne but he with tears laments their final Vnbelief Contumacie and Ruine not far off This seems to be the natural connexion of the words as it wil further appear by what follows As for the explication of the words we shal be as brief as our mater wil permit That first particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And is usually taken copulatively as it connects the following discourse with what precedes and so it describes to us a considerable Circumstance of this Historie namely the Time of Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem which was immediately after their solemne Acclamations of joy and Hosanna's to him as their Messias Hence it follows When he was come near This gives us another great circumstance of Christs Lamentation and that is the place which was the Mount of Olives from whence Christ being now in his descent had a direct and ful prospect of Jerusalem offered to his eye which amidst al the peoples joyous Salutations so far pierced and affected his heart as it brake forth into this doleful Lamentation It is natural to the spirit of a man to break forth into a passion of grief at the approche and view of any grievous and displeasing object And that which makes this place the more remarquable is that here it was that David the Type of Christ bewailed the rebellion of his son Absolon as 2 Sam. 15. 30. And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet and wept as he went up c. David at every ascent poured out a quantitie of tears in lamenting the contumacie of his natural son Absolon so Christ the celestial David at every descent sends forth many tears in bewailing the contumacie of his federal sons of Jerusalem And that which yet further aggravates this circumstance of place is that which Christ foresaw on this very mount of Olives where Christ now laments the sin and ruines of Jerusalem the Romans in their first siege against this Citie began to pitch their tents as Josephus in his 6 Book of the Jewish war Chap. 9. observes So that wel might our blessed Lord make this place the seat of his Lamentation which he foresaw would be the first seat of their National ruine But it follows He beheld The participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wants not its peculiar Emphase in that it denotes a certain person viz. Christ which gives us another notable circumstance much conducing to the explication of the whole O! What a Great Illustrious HE is here What Wonders of Wonders lie wrapt up in this HE What tongue or thought of Men or Angels can expresse or conceive the infinite Dimensions of this little Pronoun Who can declare his Generation Is not this HE he that first gaâ—e Being and Welbeing to Jerusalem as to althings else Did not this HE bring her out of Egypt that house of Bondage Was not this Noble HE her Protector and Conductor in the Wildernesse Was not this Soverain HE her King and Lawgiver in Canaan Did not this Infinite Eternal HE descend down into the womb of a virgin and espouse human Nature thereby to put himself into an apt Capacitie to be Jerusalem's Savior Who was this Celebrious HE but the Messias a borne Jew who had Judaic bloud running in his veins a Judaic heart to pitie Judaic eyes to weep over a Judaic tongue to plead with importune and beseech impenitent unbelieving Jerusalem to accept of the things that did belong unto her peace This was that Heroic Generous and Illustrious HE who here Beheld not only with the eyes of his bodie but also with the eye of his Omniscient Divinitie the present impenitent contumacious unbelieving and the future miserable ruinous and desolate state of Jerusalem for so it follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Citie with an Emphase For the Article here points out a certain Citie and that with a remarque and accent THE Citie which was his first Bride but now an Adultresse who plotted how she might embrew her hands in her husbands bloud THE Citie wherein the Oracles of God and Gracious Tokens of his presence were first loged Rom. 3. 1. THE Citie which did once oblige herself by a firme Covenant or oath of Allegeance and Supremacie to submit to him as her crowned King and Lawgiver but now turnes her back upon him and cries up no king but Cesar who ere long would be her ruine THE Citie which was sometimes the Beautie of Holinesse and Seat of Divine Worship but now is become the Sinke of al vices and Satans Throne or Synagogue Lastly THE Citie to which he had in person preached the joyful sound and glad tidings of Salvation to which he had offered the first handsel of evangelic love and Free grace which he had been so long wooing and courting to be happy in the embracement of himself and al other things that did belong unto her peace But she would not And what follows And wept What the Lord of Glorie Weep he that was God blessed for evermore drop tears how comes this to passe what a strange Accident is here whence spring these Divine Tears Surely it must be some prodigigious Cause that draws this holy water from those sacred eyes of God-Man Some of the Ancients otherwise orthodoxe were so far struck with the sense of this prodigie as that they thought it incredible that the Son of God should weep and therefore not understanding the sense force and
Visitation v. 44. 2. The Epithet thy is also very emphatic Thy Day i. e That day which thy Lord has in much singular favor vouchsafed to thee beyond al the world besides which as yet lies in darknesse Thy day wherein thy Messias has given thee such public and manifest Demonstrations of his sacred Mission and Commission from God Thy day wherein I have been wholly taken up in preaching to thee the great things of thy peace wherein I have given thee so many solemne Invitations so many gracious Allurements so many bland and friendly Intreaties to accept of me as thy Savior And 3. There seems yet to lie a farther Emphase in that first Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This which seems to be both Restrictive and Emphatic In This thy day wherein I now make my last Application and Addresse to thee As if he had said I sent my Prophets to thee but alas how were they abused and slain I have in person made many Addresses and Supplications to thee but have I not received as many Repulses from as ever I made Applications to thee Lo now I make my last Application to thee every word is watered and bedewed with Tears O! That thou wouldest in THIS thy day thy last Day receive the things that belong unto thy peace Albeit thou hast hitherto rejected al my gracious offers yet even now at least now in THIS thy day be persuaded to listen to me Thus some understand by This thy day the ultimate and extreme occasion and season wherein Christ made offer of Salvation to Jerusalem Yet we may not exclude the former Seasons and offers of Grace which Christ gave to Jerusalem For this pathetic Oration includes in it not only an Invitation for the present but also an Exprobation and Indignation against Jerusalem for her former contemt and rejection of the things that did belong unto her peace so that we may not exclude any part of that time which was afforded to Jerusalem by her Messias although the last period of this time may possibly be chiefly intended Hence it is thought that these words refer to that Zechar. 9. 9. Rejoice greatly O daughter of Sion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh to thee But this coming of Christ may not as I conceive be confined to this last coming of Christ to Jerusalem but extends to the whole Oeconomie or Dispensation of his Grace before his crucifixion But it follows The things which belong unto thy peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is evidently an Hebraisâ—e For the Hebrews under the notion of Peace include al manner of Beatitude and Prosperitie The things that belong unto our peace are either Complexe and Notional or Simple and Real The Complexe Notional maters of our peace are the Evangel or words of peace promulgated by Christ and his Apostles The simple and real things of our peace are 1. Christ himself the great Mediator of our peace with al his merits 2. The Spirit of Christ who makes Application of al our purchased peace 3. God the Father the original fountain 4. Heaven c. But now Here we have 1. an Aposiopesis or an abrupt breach in the course of the Oration whereby a principal part thereof seems to be left unmentioned This argueth the depth of Christs grief and the vehemence of his Lamentation which wanted words to give it vent This Aposiopesis or breach in Christs words may be thus filled up If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Oh! how chearfully how greedily wouldest thou have embraced them or Oh! how happy wouldst thou have been Others incline rather to refer the Aposiopesis to the last clause of the following words But now they are hid from thine eyes to thine unspeakable damage and eternal ruine The difference is not material we may take in both 2. But now As if had said Time was O Jerusalem when thou hadst the bright warme beams of my Gospel-Grace shining on thee But now thy day of Grace is gone thy Sun is set thou hast had many wooings and importunate offers of Grace from me But now I am come to give thee my last Adieu Adieu Jerusalem Adieu Thou hast had many strivings of my Spirit vouchsafed to thee But now my Spirit bids thee farewel farewel Jerusalem Thence it follows They are hid from thine eyes Here is an Hebraic Ellipsis wherein the Consequent is also expressed by the Antecedent for those things which are hid are removed out of sight whence the later is also expressed by the former So that the meaning is The Gospel is hid and thenc removed from thee Or peradventure it may allude to the Veil on Moses's face whereby the Glorie of God was hid from the Jews which was a Symbolic shadow of their blindnesse as it is explicated by Paul 2 Cor. 3. 13 14. For until this day remianeth the same veil c. This continues in use among the Jews to this very day For in their Synagogues whiles the Law is read they have a Veil on their faces which is a black marque though little considered by them of the veil of Ignorance and Hardnesse on their hearts Thus Christ threatens here that for the future The things of their peace should be hid from their eyes And it deserves a particular remarque that their jugement bears proportion to their sin They wilfully shut their eyes against the Gospel and Christ judicially shuts the Gospel and hides it from their eyes They reject the things that belong to their peace and the things that belong to their peace reject them Their hearts are sealed up by unbelief against the Gospel and the Gospel becomes as a sealed Book to them They bid Adieu to Christ and he bids Adieu to them They prefer Cesar before Christ and Christ deservedly leaves them to be ruined by Cesars hands whom they prefer before himself CHAP. II. Eighteen general Observations drawn from the words of the Text as before explicaâ—ed THe words being thus explicated they offer to us varietie of choise Observations As from that first notion Saying we may observe 1. That Christs expressions of pitie do spring from the deepest Affections Every word is attended with a tear every saying is a lively image of a wounded heart 2. That Christs Sayings and doings are the same Every word of Christ carries omnipotence in its womb As his Promisses so his Threats are omnipotent and Jerusalem found by dreadful experience this Threat fulfilled to a Tittle Yea to this very day she lies under the dreadful arrest of this Threat The Menaces and Threats of men even of the greatest of men are oft but smoke and wind they threaten and storme much speak big words but alas how little can they do But oh What energie and efficace is there in every saying of Christ Hath not poor Jerusalem layen 1600. years under
with vehement Indignation As if he had said What! Jerusalem serve me so Even thou who hast been so dignified by me Oh! what an hainous odious sin is this who can bear it Hence observe 2. That by how much the more any People oâ— Church is dignified with Divine privileges or gracious vouchsafements by so much the more hainous is their sin if they improve not those means and privileges The more excellent gifts we are invested with the greater punishment do we deserve if we abuse the same So Isai 5. 1 2 3 4 5. At least in this thy day These words as before explicated afford to us several practic Observations 1. That Evangelic sinners have a day of Grace afforded to them Where-ever the Sun of Righteousnes comes he brings healing under his wings i. e. beams or a day of Grace That it is the supreme wisdome and interest of Professors to fil up their day of Grace with the Duties of their day Oh! What deep engagements did Jerusalem lie under to improve her day of Grace How happie might she have been had she but performed the same 3. Hence also observe That the day of Grace wil have its period Though Christ wait long yet he wil not wait always the longest day of Grace hath its night and usually the clearer brighter and warmer the day of Grace is the shorter it is where Christ vouchsafeth the greatest means of Grace if they are not improved but contemned there usually the day of Grace is shortest Think of this 4. Hence also observe That the nearer Christ comes in the offers of his Grace and the longer he waits for our acceptation of those offers the more inexâ—usable shal we be if we reject or neglect the same This observation lies wrapt up in that first expression at least Our blessed Lord oft came very near and close to Jerusalem in the tenders of his Grace Oh! how oft did he knock at her gates how long did he wait for her Reception of him What sacred and sweet Importunitie did he use to persuade and prevail upon her in that her day to accept of the things that did belong unto her peace But alas she would not she rejects al his gracious offers ' til at last her day was expired And oh how much doth this aggravate her sin Who is worse than he who hath a clear day of Grace vouchsafed him and yet electively embraceth darknesse before light The things which belong unto thy peace i.e. my self who am thy Peace-maker the King and Mediator of thy peace with whom is thy covenant of peace c. Hence note 1. That Christ alone is the great Mediator of our peace Out of him there is no peace take away Christ and you take away the chief corner-stone the main foundation of our peace The Sin-revenging God is nothing but wrath and everlasting burnings out of Christ But he that hath Christ hath peace with God and with al the creation besides Nothing can hurt him who is under the wing of Christ the Prince of peace Al peace of conscience which is collected either from holy conversation or from evangelic Promisses or from the sense of Gods love or any other way is al resolved into Christ as the proper source and spring thereof Therefore he that knows not Christ knows not the things that belong unto his peace 2. Hence also observe That Vnbelievers are the greatest enemies to their own peace and welfare Al the enemies of Jerusalem did not so much obstruct her peace as her own Unbelief Satan and al his powers of darknesse are not so prejudicial and destructive to the peace of souls as their own unbelieving hearts How feeble is Hel How insignificant and unable are its iron Gates to prevail over the weakest believer that adheres to Christ But as for sinners that are under the Dominion of Unbelief oh what a world of enemies are they exposed unto How doth every Tentation prey upon them What wars what commotions what confusions doth every lust raise in their hearts Yea how much are such obnoxious to the wrath and rage of the Righteous God 3. Hence also we may observe That it addes much weight to the Aggravation of Vnbelief that it is a rejection of the things that belong unto our peace The excellence of the objects which are offered to sinners in the Gospel of peace greatly aggravates their sin who refuse them Was it ever known that a conquered enemie refused termes of peace Is there any record to be found of a captive Rebel that rejected a gracious pardon from his Prince And yet Lo this is the Unbelievers case Christ comes with gracious offers of peace and life but alas how are they rejected Oh! what an hainous sin is this Yea Unbelief is not a mere simple refusal of the things which belong unto our peace but it carries in its bowels much Enmitie Oppâ—sition Antipathie Blasphemie and Contumelie against God and Christ and al the great things of our peace as hereafter But now they are hid from thine eyes Hence observe 1. That when God puts a period to the day of Grace al means of Grace are insignificant and ineffectual Although God may sometimes continue the means of Grace yet doth he not withdraw his Influences of Grace from those means And then how inefficacious are they What is Christ but a veiled face What is the Gospel but a sealed Book What are Ordinances but broken Cisternes What are Promisses but dead letters What are duties but barren Wombs when the day of Grace is gone Yea are not al these so far from becoming means of Grace as that they are indeed by reason of mans wilful impenitence means of hardening Yea is not Christ himself a stone of offense and stumbling to such as are deprived of the day of Grace Thus are the things of their peace hid from their eyes 2. Hence also observe That when God Puts a period to the sinners day of Grace then begins his day of jugement Jerusalem's day of jugement began from this very moment that Christ pronounced this dreadful sentence against her For henceforward al Christs Dispensations towards her were in jugement There was a curse upon her Blessings wrath and revenge mixed with her sweetest Privileges and mercies What Christ speaks in general of Satan and his kingdome Joh. 12. 31. Now is the jugement of this world c. the same may be in particular applied to Jerusalem and al other impenitent sinners who are passed their day of Grace Thus when the day of Grace ends the day of Jugement begins For when al the things that pertain to thy peace are hid from thine eyes what remains but chains of darknes and beginings of Jugement 3. Hence also we may observe That there is an exact proportion between the unbelievers sin and jugement The wilful unbeliever shuts his eyes against al the things that belong unto his peace and then the
righteous God comes and claps a seal of judicial occecation or spiritual blindnesse on his eyes that so he never see them more Joh. 9. 39. For jugement am I come into this world that they which see might be made blind There is ost an exact conformitie betwixt mans sin and Gods jugement What a visible character and stampe of Jerusalem's sin is here impressed on her jugement What is it that she suffers from the righteous mouth and hand of Christ but what she voluntarily inflicts on herself She wil not see the things that belong unto her peace and therefore saith Christ she shal not see them they shal be hid from her eyes She wil not open the Gates of her Soul that the King of Glorie her Messias may enter in and therefore saith Christ let her heart be shut under the curse of judicial obduration This was Gods usual method in punishing Israel even from her Infant-state And oh how much doth this illustrate the justice of God when visible Ideas and stampes of mens sins are to be seen in the face of their jugements How must this needs cut and wound the heart of an awakened penitent sinner to see his guilt in the face of his punishment This Analogie and Affinitie betwixt the unbelievers sin and jugement leaves him also without the least shadow of excuse Alas who but the Unbeliever himself may be blamed if the good things of the Gospel be hid from his eyes seing he himself first shut his eyes against the dazling glorie of those bright beams which shone so long on his eyes What cause have Unbelievers to complain that the Gospel is a veiled or sealed book unto them seing their hearts are veiled and sealed with unbelief against it Oh! what a vindication wil this be of the righteous jugement of God but confusion to wilful unbelievers to consider the exact paritie and Analogie which there is between their sin and their punishment How wil this confound them to al eternitie CHAP. III. The Notional Object of Unbelief or What are those Notional things that belong unto our peace which unbelief assents not unto THe precedent Observations furnish us with singular mater of Discourse each Observation deserves a particular examen and Remarque But we shal cast al into the mould or forme of this one general Proposition or Doctrine That Vnbelief or the not knowing the things that belong unto our peace is a sin of the deepest tincture or most hainous Aggravations and that which exposeth the sinner to the most severe wrath and jugements of God This Proposition contains the spirit and mind of the Text as also the sum and substance of al the former Observations which in the explication hereof wil have their particular consideration And for our more regular and methodic procedure herein we shal resolve the Proposition into these four grand Questions 1. What it is not to know the things that bâ—long unto our peace Or Wherein the genuine Idea or Nature of Vnbelief doth consist 2. Whence this Vnbelief springs or What are the seminal Roots the original Causes of this siâ— 3. What are the Aggravations of this Vnbelief 4. What severe wrath and jugements from God attend this sin of Vnbelief The Examen and Resolution of these Questions wil give us the ful Explication of our Proposition as also of the Text. Q. 1. What it is Not to know the things that belong unto our peace or Wherein the Nature of Vnbelief doth consist For the more ful Resolution of this Question we shal consider Unbelief 1. with relation to its Object 2. In regard to its Act. 1. The Object of Unbelief is here expressed under this comprehensive notion The things that belong unto thy peace These are as we before intimated either 1. Complexe and Notional or 2. Simple and Real The Complexe or Notional Things that belong unto our peace are al those divine Axiomes Maximes Canons or Notions loged in the sacred Scriptures which any way conduce to our peace The simple or real things that belong unto our peace are the good things themselves which lie wrapt up in those Divine Axiomes or Notions of sacred Scripture namely God in Christ Heaven c. The former are the Object of Faiths Assent the later of its Consent Election and Choice Again the Notional things that belong to our peace which are the complexe Object of Faiths Assent may be considered by us 1. Materially 2. Formally The Material complexe objects of Faiths Assent are the Scriptural Notions which Faith assents unto The Formal Object of Faith's Assent is the Formal Reason Proper Motives or principal Grounds of its Assent that which induceth or draws our minds to assent unto sacred Scriptural Notions as also constitutes specifies and distinguisheth Divine saving Assent Lastly The Notional Material Object of our Assent is either General or Particular The General Object is the whole Word of God The Particular is the Gospel or Covenant of Grace which gives us a more particular and expresse Idea of the things that belong to our peace The things that belong unto our peace being thus distributed according to their several Constitutions and Regards to Faith we may with more Facilitie and Perspicuitie determine and resolve our Question What it is not to know the things that belong unto our peace But before we enter on the explication of Unbelief we must premise that our Intendment is to treat of it in its general and abstract Nature and not as it relates to this or that subject For albeit our Text speaks of the Unbelief of persons irregenerate yet inasmuch as the unbelief of persons regenerate differs not totally from that in persons irregenerate we may very wel and properly treat of both under one general Idea though with different Reflexions on and Applications to this or that subject Thus much being premised we procede to the explication of our Question First we shal begin with the Notional Material General things that belong unto our peace which are the sacred Scriptures or Word of God in the General which not to know or truely assent unto is the original and no smal part of Unbelief Oh! here lay the the bitter Root and Spawn of al Jerusalems sin and miserie she did not understand at least not practicly assent unto the sacred Scriptures in which al the things that belonged to her peace lay wrapt up Moses and the Prophets were a sacred Map wherein Jerusalem might have viewed the celestial Canaan her Messias his glorious Names and Titles of Honor his Person and Offices with al other things that did belong to her peace But alas Jerusalem wanted spiritual eyes to contemplate such glorious objects This our blesâ—ed Lord upbraids the carnal Jews with Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to search signifies here by a sacred sagacitie and unwearied studie to
hunt or inquire into the Scriptures as dogs hunt after wild beasts but oh this the unbelieving Jews were strangers to and therefore no wonder if they were strangers to al the things that did belong to their peace The Scriptures are the Oracles of God the Glasse wherein his glorious perfections shine neither can there the least ray of true Religion shine on lapsed man but what is reflected from this celestial Miroir of the Divine wil. The Splendâ—r of Divine Majestie is but as an inexplicable Labyrinth unlesse we are conducted thereinto by this thread of sacred Scriptures God is nothing to us but what he testifies of himself God is nothing saith Tyndal but his Law and his promisses i. e That which he biddeth thee to do and believe and hope and to imagine any other thing of God is grosse and damnable Idolatrie The Sacred Word is the Spirits Schole in which he teacheth al the things that belong to our peace so that we may be contentedly ignorant of what is not here taught Hence it is apparent that one main and fundamental part of Unbelief consists in not yielding a real firme distinct certain affectionate deep and practic Assent to the sacred Scriptures And oh what an Epidemic Universal sin is this even in the professing world How many are there among the croud of knowing Professors who never gave an explicite actual chearful spiritual and stedfast Assent to the Word of God and its sacred Autoritie Are not the most of Professors extreme partial in their credence or belief of the divine Scriptures Do not they pick and choose what may correspend most with their Lusts or carnal Interests This word that pleaseth them they can believe but that word which disgusts them they cannot assent unto Do not many in their prosperitie disbelieve the Threats and in their Adversitie the Promisses And what is this but not to know the things that belong to their peace For he that doth disbelieve any one part of Scripture may he not be justly reputed to disbelieve the whole Is not the Reason and Autoritie of a part the same with the Reason and Autoritie of the whole word Wherefore doth not he who rejects a part also reject the Autoritie of the whole It s true al Scriptures are not alike Fundamental or equally necessary to salvation yet may we not justly conclude that al are equally necessary to be believed if we consider their origine and Autoritie as they are al inspired by the Spirit of God and clothed with Indelible Characters of Divine Majestie O then how many knowing Professors are in this point guiltie of not knowing the things that belong to their peace How few are there that yield a rooted welgrounded operative Assent to the whole Word of God who have an ear to hear wherever and whenever God hath a mouth to speak O that Professors would seriously ruminate on this That so far as they disbelieve the Truth Certaintie and Autoritie of any one word of God so far they disbelieve or know not the things that belong to their peace And whence is it that many Professors are so averse from assenting to the whole Word of God Is it not from the prevalence of some lust in their hearts which turnes them strongly another way They disbelieve some Scriptures and why Is it not because they lie not level with their lusts Oh! what a deep Mysterie of Iniquitie is this disbelief of the Scriptures as loged in some carnal hearts What malignant and venimous effusions doth it transmit into their lives Is it not the great Stratageme and plot of Satan to dispirit and weaken mens Assent to the sacred Scriptures And doth he not hereby create in many sincere Believers much unbelief concerning the things that belong to their peace May not the most of our tentations be resolved into some disbeliefe of the Scriptures And on the contrary hath not a real fixed supernatural and saving Assent to the Sacred Scriptures a mighty soverain efficacious Influence on al our Graces and Duties Doth not the vigor strength beautie and improvement of al Grace depend on our belief of the Scriptures O that men would then look wel hereto 2. We procede now to the Particular notional Maters or Things belonging to our peace which Unbelief rejects and those are the Gospel or Covenant of Grace with al the branches thereof The Gospel is Grace's office the shop where the sinner may find both food and physic The Covenant of Grace is faiths Magna Charta the Epistle of Christ writ with his own bloud the Cabinet wherein al our Jewels of Grace and Peace are laid up by Christ yea the words of life wherein Christs heart lies wrapt up and is conveighed unto sinners The Promisses of the Gospel are the Element in which Faith lives and moves they are the Air which Faith sucks in and breaths forth they are the food on which Faith feeds There is no diet so natural so delicious so restaurative so corroborative or strengthening so nutritive so satisfying as the promisses spirited by Free Grace Faith relisheth no food like this Faith never reposeth herself so securely never sleeps so sweetly as when she doth lean her head on the bosome of some promisse If she hath but a promisse to cast Anchor on she can ride confidently in the greatest stormes and laugh at al the proud waves that beat against her Now this being the temper and spirit of Faith hence it necessarily follows That not to assent to the Gospel or Covenant of Grace and the Promisses which lie wrapt up therein takes in much of the vital spirit of Unbelief This wil be more evident if we consider the chief material parts of the Covenant of Grace and the evil aspect which Unbelief casts thereon The Covenant of Grace contains in it 1. Maters of Grace 2. Maters of Providence 3. Maters of coming Glorie Now in al these regards Unbelief may be said Not to know the things that bolong to our peace 1. The Covenant of Grace contains in it Maters of Grace The Law tels us what we are by Nature but the Gospel tels us what we are or may be by Grace The Law discovers to us our sin and miserie but the Gospel discovers our remedie and so opens a dore to Faith Yea the Gospel doth not only declare to us the Objects and Maters we are to believe but also furnisheth us with many gracious encouragements and incentives to believe yea further the Gospel doth not only afford us maters and motives of Faith but also it becomes a sanctified Instrument in the hand of the Spirit to conveigh Faith and al other Graces to us For it is an infallible Maxime in Theologiâ— that Evangelic Promisses of Grace on such or such conditions without Grace to performe those conditions are as little available to beget faith as the law is Thus we see how ful of gracious Maters Motives and Offers the Covenant of Grace is But
ye of doutful minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not your Minds hang as Meteors in the Air ful of suspense about future supplies be not of an anxious thoughtful Mind Let not your thoughts be distracted and as it were racked with carking cares The word signifies such an Anxietie as fluctuates 'twixt hope and fear Such is the suspicious anxious temper of Unbelief as to Providential maters of the Covenant 3. The last branch of the Covenant concernes maters of coming Glorie wherein also Unbelief may be said Not to know the things that belong unto our peace The chief concernes of our peace are those invisible Glories of the other world Al our present spiritual Suavities and Delices are but dreams in comparison of that formal Beatitude in the Beatifiâ— Vision of God face to face Alas how far short is our present vision of God in Evangelic Shadows and Reports of that immediate Intuition of God as he is 1 Joh. 3. 2 3 Whence the main worke of a Believer here is to live by faith in the daily contemplation and expectation of that approching Glorie For the more we eye our home the more industrious lively and pressing wil we be in our journey thither Faith maketh things absent present So Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which gives a substantial Essence an actual Existence a solid Basis or Foundation the First-fruits yea a real presence to those Good things hoped for of the other world So much is wrapped up in that Notion Then it follows The Evidence of things not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Argument the Demonstration the Meridian Light the legal conviction the spiritual eye whereby invisible Glories are made Visible Such is the miraculous efficace of faith as to approching Glorie such a clear real fixed sight of Heaven has it here on earth Ay but now Unbelief draws a veil on al these invisible Glories and makes them to disappear what fantastic dreams what carnal and grosse Notions what base and unworthy thoughts has it of future rest How studious is Unbelief to obliterate and rase out the Idea of Eternitie fixed in the heart How apt is it yea industrious to remove far from conscience the second coming of Christ and ensuing Jugement How fain would it build Maâ—sions here and take up with something short of God Oh! how little doth Unbelief regard those Mansions of Glorie which Christ is preparing John 14. 1 2 How seldome or never doth it take a view with Moses on mount Pisgah of the celestial Canaan the new Jerusalem where is the Lambs Throne Yea what low cheap undervaluing thoughts hath Unbelief of that promissed Land Thus it is said of the unbelieving Jews Psal 106. 24. Yea they despised the pleasant Land or the Land of desire and believed not his word This pleasant land Canaan was a type of Heaven and in despising it they despised Heaven and al this lay wrapt up in the bowels of their Unbelief They did not yield a real supernatural firme certain practic Assent to the word of promisse touching Canaan and therefore they despised it and not only that but also the celestial Canaan which made God swear in his wrath against them that they should not enter in Heb. 3. 11. So much for the Material Notions both general and particular which Unbelief is ignorant of 2. I shal treat a little of the formal Object of Faith and how far Unbelief is defective therein The formal Object of Faith as it comes under the Notion of Assent is the Divine Veracitie or Autoriâ—ie of God appendent to his Word For look as in the Workes of God there are certain Divine Characters Ideas Impresses or Notices of Gods Wisdome Power and Goodnesse which a spiritual heart contemplates and admires so likewise in the Words of God there are certain Stampes and Ideas of the Veracitie and Autoriâ—ie of God which the Believer contemplates and assents unto as the formal object of his faith Thus 1 Thes 2. 13. Because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God Not as the word of men As here notes a Reduplication i. e the formal reason proper motive or principal ground of their assent to Gods Word was not any Human Autoritie but the Divine Autoritie or Veracitie of God And here lies the main specific essential Difference betwixt divine and human faith Divine faith receives the Word of God as the Word of God under that Reduplication i. e as it is clothed with Divine Autoritie but human faith receives the Word of God as the word of men i e as clothed with some human Autoritie Church-Tradition or the like commun Motives Now this human faith as to the Word of God is no other than real unbelief For he that believeth the Word of God only as commended to him by the Church doth really disbelieve the same It is not the Objects believed but the formal Reason of our belief that distinguisheth a Divine from a human faith He that assents to divine Truths merely on human Grounds or Reasons can have but an human faith which is real unbelief as he that assents to natural Truths reveled in the Word of God as reveled and clothed with Divine Autoritie has a Divine faith So that albeit the mind assentes to the whole Word of God yet if the principal ground or formal reason of its assent be not Divine Autoritie its Faith is but real Unbelief And here lies a main plague of Unbelievers its possible they do assent to the whole Word of God ay but yet they see not those sacred Characters those Divine stampes of Gods Autoritie and Truth which are appendent to his Word the chief ground of their belief is only some human Tradition or Autoritie Such was the Faith of those Samaritans John 4. 40. who believed merely for the saying of the woman c. whereas afterward ver 41. Many more believed because of his own word This is a Divine faith there was a sound of Heaven in Christs own voice a little Image or Stampe of Divine Majestie which the believing Samaritans could discerne O! Remember this If the Autoritie of God be not the chief bottome of your Assent your faith is but Vnbelief So much for the Notional object both Material and Formal of Unbelief CHAP. IV. An Explication of Unbelief as it opposeth or is defective in the first Act of faith namely Assent to the good things that belong to our peace WE now procede to the Act of Unbelief comprised in that Notion If thou hadst known This knowlege must be commensurate to or as large as its Object which as we have shewn is either Notional or Real As it refers to its Notional object so its termed Assent as to its Real object so Consent We shal begin with the first namely What
spiritual Objects and a carnal Subject Must not every visivè facultie have some agreament with the object visible And is there any agreament betwixt a carnal mind and things spiritual Is not every thing that is received received according to the nature of the Recipient Doth not then the carnal heart receive things spiritual carnally as on the contrary the spiritual heart things carnal spiritually Thence saith Christ to the unbelieving Jews Joh. 8. 15. Ye judge after the flesh i. e ye judge of me and of my Gospel only in a carnal manner by carnal Reason and therefore no wonder ye believe not in me 8. Such as content themselves with a general confused Assent to evangelic Truths and Promisses know not the things that belong to their peace The more particular and distinct our knowlege is the more certain it is General Notions are more confused and fallacious a particular Dissent may wel stand with general Assent Therefore he that has some general confused Notions of the things that belong to his peace lies under a particular ignorance of the same This was the case of these unbelieving Jews they had some general notices of the Messias some rude confused Ideas of Heaven and God but alas How imperfect how grosse how insignificant were their Notions Hence our blessed Lord exhorts them that they would in order to the procurement of a true saving faith Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s a Metaphor drawn from the sagacitie of Dogs which with their noses closely follow and search into the sent of their prey These unbelieving Jews had much general confused knowlege of the Scriptures ay but they wanted this Divine sagacitie to inquire and search into them as Dogs do into the sent of their prey they could not sent the things that belonged to their peace because they made not a narrow scrutinie a particular distinct exact inquisition into evangelic Truths and Mysteries As if Christ had said Ah friends You pretend to believe Moses and the Prophets You conceit your life lies wrapt up in them But how comes it to passe then that you believe not in me Do not al the Scriptures testifie of me Oh! here lies your sin you wil not search into the Scriptures you content your selves with some general confused Notions without any particular distinct Inquisition into the things that belong to your peace 9. Men know not the things that belong to their peace when they suspend their Assent or yield to any prevalent dout touching the truth of them I shal not dispute what mesure or degree of certaintie is essential to true saving Faith but that it cannot consist in a mere opinion or probable conjecture without some degree of certitude I think is most certain from the current of Scripture This is evident by the character Paul gives of Abrahams faith Rom. 4. 19. Being not weak in faith i. e his mind did not hang in suspense or under some prevalent dout touching the truth of the promisse This is illustrated by another notion ver 20. He staggered not at the promisse through unbelief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies to hesitate or remain under varietie of anxious douts and opinions his mind was fully persuaded of the truth of the promisse as it is expressed v. 21. being fully persuaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s a Metaphor borrowed from Navigation as sails are filled with a good wind so his mind was filled with a fulnesse of assent to the truth of the promisse there was no room for any suspense or prevalent dout And this indeed seems essential to al true saving Faith that there be a prevalent certitude or certain persuasion touching the truth of the object albeit many sincere Believers may be altogether uncertain touching their Title to or Interest in the Object My meaning is this There ought to be a plenitude or fulnesse of Assent to the Truth of the Promisse albeit there may be wanting in many Believers an assurance of their interest in the things promissed Now this certaintie of Divine assent ariseth partly from the certitude of the object but more immediately from the Demonstration of the Spirit elevating or raising the mind unto this certain persuasion touching the truth of the promisse And herein true saving Faith is differenced from that which is commun and human The Unbeliever may yield some feeble staggering instable Assent to the good things that belong unto his peace but stil he hangs in suspense his doubts are greater than his faith It s true the true Believer hath oft great douts touching the Promisses but yet his douts are not so much of the truth of the Promisses as of his interest in them or whether his apprehensions of them be true whereas Unbelievers dout of the truth of the Promisses albeit they may be presumtuously confident of their Interest in them Thus it was with the unbelieving Jews Joh. 10. 24. How long doest thou make us to dout or how long doest thou keep our souls in suspense They hung as it were 'twixt Heaven and Hel under much suspense whether those things Christ preached were true or false They did not totally dissent and yet they could not fully assent to Christ Thus they hung in suspense for suspense is a middle twixt Assent and Dissent Though as to Divine Assent every such prevalent suspense or dout touching the truth of the promisse is real unbelief she that assents not fully doth really dissent Therefore Christ addes v. 25. I told you and you believed not they seem to lay the blame on Christ the darknes of his Revelation but he resolves al into their unbelieving hearts The like character of unbelief we find Luke 12. 29. Neither be ye of doutful minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its primary Notation signifies to be carried up aloft in the Air as Meteors Clouds or Birds which wanting a firme foundation are tossed to and fro with every blast So it signifies the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wander or with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 10. 24. to lift up the mind or keep it in suspense Hence also it is used to signifie an anxious suspense hesitation or dout touching the truth of things This is the condition of many awakened sinners they arrive at some anxious suspense or doutfulnes of mind and that is al They hang in the air of commun conviction between Heaven and Hel for a little while til the prevalence of lust make them fal down again on the earth where they lie buried in the ashes of their own convictions and profession They dare not they cannot yield a ful and prevalent assent to the Gospel of Christ al that they attain unto is a mere opinion a suspensive faint Assent Thus every unbeliever hangs as a Meteor in the Air under prevalent suspense and hesitation touching the truth of the promisses Thence Mark 11. 23. We find
He gave a deep firme practic Assent to Divine truths such as kept him from sin So much for the first part of Unbelief as opposite to the assent of faith CHAP. V. The Explication of Unbelief in reference to its Real Objects and its first main Act consisting in the Wils rejection of Christ HAving finisht the Notional Objects and Acts of Unbelief it remains that we procede to the Explcation of its simple real Objects and the Acts which answer thereto 1. As for the simple real Objects of Unbelief they wil as before be best explicated by considering what are the simple and real Objects of Faith For Unbelief being but a privation of faith it has one and the same object therewith Now the simple real Objects of Faith regard either our Present or Future state As to our present state the object of Faith is either Remote and Vltimate or Next and Immediate The Remote and Vltimate object of Faith is the Deitie or Divine Essence The Next and Immediate object of Faith is Christ God-man and Mediator betwixt God and Men. The object of Faith as to our future state is approching Glorie Heaven or al those good things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. According to this distribution of the real Objects of Faith we may with facilitie determine what are the objects of Unbelief or what are those Simple Real things that belong to our peace which Unbelief refuseth Of these we shal treat but very concisely because they wil again fal under consideration when we come to the Aggravations of Vnbelief 1. Unbelief is a Rejection of God his Divine Essence Attributes Providence Workes Ordinances and Glorie which are al great Ingredients of our Peace Unbelief strikes at the Deitie or Divine Being which is the alone ultimate foundation of al saving Faith Heb. 11. 6. Oh! what a world of practic if not speculative Atheisme lies wrapt up in the womb of Unbelief Again how are al the divine Attributes struck at by Unbelief Doth not Unbelief reject the Wisdome of God by preferring carnal wisdome before it Luk. 7. 30 Is not the Fidelitie and Veracitie of God oppugned by Unbelief in that it receives not his Testimonie and so makes him a Liar 1 Joh. 5. 10 11 How much is the Soveraintie of God opposed by Unbelief in that it cannot because it wil not submit either to his secret or reveled wil How doth Unbelief quarrel at and murmur against the soverain pleasure of God both Preceptive and Providential It can neither yield Active obedience to the former nor Passive to the later It can do but little and suffer lesse for God Again Doth not Unbelief offer much violence to the Love Mercie and Compassions of God Is not Mercie clothed with the rough garment of Severitie Is not the ugly vizard of Hatred and Revenge put on the beautiful face of Divine Love Doth not Divine Benignitie or Bountie fal under censure of illiberalitie when Unbelief sets in the chair Further Is not Divine Justice impleaded or masqued with the face of Injustice by Unbelief Doth it not put light for darknes and darknes for light good for evil and evil for good Is not the Righteous God accused as one that justifies the wicked and condemnes the Innocent Moreover how doth Unbelief narrow Divine Omnipotence yea look upon it as mere Impotence and weaknes Doth not Infidelitie also prescribe bounds to Gods Omnipresence Exodus 17. 2-7 Is not Gods Omniscience also blinded by it Isai 40. 25 So also for al Gods works of Providence how doth Unbelief draw a Veil on the most glorious of them Lastly as for al Divine Ordinances and Institutions are they not dispirited and made ineffectual by Unbelief Is not prayer no prayer Hearing the Word no hearing are not Sacraments no Sacraments to the Unbeliever 2. Unbelief refuseth Christ the next immediate object of faith and the great Mediator of our peace Oh! what a large heart has Christ to give but how narrow-hearted is the Unbeliever in receiving the things that belong to his peace Is not Christ the great Ordinance of God constituted designed and adapted to be the Mediator between God and man And yet Lo how doth Unbelief sleight him yea slander him reproche him plunder him grieve him provoke him and crucifie him day by day Is not Christ extreme liberal towards Sinners Doth he not meet them half way yea prevent them in the offers of Grace And yet oh how backward is Unbelief how unwilling to come to him for life What Distances Shinesses and estrangements from Christ doth it continually delight in Doth not Infidelitie attemt to turne the whole of Christs Mediatorie office into a mere shadow or Romance What rare experiments hath Christ given of the efficace of his bloud the energie and power of his grace to redeme sinners and yet how doth unbelief question and cavil at al What wonders are there in Christs love to sinners how omnipotent and invincible is it What sweet charmes to conquer hearts has it and yet how doth Unbelief cover al with the masque of hatred and crueltie Oh! what incomparable beauties are there in Christs person how amiable and lovely was he even in his lowest condition in the Womb Manger and on the Crosse Do not al the lines of Gods grace and our duty meet in Christ as Mediator how inglorious are the most excellent things in the world if compared with Christs glorious perfections and yet lo how doth Infidelitie disgrace and reproche Christ What low mean scandalous yea cruel thoughts has it of him 3. Unbelief rejects not only God and Christ and the Holy Spirit but also approching Glorie and al those good things hoped for of the other world Oh! what grosse and carnal conceptions has Unbelief of al those invisible and coming Glories How doth it turne al the great and glorious enjoyments of Heaven into mere insignificant Fancies Notions Fables and Sick-dreams Yea doth not Unbelief despise and contemne those rich delices of future Glorie Are not the sensual enjoyments of the flesh the pleasures of Egypt preferred before the ravishing delights of the celestial Canaan Do not sensible goods weigh down the invisible weight of Glorie in the Unbelievers heart But thus much for the real objects of Unbelief of which more largely hereafter Sect. 2. We now procede to the several Acts of Unbelief in relation to these real Objects which may be also distinguished according to the several acts of Faith whereof they are Privatives The first and general act of Faith in relation to Christ its next and most immediate object is Consent Election or Reception of him as tendred in the Gospel And opposite hereto the first and great act of Unbelief is Reprobation or Rejection of Christ and this indeed is the most fundamental and vital Act of Unbelief that which our Lord doth most directly strike at in this his doleful Lamentation over
Jerusalem If thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace i. e If thou hadst embraced and received m◠thy King and Mediator of peace oh then how happie hadst thou been But alas alas thou hast rejected me thine alone Messias and therefore Lo al the the things of thy peace are hid from thine eyes And that this not knowing the things that belonged to her peace connotes Jerusalems Rejection of Christ is further evident if we consider the Hebraic Idiome that lies wrapt up in this notion For it s a commun rule among the Hebrews That words of sense or knowlege implie Affection so that not to know is not to elect or embrace the things belonging to our peace Whence it s very manifest that the Rejection of Christ is the main thing which our blessed Lord intends in this his black character of Jerusalems Unbelief But seing this Rejection of Christ is a comprehensive large notion which admits a great latitude of degrees we shal as the Lord inables us distinctly explicate its particulars 1. The bea rt rejects Christ when it openly opposeth him and al the wooings of his grace This was the case of the unbelieving Jews for the most part Our blessed Lord comes with offers of Grace and Peace But oh how is he sleighted how much is he contemned what opposition is made against him by the most and chiefest of them Thus much our Lord himself complains of under the Parable of an Householder who planted a vineyard c. Mat. 21. 33 c. whence he concludes v. 42. The stone which the builders rejected the same is become the head of the corner This is the Lords doing and it is marveilous in our eyes Oh! what a Marvel is this that the very Builders the Elders and Rulers of the people should reject their Messias the chief corner-stone of their Salvation The like Mark 8. 31. And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the Elders and of the chief Priests and Scribes What the Elders reject him the chief Priests and Scribes oppose him Oh! what a prodigious piece of Unbelief is this And is this the sin of unbelieving Jews only Are there not multitudes who would fain be estimed good Christians and yet thus oppose and resist Christ to his very face What shal we think of the sensual Professor who rolleth himself in the delices of Egypt and cannot part with a lust for Christ Where may we place the sleepy Christian who logeth his head in the bosome of the Times and sleepeth sweetly on the bed of carnal securitie without the least attention to the loud and repeted knocks and cries of Christ And may not also many terrified awakened sinners be reckoned among the opposers of Christ even such who though they see their sin and miserie yet flie from Christ as from an enemie and choose rather to take refuge in their own carnal confidences than accept of Christ as their Mediator May not al these and many more seeming Christians be justly reputed Opposers Rejectors of Christ 2. Such may be said to reject Christ who albeit they do not openly oppose him yet maintain secret soul-disgusts and heart-dislikes of Christ Faith lies much in a wel-inclined Affection or affectionate Inclination towards Christ it supposeth a good liking or pious propension towards Christ For while the sinner looks upon Christ as an enemie or as a severe austere Lord he minds not going to him Unbelief is very apt to take offense at Christ it is il-minded towards him and therefore on every trifling occasion offended at him This was likewise the temper of the Unbelieving Jews whence saith Christ Mat. 11. 6. And blessed is he whosoever shal not be offended in me The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to set a gin trap or snare to put an obstacle or impediment in mens way that so they may not procede on Some derive the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to halt and so a scandal signifies originally a sharpe stake or stone that makes men to halt others derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a crooked piece of wood whereof they made gins or snares to catch wild beasts b whence a scandal naturally signifies a gin or snare The word scandal sometimes also signifies a stone or block in the way at which men are apt to stumble and fal and thence in the old Testament it is taken for a Fal and so sometimes for Sin as Judg. 8. 27. where it is rendred a Snare The meaning seems this Blessed is he whose conscience shal not be scandalised at me whose mind shal not be possessed with black scandalous thoughts of me by which the heart stumbles and fals into many snares and gins Oh! what lies and scandals doth the unbeliving heart raise of Christ Thus Unbelief fils the heart with disgusts and offenses against Christ which are as so many gins or snares as so many sharpe stones or bars to keep the heart from Christ Faith breeds a good liking to Christ and therefore it puts a good sense a candid interpretation on al that is spoken by Christ But oh what a world of offenses and scandals against Christ are there in this unbelieving heart how proneisit to quarrel with Christ What is this but to reject Christ 3. Such as do allow themselves in secret Heart-cavils and Disputes against the offers of Grace made by Christ do interpretatively reject him Some poor awakened sinners there are who peradventure have not any deep disgusts and dislikes against Christ yet they studie what they can to raise objections against the tenders of life made by Christ It s strange to consider how the hearts of some lie at catch and studie how they may evade the offers of Grace Thus it was with the unbelieving Jews whose cavils for the most part arose not so much from any desire of satisfaction as from the bitter root of inveterate prejudices against Christ So Luke 20. 5. And they reasoned with themselves saying if we shal say from heaven he wil say Why then believe ye him not The chief Priests and Scribes are here brought to a great Dilemma They must either disown John to be a true Prophet or they must own Christ for their Messias Now they reason with themselves how they may evade this forcible Argument And is it not thus with a great number of awakened sinners When Christ comes with a close conviction and makes them see their necessitie of believing on him Oh! what secret Cavils and Disputes are there against Christ How artificial and witty is Unbelief to shift off Christ and al his tenders of life What stout Logic has every unbelieving heart against believing in Christ What is this but to reject Christ 4. The wil may be said at least virtually to reject Christ when it doth not justifie or approve those Reports that are made of Christ by
the ministerie of the word or in conscience This is a more refined degree of rejecting Christ very commun among many great Professors Some convinced Sinners are not so disingenuous as to be alwaies cavilling at Christ yet they do not approve the Reports made of Christ as they ought They have no considerable objections against evangelic offers and yet the heart is unwilling to entertain them They are unwilling to grant what they can hardly denie This Christ cals being slow of heart to believe Luke 24. 25. O fools and slow of heart to believe al that the Prophets have spoken This is the first part of faith in the wil to justifie recognise or approve that Assent which is wrought in the jugemenâ— touching Christ And when Christ has obtained the Wils approbation and consent he soon gains its affiance or confidence As a carnal heart that approves of the offers of sin is soon overcome by it So an awakened heart when once it comes to approve the offers of Christ and the Assent made thereto by the mind how soon is it induced to yield its consent to Christ But oh here lies the root of Unbelief the wil doth not fully approve and allow of what the mind is oft forced to assent unto This was also the condition of many unbelieving Jews So Luk. 7. 29. And al the people that heard him and the publicans justified God being baptised with the Baptisme of John The commun people and publicans are said to justifie God i. e they approved of what reports were made touching Christ though its likely many of them did it but with a temporary faith But then it followes ver 30. But the Pharisees and Lawyers o rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptised of him How did the Pharisees and Lawyers reject the counsel of God Why it was by not justifying or approving what God reported touching Christ So that when the wil doth not justifie approve or commend what God in his word or by the dictates of conscience doth report touching Christ it may be said to reject the counsels of God and Christ As the wil by approving the Assent of the jugement turnes it into Consent so by disapproving the same it declares its rejection thereof This holds true both in maters of Sin and Grace 5. The Heart may be justly said to reject Christ when it admits of demurs and delayes as to a complete closure with him This is a more subtile and refined degree of Unbelief Some there are who seem to justifie and approve the Reports made of Christ and their own Assent thereto they have nothing to object against Christ they seem wel-satisfied in the offers he makes But yet al this while there is a secret dilatorie procrastinating delaying spirit in them they would fain close with Christ but not as yet they have a wil for hereafter but not for a present choice of Christ they cannot as yet bid Adieu to their beloved lusts a little slumber a little sleep more they must have in the lap of their Delilahs This was the case of some tardy Disciples of Christ among the Jews as Luke 9. 59. And he said unto another follow me but he said Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father He hath nothing to object against Christ but seems abundantly satisfied in Christs offers only he desires to be excused for a while til he had buried his Father Again ver 61. And another also said Lord I wil follow thee but let me first go bid them farewel which are at home at my house Thus awakened sinners put off Christ as Felix did Paul with delays If Christ wil but wait a while their leisure wel and good they are then content to espouse him for their Lord but at present they have no leisure because they have no heart to close with Christ Yea is there not much of this dilatorie humor in many wounded souls who conceit they are not yet humbled enough and therefore not meet to go to Christ Whereas indeed there is no such way to get an humble spirit as to come to Christ for it Certainly al such delays argue much unwillingnes to believe A Wil for hereafter only is a present Nil An election for the future is no better than a present Reprobation If you consent only for hereafter you at present reject Christ So long as you defer to do what you know you ought to do so long you wil not do it Yea what are these delays to embrace Christ but a more slie rejection of him May not Christ justly estime your delay to embrace him a refusal of him Are not such put offs a kind of denial When Christ wooes thee long by many sweet Inspirations both of Word and Spirit for thee to stifle al these good motions by continued delayes doth not this argue a mightie unwilling heart to believe Hast thou the least shadow of Reason for thy delays to believe Thou saiest thou wantest Grace ay but mayest thou not by believing receive Grace for Grace Is not Grace both in being and degrees the effect of Faith in Christ Do not thy sins greaten much by delays to believe Are not thy debts to Justice multiplied by not believing The longer thou forbearest to believe wil not thy heart be the more averse and backward to believe Peradventure thou conceitest Christ wil not receive thee if thou comest to him ay but whence springs this prejudicate conceit but from the unwillingnes of thine own heart to receive Christ Has not Christ declared himself to be more willing to receive thee than thou canst be to come unto him as 't is evident from the Parable of the Prodigal Luke 16. 22-28 Are not al thine objections against believing presently but the forgeries and figments of thine unwilling heart Remember there is as great hazard in thy loitering delays as in down-right rejection of Christ For albeit thy delays may be painted over with some apparent colours of humilitie and fears lest thy faith would be presumtion yet Christ is as effectually opposed and excluded thereby as by manifest opposition Thou hadst as good say it in down right termes thou wilt have none of Christ as thus put him off time after time with dilatorie answers Though the Acts differ in degrees yet the Principle and root is the same in one and t'other namely an unwilling heart and this Christ sees ful wel and therefore thy demurs suspense and seeming caution or delay to believe greatly provokes Christ and is by him interpreted no better than a flat refusal of him Al the relief thou hast is this thou hopest to embrace Christ hereafter when thou art more humble and fit for him But oh what a poor shift is this Tel me mayest thou not be in Hel before this hereafter come or Wil not thine unwilling heart be more fortified against Christ by delays canst thou ever hope to be better or more humble but by believing
Oh! consider what a world of Unbelief lies at the bottome of such an unwilling heart and how much Christ is rejected by such delays So much for Unbeliefs rejection of Christ CHAP. VI. The Explication of Unbelief as to the Wils defective Reception of Christ wherein is considered its essential defects both as to the Object and Subject HAving fininisht the first great Act of Unbelief which consists in the Wils Rejection of Christ we now procede to a second namely the Wils defective reception of Christ Though indeed this second Act of Unbelief differs from the former not so much in Essence and Degree for every defective Reception of Christ is a kind of Rejection of him yet we may thus distinguish them The former Rejection of Christ we may look on as a more expresse and manifest piece of Unbelief but this defective Reception of Christ is more subtile and refined Unbelief The former is more commun and belongs for the most part only to carnal secure sinners But this later is more proper and confined to close Evangelic Hypocrites The former is more Total and Vniversal this later more partial Unbelief How many awakened sinners are there who dare not openly oppose Christ yea that would not seem to have any Dislikes against his person or cavils against his offers yea that seem ready to justifie and approve the reports and convictions they have of Christ and not only so but also to close with him presently without any demurs and delays I say how many such are there who are thus far free from the Rejection of Christ and yet guiltie of some essential Defect or flaw in their Reception of him Wherefore for the more ful explication of the nature of Unbelief it is apparently necessary that we inquire into the several essential defects which Unbelievers are guiltie of in their pretended partial reception of Christ for which they may be justly said not to know the things that belong to their peace Now these essential Defects which many evangelic refined Hypocrites are guiltie of in their seeming reception of Christ may be considered either in regard of the Object or of the Subject of this Reception As for the Object of this defective Reception mens seeming Faith is no better than real Unbelief 1. When they receive only a false Christ instead of the true or 2. When they receive the true Christ under false respects and considerations 1. We shal begin with the defects of Unbelief as to its object in receiving only a false Christ Oh! what a world of splendid glittering Professors are there who notwithstanding their pretended faith in Christ receive only a false Christ a formed Picture or Idol of their own sick phantasies in the room of the true Christ Unbelievers may be said to receive a false Christ 1. When they compound or adde any thing to Christ and 2. When they divide or take any thing from Christ 1. Such as compound Christ or adde any thing to him do thereby make him as to themselves a false Christ And are there not a vast number of refined Hypocrites who are guiltie of this defective Reception of Christ Do not some compound their carnal Interest with Christ They would forsooth receive Christ ay that they would as they conceit with al their hearts but they must have the world too They need Christ to relieve their burdened consciences and they need the world to relieve their sensual hearts Was not this the very case of the young man who came so confidently to Christ with what lack I yet Mat. 19. 20 What lack I yet poor man thou lackest the main saith Christâ— ver 21. If thou wilt be perfect go and sel that thou hast and give to the poor c. Christ saw his pretended reception of him was very defective he knew what his beloved Idol was and therefore pincheth him in that and what follow v. 22. He went away sorrowful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beâ—ieged with sorrows or rather beyond mesure sorrowful for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is not a Preposition but an Adverb and signifies excedingly eminently as our Latin per which is supposed to be derived hence in perquam c. Oh! what a deluge of sorrows pressed in on him and why for he had great possessions He had a moneths mind to be one of Christs Disciples he seems very forward to give him a chearful reception provided that Christ would be content to loge with his swinish Idol the world But if this may not be if Christ wil not be content to have the world for his corrival then with a pensive sorrowful heart he bids farewel to Christ And is not this the very case of a world of rotten-hearted Christians who could be content to give Christ good reception would he be but content to admit of the world for his corrival But if Christ wil not admit of a partner then farwel to him he is not for their turne Yea how many are there who compound Christ with some prevalent beloved lust Christ they must have to satisfie conscience and lust they must have to satisfie their heart hence they mediate a league between Christ and their darling lust which seems to be the case of those forward Professors Luke 13. 26 27. who pretended to much acquaintance with Christ but al the while were but workers of iniquitie such as joined some bosome-lust with Christ What is this but to make Christ a Servant yea a Pander and Caterer to lust Lastly Do not the best of refined Hypocrites join a world of Spiritual Idols with Christ What shal we think of the politic Hypocrite who joins his own carnal prudence with Christs wisdome Where may we place the gifted Hypocrite who places his Evangelic gifts in the room of Christ May we not rank the whining affectionate hypocrite among Unbelievers since that he makes his Tears and melting affections in part if not wholly his Christ What shal we conclude of the devote legal Hypocrite who makes his Duties and self-righteousnes a part if not the whole of his Christ Where may we rank the self-dependent self-confident Hypocrite who takes the commun Assistances and Influences of the Spirit vouchsafed to him and placeth them in the room of or equal with Christ Are not al these so many false Christs or imaginary Idols joined with Christ which render the reception of him defective 2. Such as divide Christ make him a false Christ and so their reception of him defective As they who adde to Christ so also they that take any thing from Christ transforme him into an Idol of their own sick brains And oh what a multitude of close Hypocrites are defective in their reception of Christ as to this particular How many are there who seem content to receive our blessed Lord under the notion of Jesus a Savior but dare not receive him as Christ an anointed King and Lord to rule over their Persons
and Lusts This seems to be the case of the unbelieving Jews John 1. 11. He came unto his own and his own received him not What Not receive their Messias Do they not oft flock after him and sing Hosanna's to him as a little before our Text Luke 19. 37 Yes they were content to receive him as a Savior so Hosanna imports Save us now ay but they would not receive him as King and Lord So long as he preacheth glad tidings of Salvation oh how welcome is he what chearful treatment do they give him who but Christ ay but when he comes to king and lord it over their lusts to rip open their hypocritic rotten hearts to pinch and wring their lusts oh then how do they kick and throw at him Again how do others divide between Christ and his yoke The wages of Christ is sweet and pleasing but oh how cumbersome and irksome is his worke This was Israels temper Hos 4. 16. But Israel slideth back as a back-sliding beifer i. e â—n heifer impatient of the Yoke Israel loved to tread out the corne Hos 10. 11. because that was pleasing work there was wages in the work but O! how averse is Israel from plowing worke What a burden is the yoke to her effeminate tender neck Further do not many seeming Christians divide betwixt the Crown and Crosse of Christ The Crown is very beautiful in their eye but oh what a black ugly thing is the Crosse of Christ How pleasing is it to reigne with Christ but how displeasing is it to suffer with him Lastly do not the most of Professors divide betwixt those good things that are in Christ and those good things that flow from him Al would gladly share in the Benefits of Christ but how few desire to have share in his Person How forward are awakened sinners to catch at the Righteousnes and Merits of Christ thereby to screen off the scorching heat of Divine wrath But how backward are they to close with the Person of Christ as the object of their fruition Thus Unbelievers pick and choose take so much of Christ as as wil serve their turne and no more There is some one thing in Christ they like wel but some other thing they as much dislike They like the Bloud that came forth of his heart to wash their guiltie Consciencâ—s but oh how do they dislike the Water that came forth also to wash their filthy hearts His smiling countenance and gracious Pardons are very grateful to them but oh how ungrateful is his royal Sceptre of Righteousnes his Soverain Autoritie and Laws Thus Unbelievers diminish and take from Christ in their seeming reception of him which indeed is but to turne Christ into an Idol For a divided Christ as wel as a compound Christ is but a false Christ no true Christ 2. Another branch of Vnbelief as to its defective reception of Christ is when men receive the true Christ in a false manner or under false Considerations and Respects There are many who seem willing to take Christ only and completely without Composition or Division but yet there remains stil some essential defect or flaw in the manner of their receiving or in the formal Reasons proper grounds and fundamental considerations on which they receive Christ Though this may in something agree with the former yet we may conceive this difference in what precedes Christ is considered Materially but now we are to consider him as the Formal Object of Faith and Vnbelief and so the first thing we are to consider herein is the Motives and Grounds on which Christ is received Vnbelievers are defective in their manner of receiving Christ when the principal Grounds and Motives of their receiving him are only false or at best but commun To receive Christ only on false or commun Motives is in truth not to receive but refuse him And O! what a world of Professors are greatly defective herein Are there not a vast number of seeming Christians who receive Christ only on carnal Motives and Grounds How many are there who receive Christ as the way to a terrestial or earthly not to a celestial or heavenly life Do not some receive him as the most compendious way to Riches Others as the way to Honors c. Was not this the case of many carnal Jews who followed Christ only for the Loaves and Miracles he wrought for them Thus Joh. 6. 15. They were al in hast to make him King and why The reason you have ver 26. Because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled O! how sweet was it to be fed by Miracles Again how many are there who receive Christ merely out of Noveltie to please their Phantasies and satisfie their Curiositie And do not such soon grow weary of Christ Thus it was with Herod Luke 23. 8. he longs to see Christ and why to gratifie his curious eye with the sight of some Miracle and therefore when Christ would not humor his curiositie how doth Herod deride and set him at nought v. 11 Yea further do not many receive Christ on Hellish grounds merely to concele a rotten heart or some base practices Lastly are there not amany convinced terrified sinners who seem to receive Christ in good earnest but t is only to quiet conscience to allay the scorching heats of Divine wrath which torment conscience Surely this albeit it be good in its kind yet 't is but a commun Motive and therefore no firme Foundation for the reception of Christ He that wil receive Christ as he ought must take him not only to ease conscience of the burden of guilt but also to ease his heart of the Burden of lust So much for the false or commun Motives which render some mens reception of Christ no better than real Unbelief Vnbelievers are defective in their manner of receiving Christ when they receive him not in his Grandeur or in that State and Greatnes which is due unto him A Prince is then received aright when he is received according to his Dignitie Should a subject receive his Prince and entertain him no better than he would entertain a Peasant or Countrey-neighbor would not this be interpreted a contemt rather than a kind Reception of his Prince So Christ if he be not received in some degree according to his Grandeur Dignitie and State he counts it a contemt rather than a good Reception of him Christ must be received as Christ i. e as Supreme Lord and alone Mediator or he is not truely received at al He wil be a King or nothing This was the great sin of the Jews they could be coutent to receive Christ as a great Prophet as the Mahumedans do but they did not receive him according to his Grandeur or that Greatnes and Glorie which he was invested with and therefore they are said not to receive him John 1. 11. whereas John saies of the believing Jews those who received him indeed ver 14. That
they beheld his Glorie the Glorie as of the only begotten of the Father ful of Grace and Truth i. e They received him in al his Grandeur Splendor Majestie and Glorie The unbelieving Jews stumbled at the meanesse of his Person Kingdome and Glorie Christ wil be received as King or not at al. 3. Christ is received in a false manner when he is not received as offered in the Gospel Christ is never received as he ought unlesse he be received as he is offered i. e on his own Termes and Conditions without any Limitations Restrictions Impositions or Laws from such as receive him If men come to indent with Christ or impose termes on him beyond what the Gospel allowes Christ thinkes it dishonorable for him to enter into such a soul So much for the defects Unbelievers are guiltie of as to the object of their Reception Sect. 2. The Nature of Unbelief may be further explicated from the many essential Defects that attend the Subject of this Reception Refined Hypocrites may be guiltie of notorious Unbelief not only in receiving a false Christ or the true Christ in a false manner but also in receiving the true Christ with a false or defective Heart If the wil be naught or defective the Reception can never be good or perfect For every thing is received according to the Qualitie or condition of the Recipient Now Christ may be received with a naughtie or defective Wil several waies 1. A rotten â—ollow deceitful Wil is a base naughty Wil. He that truely receiveth Christ receives him with a sound sincere heart If there be any prevalent degree of guile and hypocrisie loged in the Bent of the Wil that renders it a rotten hollow hypocritic heart such an one as Christ wil never delight to dwel in A believing heart is a single heart it has single Aims single Ends single Regards to Christ Wherefore a double heart is a false â—reâ—cherous lying heart What over its pretensions to Christ are yet stil it has some oblique Regard some squint eye on some beloved Idol Such have as Psal 12. 2. An heart and an heart one heart for Christ and another for some darling lust Oh! What adulterous hearts have many glittering Professors notwithstanding their pretences of Virgin-love to Christ yet what secret Hants have they for some other lovers What private Dalliances with inferior goods are they guiltie of How are their hearts distracted and torne as it were to pieces between Convictions of sin and yet Affections to sin between Assent to Christ and yet Consent to lust What adulterous hearts are these Such we find wel characterised James 4. 4. Ye adulterers c. A true Believer receives Christ with an upright strait heart he hath a strait end and a strait rule But oh what perversitie what crookednes is there in many mens hearts who pretend to a reception of Christ What secret turnings and windings are there Surely such divided hearts are very faultie as the Scripture tels us Hos 10. 2. Their heart is divided now shal they be found faulty A divided heart or Wil is a naughty adulterous rotten lying perverse heart and therefore can never make a good subject for the reception of Christ The faith of such is but rank Unbelief 2. The Wil is defective in the reception of Christ when it is only incomplete languid and faint Saving Faith is the act of a Wil strongly bent and determined for Christ If the heart be not firmely resolved and fixed for Christ al our faith is but mere fancie So many degrees as we have of a bended wil towards Christ so many degrees we have of saving Faith Remisnesse argues division of heart and this argues hypocrisie Christ counts not himself duely received unlesse he possesse the sanctified Bent of the Wil. And herein therefore lies the Soveraintie of efficacious Grace in bending the Wil to a correspondence with Christ Til the bent of the Wil be purged from Idols and opened to Christ he never enters into or inhabits any soul Christ is too pure a Spirit to loge with Swinish lusts in one and the same Bent of Wil he wil be al in al there or none at al. So that they who give not Christ the entire Bent of their Wil give him not that place which is due unto him and therefore such may not expect his companie May it be imagined that the Lord of Glorie wil take up his logement in that soul where base nasty lusts have the same or better room than he Is this even among men counted good Reception to entertain a person of honorable condition in some out-loge or in the same place with the Swine And do not a world of great Professors thus receive Christ How many are there who loge Christ only in some out-Affections in some faint imperfect Desires or if some others are more civil to him and afford him some room in their more inward Affections yet is he not stil loged with the swine have not some base lusts as good if not a better room in the heart than Christ Surely this is not to receive Christ He that has not a stronger wil for Christ than for sin is really unwilling for Christ but willing for sin If the heart be bent for lust it is unbent for Christ He that is only in a faint mesure willing to receive Christ is habitually unwilling such as are not prevalently resolved for Christ are prevalently resolved for sin and so consequently and virtually unresolved for Christ Yea a faint and languid willing of Christ is a virtual and implicite though not formal nilling of him Imperfect weak volition or willingnes to receive Christ is implicite and real nolition or unwillingnes to have him Hence that sad complaint of God against Judah Jer. 3. 10. And yet for al this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned to me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. Judah gave God some imperfect Reception but it was not with her whole heart the Bent of her wil was not turned towards him and therefore she is said to embrace him but feignedly or in falsehood as it may be rendred A languid partial wil is but a feigned false wil in point of faith He that gives not Christ the whole heart or the prevalent bent of his wil which in moral estimation passeth for the whole wil gives him nothing but a civil refusal or denial Such as the Bent of the wil is such is the man as to Sin or Grace 3. The Wil is defective in the Reception of Christ when it is only terrified and forced not free and chearful in closing with him Many awakened sinners while under dreadful Terrors and Horrors of conscience seem strongly inclined to receive Christ who but Christ Ay but how little have they of a chearful ready wil Are not al their closures with Christ wrung and forced from them merely by the violence of a tormented terrified conscience
Guilt or Filth or Tentations or Duties or Civil concernes on Christ Thus the Spouse is described Cantic 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the Wildernesse leaning on her Beloved Faith is a Recumbent Grace when it cannot honor Christ as it would by Obedience yet then it honors him by Dependence it fetcheth al from Christ and so gives al glorie to him Yea the more Grace it receives from Christ the more sense it has of its need of Christ The more it acts for Christ the more it conceives itself obliged to Christ Though it doth never so much for Christ yet it dares not trust in any thing it doth or hath but wholly in Christ Such a mere passive dependent Recumbent thing is faith as we find it described Isai 10. 20. Let him trust in the Lord and stay upon his God Though the Believer may by Stormes of Tentation be now and then beaten off from Christ his Rock and Centre yet he comes on again and casts Anchor afresh on Christ He counts not himself safe til his heart fixe here al his Interruptions and Assaults do but bring him to a more absolute and complete Recumbence on Christ His faith finds no sure bottome but here It counts itself secure no where but on Omnipotence Yea the stronger Faith is the stronger usually is its recumbence on and confidence in Christ And this in al desertions keepeth the Believer from sinking in that he swims by faith on the Covenant and in recumbence on Christ But now it is quite contrary with Unbelief How natural is it to corrupt Nature to trust in and depend upon its own forces Yea are not Divine Assistances and Influences abused by unbelief unto carnal confidence Oh! What an absolute Independence and Self-sufficience doth Unbelief affect How fain would every Unbeliever Deifie himself by making himself the first principle of his Dependence and Trust Was not this the sin of our first Parents to affect a self-sufficience that so they might derive from themselves what they ought by a natural Dependence to derive from God And do not al their lapsed seed naturally follow their steps herein As fallen man affects to seek himself as his last end so doth he not strongly desire to depend on himself as his first cause and supreme efficient And if the Unbeliever cannot find a sufficience in himself to depend on then how doth he hunt and seek out among the creatures for some bottome to recumbe and fixe upon So Hos 5. 13. When Ephraim saw his sicknesse and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to king Jareb Israel had rather go any where for relief than unto God How natural is it to Unbelievers to trust in any sorry Idol-God of their own making rather than in the God that made Heaven and Earth How unable are Unbelievers to trust God in the want of althings But how much lesse are they able to trust him in the fulnesse of althings Doth not mens depending so much on themselves or the creature argue their little if any dependence on Christ It s true some refined evangelic Hypocrites may now and then seem to depend on God ay but do not they al the while secretly depend on themselves Is not their Recumbence on God as hypocritic as their false hearts Do they not seem to depend on God but mean while shift for themselves Is their confidence in God universal Can they trust God in al conditions difficulties emergences seasons and things True confidence as wel as obedience must be universal But alas how unable are unbelievers to confide in God in a stormy day What a poor Affiance in Christ have they under the abundance of althings How little do they regard and depend on Christ in smal concernes This self-dependence was the great sin of the unbelieving Jews which Christ every where upbraids them with So Luke 11. 41. But rather give Almes of such things as you have and behold althings are clean unto you Our blessed Lord here seems Ironicly to upbraid the Pharisees with their self-confidences They conceited that their Almes and other externe good works would expiate for al their sins albeit their hearts were ful of al manner of wickednes Christ sharply taxeth and rebuketh their folie with this smart Ironie And behold althings are clean unto you As if he had said You presume by your Almes to purchase Heaven but alas how are you deceived what smal support wil this yield you at the last day Thus Augustin Christ seems smartly to taxe the vain persuasion of the Pharisees who albeit they had spirits obnoxious to the vilest lusts yet by giving Almes they trusted they were half-Gods 5. Another branch of Unbelief consists in a certain Dissatisfaction of heart opposite to that Acquiescence and Rest which the Believer finds in Christ Faith brings with it a Divine contentement and satisfaction the more experience it hath of Christ the better pleased it is in adhering to him if it were to choose again it would make no other choice than Christ There is no Doctrine no Discourse so pleasing to Faith as that which exalts Christ It loves to hear Christs excellences displayed Oh! how sweet is it to Faith to see Christs face to hear his voice to smel his sweet Savors to taste his Delices in the Gospel How glad is it to be stript of al fond presumtions carnal confidences and false bottomes that so Christ alone may give rest to the soul So Paul Phil. 3. 3. And rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh How doth he insult over al his former vain confidences what satisfaction doth he take in Christ and in him alone How glad is he that Christ takes any course to break his carnal confidences that so nothing but Christ himself may support his heart Such Acquiescence Satisfaction and Rest doth Faith find in Christ But now Unbelief is of a quite contrary humor Though it may being forced by the importunitie of a clamorous conscience give Christ some reception for a while yet how il satisfied is it with Christ what a burthensome guest is he How soon doth the unbelieving soul hanker again after its beloved Idols Oh! what reachings forth of heart after this or that or t'other secret Idol what Disquietments and repining Discontents are there at the deprivement of such or such an inferior good What secret desires and inclinations are there towards the Law that old husband At least how fain would the heart admit the Law as a Covenant of works to share in that Conjugal Faith and Affection which is due only to Christ Thus it was with many unbelieving Galatians Gal. 4. 9. But now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God how turne ye again to the weak and beggerly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage How turne ye again What doth he mean by this Were the Galatians ever under the
legal ceremonies here stiled beggerly elements as ver 10 No The Galatians were never before under those Judaic ceremonies only they are said to turne again unto them because they affected a similitude or ressemblance to the Jews herein Oh! how fain would they Symbolise or agree with the Jews and so mingle something of the Law with Christ So it follows whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye desire or ye greedily covet ye greatly wish and long to be under the Law oh how much do you desire what strong wishes have you to join the Law with Christ the like ver 21. Tel me ye that desire to be under the the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e ye who are so hungry and greedy after the law This was the temper of many Judaising Galatians they would fain compound the Law with Christ they could not rest satisfied in Christ alone as the mater of their justification but must needs join the law with him which Paul tels them Gal. 5. 2 3. Was to make Christ of none effect For he that rests not in Christ alone as the mater of his justification trusts not at al in him So also in point of happinesse he that doth not acquiesce in Christ alone as the object of his rest and satisfaction doth not really believe in him whence saith Christ Luke 14. 26. If any come to me and hate not his father c. i. e if he be not satisfied in me as the fountain of his life he hath no share in me For to hate here is to love lesse Christ doth not injoin his Disciples simply absolutely to hate Parents c. No that were sin But he means comparitively i. e whoever doth not love Parents Wife c. lesse than me cannot be my Disciple So ver 33. Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not al that he hath he cannot be my Disciple What doth Christ mean by this Doth he expect that when we turne Christians we bid Adieu to al outward comforts No surely This command of Christ doth not so much respect the Act as the Affection we are not commanded to cast away al but to love Christ above al. 6. Again Vnbelief is ful of murmurs Disobedience and Reluctance against the soverain Wil of God Faith is the most obsequious obedient and dutiful Grace Oh! how ful of Resignation and Submission is the believing Wil so far as it is believing When Christ enters into any soul he expects that every proud imagination every high thought stoop unto him That the whole soul bow before him and adore his soverain wil and pleasure Thus Job 1. 20. Then Job arose This notes his speed courage and resolution in complying with the divine Wil. And rent his mantle and shaved his head these were Symbols or tokens of great sorrow and humiliation under the hand of God Faith doth not destroy natural affections but it regulates and spiritualiseth them When the hand of God is on us our hand should be on our hearts in order to a deep sense and humiliation under Gods visitation Then it follows and fel down upon the ground and worshipped The Hebrew words do both signifie a bowing to the ground Because in their worship they usually fel to the ground or bowed their head knee or whole bodie therefore the same word among the Hebrews signifies both to â—ow and to worship What then doth Jobs falling to the ground and worshipping import 1. A sense of Gods hand in this visitation 2. An Adoration of or bowing before the Divine wil as most righteous 3. A satisfaction in the present issues of the divine Wil. In short it implies a melting or dissolving of his Wil into the Divine wil as most holy and best Hence v. 21. it s said That in al this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly i. e Jobs faith brought his wil to correspond with the Divine wil. O! What a sweet harmonie was here But this unbelief cannot endure Oh! what risings of heart are there against the Truths Grace Wil Waies and Crosse of Christ How doth unbelief strugle and fret against the supreme pleasure of Christ Hence the same word in the Greek signifies both Unbelief and Disobedience as John 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also He that is not obedient to the Son Al faith carries something of obedience in it or a subjection of the mind and wil to the Word and Grace of Christ whence Unbelievers are stiled Ephes 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children of disobedience or unpersuasible untractable children such as cannot bring their hearts to bow and stoop to divine Truths Grace and Commands And indeed much of the nature of Infidelitie is lively exprest by this notion of Disobedience Thus the Israelites unbelief is set forth to us Act. 7. 39. To whom our fathers would not obey but thrust him from them and in their hearts turned back again to Egypt How did they disobey Christ and thrust him from them Was it not chiefly by their murmurs and Unbelief So in like manner we find unbelief set forth by fretting against God which is an high degree of Disobedience Psal 37. 1. Fret not thy self because of evil doers Fret not thy self or be not angrie chide not Unbelief is very prone to be angrie yea to chide God because of the prosperitie of wicked men whereto is opposed vers 3. Trust in the Lord c. This trusting in God is opposite to that fretful spirit v. 1. The like Antithesis or opposition we find ver 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently fret not thy self because of him that prospereth in his way Rest in the Lord Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be silent unto the Lord Don't let one murmur or impatient word drop out of thy mouth but wait patiently or expect with much silence and patience relief from the Lord beware how thou doest fret and repine against his Soverain pleasure So that a fretful murmuring spirit is quite opposite to that silence and obedience which faith implies What is faith but a free and chearful resignation of al concernes to God with a complete subjection to his Soverain Wil Grace and Spirit for the accomplishment of al Faith subjugates and captivates our wisdome to divine Wisdome our consciences to the divine Law our whole heart and life to the divine Wil either preceptive or providential A Believer as such lives no longer than he lives in the divine Wil and Grace and no thing is so fit a subject for such a Divine life as a broken heart and what so effectually breaks the heart as faith in Christ Oh! what meeknesse is there in faith How silent is it How flexible to the Divine Wil Certainly the lower the wil lies in subjection and submission to God the higher faith riseth The highest faith is that which lies lowest in
subjection to the foot of God Such was Abrahams faith Isai 41. 2. Called him to his foot Faith yields up it self to Christ to be acted as he pleaseth to do or suffer as he thinks fit it leaves the soul with Christ to be wrought upon as he seems good So Paul Act. 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Paul makes Christ master of his wil and al he is content to be wholly influenced by Christs Soverain wil and Spirit Whence faith is compared to a Mariage-covenant whereby the wife gives over and resignes al right to her husband So the Believer gives up himself to Christ that he may be his Hence the more resistance there is against the Wil and Grace of Christ the more Unbelief An unbelieving wil is an inflexible wil its mighty stiffe and hard Unbelievers are extreme covetuous and greedy of their own wils to part with their wils is death to them 7. Infidelitie or Vnbelief implies also an unwillingnes to appropriate or applie the Promisses and Grace of Christ for the sinners benefit Faith is a mighty appropriating applicative Grace although it be very silent patient and submissive as to mesures degrees seasons and the manner of receiving Grace yet it is very ready to applie al Promisses or intimations of Grace given it Yea if it has but a general promisse yet it can make particular application of it to the soul yea sometimes though it has but an Item an half-promisse or nod from Christ yet it can applie and improve it for the sinners encouragement As by the acts of Adherence and Recumbence the soul goes forth to Christ so by this appropriating applicative act of faith it sucks in and applies to itself the Grace of Christ according to its several needs and indigences Is the poor sinner laden and pinched with the guilt of sin O then how doth faith applie thereto a Plaister of Christs bloud Doth some powerful lust or tentation assault the soul then faith goeth to Christ for fortifying corroborating Grace Is the Believer called to any difficult piece of service either active or passive for Christ then Faith applies to itself the Divine assistance and direction of Christs Spirit Thus it receiveth out of Christs fulnesse Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. But now unbelief is altogether unacquainted with this Divine Art of appropriating and applying the Grace of Christ It doth want not only legs or an active power to go to Christ but also hands or a passive power to receive from Christ Oh! what a prodigiously proud begger is Unbelief in that it scornes to receive an Almes from Christ What! not receive Grace when offered Doth Christ offer an Act of Indemnitie unto sinners and wil not they receive it at his hands Oh! what a proud bloudy sin is Unbelief Alas many convinced sinners think it too much Presumtion and Arrogance for them to appropriate and applie the Grace of Christ to themselves They think it better becomes them to applie nothing but wrath and condemnation to themselves So modest and humble do they seem to be But oh what a world of pride doth there lie at the bottome of this seeming Modestie and Humilitie Is it not rank pride for sinners to refuse that Grace which is freely offered When Christ comes to pour in Grace freely into the soul then to refuse that Grace because we have no monie to purchase it what egregious pride is this 8. The last act of Infidelitie or Unbelief is A diffident removing or putting far from the soul the second coming of Christ and al the great things of Eternitie which ensue thereon Faith has such a miraculous efficace as that it can make things absent present things invisible visible Heb. 11. 1. It gives a prelibation and foretast of approching Glories Ephes 1. 13 14. Here Paul tels them That after they believed they were sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a Translation borrowed from Seals by the impression or stampe whereof we distinguish things true from false things authentic from uncertain The stampe of a Seal impressed on an Instrument renders it indubitable and unquestionable The Jews had the externe seal of Circumcision and the Grecians were sealed with the marque of their Idols ay but saith Paul Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Article here is treble which carries in it a great Emphase and demonstrates some extraordinary work of the holy Spirit It seems to refer to the great Promisse of the Spirit Luke 24. 49. as elsewhere But what is meant by this seal of the Spirit I know some understand it of the Seal of Assurance whereby they were assured of their eternal possession and we need not altogether exclude this sense yet I humbly conceive that this Seal is primarily to be understood of the Stampe or Impresse of Grace at first Regeneration which is communicated to al Believers whence it is said they were sealed with that Holy Spirit i. e the Spirit of Sanctification Now this Impresse or stampe of the Spirit of Sanctification after their first believing is said to be ver 14. the earnest of our inheritance c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the general signifies al that which is given for the confirmation of a promisse and particularly among the Phenicians whence the Grecians seem to have derived the word it notes earnest-money So that the sense is this Ye who have believed have received the earnest of the Spirit of Grace whereby you have hopes and expectation of glory Hence Faith has the Bridegrooms coming fixed on its eye the sound of the last Trumpe ever ringing in its ear Ay but Unbelief removes al these far from the soul it says in the language of those secure sinners 2 Pet. 3. 4. Where is the promisse of his coming do not althings continue as they were Unbelief is possest with a kind of sleeping Devil it dreams of nothing but building Tabernacles here What a stranger is it to eternitie and the concernes thereof If the secure sinner be now and then a little awakened and startled at the apprehensions of future jugement how restlesse is Unbelief til it has got the soul asleep again How are the eyes shut and the wil bolted against al foresight and expectations of Christs second coming Oh! what a torment is it to the Unbeliever to lie under awakened apprehensions expectations of and approches towards future jugement What would he give if eternitie were buried in oblivion There is nothing in the world that the Unbelievers heart is more alienated from and averse to than the second coming of Christ Faith breeds a great expectation of longing for and has leaning unto that great day But oh how doth Unbelief endeavor to choke and stifle al awakened apprehensions thereof And if the spirit of Bondage worke any lively sense and convictions of that terrible day what dreadful stormes
and tempests of legal fear doth unbelief raise in the soul whereby it is indisposed and hindered from any effectual endeavors and preparations for that day And oh how commun is this piece of Infidelitie Did not our great Lord foretel that it should be the main sin of these last days Luke 18. 8. Yea is it not foretold Mat. 25. 4. That the wise Virgins as wel as the foolish should in these last days be overtaken with spiritual slumber and removing far from them the coming of their Lord But oh what a dead sleep are the foolish Virgins under who mind not at al the coming of Christ And whence comes the Sensualitie and Luxurie of secure sinners but from this great piece of Infidelitie in not waiting for Christs coming as Mat. 24. 36-39 What makes many knowing Professors so formal dead-hearted loitering and lazy in al the great duties and services of Christianitie but their not expecting this great day Fiducial expectation of Christs coming makes Christians active and vigorous in al gracious exercices as we find it exemplified in Paul 2 Cor. 5. 9. Phil. 3. 12 13. Again whence springeth the excesse of unlawful passions and the prevâ—lence of domineering lusts but from unbelief as to Christs second coming Lively apprehensions and expectations of this glorious day are most efficacious to kil lusts and remove tentations as 2 Pet. 3. 10 11. How comes it to passe that men are so carelesse and regardlesse of a good conscience but from want of such lively expectations of Christs coming What made Paul so exact in keeping a good conscience but his faith in eying this great day as Act. 24. 15 16 How little do men mind affect or do any thing as they ought so long as they put far from them the coming of their Lord Doth not the peace comfort grace strength beautie and flourishing of a Christian depend on this piece of faith Doth it not argue a desperate hard unbelieving heart not to regard this day Do not such Professors as neglect this piece of Faith live below their principles and profession So much for the nature of Infidelitie CHAP. VIII Doctrinal Corollaries deduced from the precedent Idea's and Notions of Infidelitie HAving dispatchâ— the formal Idea or Nature of Vnbelief before we passe on to the remaining Questions it wil be not a little Vseful that we make some Improvements of what hath been laid down both by Corollaries and more practic Vses As for Corollaries various great truths may be deduced from the precedent Explication of Infidelitie As 1. That awakened Sinners may procede very far in Assent and Consent to the things that belong unto their peace and yet remain Infidels or Vnbelievers This Corollarie doth naturally flow from the former description of Unbelief and we need go no further for the exemplification hereof than those unbelieving Jews over whom our Lord here weeps and laments Alas how far did many of these awakened Jews procede in their Assent and Consent to Christ as their long-waited-for Messias Do they not immediately before v. 37 38. solemnely recognise him as their crowned King Oh! what joyous Hosanna's and Psalmes of Praise do they sing unto him as John 12. 13 14 15. which refers hereto And doth not this argue a great conviction in their consciences as also some faint and languid inclination in their wils towards him And yet Lo our blessed Lord weeps over them as those who knew not the things that did belong unto their peace Oh! What a soul-astonishing consideration is this to consider how far many poor awakend sinners have gone in owning Christ and yet at last have been disowned by him How many self-deluding souls assent to Christ in their jugements and yet consent to lust in their hearts If we make some brief reflexion on the forementioned particulars of faith what a strange concurrence shal we find to make good this Corollarie 1. Did not the unbelieving Jews of old as a world of false Professors now assent unto the Scriptures as the Oracles of God wherein al the good things of their peace were loged and yet never arrived unto a real particular fixed evangelic prevalent and vigorous credence thereof How many assent to the things which belong to their peace in notion but yet dissent in heart and practice Do not too many assent to the pleasing and sweet offers of the Gospel but yet dissent from the displeasing and self-crucifying duties thereof Oh! how far have many convinced Sinners gone in Attention to and Reception of the things of their peace What great and amazing Conceptions have they had thereof Yea how much have they approved of things most excellent Yea what strong legal assent have they yielded unto the terrors of the Law Yea have not some been as it were ravisht with joy in their contemplations of approching glories Yea and have not these convictions wrought their hearts to a great mesure of alienation and a version from sensible goods as also closing with the good things that belong to their peace And yet al this while what strangers have they been to a saving assent to the things that belong to their peace Have they not given a mere natural human Assent to supernatural Divine truths It s true they have received the Word of God but was it not as the word of men as clothed with some human Autoritie or excellence Oh! how many have their consciences awakened by the Word who yet never subject their Consciences to it How many receive the word of Faith and yet mixe not faith with the word they receive Alas what a dismal contemplation is it to consider how far many awakened Professors have gone in a professed and partial assent to the things that belong to their peace and yet al the while really dissented from them 2. May not also convinced sinners procede very far in their Consent to the good things that belong unto their peace and yet remain Infidels Did not many of these unbelieving Jews whom our Lord here weeps over approve of and consent to him as their crowned King and Messias and yet how soon do they spit in his face and bid defiance to him Is it not said John 2. 23 24. that many believed in the name of Jesus whom yet he did not believe or confide in They commit themselves to him but he dares not commit himself to them knowing them to be rotten-hearted Alas how many seem willing to take Christ hereafter provided they may for the present solace themselves some while in their lusts And do not al such demurs delays and Wils for hereafter argue a present Nil or unwillingnesse to embrace Christ as Luke 9. 59 61 Yea are not many terrified Wils under the stings and gals of conscience oft inclined to a present and speedy closure with Christ who yet never arrive to a saving election of him Oh! how many are there who elect a compound Christ or a single Christ with a compound
hide strengthen and foment secret invisible lusts as spiritual pride carnal confidence Hos 7. 16 Or at best doth he not make use of al his covenants against sin only as a balsame to heal the wounds of his conscience not as poison to kil the lusts of his heart Such is the curse and plague of commun faith 6. Saving faith transformes the heart into the Image of Christ and thence makes the Believer conforme to his Life and Laws but commun faith workes neither Saving Faith brings the heart near to Christ and so stampes the Image of Christ upon the heart It cannot make men Christ but yet it makes them like unto him and that not only in one particular excellence but in al It changeth the last end and disposition of the wil and thence the whole soul and life It infuseth a divine plenitude or fulnesse of Grace into the soul answerable to that fulnesse of sin that was there before And as Christ is one with his Father by personal union so Believers are one with Christ by faith Hence much of the life of Christ appears in their lives The love and spirit of Christ prevails with them to live the life of Christ and conforme to his Laws And oh what a sweet harmonie and conformitie so far as Faith and Grace prevails is there between the Spirit and Life of Christ and their spirits and life How much do their hearts and lives answer to the primitive Patterne of puritie in the heart and life of Christ But can the Unbelievers commun faith worke such rare effects It s true sometimes his Actions are changed but are not his vital Principles and Dispositions unchanged He may sometimes conforme to the Laws of Christ in appearance but doth he not stil hate them at heart Whereas the Believer whiles he breakes the law of Christ in Action he conformes to it in Affection and desire as Roman 7. 22. The Unbelievers commun faith may lead him to please Christ in shew but is it not al to please himself in truth Doth he not wholly live on self as his spring and to self as his last end Oh! how impossible is it for him to live by faith on Christ and to Christ which is the Believers life 7. Saving faith makes Believers diligent in the use of means and yet keeps them from trusting in them commun faith makes Vnbelievers negligent in the use of means and yet to trust in them Oh! how industrious is Faith in the use of means as if there were no Christ to trust unto And yet doth not faith trust wholly in Christ as if there were no means to be used Yea doth it not trust Christ as much in the fulnesse of means as in the want of them But oh how much doth unbelief trust in means though it be very negligent in the use of them 8. Saving Faith is alwaies bottomed on a Promisse and by it workes up the heart to God But commun faith is alwaies bottomed either on false persuasions or self-sufficiences and by them turnes the heart from God 9. Saving Faith walkes in Gods ways by a strait rule to a strait end But commun faith is always stepping out of Gods way its rule and end both are crooked True Faith looks both to its end and rule it wil not do good that evil or evil that good may follow But commun faith wil do both 10. Lastly Saving Faith values an half-promisse yea a mere peradventure from God more than the best promisse the creature can make but commun faith depends more on the rotten and false promisse of its own heart or of the creature than on al the promisses of God 3. Hence we may further infer That there is no medium or middle between true Faith and Infidelitie Commun faith is but real Unbelief He that is not a sound Believer is a real Infidel He that receives not Christ on his own termes rejects him Not to trust in Christ with al the heart is not to trust him at al in truth A forced election of Christ is a real reprobation of him A mere human or notional or general or confused or instable or inefficacious Assent to Christ is real Dissent Not to rest in Christ alone as our Mediator is not at al to confide in him He that cannot part with al for Christ wil soon part with Christ for any thing If faith purifies not the heart from sin and fortifies it against tentation it deserves not the name of faith Acts 15. 9. If Faith gives not a substantial being to things not in being it doth nothing Heb. 11. 1. If you can believe nothing but what you have reason and evidence for from the things themselves you believe nothing as you ought for though reason may assist faith as an instrument yet it destroyes faith as a principal ground or argument because faith is of things inevident Heb. 11. 1. Faith takes nothing for its formal reason or principal ground but increated Autoritie and therefore it is not the mere evidence of reason but the testimonie of God that makes men believers And if so then oh what a world of that which passeth for faith among men wil one day appear to be real Unbelief What may we judge of those who hang up Christ in their phantasies as pictures in an house but yet never really adhere to or recumb on him Is not this mere fancie rather than faith What shal we conclude of the presumtuous believer who presumes God wil shape his mercie according to his humor Is not his faith mere Unbelief Yea can there be a more cursed piece of Unbelief than a fond groundlesse presumtion that we do believe Again what shal we say of the dead-borne sleepy faith of secure Sinners who lay their head in Satans bosome and sleep securely on the pillow of his rotten peace Is not this a piece of Unbelief which Devils and damned Spirits are not guiltie of For they believe and tremble at the apprehensions of their approching jugement And oh how soon wil these their sweet sleeps end in dreadful hellish awakenings Again may we not judge the same of legal faith which sets up the Law in the room of Christ or at least yokes the Law and Christ together Do not such by joining the Law with Christ disjoin their hearts from Christ Rom. 7. 1-4 Is it not as bad a piece of Unbelief to set up the Law instead of Christ as to set up lust instead of the law Yea is there not much of Idolatrie in such a legal faith for do not such as depend on their own legal performances for life make themselves their God and Christ Oh! how oft doth such a legal faith or carnal confidence end in black despair Were it not easie to shew if opportunitie served how al the false or commun faiths in the world are indeed but real Infidelitie colored over with a tincture of faith O then what a world of Infidels
and Unbelievers are there who walk up and down under the masque and vizard of Believers Surely if al these pretended fancied faiths are real unbelief there can be no middle betwixt Faith and Unbelief and then how many great Professors wil fal under the black character of Unbelievers albeit they may now passe for good Believers 4. Hence also we learne That solid saving Faith is most rare and difficult but commun faith most cheap and easie It s no difficult mater in these knowing times to gain the Notion of Faith but oh how difficult is it to attain unto the thing faith A general implicite Assent to the things that belong unto our peace is very commun but oh how rare is it to meet with a particular explicite real Assent to the things of our peace formally considered Do not the most of Professors yield only a human natural or traditional Assent to Divine supernatural Truths and Mysteries Multitudes now adays receive the Word of God but how is it not as the word of men i. e as clothed with human Autoritie or the evidence of reason not as the Word of God 1 Thes 2. 13 A confused suspense reeling assent to evangelic Doctrines is very commun but is not a distinct fixed deep welgrounded assent as rare Oh! how superficial and feeble is most mens assent to the good things of their peace Or if some awakened consciences arise higher to a more complete and deep assent yet alas how legal is their assent even to evangelic Truths How hard is it even for true Believers much more for those who have only commun faith to see sin as sin and not to fal under a legal spirit of Bondage To assent to the truths of the Gospel when Conscience is fired with the terrors of the Law is no great pain but oh how painful a thing is it to assent to Gospel truths from an inward feeling apprehension of their own worth and excellence To assent to the Doctrines of the Gospel is commun but is it not as commun to dissent from the duties of the Gospel which in divine estimation is but a dead faith How few have impressions suitable to their faith How few are there among the croud of Believers who have an admiring assent an high estime and right valuation of the good things that belong unto their peace It is indeed very facile to yield a barren lazy dead assent to Evangelic Notions but oh how difficult is it to arrive unto a fruitful vigorous lively efficacious practic assent such as may forme and transforme the heart into the very image of those good things we assent unto So also for Consent it is very commun and easie for convinced sinners to be induced to make some indeliberate involuntary partial imperfect election of Christ and other good things that belong to their peace but oh how rare and difficult is it to attain unto a chearful speedy complete and fixed closure with Christ on his own termes as offered in the Gospel Is it not commun with many to adhere to Christ in Profession but to lust in Affection How many commun Believers give Christ good words but give their hearts to some Idol-lover Do not too many also pretend subjection to Christ and his soverain pleasure but really intend subjection to no other Lord than their own Lusts How many seem to depend wholly on Christ for Grace who yet secretly lean on their own understandings and good wils O that men would believe what a difficult thing it is to believe aright Alas how violent is the motion of Faith How much against corrupt nature are the supernatural acts of Faith Was there ever a greater miracle under Heaven excepting the Incarnation of the Son of God than the working of faith in an unbelieving heart Is not every saving faith a standing Miracle Oh! what a contradiction is it to carnal wisdome and corrupt Nature to assent and consent to the imputed righteousnesse of Christ What a painful thing is it to carnal hearts to part with right eyes and right hands every beloved lust for Christ How many thousand ways are there to Unbelief or commun faith but oh how narrow yea indivisible is the way to saving faith Commun faith growes among roses but Saving faith among thoâ—es What a grand deceit therefore is it to conceit Saving faith easie and commun Certainly he never yet believed aright that has not in some mesure had experience What a difficult thing it is to believe aright 5. Hence likewise we may conclude That Believers themselves have many Reliques and Remains of Vnbelief in them Alas how much darknesse is there mixed with their Notions of the good things that belong to their peace How much dissent is there in their assent to Evangelic truths It s true they dare not when they are themselves reject the good things of their peace ay but do they not too oft neglect and undervalue the same Are their Apprehensions and Impressions suitable to the worth of those objects they believe How then comes it to passe that on the interposure of some tentation they turne aside to lying Vanities Are not Believers themselves oft very confused and instable in their assent to evangelic Mysteries Yea have they not sometimes many prevalent suspensions hesitations and douts touching the sacred Scriptures and their Divine Autoritie How oft have many sincere Believers been violently assaulted with Atheistic thoughts that there is no God What a sealed Book and dark saying is the whole Gospel to many afflicted Consciences in times of Desertion In times of distresse how oft doth their Faith question the realitie of the Promisses What 's the reason why many true Believers are so much shaken in some difficult cases but because they do not bottome their Souls on the immutable faithfulnesse of God in his Promisses Are not the gracious offers of the Covenant most rich abundant and free How then comes it to passe that Believers are so poor and low in Grace Is it not from their want of Faith to draw out that fulnesse that is contained in and offered by the Covenant Have not Believers Gods immutable Word Oath and Fidelitie to confirme his Covenant And yet lo How backward are they to trust him in any straits How frequently do Believers stagger in their adherence unto Christ How much are they off and on up and down fast and loose with Christ How little are they acquainted with the applicatorie appropriating Acts of Faith What great things might Believers receive from Christ had they but a great faith to expect and receive them How seldome are the most of Believers in realising believing views of approching Glories What obscure and strained notions have they of Eternitie Had we eternitie in our eye and heart how would the view thereof darken the glorie of this lower world Did Believers eye much their home how vigilant active and vigorous would they be in their way thither Life and death are the same thing
to one that daily expects the coming of his Lord But oh How apt are Believers themselves to put far from them that great day Were not the the wise Virgins overtaken with fits of slumber aswel as the foolish Again how little can the most of Believers acquiesce and rest satisfied in Christ as the alone spring and mater of their life Do they not sometimes conceit that there is some grace or other good to be found out of Christ And are they not hereby oft inveigled to wander from Christ Ought not the heart to be where the treasure is And is not the Believers treasure in Christ How then comes it to passe that he is so little satisfied in Christ but for want of faith in him Moreover how short-spirited and impatient are many Believers What confined and narrow hearts have they under the crosse Do not the length and weight of their burdens oft make them extreme short-spirited as Exod. 6. 9. for shortnesse of Spirit So Num. 21. 4. its said They were short-spirited because of the way i. e the length of their sufferings shortned their spirits they could not in patience possesse their souls and many of them were true Believers for the main Oh! how soon do such short-spirited Believers despond and sink under their burdens What faintings under duties are they obnoxious unto How straitned are their spirits as to present or expected mercies What murmurs and discontents have they against the Yoke and Crosse of Christ Yea how dissolute soft and feeble are they in resistance of Tentations How timorous and faint-hearted at the approche of difficulties Whence procede Believers black and dismal Imaginations under Desertions but from their Unbelief Is is not hence also that they are so humorous and il-minded towards Christ so apt to raise black lies and slanders of him Do not their unbelieving hearts change Christ into another Christ by covering his face with a masque of hatred and displeasure Oh! How much are the sinews of many poor believing souls shrunk how much are their spirits cramped and dispirited by Unbelief specially in cases of soul-trouble or tentation So great is the prevalence of Unbelief in many sound Believers 6. Hence we may further collect That Vnbelief is a sin of the first Magnitude a great mysterie of Iniquitie the greatest Monster that ever was This naturally flows from the former Idea and explication of Unbelief For if the character and nature of Unbelief be so comprehensive if it seize so much on the vitals of the soul then certainly it must needs have a very maligne and venimous influence on al sin yea it must contain in it the malignitie and poison of al sin Oh! What a prodigious Sin is Unbelief What Abysses and depths of iniquitie are there in the bowels of it We have seen how it infuseth itself into the wholeâ— soul and dispirits al the faculties thereof Oh! what darknesses and mists doth it infuse into the mind How foolish and sottish doth it make sinners What grand mistakes and prejudices doth it breed touching al the good things of our peace How stupid and senselesse doth it make conscience What a world of securitie and false peace doth it produce What made the old world so secure before the Deluge came and swept them al away but their Unbelief How comes it to passe that both wise and foolish Virgins slumber before the coming of the Bridegroom but from their Unbelief What makes sinners so stout-hearted and opposite to the righteousnesse of Christ but their Infidelitie Isai 46. 12 How comes it to passe that Sinners are so inflexible as to al Chrsts gracious offers but flexible towards sin and its allurements What is it that fortifies the heart so much in its adherence to Idols and false objects of trust What makes mens wils so rebellions against Christ yea destroyeth obedience in the principal root thereof Are not al these the fruits of Unbelief Oh! What a lazy slothful remisse and softnatured thing is Unbelief as to al that is good And yet how vigorous and active is it in and for the production of al sin Yea is not Unbelief virtually al sin Doth it not breed preserve foment incourage actuate and spirit al sin Whence procede the great errors of mens minds hearts and lives but from Infidelitie How comes it to passe that sinners are so hasty in snatching at present goods but so slow-hearted and backward in closing with the good things of their peace Surely it is from Unbelief Whence spring mens confusions and distractions of heart in times of trouble but from their Unbelief Whence also springs al that formalitie and deadnesse in duties but from Unbelief Is not this also the cause of mens hypocrisie both in heart and life Oh! what a world of irregular and exorbitant passions doth Unbelief worke in mens hearts What makes the sensual world so tenacious in adhering to sensible good but their Unbelief as to good things hoped for May not then every sin deservedly cal Unbelief father Is not this sin of Infidelitie to be found at the end of every sin Whence spring the main exorbitances and distempers of mens hearts and lives but from Infidelitie Men discourse variously what was the first sin by which Adam fel but have we not much reason to believe that Unbelief was Adams first sin which opened the dore to al sin and miserie For had not Adam disbelieved the Word of God which threatned him in the day that he did eat of the forbidden fruit he should die he had not believed Satan And as Unbelief at first opened the dore to al sin so doth it not stil hearten and improve al sin Yea is it not the prodigious womb of al sin Yea has it not more of sin than any or al other sins It s true scandalous sins have more of Infamie but has not Infidelitie more of obliquitie and guilt in it Is not that the greatest sin which is against the greatest Laws and Obligations And is not Infidelitie against the greatest Obligations that ever were even a Covenant of Grace which makes such free such ful such rich such suitable such general such importunate such heart-satisfying offers of Grace And can there be a greater law than the Mediators evangelic law which is composed of such sweet alluring precepts and promisses and yet lo how doth Unbelief oppose the royal Law of Christ Oh! what a world of rebellion lies wrapt up in the bowels of Infidelitie How doth it scorne reject yea spurne at bowels of evangelic Love and Grace Yea is it not extremely opposite to al the principles of obedience Is there not also abundance of Idolatrie in Infidelitie Can there be a worse Idol than self idolised And doth not every Unbeliever idolise his own carnal wisdome his proud wil his commun gifts his self-sufficience his legal Righteousnesses and seeming good duties Is not the Unbelievers self-dependence the worst piece of Idolatrie Doth not every Unbeliever by depending on
those to be under the power of Unbelief who were never truly sensible of the power of it Is not Infidelitie as it has been shown the greatest sin and therefore ought to have the greatest sense What is the main and first worke of the Spirit of Bondage but to convince the unbelieving world of their unbelief as John 16. 9 And can men be convinced of it unlesse they studie and observe the nature and workings of it Why is it that the most of men do account Infidelitie so smal a sin but because they never inquired into its black ugly Nature and Aggravations How comes it to passe that many take part with their Unbelief but because they are not sensible what a mischievous pernicious thing it is Alas Did men studie and believe what an hainous sin Infidelitie is how would they abominate and loath it What speed would they make to be rid of it Yea why is it that Believers themselves are so much under the prevalence of Unbelief but because they have not that sense of its indwelling and prevalence which they ought to have Did Believers meditate much of and mourne under the evils of an unbelieving heart surely they would not be so much troubled with it as they are Oh! What a rare thing is it for Believers to have a quick sense of Unbelief What better argument and marque can we have of a sound Believer than a daily sense of and humiliation for Unbelief Yea is it not a good signe of much growth in Faith and other Graces to be inwardly acquainted with and troubled for the remains of Infidelitie dwelling in us Do not the best and most improved Christians usually complain most of this sin Oh! What an invisible slie and subtile sin is Infidelitie How long doth it lie lurking in the soul before it be observed Doth it not like some cunning Politicians animate and encourage every sin yet concele itself in al its actings Doth it not then greatly concerne al both Believers and Unbelievers to studie wel the Nature Causes and maligne Influences of Unbelief Oh! how much of Infidelitie might we find in every sin were we but wel-skilled in the nature and workings of it But alas what Mysteries and Riddles are Unbelievers to themselves How unacquainted are they with the spiritual cunning and subtile turnings and windings of their unbelieving hearts Is it not then the great concerne of al to be greatly intent on the studie of and inquisition into the Nature Operations and Effects of Unbelief But above althings we should much contemplate and inquire into the Causes of Infidelitie Is not he the wisest Philosopher who contemplates and understands best the causes of things And do not men account him the most able Physician who gives the best conjecture at the Causes of a Disease So in like manner may we not repute him among the most understanding Believers who is best skilled in discerning the Causes of Unbelief Surely althings are best known in and by their Causes O then if thou wilt understand the black nature of Infidelitie studie and inquire narrowly into its Causes Inquire into that Soverain venimous black darknesse which dwels in Conscience and makes al the good things of thy peace to disappear Oh! What a Veil doth this thick spiritual darknesse draw on al the excellences of Christ How doth it stain al the Beautie and Glorie of Evangelic offers made to the unbelieving Soul Oh! what an efficacious influence hath the darknesse of Conscience on the darknesse of Infidelitie Studie also how much carnal reason doth promote Infidelitie What more contrary to Faith than carnal reason When men endeavor to mesure the Promisses or Providences the Words or Workes of God by carnal wisdome what black jealousies and suspicions of Gods love care and faithfulnesse procede thence How is the Unbelievers heart filled with black ugly prejudices against Christ and al the offers of his Grace The lesse of carnal reason there is mixed with Faith the more pure it is Again observe how much carnal Securitie doth foment and promote thine unbelief Is not a secure Conscience ever an unbelieving Conscience When men consider not the things that belong to their peace how can they understand or believe them What made the old World so much disbelieve the approching Deluge of Gods wrath but their wretched securitie It s true Unbelief is oft the cause of carnal securitie but is it not also as oft the effect of it Is not the Securitie of the wise and foolish Virgins made a cause of their Infidelitie Matthew 25. 5 Is not faith maintained by an inward tender feeling sense and Unbelief by the want of such a sense Further take notice how much self-love doth feed and nourish thine Unbelief What self-dependence and self-secking it workes in thee How soft-natured and faint-hearted as to Dutie but stout-hearted and resolute against Christ and al his gracious invitations it makes thee Oh! Studie how much self-love fortifies thy heart against al the good things of thy peace but exposeth and layes it open to al the tentations of Sin and Satan Consider also how much Spiritual Pride contributes to thine Infidelitie Oh! how craftie and cunning is the pride of Infidelitie and how much are the Unbelievers bands strengthened hereby Meditate also on thy short-spiritednesse and its venimous influence on thine unbelief How contracted and narrow is the Unbelievers heart And how much is his unbelief promoted hereby A confined short straitned spirit is alwaies pusillanimous feeble and unbelieving as Exod. 6. 9. Lastly Examine if there be not some base darling lust lurking at the bottome of thy wil which secretly feeds and fortifies thine unbelief Oh! what large provision doth any beloved lust make for Infidelitie How much is its Throne maintained by it What stout arguments do darling lusts urge against Christ and al his gracious offers These with some other are the principal causes and most bitter roots of Infidelitie the observation and discoverie of which wil be of great use for the subduing of this sin But the more ful Inquisition into the Causes of Infidelitie wil be the entire Subject of the second part of our Discourse touching Unbelief 2. Another practic Improvement we may make of this Doctrine is by way of sad Lamentation and Humiliation for the prevalence of Infidelitie in the world even among Professors Is the Idea or visage of Unbelief so black and ugly Are its Influences so venimous and contagious How then comes it to passe that this knowing world is enamored and fallen in love with it Could any sober mind imagine that a thing so deformed and pernicious should seem so amiable and desirable in the eyes of men Was it ever known that the Leper was amorous of his Scabs or the Begger in love with his Rags or the Prisoner with his Fetters or the wounded Person with his bleeding Wounds How then comes it to passe that the
Christian world is so much amorous of and delighted in Infidelitie which is the worst leprosie povertie deformitie and miserie that the Soul partakes of Yea how comes it to passe that Believers themselves have such reliques and remains of Unbelief in them and that in such days as these are wherein Evangelic Light Love and Grace so much abound Hath not our blessed Lord taken al the courses and means that may be to cure men of their Infidelitie As to the encouragements and motives to believe doth he not shew himself as kind as kind may be Has he not given al manner of warrants yea commands for men to believe Doth not the Covenant of Grace give as good law-right as may be for al that wil to come and embrace the good things that belong to their peace Are not the offers of the Covenant general free abundant and most affectionate Is not Christ more willing to save than sinners are to be saved As to means what can God do more than he has in saying Here is my Son my Spirit my Gospel and al the good things of My peace take al and welcome And are not the termes on which al these good things are offered most easie to any that is but really willing to be happy Yea are not the means vouchsafed by God to cure our Infidelitie in these lightsome days much greater than in former days Whence then is it that men continue in their Infidelitie and that with so much delight Has Christ condescended so low in the offers of his Grace and do sinners stil persist in their rejecting or not improving such rich and gracious offers Oh! What mater of sad contemplation and Lamentation is here How ought every eye to weep apart and every heart to bleed apart for personal domestic Ecclesiastic and National Infidelitie Alas how true too true is that prediction of our Omniscient Lord touching these last days Luke 18. 8. Neverthelesse when the Son of Man cometh shal he find faith on the earth Who knows how near this coming of the Son of Man may be May we not conjecture that some great coming of the Son of Man cannot be far off because faith is so much departed from the earth Was there ever since the coming of our Lord in the flesh more light and yet more Atheisme in the world Is not the disbelief of the main Articles of our faith the only faith and belief that is to be found among some Are not al the great fundamentals and vitals of faith struck at by some who would count it an high affront to be judged Unbelievers Yea to come nearer home have we not cause to fear that many who passe for shining Believers wil one day appear to be rotten-hearted Unbelievers Yea to leave others to their supreme Judge have we not al cause to lay our hands on our hearts and condemne our selves of much Infidelitie If thou art not sensible of much Unbelief indwelling in thee is it not a sad Symtome that thou hast nothing or at best but very little of true Faith in thy heart May we not safely say That he never truely mourned for any sin who never mourned for Infidelitie which is at the end of every Sin Oh! what lamentable ruines has Unbelief brought on many flourishing Churches And may we expect to be exemted from the like strokes of Divine justice unlesse we lament and mourn over our Unbelief which deserves the same Take these Motives to provoke thine heart to a deep Lamentation and Humiliation for thine own and other mens unbelief 1 Unbelief is as has been said the greatest Sin and therefore ought to worke in us the greatest sense and humiliation 2 If thine heart be not deeply humbled for thine Unbelief thou wilt soon be overcome by it 3 The more thy soul is melted under the sense of Unbelief the more evangelic and spiritual it is What better marque is there of a spiritual yea of a believing heart than a deep sense of and humiliation for Unbelief It is a great proof of our Faith yea of an eminence in Faith to mourne greatly under Unbelief 4 A little unbelief in Believers is much worse than much unbelief in others because Believers have greater Obligations Encouragements Assistances and Means to believe 5 Not to be humbled for the Unbelief of others whether Churches or State is to partake with them in their sin and so to expose our selves to their approching jugements at least temporal 3. This lays a deep and essential obligation on al to examine accurately how far they fal under the Guilt and Power of Infidelitie If the Nature of Unbelief be such as hath been described then surely it concernes al to examine how far it prevails in them Doth not the great Ressemblance that there is between saving Faith and commun oblige al to trie of what stampe and make their faith is Alas how much commun Assent is there which passeth for saving What a great verisimilitude or likenesse is there between the notional Assent of Unbelievers and real Assent of true Believers Do not many knowing Professors seem to receive the Word of God as the Word of God who yet indeed receive it only as the word of men Have not many contemplative Professors sublime and raised Apprehensions of spiritual Mysteries and yet al the while their assent to them is but carnal and natural Do not some seem deeply convinced of and confirmed in evangelic reports who yet yield but a legal staggering assent thereto Doth not the vig or and strength of many mens assent arise from some transient worke of the Spirit of Bondage rather than from a deep apprehension and valuation of Evangelic objects which they assent unto Again how easy is it for men to be mistasten in their Consent to the good things of their peace Do not many seem very forward in electing of Christ who yet retain secret reserves for some beloved Idol Are not too many from the force of legal convictions compelled to close with Christ who yet secretly hate him at heart How many adhere to Christ in Profession and yet adhere to the world or lust in Affection Are there not many who seem to recumb and lean on Christ for life but yet really recumb and lean upon self Oh! what a world of convinced sinners take up with a spurious or commun faith instead of saving How dreadfully do millions of Unbelievers delude themselves with a sick dream and shadow of commun faith Alas what an easie mater is it for Professors in these knowing times to mistake commun faith for saving to deceive themselves and and others with a forme or picture of faith and yet to remain under the real power of Unbelief It is indeed very difficult to gain a true solid divine Faith but oh how easie is it to take up with a seeming faith which yet shal look as much like saving faith as may be Oh! how securely doth Infidelitie lurke in many poor souls under
the vizard of Faith Doth not commun faith oft look so demurely as that you can very hardly discerne its difference from saving Are not the most of Professors too soon satisfied in their own faith Do not multitudes of awakened sinners lay their consciences asleep or amuse themselves with the apparences of faith Is not every Unbeliever yea Believer also a mysterie to himself How much then are we al concerned to make a narrow scrutinie into our hearts and to examine whether our Faith be of the right kind Oh! What a foolish and dangerous thing is it for any to deceive themselves with false Images and Apparences of Faith Is not the least error here fundamental Alas What a poor felicitie is it to steal silently to hel in a fond persuasion of being Believers when as our faith hath no foundation but in our own sick dreaming Phantasies Of what use wil a Forme of Faith without the Power of it be unlesse to sinke us deeper into Hel To have a Notion of Faith and yet to live under the practice of Unbelief what wil this serve for but to concele and fortifie hypocrisie and al manner of spiritual lusts in the heart Doth not this then further oblige us to examine strictly what we are as to Faith and Infidelitie Again if after al this men wil not examine and use the means to discover their state are not such willingly deceived And if men are willingly deceived in this particular do not they willingly perish And oh What a sting wil this be to torment wilful Unbelievers in Hel that they were so willing and took so much pains to deceive themselves with a mere semblance and shadow of faith but were no way willing and took no pains to examine their hearts thereby to undeceive themselves and lay a foundation for saving Faith Wil not this make the Evangelic Unbelievers Hel seven times hotter than al other Hels that he took so much pains to deceive and ruine his soul but was not willing to take a little pains to undeceive and save his soul Oh! What cruel self-murder is this Doth it not then nearly and greatly concerne us al to make a very curious examen and strict research into our hearts touching our faith whether it be saving or only commun O that Professors would put such Questions as these unto their Consciences and never desist til they have brought the whole to some good issue It s true I have a Notion and Forme of faith but have I indeed the real Power and Virtue of Faith Am I not rather under the Dominion and Prevalence of Infidelitie I assent to some words of God thaâ— are agreable but do I not dissent from some other which disagree with and crosse my lusts I do receive the word of faith but have I Faith mixed with the word I receive Mine awakened Conscience attendes to the joyful sound of the Gospel but doth not my lustful heart attend as much to allurements of lust The Peace of the Gospel is pleasing to my wounded Conscience but are not the duties of the Gospel displeasing to my rebellioâ—s heart My mind hath some estime for the good things of my peace but has it not as great estime for the good things of this world Have I a right valuation of those things I hope for Mine assent to Evangelic truths and Mysteries seems firme and strong ay but doth it leave suitable impressions on mine heart Is it vigorous affective and active Doth it kil my lust and give life unto my soul Moreover O my soul thou seemest to have a good liking to Jesus the Savior ay but hast thou as good a mind to Christ i. e as anointed by the Father to be King over thy lusts person and goods Art thou brought over to a voluntarie free cordial complete and fixed closure with him as offered in the Gospel Canst thou take a whole Christ with thy whole heart and that for ever Doest thou give Christ that place in the Intention and Bent of thy Wil which belongs to him Hath his lave and Grace the Soverain dominion over thy Wil And is thy wil bended to a correspondence with his Divine Wil Canst thou be content to be nothing that Christ may be althings to thee Is his Glorie thy last and utmost end And is it thy joy to see althings to suit with his end though they may crosse thine own private ends Wil nothing but Christ content thee Art thou restlesse ' til thou attainest to the enjoyment of him Is this the grand motive of thy seeking after Christ that thy good is laid up in Him and not in thy self And art thou wholly for Christ as he is wholly for thee Doest thou adhere to Him with a plenitude of Wil as the Iron to the Loadstone Canst thou do much for and yet trust in nothing but Christ Art thou obsequious and obedient to the Spirits dictates as to thy supreme Conductor and Director And when thou comest short of honoring Christ by Obedience doest thou honor Him by humble acknowlegement and Dependence Canst thou wait on and adhere to Christ in his Ordinances albeit thou feelest no sensible impartments of comfort peace and quickening These or such like questions which take in the spirit and life of Faith thou shouldest frequently put to thy soul and never desist from urging of them ' til thou hast brought the question to this Conclusion Whether thou art a true Believer or not If thou desirest more expresse rules to examine thy state by then take those mentioned in the foregoing Chapter Corollarie 2. touching the Differences between saving Faith and commun Whereby thou mayest with the concurrence of Divine illumination arrive to a wel-grounded persuasion Whether thy faith be only commun or saving 4. This also affordes mater of exhortation unto al to abjure and abandon Infidelitie as the worst enemie in the world yea worse than Satan or Hel itself Can there be a worse enemie than that which deprives us of our chiefest good And is not this the grand design of Infidelitie Yea doth it not put a bar to al Mercie but open the dore to al Sin and Miserie How sottish and foolish doth it make Sinners What a dul lazy remisse loitering spirit doth it breed in Men Yea how negligent slow-hearted and backward to whatever is good are Believers themselves so far as Unbelief prevails on them Luk. 24. 23 O! how doth it slug mens spirits in whatever good they are about What a clog is it to the soul in al its spiritual Exercices How doth it crampe and dispirit the Affections those feet of the Soul What stubbornesse rebellion and obstinace doth it infuse into the Wil How much doth it distract deaden and harden the heart in al duties How lean poor and barren in Grace and gracious fruits are many Believers by reason of their prevalent Unbelief Doth it not also take off the Beautie Lustre and Sweetnesse of Mercies received or
expected Oh! how bitter are many sweet Mercies when mixed with Infidelitie Yea doth it not turne al Mercies into Curses to those who are under the complete dominion of it as Rom. 11. 9 And how many choise Mercies are Believers deprived of by reason of their Unbelief Whence spring their groundlesse troubles of Consciences their misjugements and mistakes about their state their heart-faintings sinking discouragements and despondences under Desertion their hard and scandalous thoughts of Christ his Heart and Dispensations towards them but from their Infidelitie Oh! What a sting doth it put into al afflictions How burdensome and irkesome is the Crosse of Christ to the unbelieving heart How sweet and easy is the bitter heavy Crosse so far as Faith prevails But oh What a troublesome vexatious neighbor is Infidelitie How doth it torment the heart and cause it to pine away and consume to nothing even under groundlesse expectations and needlesse fears of trouble May it not become a true Proverb Much Infidelitie and much Sorrow How do afflictions pinch and gal unbelieving spirits How unable are such to see any good in afflictions What need have afflicted persons of Faith Again how soon doth Infidelitie betray us into the hands of every Tentation Faith hath Omnipotence engaged for its assistance but oh what a poor impotent thing is Unbelief How unable is it to to conflict with smal Tentations Satan is oft the father but is not Unbelief the mother of al Tentations What made Adam and Eve yield to Satan's tentation but their Infidelitie Was not this also that which made Judas betray Peter denie and the Jews crucifie the Lord of Glorie It s true when the Tentation is asleep the unrighteous man is righteous the unclean person is chaste the passionate man is meek the invidious man is kind the avaricious man is liberal the unfaithful man is faithful but oh when the tentation is awakened how soon doth Unbelief betray the heart into the hands of these or the like corruptions Thinke not thy self secure from the prevalence of any Tentation so long as thou art under the prevalence of Infidelitie Alas how soon is Tentation fired by Unbelief but oh How is the believing soul that by faith adheres to Christ strongly fortified and armed against the most violent Tentations Moreover how are the main breaches of our lives maintained and improved by Infidelitie What departures from God what turnings aside from or remisnesses in Duties are Unbelievers exposed unto Doth not Unbelief cut the Sinews and Nerves of al evangelic Obedience Doth it not let out the vital spirits heart-bloud of al good Inclination and affections Is not the very root and seminal virtue of good Intentions withered and blasted hereby How much beneath the least evangelic dutie is the unbelieving soul How doth Unbelief poison many good Inclinations Oh! what a venimous maligne thing is Unbelief How doth it infuse a malignitie and poison into al the parts of the Soul Is not the spirit of the mind the most noble part of the soul envelopped or wrapt up in contagious black darknesse by it Are not al the faculties of the soul spoiled of their vigor beautie harmonie order and exercices by Unbelief Oh! What a bloudy hard-hearted soul-murdering sin is it How doth it compel the Sinner to embrew his hands in his own bloud to sheath a sword in his own bowels by a wilful rejection of Evangelic offers How welcontented is it to see the Unbelievers sentence of condemnation subscribed and sealed with the Mediators dreadful curse John 3. 18 What flames of vengeance what treasures of wrath doth Infidelitie treasure up against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9 How patient is it whiles Satan claps on the chains and â—etters of spiritual slumber and hardnesse of heart on the Sinners legs How willing is it to see the poor Unbeliever famished and starved amidst the rich and sumtuous feasts of evangelic Grace and Mercie Has not Christ made a plentiful and costly feast for Sinners And is he not extreme free and cordial in his Invitations How then comes it to passe that Sinners come not to it when invited Why is it not Unbelief that keeps them back and that as it were by hairs namely some poor and foolish excuses Mat. 22. 1-6 Oh! how studious and ready is Infidelitie to shift it self of Christ and al the good things of its peace offered to it What silly excuses and pretences doth it make to put off Christ and his evangelic offers What little reason or cause have Unbelievers to object against Christs gracious offers Are not Christs armes open to receive them when they come Yea Doth he not day by day cal upon and importune them to come unto him Prov. 1. 20-25 Did he ever refuse or look strangely on any that came unto him Yea is he not more willing to receive Sinners than they are to come unto him or are the flames of Hel more elegible than the joys of Heaven Is the Vassalage of Satan more desirable than the Libertie of the Sons of God Is there so much Beautie in Sin as to make men desire it before the Beauties of Holinesse Are the Remorses and Stings of the worme of Conscience more agreable and pleasing than peace of Conscience and the smiles of Divine Love If not how comes it to passe that Sinners choose the evil and refuse the good offered to them Oh! is not Infidelitie the cause of al this miserie Is not Christ's hand and heart open towards Sinners but are not their hearts shut against him by Unbelief Is there any thing in Christ or his evangelic offers that keeps men from believing O then What an irrational sottish perverse cruel sin is Unbelief What a world of miserie doth it bring on Sinners How justly doth Christ pronounce a sentence of death against them who wilfully reject his offers and means of life Alas how is it possible that Salvation itself should save such so long as they wilfully spurne at the offers of Salvation Is there any sin that doth more directly oppose Salvation by Christ than Unbelief Christ comes by his Evangelic offers of Grace to draw the Unbelievers heart unto him but oh how doth he draw back Yea how doth his unbelief oppose Christ as He comes clothed with Grace Love and Pitie And can Unbelievers expect that Christ should passe by such affronts and indignities without severe punishments Doth any thing more provoke Christ than to have his bowels and compassions towards Sinners spurned at Cannot he put up any injuries better than this Is not Unbelief the most cruel and bloudie enemie in the world in that it takes away not only the active power of doing good but also the passive power of receiving good when offered Is not this the language of Infidelitie Lord I need not I desire not thy Grace keep it to thy self I have wherewith of mine own to supplie my needs I can make a shift with mine
own righteousnesse to clothe my nakednesse with the balsame of mine own good workes to heal my wounds c. And as Infidelitie thus puts a bar to al Grace and Mercie So also doth it not open the dore to al the jugements of God Are not the most severe Plagues of God entailed on Infidelitie Doth not this sin provoke God to curse mens blessings Doth it not also cut us off from many promissed Mercies Yea how severely hath God punished this sin in his own people Was not Moses an holy man deprived of entring into Canaan for one act of unbelief Oh! how deep doth Gods wrath sinke into the unbelievers soul How many flourishing Churches have been deprived of the Gospel and means of Grace for their Infidelitie Or suppose that God continues some means of Grace yet doth not Unbelief turne them into means of hardening When men wil not believe the Gospel how oft doth Christ leave such to a spirit of error to believe lies Yea doth not Infidelitie continued in oft cause Christ to give up such to their own lusts which break forth sometimes into scandalous sins Yea how oft doth Christ deliver up impenitent obstinate Unbelievers to a spirit of slumber judicial hardnesse and al manner of Divine vengeance Are these the effects of Infidelitie Is there so much sin and self-murder wrapt up in its bowels and are there so many Curses and Plagues both temporal spiritual and eternal entailed on it May we not then without any injustice conclude that Unbelief is the worst enemie we have in the world Doth not our Infidelitie give us more pain and trouble than al other enemies Oh! then how should we with fire and sword persecute Unbelief as our most mortal enemie Can we be too severe against such a deadly enemie Is not al pitie and compassion that we shew towards Unbelief the greatest crueltie that may be to our own souls Why should we then cease our Indignation and Revenge against Unbelief ' til we have let out its heart-bloud Remember the more you pitie spare it the more cruel you are to your selves 5. This also layes an essential and strong obligation on al both Believers and Vnbelieveâ—s to put an high value on Faith and to pursue after it as their supreme Interest and Concerne Surely if Infidelitie be so prodigious and pernicious a Sin then by a paritie of reason Faith most be the most useful and excellent Grace Contraries much illustrate and set off each other And oh how doth the black deformed nature and venimous qualities of Infidelitie set off the Beauties and excellent qualities of Faith What a strange and miraculous power and efficace has Faith How doth it make things absent present the invisible glories of the coming world visible as the visible glories of this world invisible and disapparent Yea doth not faith appropriate to itself the whole of Gods Alsufficience and Omnipotence and so may in a sober humble sense be said to be in some sort alsufficient and omnipotent For al that is in God Faith by a strange magnetic virtue can applie to it self and thence it can do althings so far as it has a Promisse to bottome on Doth not the great God make himself a debtor to such as trust in Him How doth Faith â—end a man from himself without violence or pain What more effectual to break al our Idols and Images of jelousie than saving Faith How doth it make al the beautie of the Creature to fade away as a Sun-burned Flower Doth it not also dismount the Believer and make him walke on foot in al manner of self-abasement How soon doth the bottome of al sensible good fal out when Faith comes into the Soul and takes the Chair What doth more elevate and refine reason than saving Faith Have not those that believe most the deepest and soundest reasons Who is the wiser man The Believer that adheres to the First truth and chiefest good or the Unbeliever who rejects the same and adheres to Idols of time How doth Faith corroborate and fortifie the Wil in what is good by uniting of it to Christ and the Divine wil What a sweet harmonie and order doth it inspire into the Affections How doth it make the Believer to fear God under smiles love him under frowns hope in him under difficulties wait for his returne under desertions Yea when our affections are under the greatest disorder and confusion doth not Faith oft draw peace and order out of it Is not Faith both food and physic Doth it not as wel feed Grace as purge out sin Whence springeth the Christians union with Christ but from Faith Could Christ and Sinners ever come together unlesse Faith did unite them Can things contrarie be united but by some efficacious bond of Union Was it ever known that there was a mariage between the living and the dead How then comes it to passe that the dead Sinner is espoused to a living Christ Is not this happy match the alone miraculous effect of Faith wrought by the Spirit of God And hence doth not Faith make God thine as surely as thou art thine own And Faith having united the person to Christ doth it not thence by Grace derived from him purifie the nature also Acts 15. 9 And doth not Faith hence worke a miraculous change in the whole disposition of the soul and conversation And as the member is naturally subject to the head so doth not Faith subject the whole soul to Christ Whence also doth not the Believer entirely give up himself to Christ as Christ gives up himself to the Believer Oh! how doth the believing Soul follow after and adhere to Christ by ineffable groans and acts of Faith though Christ may sometimes seem to depart from him How inquisitive is Faith to understand al the virtues of Christ and to receive from him Grace for Grace What a violence is it to Faith to live act breath speak and walke out of Christ What is it that keeps the heart as a chast Virgin for Christ but Faith Hence also Faith gives the soul solid peace in and with God and oh How satisfying is this peace which Faith gives What child-like confidence and boldnesse ensues hereon And thence how much is the soul satiated in communion with Christ so far as Faith prevails What solaces and delicious suavities doth the believing Soul at times receive from Christ What an active application is there on Christs part towards the Believer and passive application on the Believers part towards Christ How much is Faith delighted in trading with Heaven and Christ Is not this the main businesse of Faith to enjoy Christ to live and die in him What is it that gives the soul an abode in Christ and Christ in the soul but Faith as John 15. 5 Oh! What strong desires and thirsts after Christ doth Faith worke in the soul Doth it not make the absence and presence of Christ
the mesure of bitter and sweet of good and evil What more efficacious to draw forth every Grace in its exercice than Faith Unbelief is the spring of spiritual sloath and lazinesse but oh how vigorous and active is Faith There is no Grace or Dutie but it is made easy by Faith How easy is the worke of Humiliation made by Faith What makes divine Love more spriteful and vigorous than Faith Yea is not the whole of Christianitie contained in the bowels of Faith Is there any Grace required to the Divine life which Faith cannot supplie us with Yea Faith is so good a Chymist as that it can extract riches out of povertie strength out of weaknesse glorie out of shame peace out of trouble Grace out of sin life out of death something out of nothing Oh! how miraculous are the virtues of Faith It makes a man able to do althings an yet it makes him see he is nothing and can do nothing It makes a man content with any thing that God gives and yet unsatisfied ' til he can enjoy althings in their fountain Again If we consider Faith in its parallel Antithesis or opposition to Infidelitie we shal then see more fully the excellent qualities of it as also the mischievous Influences of Infidelitie 1. Faith breeds jealousie of our selves but confidence in God it reckons it cannot believe God too much nor self too little But oh What self-confidence jelousie of God doth Infidelitie produce How much doth it trust self and thence how little can it trust in God What mutual Influences and Reciprocations are there between self-confidences and jelousies of God 2 Faith keepeth the heart close to God his Word and Ordinances and so keepeth God close to the heart It follows Christ in ways of Dependence Adherence Subjection Submission and Conformitie and so Christ follows it in ways of gracious Communications Consolations Manifestations and Communion But is it thus with Unbelief Doth it not depart from God his Word and Ways And thence doth not God depart from the Unbeliever 3. Faith prepares for quickens in and sweetens every Dutie It sets Prayer on foot Meditation on the wing and drawes forth the Attention and Intention of the Soul in hearing and reading of the Word But oh How doth Infidelitie hinder deaden and embitter the Soul in al gracious exercices How doth it clip the wings of Meditation stifle and choke the breathings of Prayer c 4. Faith fixeth and establisheth the heart by knitting of it to Christ who is an immutable Rock But oh What a mutable variable inconstant thing is Infidelitie How doth it make the heart to stagger and reel by dividing and taking it off from God Isai 7. 9 5. Faith makes a livelyhood out of Divine Promisses Engagements Relations and Influences It sucks sweetnesse out of Promisses and so is nourished by them It feeds on Divine Relations and Influences and so finds a livelihood in the greatest famine of spiritual injoyments It is long-handed and reacheth to Heaven for supplies when al means below fail But oh how short-handed is Infidelitie It 's true it has a long hand to reach forth to the Creature yea sometimes to Hel but it has no hand to reach after Christ or his Promisse how doth it suffer the poor hungry soul to starve amidst al evangelic Promisses and Dainties Whereas Faith takes the Soul by the hand and leades it from one Promisse to another from one Attribute to another and so suckes gracious Influences from al as it need requires 6. Faith conquers the whole Soul to God and thence althings else are conquered to the Soul It subjects the heart to Christ and so makes althings subject to it But Infidelitie captivates the heart to lust and thence it becomes captivated to every thing else Oh! What a vassal is the unbeliever to every base lust Yea to himself 7. Faith fortifies the Soul against al the Blandissements Allurements and eye-pleasing Delights of this lower world It blasteth al the fair promisses of created good by out-bidding of them But alas how soon is Unbelief entangled and overcome by every inveiglement and snare of sinful pleasures It can fortifie the heart against nothing but the convictions and good motions of the Spirit Faith is the shield of the new creature to repel al the poisoned darts of the World and Satan but Infidelitie is the shield of the old man to repel al the Convictions of the Spirit darted into the Sinners Conscience 8. Faith prepares the heart for and preserveth it under every difficultie frown and afflictive crosse It prepares for the worst times yet hopes for and expects the best It takes out the sting and poison of every crosse and infuseth into it a medicinal healing virtue But can Infidelitie do such marvels doth it not unfit us for every difficultie and then betray us into the hands of it Faith never leaves us at a losse it clotheth the mind with a divine light whereby it is inabled to see and passe thorough al dangers But oh How doth Unbelief darken the eye of the Soul and so create black visions of carnal fear and heart-rending troubles Difficulties and distresses are the element of Faith but how unable is Infidelitie to live or breath in such a sharpe Air 9. Faith opens the dore to promissed Mercies and Deliverances It keeps the condition of the Promisse and so keeps the soul under the blessing of the Promisse But is this in the power of Infidelitie Doth it not rather put a bar to promissed Mercies as Num. 20. 12. Heb. 3. 19 Yea doth it not open a dore to al the threats and curses of the Law Yea doth it not bind the Unbeliever fast under a sentence of condemnation as John 3. 36 Whereas Faith on the contrary stops the mouth of al legal Threats and Curses and locks the soul fast under a state of Salvation John 6. 47. 10. Faith improves Mercies received and so makes way for more It giveth God the honor of his Mercies and man a sanctified and comfortable use of them But can Infidelitie thus improve Mercies Doth it not rather by its murmurs and misimprovments destroy former Mercies and so hinder future Was not this the temper of the unbelieving Jews in the Wildernesse as we find it described Psal 78. 11-40 Oh! how doth Unbelief rob God of al the Glorie and so man of al the comfort and right use of Mercies received How unthankeful how discontented is the Unbeliever under Mercies received and thence unfit to receive more Whereas the Believer is content under the want of Mercies and thence fit to receive them He can trust God with his soul and al other Mercies and thence God trusts him with Mercies needful But the Unbeliever notwithstanding the receipt of former Mercies cannot trust God for the future and therefore God wil not trust him with any special marque of Love and Mercie These and suchlike being the admirable Qualities of Saving Faith
to applie it to himself and improve it Thus every word of God is an infallible oracle to such as have a pious affection for him Thus David describes his faith by his delight in the statutes of God Psal 119. 16. I wil delight my self in thy statutes The original imports to behold with delight or to contemplate with pleasure Oh! What satisfaction did Davids faith find in the Statutes of God But oh how melodious and sweet was the joyful sound of the Gospel to Davids faith If the Law be so delightful to a Believer because he sees therein as in a Glasse al the spots of his soul Oh! how delightsome then is the Gospel to him which discovers the face of God and Christ to him yea and transformes his heart into the same glorious Image Hence it appears that if our Assent to the Reports of the Gospel be not affectionate and chearful it is not saving The Devils believe and tremble but because they do not gladly assent therefore their faith is not saving So essential is an affectionate inclination to divine Assent Whence it naturally follows that such as afford only a forced assent to evangelic Truths do really dissent from them such an intimate connexion is there between Divine Assent and pious Affection 13. Not to know the things that belong unto our peace is not to retain the same when once received This also is a consequent of the former For things forced are not durable when our Assent is only compelled by legal convictions it lasts no longer than that compulsion which gave foundation to it whereas an affectionate Assent is very adhesive it sticks fast unto its object every thing delights to adhere to what it likes If the heart be chearfully inclined towards God it wil delight in its assent unto his word But when our Assent is grounded only on legal Threats and forced convictions how soon doth it wear off and die away This was the case of many unbelieving Jews they had now and then some stounding convictions such as produced in them a great Assent to the words of Christ Oh! What Attention what Reverence and Respect do they give to Christs word But alas how soon is their Assent turned into Dissent Thus John 5. 38. And ye have not his word abiding in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide signifies with John to dwel or take up its fixed habitation The Word of God now and then sound some place in their minds as v. 35. ay but it did not inhabit there it loged there but as a Traveller in an Inne for a night only There are many Professors who entertain the glad tidings of the Gospel for a season but they retain them not Whereas David saith Psal 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee There seems to be an elegant Metaphor in the word hid drawen from those who having found a choise Treasure they hide it thereby to secure it Thus David hid Gods word in his heart Whence Christ pronounceth a blessing on those that hear his word and keep it Luk. 11. 28. Hence that exhortation Hebr. 2. 1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e let them slide away as water through a Mil which never returnes more He that lets evangelic Truths slide away out of his heart cannot be said to know the things that belong unto his peace Al true Divine Assent is permanent and lasting he that ever dissents from never yet truely assented to Evangelic Notions of peace We find this Divine Retention of Gods word wel expressed by Moses in his exposition of the Law Deut. 6. 6 7 8 9. 14. Such as have not a transcendent estime or great and sublime thoughts of the things that belong to their peace may also be said not to know them For an object or thing is then only known truely when its worth and value is in some mesure known He that has only poor unworthy base thoughts of great things may be said not to know them The efficace vigor and strength of every Assent ariseth from the right valuation of the object For the minds adherence unto truth is more or lesse prevalent according to the apprehension it has of their value unto several truths equally apprehended the minds assent or adherence is not equal but greater or lesse according to the estime it has of their worth Thus the prevalence vigor and efficace of our assent and adherence to supernatural Truths doth naturally arise from the apprehension we have of their value and thence a true assent to divine Notions and Promisses alwaies carries admiration in its bowels he that doth entertain the great Mysteries of the Gospel with a cheap mean estime only doth really disestime the same An undervaluing low assent to divine Truths is real dissent Certainly such know not Christ who estime him not as the Worlds wonder This Christ Ironicly upbraids the unbelieving Jews with John 7. 28. Ye both know me and know whence I am c. He speaks Ironicly in replie to the Jews reprocheful speech v. 27. Howbeit we know this man whence he is c. As if he had said You neither know me nor yet the Messias as you pretend for if you knew me and whence I am you would highly estime me as your Messias sent by God c. Lastly They know not the things that belong to their peace who give only a sterile dead unactive assent to them True Divine Assent is ful of Life Virtue and Activitie A barren dead faith is real Unbelief the end of saving knowlege is Practice Unprofitable knowlege is one of the worst kinds of Ignorance Al sacred Sciences are Affective and Effective That Assent which doth not kil sin wil never give life to the sinner Divine Assent leaves suitable Impresses and sacred Stampes on the Heart Doth thine Assent to the things That belong to thy peace fil thy soul with Admiration of and Love unto them Is there an agreament twixt thine heart and the things thou believest Thou saiest thou assentest to the Truths of the Gospel ay but doth not thine heart dissent from the Duties of the Gospel and is not this a strong argument that thy faith is but a dead Assent So Jam. 2. 26. For as the bodie without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Though works are not the cause which gives life to faith yet they are necessary products which argue life in faith A living faith is ful of vital spirits and operations he that wants these has only a dead corps of faith or the name of a Believer David gives us a better account of his faith Psal 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart and why so that I might not sin against thee
himself as his first principle and last end make himself his God Again is there not an Hel of Blasphemie in Infidelitie Doth not every Unbeliever by his secret or open murmurs against God raise many black lies and scandals on God Yea what are the Unbelievers discontents against God but in the Scriptures account a cursing of God as Job 1. 11 22 Lastly is there not a world of Atheisme in al Infidelitie Doth not Unbelief at one stroke take away the Scriptures God and Christ and al the good things of our peace As the Unbeliever doth by his self-dependence deifie himself so doth he not also by the same undeifie the true God Thus we see what a prodigious monstrous sin Unbelief is 7. This Notion of Infidelitie as before explicated Justifies God in his most severe procedures against al Vnbelievers Alas what blame may be laid upon the holy God for hiding the things of his peace from the Unbelievers eyes when as he wilfully shuts his eyes against them Has the Unbeliever any thing to object against Christ for not healing his wounded soul seing he wilfully rejects the Medicinal Grace and Bloud of Christ which are the only remedies for his healing If sinners wil justifie their unbelief which is so much condemned by God is it not just with God to condemne them for it So long as Unbelievers despise Gospel-love and Mercie is it not just that Gospel-vengeance take hold of them What more equitable than that such perish in their sins who resist al the sweet attractives and allurements of Grace by which Christ endeavors to draw them out of sin and miserie Doth not Infidelitie dispirit and make void al Ordinances and means of Salvation Who then can be blamed but the Unbeliever for his own damnation Is not Infidelitie the highest Treason against Heaven Can then any punishment be too severe for it Doth not Unbelief as has been intimated darken al the glorious Attributes of God Is not the wisdome of God estimed mere folie by it Doth it not rebel against the Soveraintie of God by placing the sinners wil above it Doth it not make the Faithfulnesse of God unfaithful Yea give the lie to it by questioning the truth of his Promisses 1 John 5. 10 Oh! how warme how large how tender how rolling are the Bowels of Free-grace towards sinners But doth not Unbelief spurne at those bowels by shutting the heart against them Is not the Omnipotence of God limited yea counted mere Impotence by Infidelitie Isai 40. 27 28 29 How doth it likewise trample on the patience and forbearance of God Is it not then most righteous that the great God who is thus injured and abused by Infidelitie should revenge his own quarrel thereon Again how doth Infidelitie slander reproche and undermine Christ the great Mediator of Life and Salvation Is not Christ the greatest Institute and Ordinance of God Is he not appointed by God as the alone Savior of Mankind And yet lo how do Unbelievers reproche and oppose him Is not Christ greatly undervalued when his gracious offers are rejected Can we abuse Christ more than by opposing the good things offered by him Is it not a bloudy crime to meet Christ's Grace with resistance Oh! what an Hel of Iniquity lies in this sin of Unbelief in that it is a despising of Christ's bleeding drawing Love Is any sin a greater burden and pain to Christ than Infidelitie Is he not hereby wearied Esa 7. 13 Yea is not Christ greatly mocqued and slandered by Unbelief Yea doth not Infidelitie rob Christ of al his Mediatorie Offices and Perfections Yea is it not the sorest Crucifixion of Christ Did not Judas the Jews and Pilate pierce Christ more sorely by their Unbelief than by their acts of betraying and condemning him Now if Infidelitie be so injurious to Christ is it not just with him to vindicate such injuries Yea indeed What are al the Unbelievers jugements and torments but such as he electively and voluntarily draws upon himself Are any Evangelic Unbelievers damned but such as wilfully elect Death before Life Do not al they that reject Christ electively embrace Death Prov. 8. 36 And has the Unbeliever any reason to complain against God for condemning of him seing he is unwilling to be saved Is not this the main that Christ expects from evangelic Unbelievers that they willingly accept Grace offered to them And if they wil not who is to be blamed but their own perverse stubborne wils Do not they deservedly perish who wilfully perish If sinners wil be so cruel so bloudy-minded as to murder their own souls by unbelief they must blame none but themselves for their ruine the righteous God is sufficiently vindicated from any imputation against him Oh! how wil this silence and seal up the lips of Unbelievers unto al eternitie that Grace and Life was offered to them but they voluntarily chose death before life What pleas can such have why they should not be damned seing they wilfully rush into ways that lead to damnation CHAP. IX Practic Uses 1. Studie the Mysterie and Causes of Infidelitie 2. Lament over the prevalence of it 3. Examine how far it prevails 4. Abjure it as the worst Hel. 5. Pursue Faith as the highest Interest and Spring of the Divine Life WE now procede to a more close and practic Application of these general Notions of Infidelitie And the first Vse we shal make of this Doctrine is by way of general Advice unto al both Believers and Unbelievers to studie much the black nature and venimous Influences of Infidelitie Certainly if Sinners were but wel acquainted with that Mysterie of Iniquitie that is wrapt up in the bowels of Infidelitie and how pernicious this sin is to their souls were it possible that they could please themselves in it as they do Alas Can we imagine that Unbelievers would sit down so quietly under the chains fetters of their unbelief were they but in a serious manner apprehensive of it But ah here lies the great damning sin and miserie of the Unbelieving World men are not deeply and feelingly sensible of the burden and stings of an unbelieving heart How few are there who observe and mourn under the secret veins of Infidelitie that loge in their hearts Where is that soul that lamentes day by day his want of a particular supernatural spiritual distinct certain firme evangelic ful prevalent affective effective and transformative Assent to the good things that belong to his peace Do not many great Professors seem to assent to the Mysteries of the Gospel but yet really dissent from or at least not live up to them Have not many the name of Believers who yet never felt the virtue and efficace of faith Do not many pretend to a kindnesse for Christ who yet secretly hate him in their hearts How few yea very few among the croud of professed Believers live under the vital power of Faith May we not without breach of Charitie judge