converse and delightful communication which it hath with this Love of the Lord it comes to contract a habitual similitude of it in the soul by degrees to change the soul into the same image Solomon saith He that walketh with wise men shall be wise Prov. 13.20 Which thing doubtless proceeds from a great aptness that is in men to be transformed into the disposition temper and quality of those persons with whom they much converse and delight so to do especially if superior to themselves and judging what they see in them worthy imitation And so Faith keeping such constant company with the Love of Christ to the poor soul and being so much taken with it as it is and having it self such an influence upon the soul as it hath does by degrees fetch over the soul in conformity of disposition to it This is sweetly set out by the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The glory of the Lord he here speaks of is doubtless amongst other things the grace or love of the Lord to men which is indeed his glory that by which he hath made us accepted in the beloved being called the glory of his grace Ephes 1.6 and is that thing which in the Gospel ministration here spoken of shines forth with greatest luster and brightness But mark now The souls intent and earnest beholding of this glory of the Lord by the eye of Faith as it is visible to it in this glass of the Gospel works this effect The soul it self is hereby changed into the same image transformed into this likeness of the Lord step by step degree by degree from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord by whose influence Faith does this thing For so Christ foretold Joh. 16.14 He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Like as the flocks which Jacob kept by their looking upon the streaked rods in the time of their conception came to conceive and bring forth Cattel that were ring-streaked Gen. 30.37 38 39. even so the soul by Faith dwelling in the serious and pleasant contemplation of the glory of this love of the Lord conceives and brings forth affections and actions in the same likeness The very reason why any man comes to love God is the belief knowledg and sence which he hath of Gods love to him first 1 John 4.19 We love him because he loved us first Which is to be understood of Gods love beleeved and perceived for till then it does not work this reciprocal affection in the Soul And therefore the same Apostle concludes that if any man does not love he does not know God as he is a God of love 1 John 4.8 For if he did and had the true sence of it in his Soul he might sooner draw nigh a great fire and not be warmed than feel the warming influences of this wonderful Love playing hot upon the Soul and not in some measure be transformed into its likeness The Apostle Paul well knowing this made this Prayer for the Ephesian Saints That Christ might dwell in their hearts by Faith that they being rooted and grounded in love might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God In which Prayer you may observe first his end and scope the thing he had in his eye and that which his Soul exceedingly longed after for them and that was that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Which I conceive is not to be understood at least not only to be understood in a passive sence of having the Soul filled with the knowledge and sence of all the fulnesse of Gods love to it for this he had prayed for as the means of their being filled with all this fulness of God but in an active sence for their being so filled with their love back again to Christ as by which to attain the highest pitch and utmost perfection of Christianity which is wrapt up in our love to Christ to which God in Christ designed to elevate and raise the Christian And therefore when we love one another as the Lord hath loved us according to his command John 13.34 he is said to dwell in us and his love to be perfected in us 1 Cor. 4.12 viz. by way of imitation and resemblance of that divine vertue property or perfection in God to wit his love which is so wonderfully remarkable in him as that he is called Love it self 1 John 4.8 16. Now for God to dwell in men and for them to have his love perfected in them what is this lesse than to be filled with all the fulness of God But that which the Apostle prayed for in order to this their being filled with all the fulness of God was that Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith they might be able to comprehend with all Saints what the bredth length depth and height is and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge So that mens being filled with the fulnesse of that love to the Lord which his love to them calls for and designes to procure depends we see upon their comprehending by Faith the glory of his love set out in the dimensions of it upon their knowing very much of that love of Christ which in the utmost extent of it passeth knowledg Sect. 3 2. Faith raises this Heavenly affection of love in the Soul as a principle of worthy behaviour both to God and men by an effectual closing with the Doctrine of the Lord concerning Love For it is mens Faith in that word which calls for Love to the Lord to Saints and to all men that causes the word to incorporate it self with the Soul turning the doctrine of Love into a principle of Love in the Soul making it an ingrafted word James 1.21 as turning the stock into its own nature It is by Faith that all that in the Word is discerned and felt which renders it acceptable to and gives it force and authority in the soul And therefore the Word is said to work effectually in those that believe 1 Thes 2.13 And what 's that but to produce its effect reach its end and to have its errand about which it 's sent working that love it self in the soul which is the business about which the doctrine of Love is sent And therefore Love is said to be the end of the Commandement out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Love to proceed from unfeigned Faith as the end of the Commandement that is I conceive it 's aim and scope the prize for which it runs and where there is Faith unfeigned first wrought
but fairly construed and argued upon This by what I have but newly said doth plainly appear might be further evinced by other of their sayings wherein they do acknowledg That that Faith which is alone severed from charity and destitute of good Works doth neither justifie nor save but that there is a necessity of them a necessity of presence though not of efficiency and that they must concur with Faith in the subject or party justified though not in the act of Justification And what 's all this less than that which I have said I say Faith void of Works will not justifie They say that Faith which is alone severed from charity and destitute of good Works will not justifie nor save I say it 's not necessary to hold or say that the same justifying act office or power is placed in them as is in Faith They say they are not necessary by way of efficiency I say God denies the justifying priviledge unto a barren dead Faith and reserves it only for a lively working Faith they say there 's a necessity of presence and that they concur with Faith in the subject or party justified though not in the act of justifying So that a necessity of Gospel-obedience to accompany that Faith which shall justifie is acknowledged on all hands And if men had but laid out themselves as much to possess the people with a thorow sence of this as they have to preserve them from the errors of the Papists on the other hand it might I conceive have been much better with their Souls then now it is For while their ears and eyes have been filled so much with the doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works when they have meant it only in opposition to the Popish sence and so little with the Doctrine touching the unavailablenesse of that Faith unto Justification that does not knit the Soul to Christ with such love as by which men deny themselves of their Lusts and sinful pleasures and follow after righteousnesse and holinesse with them that call upon the Lord with a pure heart hence I fear it hath come to passe that the generality of men among us have had so little sence of the necessity of a godly life and have presumed so much upon their Faith touching Christ which yet hath been but the dead Faith James speaks of as that they have to the sad deceiving of their own Souls thought themselves in safe condition although they have lived sensual and carnal lives and have been strangers to the work of the new Creature the power of Godlinesse and the life of Holinesse without which for all their Faith no man shall see the Lord. But alass how should it be otherwise when as it is too manifest that the Leaders and Guides of the people themselves except here and there one have had little of this sence and savour but have built so much upon the act of beleeving and so little upon a faithful subjection to Christs Doctrine which for ought I can see is as necessary to render Faith available in its place as Faith is necessary to render the blood of Christ available in its place as to a mans personal Justification as if that subjection were not at all necessary unto the being of a mans justification before God but usefull onely to declare him to himself and unto men to be justified And under this Soul-deceiving apprehension and mistaken notion and principle the Ministers too many of them have indulged themselves and people too in a dull heavy cold partial flat and lesse than formal way of professing the Gospel to the hazard of their precious Souls And O that this might but awaken any of them that take upon them the care of Souls to lay this matter more to heart before it be too late and the opportunity past And thus I have now done with the first part of my Text wherein I have shewed in what sence Paul makes no reckoning of Works in the point of Justification Come we now to the handling of that which remains touching the imputation of his Faith for righteousnesse who beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly CHAP. IV. Setting forth the object of justifying Faith and shewing the beleeving in whom and the beleeving of what it is that will be counted for Righteousnesse Sect. 1 IN the handling of the latter part of these words But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse I would open these three things 1. The believing in whom and the believing of what it is to which the promise of Justification or the Imputation of Righteousness is made 2. What or what manner of believing it is that hath the great promise of Justification annexed to it 3. How or in what sence this Faith in men is counted unto them for righteousness Which three things I conceive contain the sum and substance of the Doctrine of Justification Let us now begin with the first of these and see from the Scriptures who and what is the right object of saving Faith Him whom the Apostle here in the Text propounds as the object of this belief is said to be him who justifieth the ungodly Whether by him that justifieth the ungodly we should understand God the Father distinctly or his Son Jesus Christ it will not be so needfull to enquire since as both concur in justifying the ungodly so both are the object of justifying Faith For as in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly Rom. 5.6 that he might justifie them by his blood so God the Father hath set him forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 And as to understand the Apostle as meaning the Father seems to suit best with the precedent verses so to understand him as not excluding the Son will well answer his general design in asserting attonement remission of sins or justification by Christ for the ungodly Gentiles upon their beleeving in opposition to those who appropriated these to the Works of Moses Law It 's true there is a great variety of expression used in Scripture to set forth the object of Faith sometimes making God the Father and his record concerning his Son the object and sometimes Christ as Messiah promised as Son of God as dying as rising again and sometimes the word or doctrine of Christ or his Apostles but all relating to and depending originally upon the Father I shall touch each of these particularly but with much brevity because I hope you are not so much unacquainted with these things as I fear you are in that upon which I principally intend enlargement Sect. 2 I. Justification is ascribed unto God the Father as him in whom we must beleeve and upon whom we must depend for it in many other Scriptures beside my Text Rom. 8.33 and 3.30 Gal. 3.8 Hence justification is called the righteousnesse of God and the righteousnesse which is of God as he being the
of Saviour in a moral sence he does not at all receive him that does not receive him in that capacity which is proper to him no publique Ambassador would judge himself received by him to whom he is sent in case he should be received in the capacy of a private person only when he is not sent as such Neither let any deceive their own souls and think that they do receive him as their Lord because they are wont to call him so as frequently as any unless they make it their design and the care and business of their Lives to wait for his counsel promote his interest faithfully to do his business fulfil his Will and do his commands Why call you me Lord saith he to such and do not the things which I say Luke 6.46 As if he counted himself but wronged and disgraced by such a claim what he to be their Lord that have this vile sin and that base Lust to be their Lord yea more their Lord than Christ and more observed and obeyed than he He only their titular Lord but their worldly and fleshly Lusts their real And is not that a horrible disparagement to Christ for him to be joyned with such Masters and to be made one of the number yea inferior to them as having less command over such persons than their Lusts have Do you not know that the Father designed as well the glory and honour of his Son in your salvation and in the way of bringing you to it as your Salvation it self That all men might honour the Son even as they honour the Father Iohn 5.23 and do you think then that he will suffer his Son to be dishonoured and disgraced by you while you do but mock him in calling him Lord but denying him your faithful obedience and yeild your subjection to his utter Enemies like those that crucified him who indeed bowed the knee before him and cryed hail King of the Jews as well as you Do you think it will serve your turn to neglect Christ all your dayes as you do if you do not serve him in holiness and righteousness and then think he should save you when you can serve his enemies no longer O I beseech all such to consider it betimes for God will not be so mocked by you 3. A receiving of Christ clearly implies in it a receiving of his Word and Doctrine for whoever doth not receive that does not receive him but whoever does receive that does receive him 2 Iohn 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son Iohn 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my Word hath one that judgeth him where not to receive the Word of Christ and to reject him is constructively the same thing Whereto that also agrees Psalm 81.11 But my people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me in refusing his voice God took himself to be refused as any King would do whose Laws and Commands should be refused Look then into the Scriptures the 5 6 and 7. Chapters of Matthew and elsewhere and see what holy and strict injunctions the Lord hath laid upon his Disciples and then look into your hearts and see if you can find them there not only in the notional knowledge of them but as having begotten principles dispositions and affections in their own likeness and from thence proceed to your conversations words and wayes and see how they answer the pattern in the Mount and if World Lust abide there with more authority and command than the Doctrin of Christ you may be confident you have not yet received Christ for he is King and his Laws in chief regard where ever he dwels And thus you see what receiving of Christ that is which is interpreted to be a believing in his Name and consequently what a true and sincere belief in Christs name carries in it to wit a loving and loyal cleaving to him and an imbracing of him and his Word Sect. 6 4. Remission of sin and Salvation are suspended upon Repentance from dead Works and therefore when pardon of sin and Salvation is promised unto believing indefinitely it may not safely be understood of any other Faith than such as actually turns the Soul to God from serving of sin to serve him from the love of vanity to the love of piety wherein the work of Repentance does consist Remission of sin is the next and immediate effect of a sound Faith Acts 10.43 and so is it the next and immediate effect of true Repentance Luke 24.47 Acts 2.38 and 5.31 and 3.19 yea Pardon does so depend upon Repentance that it 's not to be had without it Luke 13.3 5. Except ye repent ye shall all perish And so actual Salvation which is the last compleating effect of Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 is likewise the finishing effect of Repentance and therfore called Repentance unto life Acts 11.18 and repentance unto salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 If then Repentence begins ends with Faith sets out with it and runs along with it to the end of its race in the effects produced by both impossible it is that any Faith should justifie or save but such as hath the nature of Repentance in it or which does inseparably accompany it By which consideration alone their Faith is detected of invalidity and unavailableness what ever the object of it may be whose hearts and lives are not reformed by it but still remain under the power of some thing or other condemned by the Word of the Lord and their own Consciences enlightened by it yeilding themselves rather unto the impositions of fleshly Lusts in some way of pride covetousness or carnal pleasure than unto the sweet motions of the Holy Spirit calling to humility sobriety temperance love mercy serious devotion and holiness towards God As it is true that Men shal be saved by Christ and justified by Faith so it is as true that that Faith by which they shall be justified does purifie the heart Acts 15.9 i. e. work out evil affections sinful motions and unclean inclinatinations as nature where it is not overcome by the strength of a Disease by degrees works out those malignant humours which do ill affect the body and which otherwise would be the overthrow of it as the other of the Soul and therefore where Faith doth not work this way there 's the same reason for a Man to be confident that that Faith is not right as there is to be confident thar a right Faith will save having the same word for the one as for the other Sect. 7 5. The same is true of unfeigned Love to the Lord the same promise of Life is made to that as is to Faith Iames 1.12 and 2.5 1 Cor. 2.9 Nay the want of this does as well render a man unworthy of Christ and that which comes by him and layes him as open to
one difficulty after another rose up to encounter his Faith yet they could not so much as make him to stagger so mighty was Gods Word in his soul And therfore was this Faith of his imputed to him for Righteousness Now this was not written for his sake alone that this Faith of his was imputed unto him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead saith the Apostle Rom. 4.23 24. It was written to give us to understand That if God be so magnified in the soul as that no difficulty or unlikelihood whatsoever can stand before or carry it against the Word and Promise of God there but beleeving first that God raised Christ from the dead for our Justification after he had been delivered for our offences and then beleeving also that God by the same power and grace by which he did that will certainly fulfil and perform all his Words and Promises in due time and according to his own terms and that this Faith do but dispose the frame of the heart God-ward as it did in Abraham that then this Faith of ours shall as assuredly be imputed to us for Righteousness as his was to him Hath God then Promised a free and full Pardon of all your sins upon your unfeigned Repentance and turning from them to God and taking hold of his Grace in Christ how great or many soever they have been and how unworthy soever they have rendered you of such a favour Hath he promised to such as have begun thus truly to turn to God that he will give them his Spirit to help in the Work to make them new hearts and to write his Law there and that humbly waiting and depending upon him in his own way and means he will keep them from falling and preserve them to his heavenly kingdom See then whether you do stedfastly beleeve these great and precious Promises and are encouraged and enabled by your belief of them to turn again to God from all your transgressions and in thus turning confidently to expect by degrees a real and faithful performance of them all notwithstanding the great distance you may possibly for the present perceive your selves to be from much of what is thus promised and notwithstanding those great mighty and violent oppositions which you do and are like to meet with from flesh World and Devil to encounter your confidence of these things Though difficulties in this kind are many great and sorely threatning your falling short of the enjoyment of these mighty Promises yet if your Faith be but firmly bottomed and built upon them and that the faithfulness and power of God to make them good be so eyed by you and your souls so centered therein as that all the difficulties and unlikelihoods that rise up in your way from what quarter soever cannot prevail in your soul against the Word of God but that you do indeed beleeve that the might and power of his Grace will make its way through them all and perform to a tittle what he hath promised and that this confidence of yours does but engage you still to be following of God step by step in his way method and means of fulfilling his Word as Abrahams Faith did then you may confidently assure your selves that your Faith is of the right breed and kind and of the same nature with Abrahams and walking in the same steps and such as will entitle you to and possess you of the same blessing which he attained by his Faith Sect. 3 2. Another step of his Faith was this As by it he stedfastly beleeved Gods Promises so by it he faithfully obeyed his Precepts call and counsel Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an Inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went An excellent grace indeed that is moulded and cast in the Will of God and receives its form and figure from thence The Word of God had the same force upon Abrahams soul by means of his Faith as the Wind hath upon a Weather-cock it still made it to stand with it If he promised him any thing his soul did securely acquiess in his Word if he commanded him any thing he readily obeys the Word of the Lord carries him before it He only depended upon the divine Will by his Faith what that gave him he received what that would have him do that he did He beleeved its like That the Lord was so good in himself and so much a friend to him as that he would not put him upon any thing command him any thing but what in the issue should clearly tend to his good and therefore upon this perswasion resolves to deliver up himself wholly to the Will of God and to be an absolute Servant thereunto and to wait upon it whither ever it would carry him He knew his Happiness was in Gods hand and was confident that the way to be possessed of it was still to wait upon God in beleeving what he said and in doing what he bade him The Will and Command of God then was the constant walk of Abrahams Faith Sect. 4 3. And Thirdly the nature of that Obedience which proceeded from his Faith was this It was an obedience of Self denyal wherein he crossed his own will to comply with the Will of God therein doing God that right which but few in the world do as actually to acknowledge the Lord and his most holy Will to be absolutely sovereign and supream and that his own Will must stoop to his without all disputes how contrary soever thereunto The Command of God comes to Abraham Gen. 12.1 2 3. saying Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Fathers house unto a Land that I will shew thee and I will make of thee a great Nation and I will Bless thee and make thy Name great and thou shalt be a blessing And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thy Seed shall all Families of the Earth be blessed Here are great things promised indeed as an Argument and Motive to perswade him to obey this Call and Command of God which he confidently depended upon but in the mean time he must quit his Country bid a-dieu to his Kindred depart from his Fathers house make himself a laughing stock it's like to Neighbors Friends and Acquaintance as if some strange Chymera had struck his brain and must go he knew not whither So saith the Apostle He went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 Let 's make it our own case and we shall easily perceive that thus to do was a piece of great Self denial And yet his Faith led him out from amidst these ancient enjoyments the Command and Promise of God went before and he followed close after And this wonderful piece of Obedience is attributed to his Faith Heb. 11.8 By
like to go with him touching his final Justification in the grand Session of the Judge of all the world by that preparatory tryal which hath been impartially made in the Court of a mans own Conscience as I noted before If he be acquitted justified here by the testimony and verdict of Conscience grounded upon the Statutes of Christ and agreeable to matters of Fact he will be full of a comfortable confidence of speeding well at the Judgement seat of Jesus Christ 1 John 3.21 Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God But if a mans conscience which if it err on any side it 's like to be in favour to the man himself if this find a man guilty and obnoxious to the condemning sentence of Christs Law there 's smal hopes for that man to expect a sentence of Justification and absolution at the tribunal of Christ unlesse he can upon the sence of what condition he is in bestir himself in the mean time to procure his pardon by taking such a course of amendment as by which through infinite Grace it may be had 1 John 3.20 For if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things hath a more piercing sight to discern a mans guilt than Conscience it self hath and therefore will condemn much more Sect. 7 O Sirs how does it then concern every one of us to carry all things fair in the sight of our Conscience which indeed is privy in a manner to all our doings and to maintain Friendship with that and to take heed of wronging and abusing that or making that ill affected towards us Sin and unworthiness of behaviour in word or deed is that which defiles Conscience which troubles and disturbs it which grieves and ill affects it and disables it from pleading a mans cause before the Lord or giving testimony on his side so that it can never send a man with boldness before the Lord till that which hath defiled and offended it be taken away Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience Mark to the drawing near to God in full assurance of Faith with boldness and confidence of being accepted with him this we see is absolutely necessary viz. that the heart be first sprinkled from an evil conscience that that be taken away which made the Conscience evil while it was there and what 's that but sin So long as the guilt of sin and filth of sin remain upon the heart the Conscience will be evil if sin trouble the Conscience Conscience will trouble the man and fill him with those fears as that he will be far from drawing nigh to God with confidence and full assurance of Faith but rather like Adam in that case run away and hide himself from God if it were possible Paul no doubt well knowing this to the end he might maintain his hope and confidence in God touching the Resurrection-day in good plight and might alwayes have his Conscience on his side and ready to present him unto God with a good testimony what did he do What! Herein saith he do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and toward men Acts 24.16 In all his behaviour God-ward Men-ward and that alwayes he was so intent upon this thing of gratifying his Conscience that he made it his constant exercise was wonderful fraid of giving his Conscience any offence of offering any injury or wrong to that for he knew if he did that would spoil his hope towards God As the mysterie of Faith 2 Tim. 3.9 so the confidence of Faith must be held in a pure Conscience indeed it 's able to live in no other ayre A pure heart a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned these are linkt together 1 Tim. 1.5 where you find one there you will find all and where any one is wanting to be sure there the other will be missing If a good Conscience be once put away as it is where a pure heart is not kept it 's in vain for men to boast of their Faith and confidence in God 1 Tim. 1.19 Holding Faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack If a good Conscience be once put away the next news you hear is the ship-wrack of Faith Men may have a liveless form of Faith as the body and bulk of a Ship sometimes remains after a Wrack but is rendred useless and unserviceable and so is Faith when once a good Conscience is gone it 's of no use to entitle a man to the Promise and consequently of no use to give a man confidence towards God or to imbolden him to come before him If therefore to have Conscience which is Judge under Christ to be your Friend be any thing in your eye if to have that to plead your cause and to be a witness for you against the subtile insinuations malicious accusations and violent prosecutions of the Devil be a thing desirable to you if to have Conscience to send you to Christs Barr with Letters testimonial in your hand signifying that your cause hath been tryed in that Court and evidences and witnesses impartially heard and considered on both sides and your cause found good and you your selves under the Justification and protection of Christs Gospel I say if such things as these be any thing worth with you then be sure you use Conscience well which hath its eye upon you alwayes do not trouble it do not provoke it do not disoblige it at any time by any means and then the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Friends these are great matters and you your selves every one of you greatly concerned in them if you have not the sence of it now yet know ye that the time is coming apace wherein ye will better understand what these things mean But take heed this sence come not upon you too late when the opportunity of acting the part of a good Conscience is over remember how the foolish Virgins were then to provide themselves of Oyl for their Lamps when the wise by the light of that which they had provided in due time entred in with the Bride-groom and the door was shut against the other I have now done with giving this piece of instruction caution and advice and the good Lord prosper it to those that have heard it and to those that shall read it it remains on our part every one of us that we be presently up and doing according to it or else it will be a witness against us in the day of the Lord. And I my self who have been holding forth to you these great things am very sensible God knows that I am but a very poor and weak Creature and have had many a trembling of heart for my self as well as others whilst I have been writing these matters of mighty moment lest I should strike upon any of those Rocks whereof the troublesome sea of this sinful world is very full and of which I have been warning others before I make the fair Haven towards which I am steering And I dare say you will be never the near the danger if you be under the same sence and fear too But O then set us all away to God and follow him day and night with our fervent supplications to be upheld and kept by him taking hold of his strength trusting under the shadow of his love depending upon Christ for supplies of all necessaries for the Christian life carefully avoiding all things that might distast or grieve him and cause him to withdraw and leave us and with like care to do alwayes those things that please him so may we be certain that his eye will be alwayes on us and his heart towards us for good and his right hand shall uphold us and preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom Amen THE END
is true in him and in you In him who hath not onely given this new command Iohn 13.34 A new Commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you but also hath given us the pattern of it in his own example having so loved us as to lay down his life and to give himself for us Gal. 2.20 Which thing as it is true in him so in you saith he 1 Iohn 2.8 because we ought therefore not only to love our Neighbour as our selves as before it was commanded but now even to lay down our lives for the brethren 1 Iohn 3.16 as he hath done for us Of all which viz. that the same command though in one respect it was old yet in another it was new and truly verified both in Christ and in the Saints the Apostle gives this reason in the forementioned place 1 Iohn 2.8 Because the darknesse is past and the true light now shineth the different dispensing of the same thing hath made this difference in it it was an old Commandement as it was once enjoyned under the old Covenant but now the darkness and obscutity of that Covenant and dispensation being past as when once it grew old it was then ready to vanish Heb. 8.13 and the true and new light in the Gospel and new Covenant now shining under which the same duties of Love are enjoyned upon other terms then before it might upon this account be well stiled a New Commandement which yet in substance was an old one Sect. 3 2. But Secondly and chiefly the reason why the Works of Love Justice and Mercy as commanded in the Gospel are not opposed to Faith by the Apostle in the point of Justification though these and all other Works commanded in the Law in the sence in which they were asserted by the Jews are opposed to Faith in that case is this because there is so vast a difference between the sence in which we do assert an Evangelical necessity of these to Justification and that sence in which the Jews did assert the availableness of these together with other Works of the Law unto justification as that the Apostle might well withstand the one sence as damnable and yet the other in the mean while remain under his full approbation For our Apostle was so far from denying the necessity of the Works of the Law unto justification saving in that erronious sence in which the Jews maintained them as that he did affirm that during the time in which they were enjoyned by God justification was not to be had without them as conjoyned with Faith Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified It was no more mens hearing of the Law and leaning upon God as some did Mic. 3.11 without sincere obedience to the Law in one thing as well as in another that would render them acceptable to God then than mens barren formal and dead Faith under the profession of the Gospel will without an upright and careful conformity to the doctrin of Christ render them acceptable to God now As concerning that sence in which the Jews asserted and the Apostle denied the necessity of the works of the Law to justification take it thus They being ignorant of Gods Righteousness Rom. 10.3 and of his designe to teach men by the types and figures of the Law as by a school-master to expect justification by the death of Christ and Faith in his blood For by reason of the vail that was upon their hearts they could not see to the end of that which is abolished 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. I say they being herein altogether ignorant were on the other hand highly confident that God had ordained their legal Sacrifices to purge them from their sins and their obedience in them and other points of the Law to be the only means to invest them with all the good that ever the Lord intended them not only in things temporal but also spiritual and eternal So that that which the Gospel attributes to the New Covenant to the blood of it to the faith of it to the obedience of it they attributed and ascribed all of it to the blood and obedience of the Old Covenant So that the question between the Apostle and them was but this Whether Eternal Redemption were to be had upon the First Covenant termes or the Second whether by the Works of the Law or the Faith of the Gospel the beleeving in and subjecting to the Lord Jesus as that only name way and means in which Salvation is to be had The Apostle he affirms that Salvation is to be had by the latter without the former by the New Covenant termes without the Old the Jews on the contrary they held that Salvation was to be had by the former without the latter by the Works of the Law without beleeving in or obeying of Jesus It is most evident and certain that thus and thus as hath been declared is the true sence in which the Jews held the Works of the Law available to justification and salvation and it is as clear likewise that in the very same sence the Apostle doth deny and reject them charging the whole stresse of all upon Christ and beleeving in and following of him Sect. 4 This is easie to be discerned in the Apostles Writings of which I have given an account in my Second Chapter to which I refer you and shall here add two or three Texts more Phil. 3.7 8 9. But what things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ yea doubtlesse and I do count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith He had shewed before what the Jews trusted in boasted of and which he himself also whilst he was as they were did count his gain viz. Circumcised the eight day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews touching the righteousnesse of the Law blamelesse But when he became a Christian he let go all these things which he held so fast before took off and removed that confidence and stresse which he had placed in these and now laies all upon Christ and Faith in him That which he now expected by Christ he did indeed expect by his righteousness in the Law before but that which was his hope and his confidence his joy and his glory before is now but loss and dung with him when once the excellency of the knowledge of the way of Salvation by Christ does appear Now all his desire is to be found in Christ rejoycing in Christ trusting in Christ cleaving to Christ not
well as if all those purposes inclinations and desires of the soul were so many visible works so many actual performances For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 If it hath but passed the will in good earnest it is not the want of more ability or more opportunity that will hinder the mans acceptation but accepted he is and shall be with the Lord with what he hath in this kind be it more or be it lesse And now having shewed you both in what sence the unbeleeving Jews did and in what sence we do hold Works necessary unto Justification and salvation I now pray you to make judgement upon the whole and let your own conscience speak whether there be the least or lightest probability that when the Apostle rejecteth the works of the Law from Justification in the sence in which the Jews asserted them that then and therein he should also reject the christian resolutions and endeavours commanded in the Gospel upon pain of damnation from justification in the sence in which I have supposed them absolutely necessary thereunto Sect. 7 Neither is this any new Doctrine only it may be I have used a little more liberty of expression in asserting the necessity of Works to justification then many others who have been over-awed by a misunderstanding of Pauls saying in my Text have adventured to do Otherwise though there seems to be an over-tenderness and shiness in our Protestant Authors while engaged against the Papists to say in plain words that any Works are necessary to justification yet in the mean while they confidently and boldly assert in other words that which amounts to as much and signifies the same thing For that they might not be thought by denying the necessity of good works unto justification to open a gap unto carnal liberty and to lay a temptation upon men to be lesse carefull in the great work of Sanctification they are wont to assert over and over that though they do not hold good Works necessary to justification yet they do hold them necessary unto salvation so that though men may be justified without them yet they cannot be saved without them But I demand what Justification is that which will not put men into an immediate capacity of salvation but that there is a necessity of Works to do this for men Can any call this a justification unto life as the Scripture calls that justification which is of the Gospelkinds Rom 5.18 And does it not come to the same issue to say that Faith without Works will not justifie and to say that justification without works will not save for is justification any thing else then a discharging or setting a man free from condemnation and consequently bringing him into a condition of life so that whether the defect lie in the Faith that should justifie because of the absence of Works or whether in the justification it self because of the absence of Works it matters not for it seems there is the same necessity of Works unto Salvation on which side soever it fall with the sence of which necessity to fill the hearts and souls of men is the thing I drive at in this discourse But that to grant Works necessary unto salvation is all one in effect as to grant them necessary unto justification and that there is no more danger in the one then in the other and that the difference between the one and the other is but in a sound of words and not in substance of matter and consequently that they that deny the necessity of Works in the one sence and yet grant it in the other do but restore with the right hand what they unduly took away with the left is a thing clear and evident from the Scriptures as well as from the reason of the thing which I thus declare 1. Our Apostle Paul uses these two phrases to be justified and to live as words equivolent and importing the same thing and reckons it a good demonstration to prove that men are not justified by the works of the Law but by Faith inasmuch as that the Scripture saith The just shall live by Faith Gal. 3.11 But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by Faith Which would be a defective way of arguing if to be justified and to live were not the same thing with the Apostle So again vers 21. of the same Chapter For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law Here we see again that righteousnesse and life are convertable termes with the Apostle if life then righteousnesse if righteousnesse then life by the Law And so to be justified and to be blessed is all one thing with the same Apostle Gal. 3.8 9. Rom. 4.7 8 9. And to be saved or to be justified is the same thing which the Apostle James according to the tenour of his reasoning James 2. from verse the fourteenth to the four and twentieth 2. Justification and condemnation are in Scripture put in direct opposition one to another Rom. 5.18 and 8.33 So that he that is justified is free from condemnation and to be free from condemnation and to be in a state of Salvation is as much one as not to dye is to live 3. Salvation as well as Justification is promised to beleeving John 3.16 Acts 16.31 Heb. 10.39 therefore to be in a salvable condition is the immediate effect of Faith as well as to be justified and consequently that a man is as soon in a salvable condition as in a justified condition and if so then look what is necessary to the being of the one is necessary to the being of the other also with a necessity sine qua non without which neither will be And now what doth all this prove but that if men cannot be in a salvable condition without Works which is the thing granted then neither can they be in a justified condition without them because there is no separating of these But I still desire you that when I thus speak of the necessity of good Works unto Justification that you will do me and your selves too that right as to understand me in the sence in which I have explained my self before viz. that they are necessary so as to render that Faith by which men are justified to be of the right kind and such unto which Justification is promised Under which sence I am far enough from complying with the Papists who if they be not wronged hold Works to be satisfactory Propitiatory and meritorious for that 's their charge see Dr. Downam's Treatise Justi lib. 7. cap. 1. § 1. And as I am far from complying w th them so am I far enough from differing from those that oppose them if their own concessions about the necessity of Works may be
as it beleeves the blood of Christ to be it and it alone that is in it self and by the ordination of God fully sufficient to take away sin the guilt of it or the condemning power or destroying nature of it so accordingly does it relye upon this blood of Christ under the gracious appointment of the Father to do this great thing for him to particular in whom this Faith dwells Rom 8.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood In this Scripture there are three things that are especially to be marked in relation to the point in hand 1. That Christs blood is the blood of propitiation or that Christ himself is the propitiation by means of his blood i. e. the reconciler the procurer of savour in pardon or remission 2. That God hath ordained him in his blood thus to be and accordingly hath proposed and offered him to all the world as a publick propitiation but yet so and upon condition that men have Faith in his blood i. e. do believe it to be of it self and by the appointment of the Father of sufficient efficacy force and vertue to purge them from their sins Which Faith also must be of the right kind or else it will not interesse any man in this great benefit 3. That which is moreover implyed is that the Faith of a man feeling so good a foundation and ground under it as is the blood of Christ in conjunction with the Fathers will as by which to be confident of a plenary purgation from all sins how great or how many soever they have been does accordingly safely and securely build thereupon Sect. 7 4. Christ as being risen from the dead is the object of justifying Faith Rom. 10.9 If then shalt confess with thy meuth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our Iustification And no marvel that the Resurrection of Christ should be the object of saving Faith inasmuch as in it is included the beleef of the main foundation Doctrines of the Gospel and without it Faith could have no firm footing to rest upon touching other great Gospel-truths As 1. The beleeving of him to be the Son of God which is an ingredient absolutely necessary in the Gospel-faith doth at least in great part depend upon the Faith of his Resurrection For Faith can ground its belief touching his being the Son of God upon nothing else than that which declares him to be so But now he is declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the Resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 2. The keeping promise and Covenant with the holy Patriarchs and their Seed which Faith must needs eye did depend upon Gods raising Christ from the dead Acts 13.32 33. And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again Acts 2.30 31. Therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God hath sworn with an Oath to him that of the fruit of his loyns according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne he seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in hell neither his flesh did see corruption 3. The Resurrection of Christ is so necessary to Justification and to the Faith of it that take away this and Justification and the beleef of it are all laid in the dust 1 Cor. 15.14 17. And if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your Faith is also vain And again vers 17. And if Christ be not raised your Faith is vain ye are yet in your sins Without beleeving is no justification and if there had been no Resurrection of Christ there could have been no Faith touching that attonement that is now made by his death For could men have beleeved that the death of Christ had been of sufficient force and vertue to expiate sin had it not been manifested by his Resurrection surely no. For so long as he was under the power of death he was under the power of sin of which death is but the wages For in that he dyed he dyed unto sin saith the Apostle Rom. 6.10 The sting of Death to wit that which gives it power of prevailing over the creature is sin 1 Cor. 15.56 And the time when that saying O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory shall be brought to passe is not till the day of Resurrection When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal immortality 1 Cor. 15.54 And therefore as the Saints shall not actually and perfectly be delivered from all the effects of sin till the day of their Resurrection so neither was Christ delivered from that burden of other mens sins which he bore in his own body untill he rose from the dead And if sin had been too hard for him in keeping him under the power of death it would much more have been too hard for us But in that God raised Christ from the dead he did as it were thereby acknowledge satisfaction for the debt of mens sins which he by his death as a surety had discharged While he lay in the grave he was detained as a prisoner for other mens debts but when the prison doors were opened and he let out the Father acknowledged satifaction and did as it were seal him in the behalf of those for whom he undertook a release and discharge By his entring into suffering he took the sins of the world upon him but by his Resurrection by which he came out of his suffering-state he put them off As in his suffering he was made sin for us and dealt with as if he had been a sinner so by his Resurrection he was justified from those sins which were imputed to him And unlesse he had been first justified from our sins which were imputed to him all the while he suffered we could not have been justified from them our selves And therefore no marvel that the Apostle should attribute our Justification with a Rather unto the Resurrection of Christ than to his Death as he does Rom. 8.33 34. Who is he that condemneth it is God that justifieth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again He seems to feel a firmer footing for his Faith in the Resurrection of Christ than in his death more to bear him out against the accusations of any that had a mind to condemn him the answer which a good conscience makes it is by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 3.21 4. I might here add that the beleef of the Resurrection of our bodies
at the last day and the eternal judgement that will follow thereupon which are two great Arricles of the Christian Faith and fundamental Doctrines Heb. 6.2 does depend upon our beleef of the Resurrection of Christ For if Christ the Son of Gods love him in whom his soul delighteth more than in any man should not have been raised by the glory of the Father there would have been little reason for any other man to expect so great a favour But now is Christ risen from the dead and is become the first fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 as a pledge of their Resurrection also In that any have a lively hope of being raised again to an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away they are thereunto begotten by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead so saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.3 4 And again verse 21. In that God raised him up from the dead and so gave him glory it was that our Faith and hope might be in God that he will do so to us likewise For God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 1 Cor. 6.14 For if we beleeve that Iesus dyed and rose again even so them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him 1 Thes 4.14 Because I live ye shall live also saith he who is the Resurrection and the life Iohn 14.19 and 11.25 And that there shall be a righteous Judgement following the Resurrection and that Christ Jesus shall be the Judge is such a thing of which the Father hath given assurance or offered Faith unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Acts 17.31 Sect. 8 5. The Word Gospel or Doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles is so the object of Faith as that salvation is promised unto the right beleef thereof Mark 16.15 16. Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved 2 Thes 2.13 Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beleef of the truth 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that beleeve because our testimony among you was beleeved in that day The Doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles may well be counted the object of Faith inasmuch as to beleeve it is all one as to beleeve that the Father hath set forth his Son to be a propitiation for sin through Faith in his blood and so it is to beleeve that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures because the Doctrine of the Gospel is a testimony and declaration of these things and he that beleeves the one beleeves the other also Gods giving his Son to dye and Christs dying and rising again without a declaration of the mind and counsel of God thereabout as viz. for what cause upon what account and for what end he did so as also upon what termes and conditions men shall reap the fruit of his Death Resurrection and Intercession I say the one without the other does not seem to be the adequate object of Faith but both together are For which cause the Doctrine of the Gospel in its Enunciations Precepts and Threatnings as well as in its Promises is the object of Faith And because the Doctrine of the Gospel contains declares and amply sets forth all these things together with those things which are to come viz. the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgement in order to which the former first take place as being all of them matters about which Faith is busied therefore is it that the Doctrine of the Gospel is frequently called the Faith Gal. 1.23 and 3.2 5 23. Acts 6.7 Romans 1.5 1 Tim. 4.1 Iude 3. And so now I have done with my first point touching Faith viz. the object of it or the beleeving of what it is that shall be imputed for righteousness CHAP. V. Shewing that that Faith which consists onely in assenting unto the truth of that report which the Gospel makes touching Christ his being the Son of God and of his coming into the World to save Sinners by dying for them will not availe to Iustification and Salvation as a Gospel-Faith of the right kind will do Sect. 1 HAving briefly shewed from the holy Scriptures the beleef of what it is objectively that hath the promise of Salvation annext to it I shall now in the next place come to enquire what and what manner of beleeving it is subjectively that hath the same promise or whether every act of beleeving that is placed on a right object hath this great priviledge of Justification entailed to it And upon due enquiry it will be found that not any act or acts of Faith one or more be they never so many of them that fall short of engaging the Soul in true Love and sincere obedience unto the Lord Jesus will avail the man in whom they are unto the saving of the soul If I mistake not all the acts of a saving Faith may be reduced to and comprehended under these three heads The first I call an act of Credence the second an act of Adherence and the third an act of Confidence in the exertion of which three acts of Faith having Christ for their object the whole soul mind will and affections are engaged which make up the beleeving with all the heart which the Gospel calls for Acts 8.37 By that act which I call an act of Credence I mean the assent of the mind unto the truth of what the Gospel reports especially touching Christ and Gods love to mankind in him as that he is the Son of God and Saviour of the world that he was sent of God the Father to shew unto men the way of salvation and then to dye rise again and after his ascension to make intercession to bring that salvation about and that remission of sins is to be had through his name By that act of Faith which I call an act of Adherence I understand the souls fast cleaving unto the Lord Jesus in affection and subjection as counting him more worthy of both than any Creature or thing in all the world as also taking hold of that grace and strength which is in Christ for deliverance from the power of sin and of bringing the soul back again to God in point of holiness And lastly by an act of Confidence I mean the Souls relyance rest or dependance upon Christ or on the Father through Christ for remission of sins acceptation and eternal salvation the committing of the Soul to his mercy the throwing it upon his grace These three acts of Faith relate to each other by way of dependance the second depending upon the first as the acts of the Will do upon the Understanding and the third upon both the
former and all acted upon the same object Now that which I shall endeavour is to shew that the first and last of these acts the assent of the mind unto the truth of things that are to be beleeved and the confidence of the soul to meet with salvation from the Lord may be found in such men in whom the middle act of a loving and loyal adherence to the Lord is not found and that the other two without this will not avail to Justification and Salvation Sect. 2 First that men may by way of assent unto the truth of that by which Jesus hath been manifested to be the Christ of God beleeve him to be so or beleeve on him as such and yet that beleeving of theirs not avail them to salvation will appear first of all by Ioh. 12.42 43. compared with other Scriptures The words are these Neverthelesse among the chief Rulers also many beleeved on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God That these men did beleeve Jesus to be the Messiah the Christ of God is most evident in that upon conviction by his Miracles and Doctrine which declared him so to be they beleeved on him and consequently must beleeve in the generall his Doctrine to be true And yet that whilst they did thus beleeve they were in an unsafe condition as touching the salvation of their souls will appear by two material circumstances in the words The first is this That for all their Faith they durst not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue which unworthy deportment of theirs put them under that threatning of Christ Mark 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels And John saith that every spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God 1 John 4.3 And confessing with the mouth is as well required unto salvation as beleeving with the heart Rom. 10.10 The second is this that while they thus beleeved they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God which whosoever does cannot beleeve savingly according to Christs own words Iohn 5.44 How can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Such beleevers likewise surely were they Iohn 2.23 24. Who when they saw the miracles which Christ did they beleeved in his name but Iesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men he knew that for all their Faith of assent that he was indeed the Messias of which they were convinced by his miracles yet there was not in them the Faith of adherence in a constant and an affectionate sticking to him and therefore would not trust himself with them Which is argument enough that their Faith was not saving nor such as would denominate them faithful Disciples unto Jesus whose property it is to forsake all rather than to forsake Ghrist Luke 14.33 which had it been their case Christ would not have been shie of betrusting himself with them It 's probable that Simon Magus was a beleever of this kind one whose Faith was right as touching the object of it and as touching this first act of it also for the Scripture saith Then Simon himself beleeveh also Acts 8.13 And what did he beleeve that 's exprest in the former verse where it 's said that when they beleeved Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the Name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himself beleeved also that is as well as they or the same things which the others beleeved viz. Philips doctrine concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus And yet for all his perswasion of the truth of the doctrine of the Gospel preached by Philip his heart was not purified by his Faith as the hearts of all are by Faith of the right kind Acts 15.9 for Peter told him First that his heart was not right in the sight of God vers 21. Secondly that he was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity vers 23. and consequently was in danger of perishing as the Apostle intimated to him saying Thy money perish with thee verse 20. There was in him the Faith of Credence but not of Adherence the assent of the mind unto the truth of Philips Doctrine but not the powerful consent of the will unto the superlative goodness of the way to the Kingdom taught by him Sect. 3 That this Faith of which we now speak which consists onely in the general assent of the understanding unto the truth of divine Revelation is not that Faith to which the great promises of the Gospel are made I shall endeavour further to manifest by adding two or three Reasons to the Scripture-testimonies already alledged 1. This assent as it is but one single act of Faith and therefore comprehends not the whole general nature of that grace so it is but the act of one single faculty of the soul the mind or understanding and so is not that beleeving with all the heart which is the right christian Faith Acts 8.37 which consists as well in the consent of the will touching the goodness of the thing beleeved as the assent of the mind to the truth of its being For as the object of the Christian Faith the Gospel bears the relation and carries as full a proportion of goodness as of truth in it so does the beleeving soul accordingly by the faculty of the mind assent to it as true and by the faculty of the will accept of it as a soveraign good And under this two-fold consideration is the Gospel propounded as the object of Faith 1 Tim. 1 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners It 's a saying faithful in respect of its truth and worthy of all acceptation in respect of its goodness Sect. 4 2. The Devils themselves have such a faith as by which they assent to this truth that Christ is the Son of God and it is the first-born of improbabilities that ever the Devils should have that faith abiding in them by which men shall be saved That the Devils do not only beleeve that there is one God and tremble according to Iames 2.19 but that they also beleeve Christ to be the Son of God the Christ of God is evident Luke 4 41. And Devils also came out of many crying out and saying thou art Christ the Son of God If any shall here object and say that we have but the Devills own word for it who was a lyar from the beginning The answer is that we have more than their word
hav confidence of Salvation because they believe though they do not indeed believe with that belief unto which Salvation is promised do directly tread in the steps of some in the Apostles dayes who would needs be confident of salvation though all the Faith they had was not of that power as to produce a holy life and the Apostles knowing the danger of such a confidence laboured exceedingly to take them off it and to build them upon a better bottom This is the business in which the Apostle Iames labours so mightily in his Epistle And we may easily perceive what Disease was among the Christians by the remedies which this servant of the Lord applyed for their cure viz. an inordinate love of the world which manifested it self in an adulterous and too near a complyance therewith Chap. 4. beginning And thereupon they despised the poor Saints and preferred men less worthy if they were rich chap. 2. Their want of the true christian humility and love brake out into bitter envying and strife and an undue judging and censuring one of another chap. 3. throughout And yet for all these unchristian and unsaint-like deportments they were ready to glory as if they were the knowing men and men of the right Religion wherein salvation was to be had and that it did belong to them In opposition to which vain-confidence and confident boasting he expresseth himself thus chap. 3.14 15. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual develish For them to glory of their Religion and of their wisdom and knowledg and yet to be men of such an unchristian carriage they did but lye against the truth which they pretended to have on their side but indeed was point blank against them But if any man would approve himself a wise man indeed endued with the christian knowledge of the right kind the Apostle tells them it must be by shewing out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom v. 13. Again chap. 1.26 he had likewise encountred that vain-confidence that was built upon a form of Knowledge Faith and Profession without the life and power of it saying If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vain Men that should give way to the flesh though but in one thing as for instance a licensious liberty to the tongue not endeavouring by watchfulness heed and circumspection to conform to the doctrine of the Lord which forbids not only lying reviling back-biting slaundering corrupt and unclean communication but also foolish talking and jesting yea every idle word how religious soever they might otherwise seem to themselves upon account of their formal knowledg and Faith of external devotion to the Ordinances yet the Apostle testifieth as from the Lord that such do but deceive their own hearts befool themselves with a vain confidence of being religious men and of being accepted with God as such and that such mens Religion is vain that is as to the end for which the true Religion serves Not as if all their Religion were made up of vain notions but though they had never so sound a knowledg and right belief of many excellent Gospel-truths and though they added thereto the doing of many things yea how seemingly religious soever they were upon what account soever yet the want but of this one thing a care to bridle the tongue would render all a mans Religion and all his confidence of salvation built thereupon but vain unprofitable touching the end of Religion the end of Faith which is the salvation of the soul as if he had never had any Religion nor seeming shew of it at all Yet once more Iames 2.14 to the same purpose thus What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath Faith and have not Works can Faith save him that is can such a Faith save him a form of speech emphatically denying the thing interogated like unto that afterwards chap. 3.11 12. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter Can the figg-tree my brethren bear Olive berries either a Vine Figgs Why no it cannot no more can that Faith save that hath not Works Though a man may say and say truly though a man be able to say he hath Faith yet if he have not Works can his Faith save him do you think it can He is not blaming their Faith as if not placed upon a right object or as if there were not a real closing with that object in point of assent in the beginning of this Chapter he clearly supposeth them to have the Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ only there cautions them not to yoke or couple their Faith with an unchristian carriage assuring them by the tenour of his discourse throughout this Chapter especially from the fourteenth verse to the end that a Faith so yoked and wanting its true yoke-fellow and companion the Gospel conversation which he calls by the name of Works will not profit him that hath it Which unprofitableness of that Faith which hath not Works he further illustrates by way of comparison verse 15 16. If a Brother or Sister be naked or destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them depart in peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body what doth it profit Nothing at all that is to the filling or warming of the necessitous person Even so saith he ver 17. Faith if it hath nor works is dead being alone Though a man should give God Christ never such good words though he shall be able to speak at never so high a rate of the grace of God of the love of Christ of the power of his death of the efficacy of his blood and prevalency of his intercession and shall have some kind of belief of what he sayes yet if it do not sincerely engage the soul to serve the interest of the glory of God in a vertuous life answerable to such a profession Faith it will no more profit to the justification of the Soul in the sight of God than a parcel of good words would feed and cloath fill and warm the needy Brother and indigent Sister when a contribution of a real relief is wanting Though I could speak with the tongue of men and Angels and had all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Love it would profit me nothing 1 Cor. 13.1 2. And whereas he saith that Faith is dead being alone he plainly supposeth that Faith may be alone without the company of Works a Faith that is truly so in its kind a Faith that is acted on a right object But where ever it is alone there it is dead that is it is unprofitable as to the end for which Faith is appointed viz. to justifie
salvation by the same Christ should make such swerving inferences from the Doctrine of Grace that offers Salvation upon believing in Jesus as tended to loosness of life and that they would labour to propagate their distorted notions and to make a party of the same mind with them Against whose dangerous insinuations he faithfully now again in his Epistle warns them to take heed of being deceived with such mens vain words and impure pretensions as if any Faith they had in the grace of God or merit of Christs blood could secure them from the wrath of God whilst they lived in uncleanness and covetousness and indulged themselves in a way of foolish talking and jesting for of such sins he had spoken before Sect. 6 Of this very sort of Men surely it is of whom Paul speaks 2 Tim. 3. concerning whom he informs us of these three things amongst others First that they had a form of Godliness Vers 5. and therefore were professors of the Christian Faith and Worship the Doctrine of Grace and Ordinances of the Gospel Baptism Supper of the Lord c. Secondly that in themselves they were men of an un-Gospel like temper and behaviour Lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemous disobedient to Parents unthankfull unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ver 2 3 4. Some of these bearing sway in some of them and some in others And that they were industrious to encrease their party and to draw Disciples after them appears in that they crept into houses and led captive silly Women that were laden with sins and led away with divers lusts who doubtless were glad of any notion about free Grace that would put them under hope of Salvation though under the power of divers Lusts which probably those men did instruct them in And Thirdly that from which this ill life under a form and shew of Godliness did proceed was their great mistake about the doctrine of Faith either as touching the nature of the Grace or the termes upon which Salvation was promised to it for he sayes that they were reprobate concerning the Faith or as the margent reads it Of no judgement concerning the Faith verse 8. they made no right judgement of the Gospels promising salvation upon believing but as Peter expresseth it Stumbled at the Word and wrested it to their own destruction 1 Pet. 2.8 2 Pet. 3.16 thought the promise of a larger extent than it was were not aware it was such a kind of believing only as gave a man victory over such Lusts and pleasures as in which they lived unto which the promise of life was made These things may well make the most of men called Christians to look about them who by their lives proclaim themselves to be believers but of the same rank with those marked out by the Apostles of our Lord as men whose Religion is vain whose Faith is dead whose confidence of salvation is built upon mistakes of the Doctrine of Grace whilst destitute of the life and power of Godliness which subdues the heart and life to God to answer that form of profession which they make of the Christian Faith But because it is a matter of such moment and so little laid to heart by those whom it so much concerns therefore do I dwell upon it the more if peradventure any may be awakened by it And therefore having heard something of that which the Apostles of our Lord have said to this important point for a close of this matter let us also a little weigh a passage or two spoken by the Lord himself relating to this business Sect. 7 Our Lord Jesus resembles the several sorts and tempers of Men that hear the Gospel unto four several sorts of ground upon which the sower casts his Seed Luke 8. And begins with the lowest and worst sort and from them proceeds gradually to the best of all The first sort resembled by the seed that fell by the ways side are such as neither understand nor believe the Gospel Luke 8.12 Mat. 13.19 The second sort go beyond these for they do believe the Word but it is but for a time for in time of persecution for the Words sake they fall away having no root vers 13. Now the third sort as they are placed in the middle between such as do receive the word and believe and rejoyce in it only for a season and such who with an honest heart having heard the Word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience so they do accordingly go beyond the temporary believer and yet fall short of the honest-hearted doer of the Word resembled by the good ground And that wherein they do exceed the stony-ground hearers that believe only for a time is this that they persevere in their believing such as it is unto the end of their lives And that wherein they fall short of the good-ground hearers is this that they do not with honesty or integrity of heart keep or do the Word and patiently bring forth the fruit of it as do the good-ground hearers For they when they have heard go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and so bring no Fruit to perfection verse 14. It 's said verse 7. that the seed falling among thorns the thorns sprang up with it and choked it by which it's evident that the seed of the Word doth in a sence grow up in these Men they may grow to have a great deal of knowledg of the Word and some Faith in it and they may bring forth some fruit too do many things as Herod and others did but the only fault is that they do not bring forth fruit to perfection they do not carry it quite through if they have a blade of profession yet they have not the ear of practice or if something of that yet they have not the full Corn in the ear a sincere respect unto all the Lords commands But the thorns of some Lust or other grow up with the Word and choke it and over-top it have more interest in the heart than the Word hath draw the affections of the Soul more to them than the Word doth as the thorns many times draws the nourishing moisture of the ground more to them then the Corn doth that springs up with them and so prevents the perfect growth of the Corn. The Word does grow in such men to a certain degree the Word as it brings glad-tidings of salvation to sinners by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ hath some rooting in the heart and is received with joy and as it promiseth salvation upon believing as they understand believing so it is a welcome Word which they will by no means let go and as it enjoyns easier and cheaper duties so far it hath the heart to and thus far the Word may grow up and the
a matter it will be to beat them out of their confidence of being owned by him that he wil be fain not only to tel them again and again I know you not but at last to profess to them that he never knew them no not then in your life time as if he should say when you thought your selves cock-sure of my approbation I then knew you not to be any true Friends of mine but you loved your selves and Relations and loved the world more than me you loved your own wills more than mine and your own honour more than mine and entertained motions from the flesh and from the Devil sooner than from me and therefore now without any more ado depart from me all ye workers of iniquity a sad parting Who shall not say with David whilst he is under the contemplation hereof My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Psalm 119.120 That which I further note in the third and last place from this Doctrine of Christ which with the rest astonished those that heard him preach it Mat. 7.28 is this that the true reason why these mens confidence and all that upon which it is built and all their pleadings beggings and mournful supplications added thereto will all fail them and fall to the ground is in short this they were workers of iniquity as men work at their Trades to bring them in what they lack and love so these men work iniquity that is commit sin do and speak things contrary to the Laws and instructions of Christ to bring them in that present carnal content which they love and prefer before that future happiness upon those self-denying termes without which it is not to be had That Faith which they had was not of that kind which purifies the heart and renews the Soul to God but for all it the flesh still retained the commanding interest in the Soul and therefore as they had in their life time sowed to the flesh so of the flesh they must now reap corruption They were told that if they lived after the flesh they should dye as well as they were told that Christ came into the world to save sinners but they would not believe the one though they did the other but now they must find and feel that which they would not before believe These things considered I heartily beseech all those into whose hands this shall come to take warning now it is given and not to deal slightly in the business of their Faith or to dally with their precious Souls take heed of that vain confidence of many which you see will be all turned into disappointment and confusion of face when the day of tryal comes and be working out your salvation with fear and trembling with fear lest you should be mistaken about the ground of your confidence and evidence of your hope It 's a thousand pitties that men should be so wary and solicitous lest they should be deceived with a trackt title in their outward Estates and so presuming and careless about rheir title to the next World as generally they are as if the eternal Estate of their Souls were but a trifle to the momentary enjoyment of a little spot of this World If the inconvenience of a mistake herein could be born without any considerable breach upon ones comfort or could afterward be rectified though with some loss as in externals it may well be a mans folly would be the less but to be slight yea not to be exceeding curious solicitous and thoughtful to prevent a mischief that for nature is intollerable and for duration eternal and the loss irrepairable argues the extremity of sottish madness which yet O that it were not the case of all men a few only excepted Mat. 7.13 14. CHAP. VII Shewing that that Belief unto which the Promise is made though indefinitely exprest is to be understood of Belief of a special kinde and that it is no waies safe to notion it in the lowest narrowest and meanest sence of the Word but to frame our notion of it according to that result which the Scriptures compared do give of it under which notion of it it will be hard for any man to retain a confidence of Salvation without an holy conversation Sect. 1 ANd because men are oft betrayed into that vain confidence of Salvation which I have spoken of by mistaking some Scriptures which they wrest to their own destruction therefore to prevent that mischief for the future as much as may be as I have in the former part of my discourse been labouring to deliver some from their mistakes of such Scriptures as promise Justification upon believing without the Works of the Law so I shall here also add a few words to save them from the danger of an undue understanding of such Scriptures as represent the believing Christ to be the Son of God and that he dyed and rose again and the like to be that Faith that carries Life and Salvation in it For whereas I have asserted in the two former Chapters that neither the assenting to the truth of that report which the Scriptures make touching Christ his being the Son of God and Saviour of the World c. nor yet the relying on him as such for Salvation will indeed avail a man unto Salvation without a loving loyal and obediential cleaving to him it may be some will be ready to object and say Does not the Scripture plainly say That these things are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his Name Iohn 20.31 and was not the acknowledging of this the very form of the Saints Faith in the first times of the Gospel Iohn 4.42 and 6.69 and 11.27 Acts 8.37 Mat. 16.16 and does not the Scripture also expresly say That if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.9 and again every spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 1 John 4.2 and whosoever shall confesse that Iesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God verse 15. and whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God 1 Iohn 5.1 These things being so if I do both believe and confess Jesus to be the Christ and Christ to be the Son of God and that he dyed and rose again why may I not be confident of Salvation can I have any better security than the plain letter of the Scripture that promiseth salvation upon these termes Sect. 2 To all which I answer first that it is very true that this is the Faith of the Gospel and that to which eternal life is promised and that if thou doest so believe these things as that thy Faith do but answer the latitude of these Scripture expressions thou mayest be confident of Salvation and
the curse as Infidelity it self does Mat. 10.37 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema Maranatha By which it's evident that all the while this Love is wanting he is under the curse that wants it whatever his belief otherwise may be and consequently that no Faith in Christ but such as knits the Soul in unfeigned Love to him wil deliver a Man from the curse of God and consequently nor justifie And alass how manies Faith is hereby manifested to be meerly counterfeit Who are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God which appears in that they follow them rather than God lovers of the World more than the Lord which appears in that they chuse to please the Men of the World rather than him and are more intent and thoughtful about getting the World than honouring of him and will rather run the hazard of displeasing him in holding fast the things of the World than part with them upon his call For it is not every degree of Love to Christ that will denominate a Man a true Lover of him but Love in such proportion and to such a degree as prevails against all other objects that stand in competition with Christ and carries away the Soul from them all to Christ Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loves Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me It 's not only lawful for a Man to love his Father and Mother his Son and Daughter but it is his duty so to do yea and to love them much more than others that are not so related and yet for all that if his Love to Christ do not exceed in proportion that Love and strong affection which he may and ought to bear to such Relations Christ you see hath already judged him unworthy of him A Man though he love his Wife better than most other Women yet if he love but one Woman more than his Wife with that affection that is proper to his Wife wil be judged by sober men no true Lover of his Wife In like manner though you should love Christ more than many other enjoyments or many other sins which you have parted with for his sake yet if you retain but any one sin or sinful lust and are tender of it for the profit or pleasure that comes into you by it and will harbour it to the offence and provocation of the Lord and chuse rather to run the hazard of loosing his company and all the comforts of it than to turn such an offensive guest out of doors assuredly the Lord who doth alwaies judge according to truth wil judge himself despised and unworthily rejected by you He you see then that wants this prevailing degree of Love to Christ is stil under the curse and therefore no belief in Christ whatsoever that hath not this Love in it or is not certainly accompanied with it can be any sufficient ground for any Man to be confident of his Salvation Nothing less availeth than that Faith which thus worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 By all these considerations then you may see that when Promise of Life is made unto believing in Christ indefinitely exprest it is no wise safe to understand the Scriptures as intending any other lower kind of Faith than that definitively which is of power and force to change the heart and life of him that hath it and to renew him to God in holiness Jesus Christ himself in his words to Paul having plainly declared this to be the true nature of the Faith that is in him Acts 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me And therefore John the bosome Disciple of Christ as was noted before saith Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God 1 Iohn 5.1 which as you see must be understood of that vigorous belief that gives a man a new being furnishes him with new principles of motion and action new thoughts new affections a new life that gives him victory over the World as it follows verse 4. Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Christs proffers and the Worlds proffers Christs threats and the Worlds threats striving which shall carry the Man to follow their waies Faith steps in by which the Man believes that as Christ is the Son of God so he is more worthy to be followed and his proffers infinitely more worthy to be regarded and his threats dreaded than the World with all that she can do or say and so delivers the Man out of the Worlds hand that he is at liberty to attend the Lord. Sect. 8 And whereas among other Scriptures objected in the beginning of this Chapter one promiseth salvation to such as believe with the heart and confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and others affirm that whosoever confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and is the Son of God are of God and dwell in God and God in them they are to be understood as spoken according to the exigencies of those times wherein a Man confessing Christ exposed himself to persecution Iohn 9.22 and 12.42 and consequently manifested his effectual Faith in an unfeigned Love to the Lord Jesus and thus to call Iesus the Lord no Man could do but by the Holy Ghost and his special assistance 1 Cor. 12.3 But now in times wherein to deny him to be the Lord would sooner expose a man to suffering than the confessing of him so to be the bare confessing of him will not invest him with the great priviledges that then were promised unto the confessing of Christ according to that Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Sect. 9 THe truth is if a Man do but take the Scriptures together and shape his judgement according to their result when compared as its every Mans wisdom to do as it is not safe so it is impossible for him then to be confident of his salvation meerly upon account of his believing Christ to be the Son of God unless this Faith of his be proved to him to be the Faith of Gods elect by some good degree of those holy affections and that christian demeanure which the holy Word and Doctrine of the Lord calls for And the reason hereof is because such Scriptures as I have been now insisting on that curse all those that do not love the Lord Jesus that sentence with eternal death all those that live after the flesh that exclude all such the blessed Vision of the Lord that have not holiness that shut the gates of Heaven against all such as do not make conscience to do the will of the Father I say such Scriptures stand up to oppose such a
man have but cause to suspect those he hath he may provide himself of better before it is too late it will be no time for the foolish Virgins to seek to provide themselves of Oyl for their Lamps when the very pinch of time comes that they should use it CHAP. VIII Shewing that the Faith which shall justifie as Abrahams did is a Faith that walks in the steps of the Faith of Abraham Shewing also what those steps were and that Abraham was justified by the latter of them as well as the former and that the justification of his spiritual seed stands upon the same terms contrary to the Antinomian Doctrine and Libertine Principles Sect. 1 ALthough I have through the Lords assistance in some measure already opened the nature of Gospel-Faith of the right kind in comparing it with and thereby discovering the nature of the feigned dangerous and dead Faith and wherein it falls short of the true yet to the end you may have a fuller view of the nature properties and genuine operation of the Faith of Gods Elect I shall through the same assistance now proceed to shew you further how it hath from time to time wrought in them And thereby I shall give you opportunity to try your own Faith of what kind it is For if it be that Faith which the Scripture calls the Faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1.1 then it will work after the same manner as theirs generally hath been wont to do but if you cannot find your Faith to be of that kind by working as theirs did you will have small reason as yet to conclude your self one of their number I shall begin with Abraham who as the Scripture saith was Father of all them that beleeve and so he was because all true beleevers do partake of the same kind of Faith that dwelt eminently in him and are thereby justified and saved as he was He is the great instance pattern or example both in his Faith and Justification of Gods resolved method of saving all men that shall be saved whether Jewes or Gentiles As a Son who succeeds his Father comes to enjoy the same Inheritance and priviledge as his Father did so he that shall succeed Abraham in his Faith shall enjoy the same spiritual and eternal inheritance which was entailed on his Faith So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.9 So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham The same Apostle in another place declares them to be his spiritual Children and he a Father to such as walk in the steps of his Faith Rom. 4.12 And the Father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only but also to those that walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised Where note first That the Faith which Abraham had and by which he was Justified was a Faith which had steps in it it did not consist in one transient act only but of a series of acts one following another and that he was Justified by the latter of these as well as the former I shall God willing afterwards shew That which I would further note in the second place is That the Faith which will render them that have it Children of Abraham and inheritors of the same blessing with him is such for kind as is found walking in the steps of his Faith influencing the life and disposing the heart in particular occurrences as his did It may well be indeed that every Child of Abraham may not be able to keep pace with their Father in this walk of Faith nor to follow him close at the heels nor are all his Children of the same growth or same strength but yet all following their Father in the same way though at some distance all treading in his steps It is most certain that the true Faith by which they become his Children will guide them into the same way put them upon the same behaviour for kind in which he was found Joh. 8.39 Jesus saith unto them If ye were Abrahams Children ye would do the works of Abraham For a tryal of our Faith therefore whether it be of the right breed and of the stock of Abraham let us a little trace out the walk of Abrahams Faith and see what the foot-steps of it were as we have the print of them in the Scriptures and then see whether our Faith walk in the same path or tread in the same steps or no. Sect. 2 1. This was one of the foot-steps of his Faith it gave God the glory of his truth power and goodness in being confidently perswaded that what he promised he was both able willing and faithful to perform how contrary soever to humane probability Rom. 4.18 19 20 21. Who against hope beleeved in hope that he might be the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own body now dead neither yet the deadness of Sarahs womb He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform The word Promise or saying of God carried it in his soul against all contrary reasonings Sarah being old and it ceasing to be with her after the manner of Women and Abraham himself also being as good as dead Heb. 11.12 this incumbred the belief of the Promise in Sarah and at first set her Faith Gen. 18.11 12. But the Text saith Abraham considered neither the one nor the other he considered not his own body now dead nor yet the deadness of Sarahs womb Gods Promise did so wholly take up his soul and was of so great authority with him as that he did not judge the great improbabilities in Nature worthy in this case to be so much as considered nor at all to be heard when God had spoken Afterward God tryes his Faith again he had not only in general promised him a numerous Posterity like unto the stars for multitude as before Gen. 15.5 but now more particularly had told him that in Isaac should his seed be called Gen. 21.12 and yet for all this commands Abraham to slay and offer in Sacrifice to God this Son of his and how then should God make good his Promise might Abraham think Abraham here again measures Gods Word and Promise not by this and that difficulty but by his irresistable power Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure Heb. 11.19 You see he had so high an esteem of the goodness and truth of God that if he had but power enough to make good his word he made no question of his performance and was so all thoughts made touching the sufficiency of his power to go through with whatever he had a mind to or had undertaken to do as that though
his eyes Secondly That in order to his receiving his expectation from God his Faith kept him tite and close to God in the way of his Worship and Service so that he would not be turned out of this a hairs breadth for all the dread of the Lions Den but though he knew the snar that was laid for him that in case he prayed to his God as formerly he must be offered up in Sacrifice to the devouring Lions yet for all that the Text saith That he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and Prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 As he depended upon God and not on Darius the King for his happiness so he was resolved he would faithfully cleave to the Lord and please him whoever was displeased or whatever it cost him If his way his direct way to his future happiness lie through the Lions Den he does not seek to go about if the path-way of Gods service leads thither then thither his Faith carries him His Faith we see brought him into the Lions Den but it did not leave him there as it brought him in so it brought him out too He was taken up out of the Den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he beleeved in his God The like we see of them whose Faith quenched the violence of fire Heb. 11.33 As their Faith quenched the violence of fire when they were in it so it was their Faith too that brought them into it But how viz. By engaging them fast to God his Worship and Way keeping them in an hour of temptation from being shaken in their loyalty and fidelity to God for all the formidable pompe of Nebuchadnezzar and the horrour of his hot fiery Furnace Dan. 3.13 28. They trusted in God for Salvation but would have no other but what the holy Commandment of God faithfully stuck to would bring them to The Word of the Lord will try men as it did them if they take hold of it by Faith and will not let it go it will sometimes draw them into the fire and into the water but if they still hold fast by it it will at last bring them out into a wealthy place Psal 66.10 11 12. But you see the Saints confidence of its being a certain and most infallible guide to conduct them to their desired and expected felicity hath still caused them to trust themselves with it and to follow it through thick and thin foul way as well as fair Sect. 4 The Faith of David the man after Gods own heart and one of those Worthies mentioned Heb. 11.32 was notable this way also Psal 62.5 My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him Where note first That his expectation to wit of Salvation as in the next verse he only is my Salvation it was from God and from God only Secondly This his dependance upon God for Salvation as knowing it was to be had from him only and from none else drew him to wait only upon God in order to his receiving of it And what 's that but his attending upon God alwayes to do his Will as a Servant that waits upon his Master as ready alwayes to be at his beck As the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistriss so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God Psal 123.2 Just as it is between great men that are able to prefer others and those that expect to be preferred by them is it not common for such to be cast into the very mould of the will and pleasure of such from whom they expect advancement Are they not glad of any opportunity of gratifying and pleasing them Every man saith Solomon is a friend to him that giveth gifts Prov. 19.6 And thereupon it is that we use to say they are their creatures And most certain it is that the Saints expectation of being preferred by God to endless dignity and glory works alike deportment in them towards God as we see here in David with the rest before-mentioned If he expects only from God he resolves to wait only upon God Since God only can do for him that which he desires more than all things his care is to be sure to please him whoever he displeaseth Whatever temptations he met with to the contrary whatever his constant waiting upon God cost him yet this expectation of his from God held him close to God as well it might And therefore we have him oft expressing himself thus They had almost consumed me upon earth but I forsook not thy Precepts Psal 119.87 My Soul is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy Law vers 109. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies yet do I not decline from thy testimonies vers 157. Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word vers 161. Why did David stick so close to Gods Word whenas we see his so doing procured him so many enemies and exposed him to such dangers from men Surely because his expectation was only from God and therefore he judged it most reasonable to forsake all to wait on him his heart stood more in awe of his Word than of the frowns and malicious practises of the greatest of men Psal 119.57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words When he said Thou art my portion O Lord it was the voice and language of his Faith for without that he could claim no such interest in God But mark this that the same Faith which enabled him to say unto God Thou art my portion enabled him also to say unto him I will keep thy words when once he comes to depend upon God as his portion and to expect the whole of his felicity from him he presently comes to this resolution That he will be ruled by his advice and ordered in all things by his words We have the same spiritual breath in Psal 119.166 Lord I have hoped for thy Salvation and done thy Commandments All men in a manner hope for Salvation but few do the Commands and that 's the reason why so many shall be disappointed of their hope but the hope and confidence of the right kind still puts them in whom it is upon doing the Commandments reason and ingenuity requiring That such should fulfil the Lords Will who expect to have their will and desire fulfilled by him in granting them Salvation Besides the order and relation which God hath established between Salvation as the end and the walk in his Commandments as the way layes a regular necessity upon every mans Faith to beleeve it to be every whit as necessary for a man to be as careful to keep the right way as to be confident of coming to the desired end and so was the Psalmist we see whose hope of Salvation and doing the Commandments went hand in
the spiritual strength and vigor by which the godly life is maintained but through the knowledge of himself the exercise of that spiritual principle which the Lord confers for that end Which is not to be understood neither only of a naked and bare act of discerning how great and gracious the Lord is in making so liberal a provision of all things pertaining to life and godliness nor of a discerning of the nature of the things themselves nor of Gods method and terms of conferring them but also of a practical improvement of such light in such a dependance upon and application to the Lord for them as puts a man into a regular capacity of receiving them and under the powerful influence of the Promise And so knowledge is not taken here as a thing distinct from Faith but as comprehending it as the Scripture elsewhere also sometimes useth it Joh. 17.3 Isa 53.11 1 Joh. 5.20 Sect. 3 2. Christ Jesus is the principle of spiritual life unto the Christian he from whose grace power and vertue the Christian graces both in habit and act receive being motion activity and strength He is the same to the Saints as the body of the Vine is to the branches a means of Fruit-bearing by communication of his grace unto the Soul as that of sap to the branches John 15. The same to them as the head is to the several members of the body from which nourishment and growth is ministred and conveyed Ephes 4.16 But yet Faith is the great instrument of this spiritual communication and conveyance as the influence of the Sun which draws the sap out of the root into the branches or as the Pump between the Well and the Vessel so is Faith in deriving that grace and strength by which the spiritual life is maintained from Christ the Fountain of it The poor Soul sees a great prize set before it and that a race is to be run to obtain it the hope of their calling high but the duties and engagements of it great and many and strength little to make them good but with all learning that grace and truth are in all their fulness in Christ and that of his fulness the Saints have all received and Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 and that the invitation is general for every one that is a thirst to come hereupon it runs to Christ for supply of strength and depends upon him for it and so accordingly speeds And as the bucket of every mans Faith is larger or lesser by which these waters are drawn out of the Wells of Salvation Isa 12. or these wells more or less frequently visited so proportionably does every true Beleever receive more or less of that fulness which is in Christ See this property in the Apostle Pauls Faith Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Mark he saies that he lived and yet he sayes too that it was not he that lived but Christ that lived in him meaning I suppose That his conversation which he had here in the flesh was so ordered by the commands of Christ and so influenced by the grace and power of Christ that Christ was more visible in Pauls life then Paul was himself But then the question is How he came to have such a presence of Christ and his life so ordered and influenced by Christ The account of this you have in the next words I conceive and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God not only as being thereunto led motive-wise from the consideration of the worthiness of his person and profitableness of his service nor yet only direction-wise according to the tenor of the Doctrine of the Gospel which is the Doctrine of Faith but also by his Faith as deriving that power and strength from Christ by depending upon him for it by which he was enabled so to live and to make Christ so visible in his life as that he could say Not I but Christ lives in me I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me said he in another place Phil. 4.13 And what shall we understand by Christs dwelling in the heart by Faith The thing for which this Apostle so earnestly prayed in the behalf of the Ephesians Ephes 3.17 Christ in the heart where he dwells he dwels not only to command and rule by his authority but also to support quicken and strengthen by his grace and comfort with his love to furnish that soul with what it wants for where he dwells in this kind he dwells to bless But this presence of his reviving quickening strengthening grace in the soul is brought thither abides there by Faith Faith goes to Christ in the heavens as having all power in his hands and tells him as it were that though he have laid the foundation of eternal salvation for the poor soul in his own bloud yet considering what enemies are to be conquered and what services to be performed the work is never like to be carried through unless he furnish with supplies of Grace and strength for that purpose And then having this encouragement to strengthen it self in this address that this supply of Grace which is desired does not amount to more than what he hath already freely done for the soul in laying down his own life for its ransom before such a favour was sought at his hands and that those treasures of spiritual life strength and power which are in his hand are placed there on purpose to supply every needy Soul that thus seeks them and that they will never turn to such an account of glory to him while kept there as when delivered out to every soul that in a true sence of its own want of them and their worth unfeignedly desires them And considering withal how agreeable it is to the goodness of Christs own blessed nature and the general design of his Mediatorship and his faithfulness to that trust which is committed to him by his Father to carry forward the begun work of saving the Soul and to be furnishing forth strength for the doing of what he gladly would have done and which he knows cannot be done without it I say Faith being supported with such like considerations as these in its application to Christ for supplies is confident of obtaining and never leaves him till it brings down the vertue strength and power of Christ into the Soul to supply the wants thereof Sect. 4 3. There are many fair and gracious overtures in the Scriptures of Gods gracious inclination and intention to deliver the soul from the dominion of sin to subdue the iniquity of his people to purge purifie and cleanse the soul from the polution of sin to heal the spiritual distempers and diseases of the Soul to restore health
whom it is upon ministring supplies to the necessities of their Brethrens outward man if there be power in their hand It 's oft seen thus with men That when such whom they love and honour and from whom they have received extraordinary favours are above their Requitals yet then in testimony of their true Respects to them will shew kindness to and bestow gifts upon their Servants that wait upon them 1 Sam. 25.27 41. 2 King 5.17 And so it is with those that truly love and honour the Lord Jesus He indeed is exalted above the contributions of their worldly substance but yet is well contented that such of his poor servants as have need should partake of it and will take it every whit as kindly as if it had been given to himself Mat. 25.40 hereupon they expresse their love to him by their love to his Servants for his sake by refreshing their bowels when hungry and thirsty and cloathing them when bare and naked dispersing that among them which they would have been ready to have offered unto him if his condition now as sometime had made him capable of it Psal 16.2 3. My goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight When he could not reach the Lord with his goodness benefit or bounty then he applies himself to his Servants Friends and Favorites whom he could reach and communicates to them Men may talk of their love to Christ and how much they are beholding to him and how ready they would be to dye for him if called to it but if in the mean while they see the true Friends and Servants of Jesus Christ in need of relief and yet shut up the bowels of their compassion against them it may well be demanded How dwelleth the love of God in them 1 John 3.17 There 's neither resemblance of that love which is in God who when the worlds necessity called for it parted with his Son to supply their need nor yet any true signe or token of love to God when those whom he loves so well as he does his Friends shall not be regarded pityed and supplied in their need when power and opportunity to do it are present Indeed such a bowel-less hard-hearted close-fisted temper is that which renders men very unlike to God very unlike to Jesus Christ who though he were rich yet became poor for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 And it is a plain argument they never had much to do with the love of God the love of Christ as to come under any strong sence or powerful influence of it for if they had it would have transformed them into its own likenesse Let them talk what they will of their trust in God and Faith in Christ yet this merciless temper layes them open to that judgment which shall be without mercy James 2.13 and consequently their Faith will be far from interessing them in the pardoning mercies of God or saving merits of Jesus Christ I cannot now stand to shew how much the heart of Christ is in this Christian work of bounty and beneficence nor how much of the Christian Religion lies in it which if I should undertake the Scriptures would be found to speak much this way only let this be remembred that as love to one another is the badg of Christs Disciples John 13.35 so their bounty and readiness to give according to their ability is the proof of the sincerity of this their love 2 Cor. 8.8 24. Where the Apostle encouraging these Corinthians to be bountiful in ministring to the Saints saith he did it to prove the sincerity of their love verse 8. Wherefore saith he again shew ye to them and before the Churches the proof of your love Verse 24. Sect. 14 Nor are the tents of the Saints the only sphear in which Faith acts in this way of love and bounty but its influences flow out to all men as it hath opportunity As I said at the first Faith eying God in his love to men and in the way of its working takes its pattern from thence to cause those in whom it is to be followers of God as dear Children and to walk in love Ephes 5.1 2. and therefore finding that God is not only loving kind and bountiful to the good and to the holy but that his tender mercies are over all his works and that he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil and that he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Psalm 145.9 Luke 6.35 Mat. 5.45 it inclines and draws the man in whom this Faith is in imitation of his Heavenly Father to love enemies to blesse them that curse him to do good to those that hate him to feed them when hungry to give them drink when thirsty according to the mind of the Lord in this behalf Mat. 5.44 Rom. 12.20 And because Faith thus works where it is in truth and power as being nothing lesse then what is expresly commanded of the Lord all whose commands Faith makes men very careful to observe therefore are the Christians that they might shew forth their Faith by their works so frequently provoked and exhorted to do good to be merciful charitable and compassionate to all only with this item that the choice and chief of their contributions of relief must be reserved for such as are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith 1 Thes 3.12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men even as we do towards you 1 Thes 5.15 See that none render evill for evill unto any man but ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men 2 Cor. 9.13 Whilst by the experiment of this ministration they glorifie God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men Sect. 15 7. And if you would have your distributions to the poor Saints and others in need amount unto a clear proof and evidence of the truth of your love to them and so of the soundness of your Faith shewing it self by such works James 2.18 then carefully see to it that your bounty and your ability hold some good proportion For if a man be niggardly and sparing in his Alms-giving and makes a little go a great way is able to do much and yet does very little he will not be able to discern whether what he does proceed from any inward principle of love and good affection or from-some motive from without as viz. because others do so or to get himself eased of the trouble of being solicited the case of the unjust Judge in doing that which was just
a power to justifie The efficacy justifying power and vertue of Faith depends not upon nor rises out of the excellency or dignity of its own nature but it depends upon and proceeds from the will good pleasure ordination or appointment of God digested and put into the Gospel as a standing Law and unchangeable decree As it was not the naturalness of proportion between the Israelites looking up to the Serpent of Brass and that effect of healing that was procured thereby Numb 21.9 that brought the thing to pass but the production of such an effect by such means depended upon the operativeness of Gods will so in the antitype of this Jo. 3.14 mens being healed justified by looking up to and beleeving in Jesus as lift up upon the Cross this is not brought to pass neither meerly by the act of Faith it self as such but by the efficacy of the divine will which hath ordained it to that end and use And therefore is it I suppose that the Scripture so frequently casts this great effect of mens being justified upon God as his act grant and gift though by or through Faith as subservient to his will herein calling it The righteousness of God which is by Faith and saying That it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and uncircumcision through Faith Rom. 3.22 30. Phil. 3.9 And if Christ himself is said to be unto us Righteousnesse because made so of God 1 Cor. 1.30 and salvation to be had through his Name because given for that end Acts 4.12 then much more certainly does the justifying office or work of Faith depend upon the divine will John 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life This might be further argued from Rom. 3.25 John 1.12 and 3.16 but I forbear Sect. 6 But in the mean while a comfortable Doctrine surely it is to understand that our justification by Faith does not depend so much upon the nature of the grace it self as upon the will of him that hath appointed it to that office and upon the Gospel as that Charter by which such a priviledge is conferred upon it which is a thousand times richer and firmer foundation to bear such a building as the hope of Righteousness by Faith is than is the nature of the grace it self which is subject to ebbings and flowings and times of shaking and fits of feebleness and weaknesse If the justifying effect of Faith had depended meerly upon the nature and operation of the grace it self then the infiniteness of disproportion that is between such a cause and such an effect the inconsiderableness of the service and vastness of reward might have rendred the confident expectation of so great a benefit upon such terms matter of greater difficulty But now seeing that the weight and stresse of this great effect which is produced by or through Faith as that without which God will not have it take place does depend upon the powerful and operative will of God which is infinitely full of Grace and Kindness to the poor Creature and upon the everlasting and unalterable Covenant of his Grace and Love the confidence of Justification by Faith now becomes much more easie and pleasant as feeling firmness rockiness substantiality of ground under the feet of it He that holds an estate worth a thousand pounds by the year by Lease or Charter though he pay but a Pepper-corn by way of acknowledgment hath as good a Title in Law to that Estate as another that holds the like Estate from the same Landlord though he pay a thousand pound Rent by the year for it because the one Lease is the voluntary act of the Landlord as well as the other Even so though Faith amount but to little in comparison of that absolute perfection of holiness love and obedience that was found in Adam while he stood yet considering that the same Lord hath now graciously by an unchangeable act of his own will setled and entailed Justification and eternal life upon mens unfeigned beleeving in his Son Jesus Christ which once setled ever-living upon Adams absolute perfect holiness love and obedience it hereupon follows that whosoever doth in truth unfeignedly beleeve hath therefore as real as sure and as certain a title to eternal life as Adam himself had and would have kept in case he had kept his first integrity But then that which is the amountment of all this is that seeing there is now a new Law given by God a new Covenant established and that the sum and substance of it is this that God having sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners he requires and enjoyns men to receive him and beleeve in him in that capacity in which he is sent and upon their so doing promises Justification and eternal life as on the contrary threatens eternal death to those that do not hereupon it follows that those that do thus beleeve in Christ do fulfill the terms of the Gospel and fulfilling the terms of it must needs be righteous in the account of it For what else is a mans righteousness but his conformity to that Law under which he lives or which is given him to live by As transgression of it is sin 1 John 3.4 so conformity to it is righteousness And therefore since Faith bears such a proportion of conformity to the Gospel as it does when it is sound and sincere well may it be counted for Righteousness to them that have it Sect. 7 Yet because this Righteousness which is called the Righteousnesse of Faith consists in great part at least in the forgivenesse of sins and since both that and all the gracious acceptation with God which does accrue to men upon their beleeving is vouchsafed them not for their Faith sake though not without it but upon the account of another to wit Jesus Christ Ephes 4.32 1 John 2.12 thence it may well be that though Faith be really and truly a mans righteousness in the Gospels account yet it is so only in the way of imputation reckoning or account of grace Which is a thing I would not have slightly passed over but diligently and carefully observed as having much of the Spirit of the Gospel and Doctrine of Grace in it For Faith though it be rich indeed and hath glorious things in it and signifies much in the reckoning or account of the Gospel yet it is rich with the riches of another Faith it is the borrowing Grace as the Moon borrows its light from the Sun so Faith borrows that by which it does such great things for the Soul from another from Christ It is true Faith is a worthy thing as it gives glory to God in beleeving all that he sayes as it carries the Soul and unites it to him as it purifies the heart and works by Love and the like but alass what would all this do towards the making of
atonement for sin without which the Creature is undone and without which Faith cannot justifie And therefore that which is impossible as to it self in this respect it hath from another from Christ Who is the propitiation for our sins So then righteousness coming upon or accruing to men upon or by means of their beleeving and yet proceeding or issuing principally by way of result from that which is extrinsical to Faith to wit the blood of Christ and unspeakable grace of God there is good reason why Faith though it be a mans righteousness or that upon or by means of which he enjoyes the priviledges of a just and righteous man yet he should have and hold this great and blessed benefit by way of imputation or altogether upon the account of Grace as having that transferred to his account in the result of it which resides in another and which indeed hath the greatest stroke in his Justification Sect. 8 Which Doctrine of Faiths being counted to men for Righteousness according to the explanation given if it be true then the opinion and Doctrine of some who hold and teach that men are justified before beleeving or when Christ suffered or from eternity must needs be false For if there be no Justification but by the blood of Christ and no application of this blood in the justifying vertue of it to persons of years of discretion for of such I speak but by Faith which is the thing ordained by God to interess them in the justifying vertue and saving benefit of it then there can be no actual justification of men till they do beleeve but that there is no Justification by the blood of Christ nor right to or saving application of that Blood without beleeving is that which from the Scriptures hath been asserted in the first head of explanation and might be abundantly further made out from the Scriptures if what hath been already said on this behalf were not sufficient And so again if that be true that whosoever shall be justified must be justified declaratively or sententially by the Gospel and acquitted by that and that the Gospel acquits no man but such as perform the termes and fulfill the condition of it upon which its promises of Justification do depend and that the Gospel-termes or condition upon which it promises Justification and eternal life is Beleeving then certainly till men do indeed Beleeve the Gospel does not will not cannot acquit and justifie any man but cast and condemn him But that no man shall be justified without the acquittance or discharge which the Gospel gives and that it gives this acquittance or discharge to none but such as perform its condition and fulfill its terms and that the said terms or condition is Beleeving are things that lye very fair and obvious in the Scriptures and are in part to be seen in the second head of explanation of the Doctrine of Faiths being counted for Righteousness Sect. 9 By the light of the same Doctrine of Faiths being imputed for Righteousness that opinion also which holds that the Justification by Faith which the Scripture speaks of is not meant of mens being justified in the sight of God but only in the Court of their own Conscience by way of evidence or assurance is proved to be darkness and not light For when Faith is said to be counted or imputed for Righteousness the meaning is not that when a man comes to Beleeve he thereby comes to know himself to be what indeed he was before viz. justified in the sight of God but that then indeed he comes to be that which till then he was not viz. a man acquitted and discharged from his sins and accepted in the sight of God as one reconciled by the Death of his Son which till then who not actually applyed for his Justification as one under the protection of the Gospel which till then thundred out wrath and judgement against him as it does against all while in the state of unbelief Mark 16.16 John 3.18 36. Which threatnings would be really inconsistent with their safe condition by Justification in the sight of God if there were such a thing as Justification in his sight before Believing For those threatnings are true or else they are false if true as most certainly they are then whosoever dyes before he believes and so before he is justified by Faith is damned and if damned then not justified in the sight of God Sect. 10 And I the rather mention these things as well for caution as confutation because the Doctrine of mens Justification before believing as grounded on the Doctrine of particular and personal Election before Faith hath I fear in these late years rendred the work of Faith with power in the heart and life of too many a matter not of that mighty importance which indeed it is in the Scripture account But hath been a temptation upon them to think that Faith hath not been absolutely and essentially necessary to the being of a Christian or a mans safe standing before God but necessary only unto his comfortable and well being in respect of evidence and assurance And so hath rendred their care and diligence about their proving themselves to be in the Faith proportionably less by how much an assurance of ones good condition is less than ones good condition it self CHAP. XIII Containing an Exhortation by way of vse for Men to behold themselves in this Glass of Iustification and by the help of the precedent Discourse to prove the goodness or badness of their title to life And shewing the ill abode of negligence and the real advantage of care and diligence herein and what must be done to obtain a good testimony from Conscience as Iudge Delegate under Christ touching the goodness of mens spiritual condition in the eye of the Gospel and in the sight of God Sect. 1 DEarly Beloved as you have heard some parts of the Doctrine of Justification more briefly opened so you have had the nature of that Faith by which you are to be Justified if ever justified more largely handled according to that measure of understanding in it which God hath given me By which means you have opportunity given you of beholding as in a Glass your own spiritual state and condition before the Lord whether justified or not and whether your title to that incomparable priviledg be tite and sound or crackt and flawed It remains now that according to the Apostles Exhortation 2 Cor. 13.5 You prove your own selves whether you be in the Faith or no whether you have that Faith in you which hath been discovered to you to be that only kind of Faith which will be counted to them that have it for righteousness As for such as shall be negligent careless and slight in a matter of this moment it 's a shrewd sign that all is not well with them When Trades-men are backward and unwilling to cast up their Books and to see how the case stands with them
and soundness of your Faith and thereby the validity of your title to the promise as will satisfie the Judge Delegate Conscience and make that on your side and then you have cast your adversary and foiled him in his suit he can proceed no further with you his accusation and Bill in this kind being thrown out of the Court of Conscience as malicious and scandalous Sect. 4 But then O how does it concern us to have the evidences and proofs of the goodness of our Faith which is our title to be alwayes in a readiness and not to seek for to be sure shall they be wanting or should they be lost or but defaced and blur'd or but in a capacity of delivering themselves ambiguously our Adversary the Devil is so diligent to prie into matters of this nature as that there will be no hiding them from him and so subtile to improve advantages in this kind given as that we shall hear of him in such a time and season which of all other we have least need to be troubled by him And therefore as you would not have your bitter and cruel Enemy the Devil to vex perplex and worst you in the Court of your own Conscience be careful above all things so to shew forth your Faith by your Works James 2.18 as that you may put the Devil out of heart as it were of attempting you in this kind or if he do that you may be sure he shall but loose his labour He that is begotten of God sinneth not but keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not 1 John 5.18 It 's sinning and matter of miscarriage unevenness and faultering in ones way that gives the Devil advantage against one and power of impleading him but those that are truly careful to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing mark that Col. 1.10 as those that are begotten of God do they keep themselves out of the Devils reach that the wicked one toucheth them not though he diligently seeks it yet he cannot get this advantage against them It 's in vain for the Devil to bring his accusations against a man at the Barr of his Conscience if Conscience it self which is Judge in the case be able to bear a man witness that his Faith is of that kind that in the tenour of his life worketh by such acts which argue unfeigned love both to God and men This brest-plate of Righteousness will effectually safeguard the Soul from all the thrusts of the Devil that he shall not be able to wound the Spirit Ephes 6.14 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way Prov. 13.6 it 's that to the Soul which a coat of Mail is to the body it preserves the Soul from the molestations of the Devil his weapons cannot enter his insinuations touching a mans bad condition before God cannot take place The armour of righteousness is armour of proof on the right hand and on the left 2 Cor. 6. â—7 If a man have that on the Devil can find no way to enter or to draw blood of the Soul but let a man leave off that but a little and he shall soon feel the Devils darts striking through his Liver to allude to Prov. 7.23 and his Sword passing through his Soul and such aches paines and gripes occasioned thereby in the Soul as sometime caused a stout Souldier of the Lords upon that occasion to roar for the disquietness of his heart Psal 38.8 and to complain of broken bones Ps 51.8 Sect. 5 And truly for Conscience it self which is such a Judge as next to the supream Judge is privy to all a mans wayes inward outward it cannot take a mans part against the Devils accusations and pleas before its Barr touching the unsoundness of his Faith and brokenness of his title to the promise of Justification and life if it discern not in him those spiritual qualifications as will in the eye of the holy Law of Jesus evince his Faith to be living and not dead For as it is the living and not the dead among men in whom the title in Law rests and is alwayes so judged so is it the living and not the dead Faith in which the title in the sence of the Gospel rests and will be alwayes so judged by an upright Conscience And therefore if you would have Conscience to pass the sentence on your side and against the impleadings of your enemy and to be a witness for you in your cause be you sure you do nothing at any time to offend Conscience and to disoblige it or to make it a witness against you For if the Devil shall appeal to Conscience it self which is the Judge whether it be not able to witness that at such and such a time such and such offences and transgressions of the holy Law were committed and done in word or deed not only in its sight but contrary to its items and checks and the Conscience knows it to be true can the Conscience think you in such a case vindicate a mans cause against his Enemy surely no but must give the Devil his due and say as he sayes so far as he speaks true And how far a few instances of this nature will go towards the spoiling of a mans cause when he comes to be tryed for his integrity I leave to every Soul seriously to consider A few acts of this nature will go further to evince a man to be unfaithful and false to God and under the condemnation of his Law in the maine than a great many good actions in company of these will do to prove him to be faithful and under the protection of the Law Ezek. 33.12 13. The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression Again When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to bis own righteousnesse and commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but for his iniquity which he hath committed he shall dye for it Which surely remains in force where true Repentance which consists of contrition and reformation hath not altered the case which otherwise is indeed a remedy against the Sin of backsliding as well as against other evills where it takes place Sect. 6 Again Conscience in its testimony or verdict is that which does not only acquit a man from the accusations of the Devil when calumnious but which also gives him boldness towards God of receiving a gracious and merciful sentence of final Justification and absolution from Christ when the day of his solemn and publick tryal shall come For as here in London at the Sessions of Peace an inferior Court things are prepared and made ready for tryal at the Grand Sessions so that a man may guesse by the verdict of the petty Jury in the lower Court how things are like to go with him in the Upper Court even so may a man be able to make a kind of certain Judgement how things are