God therefore seeing they went on in their sinnes it is certaine they did not believe for faith only makes a man obey God and wheresoever it is a man obeyeth God Reas 1. Because faith seeth an indissolvable couple of attributes in God Reas 1 Because faith seeth Gods purity and mercy to be inâ—eparable attributes that cannot be separated and severed as it seeth his grace and mercy to draw him forward so it seeth his purity and justice and holinesse and righteousnesse that it dares not but obey God as it doth discerne his grace and mercy to make him perfectly to trust in God so it seeth another thing in God that God is of that nature that he must be served and worshipped and obeyed Therefore you shall see Noah though the building of the Ark were an endlesse work and a costly and chargeable work in the eyes of men it would cost him many yeares to build and he could not look after his calling and after the world but it would take him up for an hundred and twenty yeares and set all the world a talking of him and mocking at him for it yet when God commanded him to do it faith made him do it and how did faith make him do it Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being forewarned of God of things not seen as yet moved by feare prepared an Ark fear moved him faith made him do it but how did faith make him do it It moved him with feare and so made him do it it made him see God was an holy and righteous God that would not be dallied withal and this moved him with feare and he durst not but do it whatsoever it put him to he durst not omit it faith makes a man that he dares not be bold with God it takes away the impudency of the heart and the venterousnesse of the soul as long as a man doth not believe he dares make bold with such Commandements of God as he likes not he will omit them for all him but when faith comes it reveales God to the soul and shewes who he is and what nature he is of and that he is such a one as will not be dallied with but his Commandements must be done and his will must be obeyed or else woe to that man it shewes to a man the infinite Majestie of God and sets it before a mans face that he dares not go on in any thing contrary to Gods will but obey God in whatsoever he commands him and abstaine from whatsoever God forbids as Paul saith We dare not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with some that commend themselves 2 Cor. 10. 12. He knew God had forbidden it and he durst not but obey So 1 Cor. 6. 1. Dare any of you having a matter go to Law before unbeleevers As who should say you are not beleevers if you do it faith would shew you what God is and what an inglorious and what a bitter thing it is for you to do it how dare you do it Secondly Faith doth not onely look upon Christ as a Saviour and a Redeemer but also as a Lord and King when Christ comes to a man 2. Because â—aith looks on Christ not only as a Saviour but as a Lord when faith comes into the soul Christ is called our Lord Jesus Christ as he is a Jesus so he is a Lord and faith doth not only receive him as a Jesus but submits to him as to a Sovereigne Faith takes them both together faith will not let a man live Lordlesse it knowes he must take Christ as a Lord as well as a Redeemer as faith takes off the guilt of sinne so it puts the yoake of Christ on Is Christ divided saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 1. 13. So I may say is Christ divided Can he be disjoynted himselfe from himselfe Can people mangle Christ in pieces and divide him asunder May be thou wilt have him as a Jesus but thou wilt not have him as a Lord then thou canst not have him at all as Peter saith Acts 2. 36. Be it known to all that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ As he hath made him a Christ by anointing him to be a Saviour to bring men from sinne and to bring them to Gods Kingdome and save them from wrath so he hath made him a Lord he hath set him up as a King upon his Holy Hill of Zion look as it was with Jephtah when the Gileadites would have him to save them from the Ammonites shall I be your head then saith he and he made them to sweare before the Lord that they would make him their Head or else he would not deliver them so if thou wilt have Christ to deliver thee out of the hands of thine enemies sinne is an enemy and the Law is an enemy and the Devill is an enemy and the world and thine own flesh is an enemy if thou wilt have Christ to deliver thee from these enemies shall he be thy Head He hath sworne an Oath That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lives Luke 1. 73. He hath sworne with an Oath that that man whom he delivers from his enemies shall serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse and shall not live as he list he shall not live Lawlesse he shall take Christs Lawes as well as his Merits as well Christs Government as the imputation of his truth and righteousnesse he shall take the one as well as the other Now it is an easie thing for a man to believe by a presumptuous faith that Christ is a Jesus but here is the difficulty to take him as a Lord No man can call Christ a Lord but by the Holy Ghost saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 3. He doth not say no man can say Christ is a Jesus the Devill and presumption can make a man say so and every man hopes and beares himself upon this that Christ is a Jesus but no man can truly confesse him to be a Lord but by the Holy Ghost unlesse the Holy Ghost enable him as our Saviour saith David by the Spirit called him Lord he speakes of himselfe Matth. 22. 43. It is a great matter to submit to Christ as a Sovereigne as well as to take Christ for a Saviour now faith seeth both must be done it must take Christ under both relations as he must take him under the relation of a Redeemer so under the relation of a Lord as to be saved by him so to be guided and swayed by him in all his wayes and to be at his disposing in all his courses thus faith seeth Christ is propounded in the Gospell and thus Christ embraceth him it cannot have him in one respect but it must also have him in the other and so faith brings in obedience Thirdly Faith seeth another couple that cannot be disjoynted and severed one from
in the morning and thy faithfulness every night And then again God is the Alpha and Omega he is the beginning and Reas 3 the ending of all things and of all actions we do God should therefore have the beginning and ending of every day that the Worship of God may have the start of all other actions it is necessary it should be so when a man first awakes in the morning God should be the first thought that should come into his mind As David saith Psal 5. 3. My voice will I lift up unto thee in the morning as soon as ever he awakes in the morning his heart is lifted up to God so it is good for a man to make the first part of the day holy that the rest of the day may be thereafter and so as we are to begin the day with the solemn Worship of God so we are to end it in the evening that we may reckon up all our accounts and make even with God as the Apostle saith Ephes 4. 26. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath so let not the Sun go down upon a dead heart upon a carnal heart upon a worldly heart but as the Sun goeth down upon our bodies so let the Sun of Righteousness set upon our hearts that we may lye down in peace having all our reckoning made even and all scores cancelled The Third Proposition is this As there must be some time for Gods Propos 3. Every day in some sort a Sabbath immediate Service and there must be every day some set time at least morning and evening so likewise every whole day all the dayes of our lives should be in some manner a Sabbath day to the Lord we should be holy every day The Apostle finds fault Gal. 4. 10. That they observed times and seasons and dayes and months and years we must not be earthly-minded one day and heavenly-minded another but we must be every day holy to the Lord. The First Reason is The Covenant which God hath made with us doth Reas 1 require it that is the end why God saves a man from his sins and brings him into the kingdom of Christ he takes a solemn Oath from him That being delivered from the hands of his enemies he shall serve him without fear Luk. 1. 74 75. in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of his life Every day must be a Sabbath day whensoever a man gives himself up to God there is an Oath hangs upon him and he breaks this Oath if he set upon it with all his might that every day may be a Sabbath day he is to be careful to live godly and religiously in all places and at all times and in every action he puts his hand unto a man is not only to make conscience on the seventh day but every day of his life The Second Reason is Because not to make every day an holy day is Reas 2 the brand of an Hypocrite it is hypocrisie Job 27. 10. Will be alwayes call upon God To be holy sometimes and not at another time is the trick of an hypocrite will he alwayes call upon God will that man alwayes obey God and worship him will he alwayes set himself to keep close with God No an hypocrite will not do so You may know an hypocrite he hath his fits and his pangs and his moods but a godly man a sincere hearted man is one that doth compose himself to keep a constant course in Gods worship as Act. 24. 16. There saith Paul Herein do I exercise my self to keep a good conscience alwayes both towards God and towards man And as it was the practise of Paul so of all the Elect people of God of all sincere Christians in the world Act. 26. 7. all the Elect of God all the beloved of God they did instantly serve God day and night Thirdly Because blessednesse doth consist in this In keeping every day Reas 3 in some kind as a Sabbath day as the Holy Ghost doth pronounce him blessed that feareth the Lord alwayes Prov. 28. 14. and that doth righteousness at all times Psa 106. 3. It is true the Servants of God are sometimes out of the way they have their swervings and failings but their resolution is to keep a constant course in Gods Worship and they do strive to humble themselves under the hand of God for their failings and to be the more wary because of them Lastly This is the Sum and Scope of all the Law of Righteousness it Reas 4 is the very drift and end of all the Ten Commandements the Lord hath set down in the Decalogue his whole Will and Pleasure what we are to do all the dayes of our lives this day and that day as long as we live and there is no set time but that we should alwayes obey it and this is the practise of the godly alwayes to keep his Commandments as David Psal 16. 8. He set the Lord alwayes before him that is every day he did make it an holy day that he might walk as in Gods presence and live as in Gods Courts that he might do all his worldly businesse as in the presence of God The Fourth Proposition is this As there must be a set time every day Propos 4. A particular special day for Gods worship and we are to keep every day as a Sabbath day in some sense so there must be a particular special day set apart for Gods immediate Worship and Service This is the next Proposition I will prove unto you for though every day is to be a Sabbath day yet we have particular callings and we have businesse in the world to employ our selves about so that we cannot be every day hearing of the Word and employing our selves in Prayer and spiritual exercises though every day we are to keep it holy yet we cannot be vacant wholly and totally every day Now therefore I say That there is a set day that the Lord hath called for to be devoted unto him The very School-men themselves do acknowledge this and the very Heathen have found it out They have set a day apart for the Service of their Gods which they call their holy day wherein they lay aside all other businesse and set themselves apart to honor and worship their Images and Idols according to their manner Now I will make this good by many Arguments that God will have a set day besides the every day Sabbath he will have a set particular Sabbath for his Worship and Service The First Reason is Because he will have a little emblem and picture of the Reas 1 kingdom of heaven among his Saints and Children in this life in the kingdom of heaven there is no buying and selling no eating and drinking no worldly businesse there is nothing but praysing and glorifying of God and speaking of God and singing of Halelujah unto his holy Name there is nothing but enjoying communion with the Lord and feeding upon him
strong in the works of God to the pleasing of God and hatred of evill and opposing of all the wayes of the flesh as David saith Psalm 119. 10. I have sought thee with my whole heart We should doe thus you may see this in wicked men when their hearts are absolutely set to do evil how doe they goe through difficulties nothing shall hinder them how wonderfully did Saul persecute David over hills and dales and caves of the earth over rocks and craggy places if he had not been furious and mad he could not have followed him in such places nay he spurned against conscience God met with him oftentimes and infatuated his counsels which could not but be as hedges in his way but he broke over all Whence was this his Will was absolutely set 1 Sam. 23. 23. he was resolved if David were to be found under the copes of heaven he would have him so if our hearts our wills were absolutely set to finde God and his grace if we would say if Christ be to be found we will have him if he be in Heaven or Earth we will have him we will run over all ordinances and duties what sin will we not leave what course will we not take if he be to be found we will have him A man might go through any difficulty if his Will were absolute the Will is a strong faculty it hath the command over the whole man the mind thinks and the heart intends and the affections stir and the tongue speaks and the foot walks and the hand works but the Will sways all nay if a mans appetite be to a thing yet if he will not doe it he may refrain it the Will is the strongest faculty in a man as soon as we heare the Prodigal had a Will to goe to his Father the next newes we hear he did goe I will arise and goe to my Father and now nothing could stay him if our Wills were set earnestly towards God that we would serve him and obey him and would not be carried away with our lusts what a deal of strength would this help us with we should be strong to trample Satan under our feet and mortifie our lusts and this is the reason God accepts the Will above all if there be a willing mind God accepts it nay not only accepts it but rewards it also 1 Cor. 9. 19. If I doe it willingly I have my reward The Will is the strongest faculty God knows if he hath a mans will he hath all that ever a man can do he hath all his power nay he hath more then his power the will is able to go beyond a mans power as it is said of the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8. 3. they did to their power and beyond their power the will is a mighty strong thing therefore if we will be strong in the Lord let us labour for strong wills Thirdly Let us labour for sound affections that our affections may be conversant about God and all his holy laws and commandments which way a mans affections run so they run mightily that way a mans strength runs as the Prophet saith Isa 63. 15. look down from heaven where is thy zeal and thy â—â—rength that is when God is zealous for his peoples good he puts forth his strength for their defence therefore the Prophet cries Lord where is thy zeal and thy strength so we may say where is our zeal to God and against sin where is our zeal for good duties for heavenly-mindedness and the spreading of the Gospel and doing good in our places if we were but zealous and earnest in our affections we should not go so dully and faintly in the wayes of God as we do it would make us strong we see how strongly men follow after the world when they are zealous for the world so if we were earnest after God we should be strongly carried after him Secondly If we would get strength let us labour to believe for when a man hath once gotten faith now though he be never so weak he may say God is my strength Psal 73. 26. A man that hath gotten this faith may say as David Psal 71. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord I will go to prayer to the word to the Sacrament I will go about my calling when I am put upon my business I will go in the strength of the Lord to do it if this man wants strength he goes and even borrows strength from heaven Heb. 11. 34. by faith of weak they became strong as the rivers that watered Paradise their heads and springs were out of Paradise so though there be streams of mercy and grace and power and love communicated to us yet the heads of these are out of us Christ is the head from which we must fetch all I can do all things saith Paul through Christ that strengthneth me Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things you will say this is to brag and boast alas no I can do nothing it is Christ that strengthneth me like the Ivy that creeps up by the wall so a Christian creeps up by Christ there lies all our strength therefore all our care should be to believe to get off from our own bottoms a true Christian is never so weak as when he will be himself when he goes about actions himself if he would let Christ do all and he only take that course Christ bids him and never go his own way to work he were a strong man Isa 30. 7. It is your strength to sit sâ—ill the children of Israel were so busie to help themselves they would to Egypt and they should help them saith God you shall never have help this way your strength is to sit still and wait upon God and trust in him so I say then is a true Christian weak when he departs from Christ and doth not keep close to him suppose a man should be in misery there be but two wayes to help him the one is by himself the other is by Christ now suppose a man were in such a straight that he must be delivered in a quarter of an hour or else he is undone shall a man go to prayer now or to his own strength to prayer if it were for a mans life now when a man goes to his own strength and parts this weakens him we should do every thing better if we would go to Christ and set our hearts upon him if we would use the means but hang upon God this were our strength Thirdly We should fly all occasions of evil may be a child can contain it self from the dug when it is newly weaned so long as it comes not near it but when the child seeth the dug now the fancy runs upon the dug again and now it cries for the dug again it is because it is not perfectly weaned if it were perfectly weaned though it saw the dug it would not look after it so we are not perfectly weaned from
hardly heare of a man so humble in an age as he was he did even grudge to think that Christ should come into his house he thought he was unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe though he were in the dayes of his humiliation in the forme of a servant his heart was employed and brought low he had no hope in himself all the worth he saw was in Christ this helps a man to the more faith the more a man is emplyed the more may be poured in Wherefore serve all those texts in Scripture The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousnesse tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every one that doth evill flesh and blood can never enter into the Kingdome of God that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and such a one can never please God while the world stands Wherefore serve all these texts of Scripture when Gods sâ—ings balls of fire upon men that live in their wicked wayes Why do we not open them and presse them upon mens consciences Why do we not apply them to those to whom they belong are they not in the Bible were the Prophets fooles were the Holy Pen-men of the Scripture mistaken in putting such texts into the Bible If they be there they ought to be uttered and applied and if they be to be applied to whom but to those to whom they belong Then such persons had need to look to themselves and we that are Ministers woe unto us if we do not preach terrour to whom terrour belongs as well as mercy to whom mercy belongs but you will say are not we Ministers of the Gospel 't is true and so was Christ yet mark what he saith repent and then believe first he discovers their miserable conditions and breaks their hearts and then bids them lay hold upon the Gospel of peace this is the Method that we that are the Ministers of God should take first wound and then heale first lance and then bind up first detect mâ—ns sinnes and shew them their miseries and then shew them a remedy first let them see what they are and then see how they may be better Then you must be content to let us go up upon Mount Eball and pronounce Vse 2. Be content to heare the curses of the Law preached the curses of God upon those that go on in their sinnes you must be content to have your estates and conditions ripped up be not ready to be snappish and murmuring against the revelation of the Law and the opening of the hellish sink of sin that is in your hearts be you willing to hear it and let us do it 't is true we must be ready to poure in Oyle into every bruised spirit but first we must come with the hammer of the Law to breake and then bind up let me tell you as many as go on in your sins and are yet without Christ let me tell you what your condition is be it known from the Lord whatsoever you may think you are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity hell is moved for your coming and the pit is digged for such as you are you are under the wrath of heaven and though God be gracious and full of mercy yet he will never save those that disobey him and stand out against his Holy and Heavenly Word though Christ died for sinners yet he is a stumbling block and a rock of offence to those that are disobedient and stumble at the Word 1 Pet. 2 8 Whatsoever you may think of your selves and do not think of these things but suffer the world and your pleasures to take up your mindes think of it what a woefull case you are in know that the great God of Heaven and Earth hath bitter things against you and you shall heare it with both eares when it is too late there is no mercy but for them that repent and forsake their sins there is no Kingdome of Heaven for you you have no hope the Devils and you have one hope What turned so many Angels of Heaven into Hell was it not sin you have that very sin upon you you do not see your misery but if your eyes were open and would but heare what God saith you would loath your selves in dust and ashes and your knees would knock together for anguish of heart What no conversion yet no new creatures yet then no Christ no Heaven no Happiness what a woful thing is this I beseech you think of it and apply it and tell your soules either sin must down or else no Heaven to be looked for either I must be an holy man either God will give me grace and holinesse here or else I shall â—ever see his face with comfort hereafter either I must have my life changed and my conversation made spiritual and godly by Jesus Christ or else I do but deceive my own soul to think of any happinesse this is certaine therefore do not think lightly of any sin there is no sin so small but is able to damn thy soul unlesse thou embrace the Gospel and the Kingdome of God If it were possible that thou never hadst sinned but one sin that one sin will damn thee unlesse thou be a new creature and by Faith embrace the Son of God thou canst not â—e saved there is no sin so small but the wrath of God from Heaven is revealed against it if people did but see their sins like so many Devils if they did but once see these Cockatrices stings if people were but affected with their estates and conditions something might be said but unless mens sins be laid before their eyes and charged upon their souls what hope have we to do them any good Thirdly this is for comfort to those that are humbled such as have had Vse 3. To comfort those that have had this work of the Law on them the Law come unto them and hath knocked them off that they have nothing to trust to and they see what miserable creatures they are look up and hear what the Gospel saith the Gospel of God sheweth mercy freely to be had and delivers promises freely to be apprehended and doth proffer eternal life without money or moneys worth though a man be never so vile and wretched if you see your misery you have Davids own argument go and use it Psal 25. 16. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted all the Saints of God have no other argument but this in begging of mercy as who should say I am a miserable creature no grounds whereupon to expect any mercy I am a desolate afflicted undone man in my self all my hope is in thee go to God and lie at his gate and plead this argument submitting to the Gospel Have mercy on me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted and here now comes in effectual calling when the Law hath shewed a man his wretched estate
for their faith are few that have grace to do it the most part of the world will rather have their lusts then Christ and therefore there are but few because God hath chosen but few Now the reason why the tender of the Gospel must be delivered without any restraint to election is First because if there were not such a proffer without exception to any that will have Christ then the Elect should have no ground for their faith a man cannot see he is elected till after he hath faith no man hath faith and repentance at his first effectual call now how shall a man have any ground for his faith when the Gospel is propounded onely to the Elect every man will be at a stand I know not whether I be elected or no I am as fair for hell as any for ought I know I have sins to damn me but no election as far as I know you preach Sermons all your life time I can beleeve none because you preach only to the Elect so the children of God can have no ground for their faith because there is no particular place of Scripture that bindes a man to beleeve his election therefore it must be a general proffer of the Gospel propounded to every man John 6. 35. there saith Christ He that will come unto me I will in no wise cast off there you see it is general any man that will come to Christ whether Elect of God no matter Ministers should not stand demurring and questioning I know not whether these be Elect or no do you deliver the Gospel and afterwards it will appeaâ— who are elected and who not by their receiving or not receiving the Gospel leave you that to me preach you how men may be happy and what a miserable estate they are in but if they will come out of their sinnes they may receive the pardon of them tell them that whosoever comes to me shall in no wise be cast out be they what the will Secondly because though election be first in Gods order he doth first Elect 2. Because in reference to men calling is before election a man before he calls him yet with the Elect with Gods own people it is clean contrary first they must be effectually called before they can have any inkling of their election in the point of knowing of it therefore 2 Pet. 1. 10. the Apostle saith give all diligence to make your calling and election sure first make your calling sure else you can have no inkling of your election now when this is sure you may be sure of your election before the point of effectual calling there must be no talking of election either in the Minister that preacheth or people that hear this election is a thing in Gods own bosom which comes after the receiving or rejecting the Gospel the one will reveal election the other reprobation Thirdly because there is a difference between men and devils thereis no 3. Because there is a difference between men and devils possibility for devils though they would never so faine to be saved for Christ took not upon him the nature of Angels Heb. 2. 16. he did not meddle with them therefore now we cannot say to them if ye beleeve you shall be saved because there is possibility for them though they would never so faine but there is a possibility for all men to be saved if they would believe there is sufficiency of merits in Christ and it was intended to the sonnes of men to as many as would have it though indeed all men would have none of him if they were left to themselves yet notwithstanding the Gospel is offered to all every man might have him but that he will not have him But there be two Objections against this doctrine 1. Because this seems to be the contrary to the doctrine of many godly and religious Divines heretofore who seem to say that the Gospel is only for the Elects sake it is the doctrine of many Divines if I knew who were elected and who were not I would not deliver it to them this is a dangerous doctrine yet the ground of the doctrine is true that the Gospel is properly bestowed upon the Elect To us a child is born to us a child is given that is to the Elect but yet this is not contradictory to that which I now deliver I deny not that Christ is given intentionally to Gods Elect upon beleeving yet he is tendered to others to and intended too upon that condition God cannot mock people and make as though they might have eternal life and cannot have it though never so faine it is not so but God deales seriously with people for every man shall have Christ that hath a true and sincere heart now it is true this heart is only given of God because otherwise a man is stubborn and stiff-necked and will not give over his sins and deny himself but will rather have his own courses then Christ though he may have eternal life by him yet the proposition of the Gospel is general to every man that will believe and will have Christ and this is necessary and this is the very self-same doctrine that all Divines have preached heretofore only it is delivered otherwise and the reason why there is a necessity of delivering it thus is because this is the form of preaching set down in the Scripture and this is the way to fish out Gods Elect and the best way to settle their mindes and establish their consciences and this is the best way to feel and groap in Congregations who are of God Wilt thou have Christ and eternal life and be delivered from thy sinnes thou mayest then have the pardon of thy sinnes and the favour of God now if a man be of God he will hear us if he be not he will not hear us this is the way Scripture sets down as you may see John 1. 11. He came to his own and his own received him not Christ came and offered himself to his own he calls all his own people the very reprobates are his own in respect of the offer but in respect of receiving it so the Elect onely are his own ver 12. To as many as received him he gave power to be the Sonnes of God So Acts 8. 37. The Eunuch would faine have Christ by baptisme what hinders me but I may be baptized let me enter into Covenant with Christ what should let me Mark what Philip saith If thou beleevest thou mayest could he tell whether he were Elect or no no but he feels him with the general tender of the Gospel what lets me he saith nothing lets thee if thou canst beleeve he could not tell whether he were elected or no but saith he if thou canst beleeve with all thy heart thou mayest have Christ and all the benefits of the Covenant of grace if thou hast a heart and minde unto it thou mayest have it and after he pâ—ofessed he
killed them and laid them dead in regard of any performance they must have life from without there is no life at home no grace at home no understanding at home they must go out for all but a carnal man he is alive unto all performances Many a man is like unsavoury Salt good for nothing but to throw upon the dunghil He never received the Holy Ghost and yet he will be inducted into a Living and take a Pastoral Charge upon him as if he were able to perform the Duty of a Minister and take the Charge of Souls upon him So Ananias will be a Husband and Sapphira a VVife Athalia vvill be a Queen and Nimred a King and Abimilech a Judge they are alive to discharge all these Duties thus men are alive the Law of God hath not killed their hearts and pulled down their spirits it hath not made it appear unto them what wretched cursed Creatures they are This is the Second thing wherein this Liveliness consists Thirdly This Livelinesse consists in a presumptuous hope he conceives that he is justified before God and that God will not damn him but forgive him his sins There is nothing can make a mans heart more full of life than to think that he is righteous before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him there is nothing can make a man more alive then this If they think they are justified before God they have then a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God saith the Apostle even the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead So these men have a hope that makes them lively and full of life as a poor man that hath some grounded hope of an Earthly inheritance it makes the heart lively Poverty deads the heart he that hath nothing to maintain himself and those that belongs unto him it deads his heart but if he hath some hopes of an hundred pound a year and his hope is grounded if he hath sure hope of it and he makes no doubt of it it makes his heart full of life so when a man doth believe that he is in a good case that he is delivered from death that he is in the estate of grace when he hath some probability that God hath justified him from sin this breeds an hope in him of an eternal Inheritance and this hope the consideration of it makes the soul full of life There is nothing can make a man more lively then a hope that he is justified before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him Now when a carnal man conceives he is righteous before God and that God will forgive him his iniquities that God will not damn him nor count him a dead and a damned man so long as a man doth imagine this he must needs be a lively man he is alive in his own apprehension nay all the delights in the world cannot make a man so full of life as this hope It is not mens following their pleasure that makes their hearts so full of life as to have hope that the Lord doth not account them dead men that they are justified men and righteous men that they have salvation to shew for Heaven and eternal happinesse to shew for that they shall go to heaven But if now the Law were charged upon a man if he knew that he were a dead man a damned man it would pluck down his spirits and make his spirits dead for all his pleasures It is the conceit that men are Justified that makes them so full of life so long as the Law doth not come home to a man and point him out in his colours and make it appear to him that he lyeth under the wrath of Almighty God that the Lord doth account him an abominable wretched Creature so long as he doth not apprehend this especially if he have any good Gifts and Parts and Qualities and Moral Obedience to the Law doing good Duties and a general laying hold upon the Promises and a hope they belong to him this makes him alive Phil. 3. 9. Paul when he was a Pharisee and did Moral Duties and performed Moral Obedience to the Law of God he thought he had Righteousnesse of his own he calls it there his own Righteousnesse he so apprehended of himself now this is that which makes men alive when they conceive that they have some Religion and some Grace You shall have many men and women that hate the Servants of God and yet think they are godly men and have Grace and Life in them We may see it Acts 13. 50. there it is said that the Jews stirred up certain devout and honourable women and raised Persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their Coasts Though they hated Paul and Barnabas yet they are said to be devout and honourable women They imagined they were very Devout they conceived they were Religious How many men and women are there that think they are Righteous and they will do many Duties and take many good Courses in so much that it would pity a man to think they should go to hell they will be very Zealous they will be very Earnest against Drunkennesse and cry out against the abominations of the times they are marvellous Devout and Godly and yet a man that is Devout and Godly in truth and in deed they cannot abide him but hate him Now if the Law should come home unto them and discover how indeed it is with them it would humble their souls and pull down their spirits and make them dead so that this presumptuous hope that men are in good terms with God and that God will be merciful to them and forgive them their sins this makes them to be alive 2. We come now to the Second thing and that is the Effect of this â—iveliness what Effects it works in the heart And the Effects of this Liveliness are Four 1. First It makes them sound and heart-whole like a Boyl unlaunced it is yet sound The true sight of sin and wrath of God in the soul is able to break the heart of any man it is able to dead his spirit and kill all the Livelinesse that is in him and make him have little life to go on as he doth But so long as the Law of God is not come home to a man though he have no Title to Heaven though Hell be the Portion of his Cup yet he is as sound as can be as heart-whole as may be Let carnal comfort come he can take it let pleasures come he is able to delight himself therewith and go on in his course as if he ailed nothing Prov. 18. 14. the Wise man saith The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear When the Lord comes to wound a mans heart with the sight of his sins and