another thing for thee to be a servant of sin Not who assaults me but whom I love and serve he is my Lord. When the heart goes off from Christ to the approbation and love and habitual obedience of sin now sin is thy Lord But if by faith thou hast sworne fealty to Christ then though all temptations begirt thee though the insolencies of corrupt nature break in upon thee to captivate or to alienate thy heart from service to Christ yet amidst all oppressions yea under all the knocks and buffettings and interruptions by sinne the heart cries out I acknowledge no Lord but Christ him I would obey him I honour I love his I am and I yet hate those sins which yet I cannot conquer SECT V. FOurthly a fourth tryal of true faith is this It makes the heart humble and lowly Every unbeleeving heart is proud and hath high imaginations and stands upon its own bottom It hath no sound experience either of God or of it self But true faith casts a man quite out of himselfe it sees no ground of confidence and excellency from any thing in our selves Faith hath a double aspect 1. One is upon us 2. Another A double aspect of faith is upon God and Christ When faith looks down upon us alas it findes no matter of boasting in the world for either it findes sinnes which should abase our hearts or else imperfections which should curb our pride or wants which should shew unto us our indigence and dependance The Evil which it findes may confound us and the good which it findes may make us ashamed not only because it is so short and defective in what we ought to have but also because we have not answered the giving of that good with just thanks or we have not improved that good to the advantage as we might have done When faith looks upward to God and Christ there it sees all the causes of all our mercy and of all our happinesse have we pardon of sinnes why saith Faith the cause of this is in Gods love Have we righteousnesse why saith Faith the cause of this is in Christs merits Have we any gifts any acceptance any remembrance from heaven why saith faith the cause of this is only in Christs blood All that I have is given me and the cause of all that giving is utterly out of my self so that the soul sits down now and sayes O Lord in my selfe I am nothing nay of my self worse then nothing but what I am I am that by thy grace All I have is thine my bread my health my life my body my soul all thine If any love if any mercy if any Christ if any grace if any comfort if any strength if any stedfastnesse if any performances if a good work if a good word if a good affection if a good thought why all is thine thou only art the cause I am lesse then the least of thy mercies and what is thy servant that thou shouldest look on such a one as I am Thou madest me and thou boughtest me and thou calledst me and thou justifiest me and thou savest me Though faith makes thy condition high yet it makes thy person low Thou shouldst by faith be not high minded but feare Rom. 11. 20. why not high minded because standing by faith Because this standing of faith is not of our selves but in God but in Christ Faith is the foot of the soul but heaven the grace of heaven the strength of heaven is the ground upon which the foot doth stand SECT VI. FIfthly true faith is fruitful James 2. 18. I will shew thee my faith by my works ver 21. Was not our father Abraham justified by works verse 22. seest thou how faith wrought by his works and by works was faith made perfect The Apostle in that Chapter speaks of a double faith A double faith One was a counterfeit faith a shadow as it were which had the looks but not the substance it was a dead faith which hath the limbs but not the soul and life But how did it appeare that this faith was dead did it not speak many good words yes saith Saint James It gave gâ—od words praeteria nihil no good works It could say to the poore be ye cloathed and be ye warme but gave nothing to cloath or to feed why saith he this mans faith is vaine â—hat is he hath not the true quality of faith and it will stand him in no stead Another was a lively and justifying faith It had in it the true nature and property of faith but how did that appear The Apostle answers by Works You know that there is a great difference 'twixt these two viz. the justifying of a mans person before God and the justifying of a mans faith before the world That which justifies my person before God is only faith in Jesus Christ and that which Justifies as one particular my faith before men not to be a dead but a living faith is the acting of good works Hence that of Paul Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and those things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Right is the speech of Saint Augustine sequuntur justificatum though non precedunt justificandum As in a clock the finger makes not the clock to Austin go but the clock it and yet the motion of the finger without shews whether the clock goes within So although works do not cause or infuse justifying faith nor yet cause our Justification yet they do cleerly manifest whether we have such a faith as doth indeed justifie or not Obj. You will say the work of Faith is to look up and to come and to deal with God only and therefore to breath out good works which respect men seems not to be any testimony of faith Sol. I answer 1. The Apostle there expressely distinguisheth the lively and the dead faith by works as if he said it is so 2. There is if you will let me distinguish so as it were a double act of faith One is proper and personal and this is circumscribed to that Heavenly employment of receiving or presenting in and through Christ Another is Grateful and this is extended to the sending forth of good works Not as if it were a work of superarogation for faith findes the doing of good works under many commands and also the rewards of them under many promises but because faith sees also a sweet and reasonable equity that if God be good to me in Christ I should be good to some for Christs sake And verily as the worklesse person doth not now own Christ by faith so hereafter Christ will not own him by mercy depart from me Obj. But yet you will reply good works cannot be a sure testimony of faith because many evil men may performe them and some beleevers have not wherewithal
grieve him in the least measure who cleave unto him as the only rock of their salvation who would not relinquish their interest in him for millions of worlds And yet they weep with Mary because they cannot see their Lord they conflict day and night with feares and doubts they have not this reflexive evidence and assurance that Christ is their Christ that Jesus is their Jesus that this Lord is their Lord. Yet ask them are you willing to accept of him O none in the world rather or more are you willing that he should be your Saviour he only is salvation can you submit to have him to be your Lord Christ O blessed Saviour saith the soul none to rule me but thou none to save me but thou thy blood is precious and thy Lawes are righteous and I could bestow a thousand hearts and a thousand lives if I had them on thee to be changed guided ruled ordered by thee And thus the soul though it cannot see him yet it beleeves on him it believes on him though as yet it cannot say that my beloved is mine and I am his CHAP. VI. The object of Justifying faith NOw I come to the object of Justifying faith and that is twofold First Immediate which is Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly Concomitant Objectum or Consequent which is Remission and Righteousnesse and Salvation for faith first takes Christ himself and then these in and for Christ SECT I. THe immediate object of faith as justifying is Jesus Christ himself as it is in Marriage marriage is an action twixt person and person not twixt person and estate that is a resulting thing so is it in the nature of faith and Christ Faith doth not match the soul to the portion to the benefits but to the person of Christ You heare that God hath put salvation into Christs hand he hath put remission of sins into his blood there is eternal life to be had by him Now if a person saith I will have this salvation by Christ which he hath purchased but I will not have his person I will have the remission of sins by his blood but I care not for his person I will have his righteousnesse by which I may stand before God but I care not for his person this now is no faith it is no justifying faith For faith justifyeth us when we take the person of Christ It is true that we may and should have an eye to the purchase and benefit by Christ but Christ himself is that which faith lookes upon But wherein is the person of Christ the Object of justifying faith For the resolution of this I will open two things First that whole Christ is the proper object of faith Secondly how faith doth exercise it self about whole Christ SECT II. WHole Christ is the adequate and proper object Christ you know in respect of his person is God and man and he may be considered as a Priest or as a Prophet or as a King We usually say as a Saviour and as a Lord. Now he offers himself in all these to sinners saith Christ there is no Name under heaven by which you can be saved but me no Jesus but my self and I have been the Priest who have offered my heart blood to procure the pardon of your sins and salvation I have satisfied my Father to the utmost and have fulfilled all righteousnesse Now I am willing to bestow my self on you as one who can and will assuredly save you But if you would have me to be your Priest to save you you must also be willing to have me to be your Prophet to instruct you and direct you and to be your King and Lord to command you you must resigne up your selfe to my Scepter and Government for I am a Lord as well as a Saviour and I will be taken in both or else you shall have part in neither There be three things which lay hard on us One is the gilt of sin which exposeth the soul to hell and wrath for which Christ is a Saviour and a Priest He became a curse for us and bare our sinnes that is stood in our stead and under-went that indignation which else should have lighted on us Another is the corruption or pollution of sin which breeds inconformity to Gods Will and depraves the whole nature for which Christ is a Saviour and a Prophet that is he is appointed to informe the minde and reforme the heart A third is the rebellion of sin rising in sinfull notions and sordid delights and wayes for which Christ is a Saviour and a King that is he is to subdue those iniquities to give them the bill of divorce to captivate all imaginations and to bring the whole man into the subjection of himself but then he will be Jesus and Lord too thou mayest not think that Christ must save thee and sin shall rule thee thou must not think that he will pay thy debts if thou wilt give thy heart and service to sinne and the world How ridiculous is it to conceive that God should raise up Christ as the Pope raiseth up his indulgences only to keep or fetch souls out of Purgatory as if Christ were given only to pay our scores and not to rule our hearts for no other end but to keep us out of prison that we might do nothing but sin against God because Christ can take away the gilt of sin Nay whole Christ is eyed by faith taken and received by faith Do I feel my sanfull gilt I now by faith take Jesus Christ whom the father hath appointed and offered to be my Priest to be my surety to beare my sins to stand 'twixt God and me Do I feel my sinfull nature and motions I now take Jesus Christ whom the Father hath appointed to be my Prophet and King He hath undertaken to be the teacher of hearts and conquerer of sin as so do I take him to be my Lord. SECT III. THerefore consider in the second place How faith doth exercise it self about whole Christ if you please I will discover it in the particulars For Christ as a Saviour and Priest Thus faith looks on him not only that he is so but to be so to me he was God and man and dyed and satisfied and took away sin God proclaimes thus much and offers him to me here is the Saviour of the world this is my well beloved Son here is the blood of atonement and peace What doth faith now O faith takes hold on him I acknowledge him I receive him O Lord to be my Saviour and Priest not I O Lord not I could ever have susteined thy wrath or satisfied thy justice I could never have made my own peace I could never have blotted out the hand writing I could never have paid my debts but thou hast set forth Christ to be the propitiation for sin O Lord I embrace him my life is in his death my healings in his sufferings my satisfaction in his
obedience in none but him I rest on none but him on him do I believe he hath satisfied to the utmost and I trust on him that he hath done it for me Brethren the case stands thus a man is borne in sin and he goes on in much sin a long time at length God awakens his conscience makes him to possesse the iniquities of his heels of his birth of his youth of his age of his life and perhaps besets the soul round about with some sensible dread of his infinite displeasure Now the man knowes not what to do good Lord saith he what a miserable creature am I here 's sin committed over and over the Law broken God provoked conscience raging hell gaping I am violated saith the Law wronged saith Justice thou hast sinned saith Conscience I will be satisfied saith the Lord saith the poor soul what shall become of me what have I to quiet God I can finde nothing what shall I do to pacifie him I cannot imagine it If I say that I have not sinned my conscience tells me I lye if I say I will not sin hereafter Why yet how will this satisfie for former gilt I tell you brethren that a heart brought to this sensible experience is marvelously oppressed the very heart cracks and the sins of that soul snap a sunder under the sense of manifold gilt and Gods displeasure But then God comes in the Gospel and calls out to the poor and distressed sinner come hither saith God I will shew thee a way of salvation O how the soul listens to such a message but how Lord can this be what am I or what can I do Nothing saith God for thou art an enemy and thou art without strength But I have laid Salvation upon one that is Mighty Who is that Lord It is my own Son whom I have out of my love sent into the world to be made man and to dye and satisfie for sinners to beare their iniquities to answer for all their transgressions and he is become a surety and a Priest and hath sacrificed his own soul to be an offering for sin and I offer him unto thee to be thy surety to be thy Priest to take away thy sinnes Now take him saith God to the soul and with him the discharge of thy sins Hereupon the soul being perswaded of the truth of this good testimony and with many teares admiring at the riches of divine love and mercy it doth now by faith close in with Christ put it self on him embraceth him with all the heart as a sufficient and perfect Saviour As if the soul now fastning it self by faith on Christ in this respect should thus be speake the Lord. O Lord thou art pleased justly to charge my sins upon my conscience I confesse and am ashamed that I have thus sinned against thee yea and I acknowledg that I am never able to answer thee for those sins But thou hast appointed thine own Son to be my Saviour and Priest whose office it was to beare the sins of the people these sins therefore which conscience now chargeth upon me I do by faith charge upon thine own Sonne for he was made sin for us thou didst ordaine him to be a surety and therefore I beseech thee Lord look for satisfaction of my debts in his precious blood and take away thy curse from my soul for he was made a curse for us he did susteine thy wrath in our steed to deliver from wrath Now therefore O Lord I put my soul only upon thy only Son whom I take to be my sacrifice him I offer up unto thee as my propitiation I have sinned but thy Son hath dyed for my sins I have provoked thee but thy Son hath pacified thee I have wronged thee but thy Son hath satisfied thee he did not die for his own sins but for my sins he was not made a curse for himself but for me I lay hold on his blood to be my peace and satisfaction and salvation As if a man were like to be carried to prison for debt and hunting up and down for a friend to stand for him at length he findes one only man and him he brings to the creditor and saith here 's a man will pay you and ransome me so faith for a troubled and obliged sinner to God it findes out Christ and saith Lo Lord here is thy Son who is my surety he will discharge he is my ransome SECT IV. FOr Christ as a Saviour and King and Prophet and Lord what is the exercise of faith there I tell you what I think of it It is a work of a believing heart whereby it doth accept of Christ to be the sole teacher and ruler of heart and life and resigne up himself wholly to him to be fashioned as it were and guided by him A man never comes to the truth of beleeving but he shall finde this that faith will change his Master For faith changeth the heart and the heart being once changed will quickly change its Lord So that to believe on Christ as a King as a Lord as a Prophet it is to admit him to give him up the whole man into his hands to his holy and spiritual Government as if the heart should say thus much thou art a Holy Christ and thou art he who art to reigne now I take thee to be my Holy Lord and I resigne up my selfe I passeover my selfe unto thee I will have no Lord but thee and I do with all my heart accept of thee to make me Holy as thou art Holy and to subdue this vile heart of mine and to rule in me by thy blessed and mighty Spirit SECT V. THus briefly of the immediate object of faith on which faith immediately looks viz the person of Jesus Christ to take and receive Christ as Lord and Saviour This is true faith yet by the way note a few things First that this taking is with all the heart it is not a pretended taking a dissembled work there is a taking of Christ with the tongue and a taking of him with the heart O no when true faith takes Christ it brings in the very strength of the soul O Lord Jesus I do embrace thee accept of thee with all my soul with all my might and with all my affections Secondly this taking of Christ is of all Christ of Lord as well as Jesus when the heart is made sensible of sin and Satan and world and Christ and now falls off from them I will have no more to do with you I will serve you no longer Christ only shall be my Saviour and he only shall be my Lord I will put my soul under his Scepter and Government Thirdly this taking of Christ is onely of Christ For it is a conjugall taking which consists of unity one they say in the Metaphysicks is divided in it self and divided from all besides it self so is it in faiths taking of Christ One Faith One Lord said the Apostle
and mistake about beleeving Thirdly the bitter danger and sure misery of not beleeving in Jesus Christ 1. The difficulty of beleeving is increased by the singularity of so strange and wonderful a goodnesse It is so great and so unparalell'd that a man can hardly believe it to be true To have an estate in Christ in God freely all at once How can this be The depth of gilt I am an enemy God is Just I have runne into such high forfeitures so unnecessarily lost my self provoked God so often and the threatnings are planted against sinners there is no hope no probability if a small debt c But for the difficulty of it that it is not so easie a thing to beleeve in Christ Jesus this shall appeare in divers particulars First there is no natural principle of justifying faith now in man An act or motion or quality which hath a rise and bottom within the subject may spring forth with some ease a stone having a natural propension and impetus to descend Simile if you do but quit the hand of it it will down but now to make a mighty stone to mount the hill to get up into the air there being no natural aptnesse to this it is a hard and difficult attempt 'T is true that a man hath an understanding and will but the Obj. Mystery of Jesus Christ is a riddle to the natural understanding Sol. the faculties naturally considered have no elevation to this object unlesse the Lord by his Almighty power begets and works faith in the soul The soule thinks not on him neither can it draw it self to him Like the needle untill it be Simile touched it will not start up towards the pole so unlesse the Lord doth touch our hearts by his blessed Spirit we shall never close with Christ So then this is one thing to shew the difficulty of beleeving the habit of it is out of our power out of our sphear it cannot be produced by any strength of nature but by the sole Arme of God Hence that of the Prophet Isa 53 1. Vnto whom is the Arme of the Lord revealed who hath beleeved our report The testimony of the Gospel concerning Christ will not be beleeved unlesse the Lord doth reveale his own Arme that is until he doth put forth his own Almighty strength 2. There is a natural principle of infidelity and unbelief in every mans heart If the paper were faire if there were no precedent blurs and blots then it were not so hard to imprint some legible Characters Or if the wax were soft and the iron heated now it were easie to engrave what kinde of armes the Artifier pleaseth But when the wax and the iron are hard and cold now the impression is difficult because the resistance is strong if there were in our hearts any obediential principles which could before hand temper the minde and frame the will then when God offers Christ little a do would serve the turne But our hearts naturally bend the other way there is in us a natural unaptnesse nay an enmity to beleeve Enmity to the habit and nature of faith blindnesse errour pride stubbornnesse disobedience in our hearts We have such slow and untoward hearts so armed with all sorts of corrupt reasonings so consulting with sense and rational evidences so ready on every inevidence to mistrust doubt question gainsay that all Arguments will not perswade us that God will give us Christ and pardon our sinnes You know that when the Lord Jesus was personally on earth and did preach himself and in that manner that none spake with that Authority as he and confirmed the truth of his Divinity and Mediatorship by Scripture and miracles yet very few beleeved historically that he was the Christ that he was the Sonne of God Take me now a person who is sensible of his sinful guilts Tell him of the need he hath of a Saviour he will grant it represent unto him the sufferings the excellency the tendernesse of the Lord Jesus that he is the Mediator the Propitiation for sinnes that Remission of sinnes is in his blood both intensively for the great degrees and aggravations of sinne and extensively for the several kindes of sinne Tell him that the Lord Jesus came to seek such a lost person as he that he came to loose such a captive as he that he came to binde up such a broken spirit as he is that he came to ease and refresh such a burdened and laden soul Yea and answer objection after objection doubt after doubt fear after fear that the person cannot put by the arguments why he should beleeve nor urge and reinforce his reasons why he should hold off from closing with Christ and putting his soule on him yet this we finde he cannot when all is said he cannot beleeve Vnbelief doth throw up so many mists and so many feares and is many times so unreasonable that yet it will hold off the heart Neither the goodnesse of God nor the truths of God nor the mercies of God nor the freeness of them nor the person of Christ nor the merits of Christ nor the tendernesse of Christ nor the gracious offer invitation command threatning of Christ will make the heart to come in unto him 3. There is a natuâ—al opposition in the Heart against Christ and therfore it is hard to beleeve on him The opposition is manifold First to his Person the Lord Jesus Christ is an holy Person and A fourfold opposition none can take him in truth but must take him so to be holy as he is holy He is the holy one of God and he is called the holy Child Jesus and an holy undefiled high Priest separated from sinners Now the heart naturally is in love with sinne and Christ tells us that this very thing is a cause why men beleeve not See John 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light Christ comes thus to a man I am he who will save thy soule if thou wilt take me but then know that I am an holy person if thou wilt have me thou must let go thy sinnes Now this breaks off the match hinders the bargain this goes to the heart A man naturally will as soon part with his life as with the sin of his love Secondly to his condition There is a double condition of A double state of Christ Christ one is Triumphant another is Militant Gloria in excelsis that is the triumphant condition Tubulationes in Terris that is the militant condition the Crown of Glory that is the triumphant condition the Crown of Thornes that is the militant condition Now the heart naturally is unsuffering It is a terrour to it to speak of afflictions sorrowes reproaches losses We are willing to enjoy the world to taste of pleasures to handle profits to rest in ease to walk at liberty to rejoyce with our Friends to be spread abroad
so the second Adam derives pardon and holinesse therefore he is called a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. It is not 'twixt Christ and believers as 'twixt a root and a dead limb which hangs on but hath no life nor sap Christ hath really no such members in his body he is not like Nebuchadnezzars image whose head is of gold and the feet of clay for a man to boast much of his head of Christ of gold and yet he to remaine a piece of clay he to have a nature utterly heterogeneous unto Christ this man deceives himself For every plant every graff that is inserted into Christ hath the aliquality of his nature Hence those who in John 1. 12. are stiled Beleevers they are said in the next ver 13. to be borne of the Will of God Now as in the natural birth there is a new forme so in the heavenly there is a supernatural and holy frame of grace ingenerated Thirdly No man hath a changed nature but a Beleever Why Because no man hath grace but from Christ and none have Christ but Beleevers Again it is impossible for a man to be lovely in the eyes of God without faith but if any man might have a changed and sanctified heart and yet want faith then one might be lovely in Gods eyes wanting faith for as much as God loves and delights in an holy heart So then this is most evident that if faith goes not without a change and if every Beleever hath a change and no unbeleever hath it I say this will follow Therefore if a man can finde a change of his heart he then hath the truth of faith Now then enquire is there vertue gone from Christ to make thy dark minde seeing thy stubborn judgement yeilding and prizing thy proud heart humbling thy filthy heart cleansing thy hard hard relenting and mourning thy carnal affections to be heavenly thy sinful soul to be holy be confident of this that it is sound faith Though there be yet remainders of corruption yet if the inclination of the soul be châ—nged by grace doubt it not thou hast faith But for such as talk of a faith which stands in opposition to hoâ—inesse and please themselves in a gracelesse faith in such a faith as hath no society or companâ— of graces in the soule O farre be such a faith from any one of us An unholy beleever is as proper a phrase as an holy devil Presumption is a most confident work but it is a very loose quality 1 Cor. 6. 9. Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde verse 10. Nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkarks nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Ver. 11. And such were some of you but you are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Do not abuse thy soul with a conceit of faith and justification if thou hast no change of heart by sanctification SECT IV. THirdly a third tryal of true faith in Christ Jesus is this It will stoop to Christ as well as rise to him It enters the soul into a new service it takes Christ and him only to be its Lord. You read that there was a Marriage feast to which some did come and there was the Kings son sent out to rule and reigne but few yeilded unto him Many men will come to Christ to finde a feast but few come to Christ to bear his Scepter they would come under the safe-guard of his blood who flie the Authority and dominion of his sword they like Christ the Priest but not Christ the Lord. I will briefly shew you two things to clear this tryal 2. Things First no unbeliever will accept of Christ to be his Lord only because 1. His heart hath another Lord It hath set up some sinne or other or some part of the world or other to which it gives service as to his Lord. He is our Lord to whom we give service and his servants we are whom we do obey Now the unbeleeving heart either serves the world or obeys sinne in the lusts thereof Let the commands of sinne and Christ come into an ordinary and usual competition let the commands of profit or pleasure and Christ come into competition Now you shall see that the unbelieving heart will go after its Lord it will not hearken to Christ it prefers sin before him it will easily adventure Christs displeasure to fulfil its own lusts 2. Againe his heart cannot choose Christ it cannot like him for a Lord Why because the dominion of Christ is holy and heavenly and directly opposite to the fordid principles and affections and wayes of an unbeleeving heart It is a burden yea a very vexation to such a heart to heare but the report of the holy Laws of Christ and of their power and authority to oblige the inward man and the outward conversation Psal 2. 2. They take counsel against the Lord and against his anointed saying ver 3. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us 'T is true whether wicked men will stoop or no Christ is a Lord in respect of designation but he is not their Lord in respect of approbation They will not have this man to rule over them Secondly Every Beleever admits of Christ to be his Lord as Thomas said My Lord and My God John 20. 28. see c. and so 1. Faith sets up the Scepter of Christ and sweetly frames the soul to a willing subjection 2. Again faith takes whole Christ and therefore Christ is the only King and Lord to faith 3. Again faith knows that the whole person is Christs purchase his blood hath bought us and so passed us into the entire dominion of Christ ye are bought with a price ye are not your own said the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Now then try your selves in this who is your Lord why brethren Thus it is faith gives the propriety and title and disposition of our hearts and wayes to Christ Obj. 'T is true before we were called to faith in Christ we were disobedient we served divers lusts we set up our sins and the world Sol. But now being made partakers of rich mercy and grace in Christ we shall surely rebel against other Lords but Christ that is against all other Lords whose commands are contrary to Jesus Christ Our hearts are his and our affections his and our strength his and our service and submission his Obj. I deny not but sinne will be stirring even in a beleeving heart it will be assaulting it will now and then usurp upon the soul and vex and captivate Sol. But the rebellion of a sinful nature is one thing and the dominion of it is another thing Sinne will stir as an enemy where Christ doth reign as a Lord But it is one thing for thee to be a combitant with sinne
is none upon earth that I desire besides thee said Asaph Psalme 73. 25. I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord saith Paul again Phil. 3. 8. Lord let thy servant now depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation said Simeon Luke 2. 29 30. As when we come to heaven we shall be so heavenly that heaven alone will be enough to us and this shews perfection so whiles we live on earth if Christ alone be heaven and earth to us if he can fill our hearts and satisfie them O Lord Jesus thou art righteousnesse enough satisfaction enough wisdome enough peace and comfort and pleasure enough to my soul O this comes from great strength 8. The more that the body of sinne decayes in strength the lesser prevalency of it this shewes that faith is strong When sinne becomes more dead in its actions or more ineffectual in its temptations When a man can walk and not stumble and reele and fall he is now out-grown his former weaknesse It shews weaknesse when every stone makes thee apt to fall It is a signe the army is strong when the enemy many of them are slaine and the rest are easily discomfited Sinne is our enemy and Christ is our general and faith is our champion and the more that sinnes fall it is an argument that faith is become stronger The victorious faith is much more then the combating faith Sinnes go down by believing the more that any grace is in victory the more it is in strength Indeed it argues truth of faith to resist but to conquer sinnes this shewes strength to wrestle is something but to overthrow is more to oppose sin is not so much as to vanquish it 10. The more fruitful a Christian is in his graces and exercises of them the stronger is his faith You know that the extension of the branches ariseth from the intension of the sap if the branches grow big and yeild more fruit it is because the root is more full and filled Faith is well stiled the radical grace though the habits of other graces grow not out of it yet the measures and exercises do exceedingly depend upon it And according to the latitude of faith is the latitude of other graces as the dayes receive shortnesse or length from the Sunne A weak faith is attended but with a weak love and a weak patience and a weak hope and a weak joy But if the faith becomes strong now it is spring with our graces they revive and shoot out themselves there will be much love and much labour of love and strong hope and the better heart and life 11. The more able a person is to live upon Christ or Gods promises in the times of desertions and contrarieties the faith is certainly the greater The more use any can make of God or Christ at all his faith is greater for the more that any soule beleeves the more is his faith enabled thereby But then this is yet more strength even against hope to believe in hope to look up for that God that hides himself to venture on an angry God one who seemes to shut out our prayers one that speaks bitter things unto us like Levi not to observe our own children but to keep the Word and Covenant of God Deut. 33 9. 12. The more able the soul is to wait on God to pray and wait the stronger is the Faith A waiting faith meets with more difficulties and contrarieties and is upheld by the strength of a meer promise That man not only hath faith but lives by faith if he can wait Gods time c. 13. When you can glorifie many promises at once by beleeving yea when every promise can be trusted on upon gracious termes the more fully you can glorifie them by trusting for pardon of great sinnes subduing of strong corruptions deliverance out of great distresses the stronger is your faith The lesse difficulty you conceive in God to perform his Word when you can come for great matters with great confidence lesse doubts exceptions feare the lesse power discouragements have If you can beleeve against sense reason Though he kill me yet will I trust in him These are discoveries of faith in strength SECT IV. THe second part of the second general point at the instances of weak faith in truth Here are two things which I will touch One is some demonstrations that faith is weak Another is some directions of truth with that weaknesse Concerning the first observe these things Signes of a weak faith 1. The more that doubtings stagger the heart its is a sign that the faith is weak As the more smoak goes up with the fire it is an argument that the fire is little or as the more a person halts and reels in his motion it discovers the impotency of his strength and joynts You reade in Rom. 4. 20. That staggering at the promise by unbelief is opposed to a strong faith observe that word staggering It is such a temper of the soul wherein it doth suddenly and easily change its thoughts and acts As a man who is staggering his foot checks as it were it self and alters its pace and place so when a mans heart is giving on and then falling off may I take may I not I will lay hold I will not God will be good to me he will not I shall have mercy yet I shall not this is staggering The soul le ts go its hold doubtings prevaile against actual beleeving the beleeving soul sees strong arguments to draw it to fasten on Christ and on mercy and then it is putting forth the hand but then unbelief thrusts forth contrary arguments of suspition and feares so that the soul is in doubts may I indeed lay hold but will the Lord be merciful to me Why diddest thou doubt O thou of little faith said Christ to Peter and this stands with reason for the stronger that quality is which is contrary to faith the weaker is that faith which is contrary to that quality as the stronger sickness is the weaker health is c. 2. The more easily a man can suspect Gods favour and Christs love this is a sign that faith is weak See Psalme 77. 7 8 9. and then v. 10. They say of love that the more pure love hath least feare 1 John 4. 18 and multitude of jealousies is an argument of mixture in the affections So it is of faith the more stedfastly it can hold up the immutability of Gods love and kindnesse and his ancient grants of favour the stronger is the faith But the more apt it is to question the loving kindnesse which hath been ever of old now it is the weaker Luke 24. 21. We had trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the third day There be two things which a weak faith is very apt to challenge One in God for kindnesse Another in
a right answer of great means To whom much is given of them much is required Pharaohs leane kine are called ill-favoured because in a great and large pasture All is not right when the breasts are full and the child is still weak The Gospel should be revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 3. The greater faith is the greater perfection every degree of farther grace is like a star of greater magnitude which differ in glory from another an addition of faith to faith is an adding to the treasury an enriching of the soul a farther clarifying of it The lesse of grace the more of corruption and the more of corruption the more of imperfection 4. The greater faith the greater comfort the Minde will have fewer doubts Will hath fewer fears Conscience more settledness the soul more sights of God and tastes of Christ Experiences in life and confidence in death 5. The greater faith will be the greater help in times of desertion in times of tryal in times of temptation in times of affliction and greater help to all active duty and passive changes Thou knowest not what may befall thee in evil times then thou wouldest be able to commit to submit to conquer to suffer to do much better if thy faith were much greater CHAP. XVI Exhortations to labour for saving faith IF to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ be the way to be saved Then be exhorted to labour Vse 4 for and to get this saving faith Let not the consolations of God seeme small unto thee said he to Job so say I let not the salvation of thy soul seem a light thing unto thee If a man were wounded deeply and there were but one plaister which could cure and this were presented unto him would he not put out his hand to receive and apply it the love of life would easily incline him Why brethren not a man of us but hath a deadly wound by sinne and there is no remedy for the sinful soul but in the blood of Christ O if the love of life will constraine us much let the love of eternal life the love of our souls of our salvation perswade us much more to get faith which gets Christ who gets salvation for our souls There are divers things which I will touch upon in the finishing 4. Branches of this Use viz 1. The Motives to perswade and draw the heart to put out for this saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 2. The impediments and hindrances which stop the soul from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ which we must assay to answer and remove as he did the body of Asabel which stayed the people in their pursuit 3. The means or adjuments and furtherances to breed this believing quality in the souf 4. The resolutions or answerings of several doubtful grounds and arguments which intangle the heart of a sensible sinner and which he holds out as strong pretences why he should not by faith close with Jesus Christ Now that great and holy God who is the Author of faith and finisher thereof whose word is the word of faith and by whose Almighty working the hearts of men are perswaded to believe let him so direct me in speaking and all of us in hearing that after all his gracious and manifold revelations and offers of our Lord Jesus Christ our unbeleeving hearts may be subdued and true faith may be wrought in us all to receive the Lord Jesus Christ to our eternal salvation SECT I. First the Motives I speak this day to an understanding and sensible people to whom the doctrinal parts of our natural misery and of our purchased felicity are not hidden mysteries and therefore I trust that the succeeding arguments and motives shall finde little stop in your understandings but shall the more easily and powerfully passe down into your hearts and affections to perswade and excite you to lay out all your strength and that speedily to get this faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Thus then First sadly and seriously consider the state of Positive infidelity A twofold indelity Divines observe a twofold infidelity One is Negative which is amongst the Heathens to whom Christ is not revealed and therefore they do not believe it consists both in the absence of the quality of faith as also in the object and doctrine of faith This Sunne of the Gospel hath not risen unto them and therefore they sit still in the regions of darknesse and for ought we know in the valley of death Another is Positive which is incident unto us Christians to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed Christ is manifested as the body of the Sun by the beams of light so he by the brightnesse and evidence of the Gospel and yet the soule knows him not receives him not doth not take him both as Lord and Saviour Of this there are several degrees and all of them fearfully dangerous to speak the truth plainly damnable 1. A carelesse neglecting of the Lord of life a not minding of that singular mercy and goodnesse which God hath treasured in Christ and reveales and offers to sinful men 2. A slighting of him and his excellencies which is a preferring as it were Barrabas before him a bestowing of our hearts and studies and labours and delights and services not on him but either on our sinnes or upon the world in the rivers of its pleasures and in the mountaines of its profits 3. A refusing of his Articles and Covenants which is a breaking off and vile disliking of those tearms upon which he offers himself to be ours we would bring him to termes of competition with sinne or the creature we would abridge his holy and Lordly Scepter like what we please do what we list have him to be our Saviour and sinne to be our Ruler we would bestow our safeties on him and our services upon the world we will not freely and fully consent to all that he is nor submit to all that he proposeth or may befall us with him and for him And so like the vaine Merchant we misse the pearle because we will not go to the price We enjoy our selves still and our sinnes and our world too but we forsake our mercies for lying vanities the soul is Christlesse still because thus sordidly unbeleeving 1. But then know of all estates in the world none so fearful so damnable as the unbeleeving estate A man may lose every farthing of his inheritance and yet faith will bring him to heaven he may lose every friend that he hath and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may lose every spirit in his members and every drop of blood in his body and yet faith may bring him to heaven He may be as poor as Job as distressed as David as sick as Lazarus as forsaken as Paul as derided as Christ and yet faith may bring his soul to heaven But if a man had as much wisdome as Solomon greatnesse as Nebuchadnezzar strength as
in thy stead and answered Justice for all thy sins 3. Divine justice will not desire a double satisfaction It will not require satisfaction from thee and from thy surety too The quarrel ceaseth 'twixt thee and God for Christ hath by his own blood taken that up As Elihu spake of uprightnesse that I say of believing in the Lord Jesus if thou doest then the Lord will be gracious unto thee and will say deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransome Job 33. 23 24. Obj. But I who am I so totally unworthy there is nothing in me to move Christ to engratiate me he will never bestow himself on such an one as I am will ever Christ look on such a dead dog as I am I answer to this 1. Personal unworthinesse it is no prejudice You read in Mat. 7. Things 8. 8. that the Centurion came to Christ for his servant and believed on him and sped well Yea will you say but he was worthy nay he professeth the Obj. contrary Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Sol. as if he should say I have nothing in me to demerit and challenge this gracious act of thine nothing and yet I believe that thou canst and wilt heal my servant so the Prodigal I am not worthy to be c. 2. Nay the humble sense of our unworthinesse it is a furtherance Christ doth not expect any excellencies and meritorious motives from thee thou must come unto him as an empty vessel the full soul and the sound spirit is not for him bring a soul to Christ which is spread all over with misery and need why such a soul is a proper object for mercy to deal with bring a soul to Christ which is all over with lostnesse with poverty with sicknesse with unworthinesse why this is the soul upon which Christ will look It s never well with a man untill he can take Christ upon his knee upon a bare knee with an empty hand that is till he be brought to be poor in spirit that he is nothing and deserves nothing and begs of Christ to accept of him even for Christs sake The Lord be merciful to me a sinner went home justified when the thank God I am not as other men returned as he came a proud Pharisee You shall finde it thus that God looks most on him who looks least on himself The humble and contrite spirits which are broken out of themselves and can cry out O Lord I am really vile and mostly unworthy These the high God who inhabits the lofty places doth behold And Christ is ready to take him by the hand who thinks himself unworthy to touch his feet There are two tempers which like Christ well one is a beleeving heart and another an humble soul 3. Personal worthinesse is not the motive nor designed ground for faith in Christ The ground of belief that which invites the soul to draw on it self to Christ is no deserving or eminent quality in our selves but the goodnesse and fidelity of the promise and the gracious offer of Christ himself to the soul Behold he calls thee why this is enough if thou canst finde God holding forth the golden Scepter offering Christ unto thee upon such and such termes and thou consent unto them with all thy heart thou mayest confidently close and lay hold on Christ by faith This is the wise skill of a Christian truly to observe the proper rise of faith When God promised Abraham a son the text saith he did not consider his own body Rom. 4 19. that is he did not consult with the strength of his own nature what an able principle there was in himself to compass such an effect but he was fully perswaded that what God had promised that he was able to performe The ability and fidelity of Gods promise exceedingly enclined his heart to believe So is it here about faith in Christ if thou doest consider thy own body thy own deserts thy own excellencies thou shalt never beleeve for faith can finde no ground in these to encourage the soul but the ground of faith is without our selves Why God offers me Christ and Christ calls me unto him being heavy laden and he saith that he who beleeves in him shall have eternal life Now this is a word of truth and this word of his is worthy of all acceptation I will venture my soul upon it It is with faith as with a bird cast him into the water he cannot flie that element is too grosse for him he cannot gather and beat his wings there and therefore is kept down but cast him into the aire which is a more pure element then he can clap and â—pread the wings and mount why faith is the wing of the soul and the promise is that spiritual element that aire which breaths a life and motion to faith faith is raised by it alone and it is checked and hindered whiles the soul would force it to act it self upon those poor and grosse excellencies in our selves Faith desires no better object then Christ nor suâ—â—r pawnes then Gods promâ—se Fourthly to receive Christ by faith it is not a matter of merit but a point of duty When God commands a sinner to repent and to forsake his sinnes and take him he shall have mercy iâ—â—e will do it This may not now be said O Lord I am not worthy to obey thee in this duty if I were worthy to repeâ—t I would repent nay but O man divine commands are to be obeyed it is thy duty to repent So God commands the soul to beleeve in Christ to accept of him The soul now looks on the excellencies of the gift but forgets the obligation of duty It s true Christ is a most excellent gift and blessing there is not such a thing in all the world for a poore sinner as Christ but then know that his excellencies may not take thee off from thy duty This is his Commandment that we beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Brethren you are mistaken to beleeve in Christ being proposed unto us in the Gospel it is not a matter of indifferency I may or I may not nor is it a matter of curtesie as if we did a work of supererogation more then God requires nay but it is a matter of conscience a man sinnes he violates a command an evangelical precept if he doth not beleeve It is not a dispute of worthinesse or unworthinesse but it is obedience to the Command which thou art to look upon 5. Christ is given out of rich grace and mercy and love and therefore none can receive him but the unworthy There is this difference 'twixt the reward of Justice and the gift of graciousnesse Justice hath an eye upon the disposition and acts of the person and according unto their qualities and degrees doth it commensurate reward or punishment But graciousnesse hath an eye only upon it self the free
the very behaviour of the father of the Prodigal brake the heart of him with more thawings and kindly mournings then ever did his former misery and hardship O this that though he was an ungracious spend-thrift a stubborne childe a lewd companion Luke 15. yet his father should run to meet him that he should fall upon his neck and kisse him the kindnesse of those lips wounded his heart with the deeper sense and judging of his own unkindnesse So when a sinner shall by faith see Christ steping forward in the Gospel puting forth the hand to him calling him come thou hast done evil as thou canst hast wronged my father me my spirit my servants thy selfe I will get thee pardon for all feare not nor be dismayed I will will take upon me the discharge I will be thine my blood thine my righteousnesse thine O this melts the heart thou canst not take Christ but thy heart will break nor read thy pardon but thine eyes will melt what for me Lord yea for thee what after such deep rebellions yea after all and that most freely and willingly Good Lord how the soul weeps now c. Secondly faith sees sin in the greatest vilenesse It is one thing to see sin Hell-gates and another thing to see sin if I may so allude at Heaven-gates there I see it in its reward which causeth feare here I see it in its proper nature which causeth hatred when I can see sin as the wrong of a righteous and holy will as a rebellion against a holy and just Law as a provocation of a great and holy God as the speare thrusting through the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ as the basest quality and vilest abuse and indignity to love and mercy and blood now now I begin to melt to grieve a God is wronged a Father is wronged a Saviour is wronged 3. Faith melts the promises and the promises melt the heart Why brethren our soft and mourning hearts are not first in us and then in the promises but first in them and from them they come down into us The heart of flesh is first in that promise Ezek. 36. I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh and thence it comes to the person for to fashion and mollifie his heart But what draws the promises Is it not faith It is the only hand which reacheth out unto them and receives them whence it doth fully follow that beleeving will be no prejudice but a great furtherance to thy mournful humblings and softnings Obj. I grant it when a man can indeed beleeve this beleeving will much abate and perhaps remove the actuals of an horrible stumbling that is a man shall not now feel such a desperate terrifying bitter hopelesse anguish as before but yet it doth open a full veine within the soul which drops with vitall sorrows with gracious lamentings with hearty displeasures with hopeful tears and though under them the soul is not so hurried yet it weeps bitterly as the wife which holds the lately reconciled husband by the hand or as the child which is newly pardoned and embraced This is a truth that faith can heale the teares of a slave and breed the tears of a childe It can rebuke the ragings of the sea and yet continue its flowing courses It can still a raging conscience and yet beget a streame of godly sorrow it can both quiet a troubled spirit and raise within us a soft and mourning heart Yea to speak plainly a man never till then begins to mourn as a childe till he hath faith to see God as a father and the gracious looks of Christ which only faith espies they upbraid our sinnings more and no such springs of grief as they 6. Obj. But I have stood out my day and have refused many invitations and offers as now I may not beleeve I am sure that Christ will never regard me because of my former proud refusals of him in his gracious offers and invitations Now the day is gone It is too late Sol To this I answer 1. That not only the positive refusals but also the slighting pretermissions of the voice of the Gospel are undoubted sinful for if disobedience to the Law then much more unto the Gospel is very bad no man can refuse his remedy but he makes his wound the greater 2. Again it is granted the greater kinde of refusal adde a greater measure of guilt the refusals of light against light is a more dark condition that is when a man knows the Gospel to be the voice of Christ and to propound heaven and mercy upon the only termes and yet he is not gathered this is sinne in more degrees then the passing over it then ignorance and inobservation againe the more wilfully a man refuseth his opportunity and invitations this also makes the refusal more hainous and calls upon the soule for greater humblings But then know 5 s Things 1. That Christ is not alwayes so quick to break off for ever for some refusals It is not an uncapable condition a sealed state if a man hath stood out against many particular invitations This simply is not the sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore it is pardonable and if the sinne be pardonable then the sinner is capable of Christ in whom alone sin is to be pardoned 2. Scarce any beleever who is called after the ripenesse of yeares but hath often refused before his conversion many invitations by grace and mercy It were an horrid harshnesse for any Minister to send all them to hell who once refuse the news and tender of heaven Nay we see that Christ hath several seasons of conversion some he brings home to himself at the night at the later end of the day who questionlesse refused him in the former part of the day nay that grace which doth gather a man to Christ conquers our refusing hearts Ergo meer refusing is not an eternal prejudice It is true that whiles I do refuse I cannot beleeve yet though I have formerly refused I may yet beleeve There is a double refusal of Christ and the invitations of the Gospel one is malitious this is fearful another is temerarious and this is pardonable That is accompanied with a despitefulnesse of spirit this depends much upon rashnesse temptations inadvertency Againe there is a double refusal one is total but temporary A man doth not hearken though Christ doth call he will not subscribe though Christ propounds but goes in his own way and course yet at length with Paul he may be struck to the ground and yeild up himself to Christ Another is total and final which is an impenitent rebellion A man holds out against the voice of Christ for ever there is no hope for such a person 2. No broken and grieved heart for former refusals can justly say that it hath stood out its day and it is too late to beleeve This is a thing of some concernment and many
Jesus thou didst shed thy precious blood for the remission of sinnes thou hast offered me thy self and all thy precious purchases and benefits I have by faith accepted of thee of thee alone with all my soul to be my Lord and Saviour Now none in heaven or earth can procure me the pardon of these sins but thy self and thou canst do it I beseech thee that thy blood may be mine atonement to thy father yea I will and do cast my soul upon thee thee alone for the pardon and I will trust unto thee for the discharge of my many of all my transgressions Thy blood is the price that I will trust to and rest upon This is to lâ—ve by faith in Christ in that particular yea though the sense of guilt be great and the truth of it undeniable yet to believe the pardon in Christ and to offer his satisfactions yea to adventure and to roll the soul upon him for it for Christ hath called me and he hath said that he will ease me c. So againe suppose that thou feelest corruptions strongly working and temptations grievously assaulting now to live by faith on Christ is to come unto him knowing the Kingly power of his grace and to beseech him to subdue iniquities for thee and to send forth the rod of his Scepter the power of his gracious Spirit to mortifie thy lusts yet more and to trust upon him that he will do this for thee and therefore thou wilt apply thy self with patience and confidence to the use of all consecrated wayes and meanes through which Christ will manifest that power unto thy soul I thank God through Jesus Christ said Paul Rom. 7. As if he should say I am not able for my life to root out to beat down these vile motions but I cast my self upon Jesus Christ I trust unto him and verily beleeve he will deliver me the like may be said of all the other exigences but I cannot repeat all Consider that the habit or quality of faith is one thing and the use or exercise of faith is another thing the soul then lives by faith on Christ when it improves its interest in Christ when it can trust to him to supply all its wants a man is said to live by bread not when he hath it in his Cupboard but when he takes and eates it and a man is said to live upon his money not when he lets it to lie dead in his chest but when he turnes and windes it for his benefit and support So here to live by faith on Christ is to put faith to work my works are in my self but the supplies of my soul are in Christ as I go to divine providence and put my self on its faithful powerful goodnesse for my body so I must go to the Lord Jesus and put my self on his gracious and certaine fulnesse for my soul Yet observe a few things for the clearer opening of 4. Things this 1. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meere complaining of our wants or an acknowledging of his fulnesse To see scarsity in the house and plenty in the Market this may be and it may be vaine unlesse we go forth to fetch in the promises Whiles the soul keeps home it lives not by faith The life of faith lies abroad a man may have grace to see his wants and yet he lives not by faith till he can get out unto Christ I will go to the Prophet to the man of God said the woman who had a troubled spirit for her dead child Yea this recovered her child againe If I can but touch the â—hem of his garment I shall be whole said she in the Gospel you must bring the pitcher to the well if you will have water and the childes mouth must be applied to the breast if it would have milk and the soul must go unto Christ it must approach unto him or else it is but a fruitlesse trouble it is not a living by faith on him 2. To live by faith on Christ it is more then a meer going to Christ though the motion of the soul out of it self be required yet that alone is not sufficient If I go to a man for to lend me an hundred pound if either I will not speak to him or trust him this is labour loft so though we do addresse our selves to Christ for help but will not trust upon him for supply this is not yet to live by faith For The life of faith on Christ is raised by three things First his fulnesse Secondly his goodnesse Thirdly his faithfulnesse and all these enduce the soul to trust unto him he is able enough Ergo I will trust him he is ready enough therefore I will trust him he is faithful and will certainly do me good therefore I will trust him So that to live by faith it is to live by trust one is said to live by trust when he hath nothing from another but his word or his bond I think him honest or I have him fast bound therefore I will trust him Thou hast the Word of Christ and the Promise of Christ which is a sure truth to which if thou doest trust thou doest live by faith If I feel and do not complaine if I complaine and do not pray if I pray and do not trust this is not yet to live by faith so farre as I can trust upon Christ that he will supply and help my soul so farre I do live by faith 3. Nay Thirdly to live by faith is not onely to trust upon Christ for supply but it is to expect the performance There is a great difference 'twixt the life of sense and the life of faith Sense is opposite to expectation it is only for the present what it hath that makes it up it lives upon no stock but that in hand but faith reckons its estate more from what lies in bonds then what the person findes in the purse It findes the greatest part of the souls estate yet in the promises and yet in Christ and in both graciously and assuredly undertaken whereupon it doth make the soul not only to go to Christ but to trust him and not only so but to expect and waite patiently he doth hear me he will do me good he will not suffer sin to have dominion he will send forth the rod of his power he will make all grace to abound he will not leave nor forsake me he will satisfie for me his intercession shall be effectual I shall yet feel the power of his death the vertue of his resurrection As to pray and not to trust so to trust and not to expect to trust and then to murmur to trust and to untrust whiles we are speaking to get the soul to put it selfe upon Christ and before we have done speaking to pluck of the soul againe to deface our own fealing to cast away our confidence this is ill very ill It is true that the
the heart and conquer Satan But if we trouble the Devil the Devil will not cease to trouble us It hath been the lot of the best Ministers to do most good and find most affliction Look but in the 19. ver and there you shall see Paul and Silas caught and drawn before the Rulers Good God! That Paul should be questioned because he did cast out a Devil But this is not the matter objected nor the immediate ground of the trouble Her Master saw that the hope of their gaines was gone How far will the love of the world thrust a man against Gods servants even Paul himself is brought to the Bar when he cuts off the gaines which the Devil brought Covetous hearts and good Ministers can never agree They will rather sell â—he Truth than lose their Gaine But being now before the Magistrate what is their accusation What! That Paul and Silas did cast out the Devil No That they who were the Masters of the Damosel were impaired and disadvantaged by their Preaching No though this was the ground yet something else was the Pretence This would seeme somewhat too base and therefore they urge against them another allegation which they knew would easily take vers 20. These being Iews exceedingly trouble our City and ver 21. Teach Customes which are not lawful for us to receive nor to observe being Romans As if he said they are a couple of factious and schymatical fellows men of a singular spirit given to innovation speak strange things of one Christ and of Believing and of Repenting and we know not what They need say no more presently there is an uprore and without any more ado right or wrong they have Justice The Magistrates rent their clothes and command to beare them ver 22. And this is not enough besides the whip they must to the Prison and be kept safe and close verse 23. Hatred of goodnesse doth many times precipitate evil men to the acts of injustice and he who hates a good man will many times become a bad Judge But in the prison and stocks they are and the layler is as strict to execute as they unjust to command verse 24. He did thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks A strange Providence is that of God Paul and Silas are sent to prison to convert a Jayler to unloose him who bound them to heale him who scourged them God hath some special ends in the times and places of his servants sufferings Well at Midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang prayses to God verse 25. No prison can bolt out our Communion with God Prayer will get up to heaven in dispite of all opposition and even a suffering Christian may be very cheerful But now see the consequents of this their prayers shooke the Heaven and the Heaven shooke the Earth so that the foundations of the Prison were shaken and immediately all the doores were opened and every ones bands were loosed ver 26. I do not marvel that Prayer can breake the bonds of Iron when I know it is able to break asunder the bonds of death it self The Iayler awakes sees the prison doores open and for ought he knew an escape of all his prisoners for whose lives probable it is that he must pay his own and therefore in a passionate desperatenesse drawes out his sword to kill himself Paul espies him and cryes out with a loud voice hold hold Do thy self no harme for we are all here not a man of us that hath stirred Which when he had searched and found O what a strange alteration is in this Jayler verse 29. He came in trembling What! he who before made them to bleed doth he now tremble he that before cast them into the stocks doth he come trembling to them What were they or what could they do shackled and scourged and imprisoned persons that he trembled before them But so he did Scorners will become Tremblers when God hath once touched their hearts yet this is not all He also falls down before them He is upon his knees to ask them forgivenesse for his cruel usage And then he brings them forth But what of all this All this may arise from sparks of pitty and Object humanity Nay but there is a greater matter then all this Sirs said he Sol. what shall I do to be saved As if he said I am in a miserable condition I have lived wickedly and done wrong to many of the people of God and in particular to you Good Lord what shall become of me you are the Ministers of Christ I beseech you have pity on me and shew unto me what I may do to save this poore soul of mine What does Paul and Silas Answer him they said Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And I beseech you marke it how immediate their answer is to his question they do not say as the High Priests to afflicted Iudas look thou to that they do not upbraid him with his hard and cruell usage They take not that advantage and say nay now doth thy conscience trouble thee for being so wicked and scourging us so sharply yea and so let it doest thou come for direction and comfort to us whom thou hast so shamefully abused No they forget the injuries and presently pour in the Oyl They instantly direct him into the true way of life Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved But more of this anon I have chosen this text on purpose that I may proceed to the next article of the Creed I believe in Iesus Christ our Lord you see it is exprest in the next But before I handle it give me leave to Analyse the words and to touch upon some singular conclusions and then I will set down upon the Article it self more fully CHAP. II. The opening of the words with the severall Doctrines in the text THe words of the text do containe two parts A case of Conscience to be propounded by a troubled and trembling sinner The case is not for another but for himself what shall I do And not about his Riches or wealth or his body but about his soul And that not for meer speculation but for practicals it is a case about his salvation and about the meanes which he should take to attaine Sirs what shall I do to be saved Secondly The case fully resolved Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved As if he said Christ is the onely way to Heaven and faith is the onely way to Christ God hath given Jesus Chrâ—st to sinners and salvation in him And whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternall life Now then believe in him and you shall be saved There are many conclusions emergent from these words I will omit most of them and onely insist on the latter Change of heart breeds change of estimation toward the Ministers of the Gospel The Jayler a little
before had a base and unworthy opinion of Paul and Silas but now Lords Sirs what shall I do As the Heart is so the Judgement is and Newnesse of Nature hath with it Newnesse of Light We can now see the men and their authority and their office and embassage and the end of all their reproofes and instructions and therefore the very feet of them who bring good tydings and publish peace and salvation are beautiful It argues the heart to be base and sordid which can slight and scorne the Messengers of Christ he hath no grace who can contemne and vilifie a Minister of grace But two things God ever works when he confers grace viz. A love of the word of Grace and an Honouring of the Messengers of Peace Sensible sinners are ever inquâ—sitive Sirs what shall I do and so they in Act. 2. 37. Even they were pricked in their hearts they cry out men and brethren what shall we do There are two sorts of sinners First some are hardned unsensible wholly overgrown with sin and are past feeling Eph. 4 18. Their sin is in them like the waters in the Ocean under all which if a man doth lye yet he feeles no weight nor burden because the Elements in their proper places are not sensibly weighty so where sin is in its center men are unsensible of the burden of it They feele it not nor their misery and therefore neither complaine nor enquire Secondly others are made sensible not onely by the ordinary light of a naturall conscience but by the contrary principle of new and infused Grace It is with them like as with a man recovering out of a deep sicknesse his health comes in and makes him now sensible of his weakness and complaining and desiring help So when God doth by his blessed spirit work the lively sense of sinne in the heart of a person the basenesse of it the danger and misery of it O he cannot now remaine thus live thus he must have a guide he goes to a Messenger one of a thousand to instruct and direct him For first conscience truly awakned cannot beare its own burden it s own divisions feares accusations present condition and therefore the person will enquire whether there be no balme in Gilead Secondly againe sensiblenesse of sin is Opus respectivum it is a work for further work God doth for this very end make us sensible of our sin and misery that we might enquire after the meanes of grace and safety Thirdly once more scarse one sensible sinner of many thousands that is able to be his own Counsellor or comforter we are not able always to apply those sweet directions those proper and heavenly comforts as God promises to our own necessities which yet we may distribute with a full and tender heart to others in their exigencies for there is a great difference betwixt the proposing of comfort and the applying of comfort He who is to propose it hath a medicine to deliver He who is to apply it hath a medicine to take There be many contrary arguments and risings of an unbelieving and fearful nature in the person who is to apply the truth and goodness of Gods promise to himself so that he is not alwayes able to see the reach and compasse of them to himself and therefore no marvel if he seeks out for direction in the midst of his own confusions and for a help to apply in the midst of his own feares and distractions The maine and choise thing which the troubled soule lookes after is how to save it selfe Sirs what shall I do to be saved There be divers sorts of troubles and according to their grounds and qualities doth every person lay out for help and remedy Some are troubled with meer sickness and health is the thing which they would have Some with poverty and riches are the things which they would have Some with ignominy and favour and good opinion is the thing which they would have Some with outward afflaction and punishment and exemption is the thing which they would have Remove from me this Plague onely said Pharaoh Some are troubled with meer terrors of conscience and quiet and ease is the thing which they would have Others are troubled in soule for their sinnes by which God is dishonoured and their heart polluted now how these may be saved This is the thing which these would have Come to a soul sensibly groaning under the weight of sinne and say why Soul be of good cheer thou hast goods laid up for many yeares Oh sayes that soul miserable comforters are they to me Lord be merciful to me a sinner Come againe and say you have many good and kinde friends Alas saith the soul friends are Physicians of no value to my troubled and perplexed soul Lord be merciful to me a sinner Come to that soul and discourse to him of the defect of sin of the richnesse of divine mercy of the Grace that God hath promised to give of that sorrow of that repentance of that faith of that blood of Christ O now sayes that soul say on give not over mercy is that which I would have and Grace and Christ and Salvation this is it which I would have how I may be brought out of this miserable and damnable condition Suppose a man were very sick and one should come and tell him many merry tales to delude the sense of his sicknesse this were nothing to a man sick indeed for it is not a tale but wholsome Physick which would help him he had rather by much heare the Physitian discoursing and counselling and applying So it is with the truly troubled soul yea that is it which he desires and would have to be set in the right way how to save his soul Shew us the Father said Philip and that is sufficient so here shew me the way of salvation and I desiâ—e no more And the reason of it is this because There is nothing which suitâ— with the troubled soul but the way of salvation the helps and remedies of it are not to be found unless in these wayes If a man hath a burden on his back take it off and that is the way to ease him if a man hath a feavour cure him of that and this is the way to help him if a mans bone be out of joynt set it in his proper location and this is the way to comfort him In like manner is it here The distresses of the soul are spiritual and only spiritual waies relieve spiritual troubles I now see God at difference with me how may I be reconciled to him I see the dishonour against him how may I pacifie him I feel the guilt of sin who shall take that off for me I would be a changed and new person who will work this in me what course must I take to get God to look graciously on me to get these sins pardoned this heart to be sanctified I cannot passe over this point without a
word of application If salvation be the maine enquiry of a truly troubled soul Vse then verily many people have not yet been truly troubled for their sinnes why Because they strive not how to save their soules The Psalmist speaks of some that God was not in their thoughts and we may say of some that Salvation is not in their mindes He who hath abundance hath this question who will shew us any good and he who is in want hath this question what shall I do But what shall I do to be saved few think of this it is a marvelous thing that so noble a creature as man who carries in him the singular stamp of heaven a spiritual and immortal soul should so infinitely forget both himself and his errand into this world I am a miserable sinner said Saint Hicrome and born only to repent We are born transgressors from the wombe and with hell at our heeles God is pleased to draw out the threed of our life and to vouchsafe to give us this hint that we are sinners and must dye and if we change not our condition we perish forever And besides that he hath addressed the wayes of Salvation to our hands so plainely that he who runnes may read Yea and there is something implanted in men which secretly inclines them to be affected with a generall desire of Salvation nevertheless to observe men how variously they flye off how little they minde that which most of all concerns them how infinitely one drudgeth for riches how illimitedly another pursues pleasures so that when we come to dye we have hardly thought wherefore we were borne There is a Salvation and a way tending thereunto but we forget that all our dayes We have other employments but let us soberly recall our selves Is there any thing better then Salvation Is there a nearer thing then the soul Is there not a necessity to be working in the way if ever we would attain unto the end O then let this take us up let heaven take us up let our souls take us up but let not our sins let not the world take us up Vbi pompa said Saint Augustine ubi exquisita convivia ubi gentiorum ambitio ubi argenti auri pondus immensum Transient omnia ab oculis ejus putatur requiesere corpus ejus habitat in inferno anima ejus multiplâ—cavit agros plantavit vineas implevit horrea yet saith he Sâ—ulâ—e hac nocte He enlargeth his Fields plants his vines fills his Barnes loseth his soul The like saith Saint Bernard Dic mihi ubi sunt amatores seculi qui jam diu fuerint Dic quid eis profuit inanis gloria Brevis laetitia mundipotentia Quid carnis voluptas quid falsae divitiae ubirisus ubi jocus ubi jactantia Hic caro eorum vermibus illic anima ignibus deputatur infernalibus I say no more but labour to save that which if it be lost the world cannot procure it and believe it that the soul can never be saved by that which is not worth a soul Another conclusion from the words of the text may be this That persons rightly sensible are as throughly resolved for the meanes and wayes as for the end and scope The Jayler doth not say I desire Salvation barely but what must I do to be saved as if he said I desire Salvation and I do conjecture that it is an end and therefore means there are leading to it now whatsoever they are point them out unto me that I may apply my self for the prosecution of the end There are two things which deceive a mans heart One is presumption which is a skipping over the lesson and taking forth before we have learned our part my meaning is this that it is an opinion of our happinesse without any use of meanes As if a man went to heaven as the Ship moves in the Tyde whether the Master wakes or sleeps Another is hypocrisie which is an inquality of the heart to all the wayes of Salvation No hypocrite will apply himself to every thing which may indeed save him But where the heart is rightly understanding and truly sensible there is not only a consideration of meanes but an illimited resolution for all the wayes of Salvation whatsoever course God doth by his Word reveale and prescribe for that it is resolved and purpâ—sed though they may be contrary to my proud reasoning and capacity though they may be contrary to the bent of my affections though they may require much time and employment c. What the Princes speak with a disembling heart that the sinner rightly sensible of his condition affirms with a plaine spirit of true intention The Lord be a true and faithful witnesse between us if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or whether it be evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God He who will be saved must come to this to deny his own will to crucifie his own affections to captivate his own imaginations to resigne up his own desires and pleasures to afflict his heart for his sins to give up himself to the rule and command of Gods Word to draw off his heart from the world to settle all his confidence upon Jesus Christ to watch over his own spirit To love the Lord God with all his soul and with all his might These and other things are required as the way to life and unto them all doth a sinner rightly sensible yield up himself with all readiness and gladnesse For as much as though there may be some difficulty in these yet there is Salvation by them yea and there is a singular help for them as well as a special reward but the present and former condition and way of sinne is engraven with much paines and sore horror and death and hell But I pass on Another conclusion from the words is this When God doth throughly work upon mens consciences personall injuriousnesses must be forgotten by them who are to deale with them You see here that Paul and Silas speakes not a word of this cruel usage towards them but instantly addresse themselves to the direction of his safety and comfort Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ c. We read of the Father of the Prodigall that when his son came humbling and bewailing his fore-past miscarriages of Prodigality and Luxury He saw him a far off and ran to meet him and kissed him and put the raiment on him and a gold Ring He did not rate and upbraid him Nay I will not look on thee I will not accept of thee go now to thy Harlots amongst whom thou hast riotously wasted all that goodly portion which I put into thy hands O no he accuseth not him whom he heares to accuse himself and reviles
not him whom he seeth to condemn himself It is enough that his Son who was lost is now returned and that he who was dead is now alive We must imitate our heavenly Father in this who in the Covenant of Grace will forgive our iniquities and remember our sins Jer. 31. 34. no more So in another place If the wicked will turn from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keep all my statutes c. All Ezek 18. 21 22. his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Why Brethren If God forgives the man all the wrongs done against him should not we forgive the smaller trespasses against us and what have we to do to upbraid when God is pleased to forgive and convert and what should we stand upon our respects when God hath past by all the indignities cast upon his honour and glory There are two sorts of sinners Stout and resolute who know how to slight mercy neglect command and to fear at the threatnings A severe denunciation of judgment and wrath a conviction and aggravation of their sinnes are the proper discoveries for them For where hath God spoken a word of peace or comfort or ease to such Bleeding and afflicted who tremble at threatnings gaspe for mercy faint for deliverance and change Here now Ministers must have eyes of pity and tongues and hands of Oyl they must not pour in scorpions nor add terrors to the afflicted but Preach liberty to the Captives They must binde up the broken hearted and give them beauty for ashes the Oyl of joy for mournings the garment Esay 61. of prayer for the spirit of heavinesse that they may be called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord Isai 61. 1 2 3. In these cases we are not to look on our selves but on our office not on our own indignities but on the patients necessities that way which God looks and speaks that must we speak also Now God looks on the Contrite to revive them and speakes comfort to the troubled soules and therefore we must be silent to upbraid and ready to direct and comfort afflicted souls Troubled souls must be directed to Christ for this is it which Paul and Silas adviseth the afflicted Jayler Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ c. They do not direct him to any man or Angel to any pilgrimage or Saints they set him not up on any selfe-standing project but Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ But why to Christ Because none is appointed to relieve a troubled soul but Christ Him hath God the father sealed and he was anointed to preach glad tidings Secondly none is able to pacifie and quiet a troubled soul but Christ whatsoever is sinful or imperfect cannot be a stay to an afflicted conscience But Christ hath perfect righteousnesse he hath wrought full redemption he is able to save to the utmost That which cannot satisfie Gods Justice can never pacifie an afflicted heart but if God might be fully satisfied if he might be reconciled then the conscience would be quiet now Christ hath done this he hath made peace and become a curse and is a propitiation c. He will relieve the afflicted heart He is called a merciful High Priest and one who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and he will not break the brused reed and he calls the heavy laden to come to him to be eased There be three things which would marvelously ease and refresh a troubled soul One if he could get off the guilt of former sins Another if he could get such a righteousness as with which he might boldly stand before God A third is if he could get his heart and wayes to be changed Now Christ can yield out all this his blood gets off the gilt of our sins he is made sin for us that we may be made the righteousnesse of God in him and he can change our natures by his blessed Spirit Therefore the Apostle saith that he is made redemption righteousnesse and sanctification unto us But I passe over all these conclusions and come to that upon which I must somewhat insist CHAP. III. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the onely way to salvation TO believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way of Salvation The text is cleare for it Parallel places are these Mark 16. 15. Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature 16. he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Act. 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved For the discovery of this assertion we must open these particulars First the meaning of each of these titles viz. Jesus and Christ and Lord. Secondly what the believing in the Lord Jesus Christ doth import Thirdly how it may appeare to be the onely way of salvation Fourthly the usefull application of all this to our selves What is the sense and summe of those three titles Jesus Christ Lord I shall resolve them distinctly SECT I. JEsus signifies a Saviour as it was a name imposed from the Sect. 1. pleasure of heaven by an Angel Mat. 1. 21. Thou shalt cast his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes The first name that you read of imposed on Christ in the New-Testament is this name of Jesus for the best name that sinners could possibly desire to heare was this that God hath provided a Saviour for them The Prophet Isaiah 9. 6. saith that his name shall be called wonderful and indeed Jesus is a wonderful name It is a name which breeds just wonder and admiration to all the world to men and Angels it may make our hearts to wonder at the hyperbole of Gods love as one of the Fathers speaks that he Mirandum Amoris should notwithstanding our vile deserts bestow a Saviour upon us who else had been lost for ever The Apostle saith Phil. 2. 9 10. That it is a name above all names no name like it either for the authority which was conferred on him who bare that name or for the comfort which that name beares in it for a sinner Therefore said the Angel to the Shepherds fear not for behold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour Luk. 2. 11. yea that is good news indeed A Saviour for a sinner What kind of Saviour Christ is no such news as that Now here observe divers things The Sonne of God is a singular Saviour No Saviour in all the world like him Joshuah is called a Saviour and the Judges were called so yet the Son of God is a Saviour infinitely beyond them For. They could save
true as truth it self and as good as goodnesse it self we cannot make men to understand it nor to believe it nor to yield unto it but Christ is that Prophet whose Chair is in heaven and whose speaking can yet pierce into the hearts of men He can make us to know wisdome he can teach our reines and truth in the inward parts there can he write his Law in our hearts though the minde be as dark as darknesse it self yet he can make the light of knowledge to arise in the thickest darknesse of the minde though the judgment be corrupt and full of errors yet Christ can erect a throne of truth and direct us into the pathes of righteousnesse though the heart be dull yet his words are as fire to quicken that heart though it be as hard as the rock yet his word can be as the hammer to break that stony heart His teaching can soften the most unflexible adamant he is able to convince and bend and alter and bow it the very dead shall heare his voice and live So that if any person doth need any directions any enablement for heaven or the way thither he must know that Christ is the Prophet anointed whatsoever belongs to an heavenly instructing and to an heavenly drawing and obeying that is to be found in Christ and had from him who is anointed a Prophet that is designed to teach the Church and furnisheth with all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and ability c. SECT V. LAstly Christ was anointed to be a King therefore Psal 2. 2. he is called Gods anointed and ver 6. the King whom he Psal 2. 2. did set upon his holy hill of Sion The King of Kings Rev. 19. 16. He shall reigne over the house of Jacob Luk. 1. 33. so Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to me in heaven and in earth He hath the Scepter of Royalty and the Rod of authority and the sword of power and the throne of judgement and the Laws of his lips and the keys of life and death Now this regal office of his to which he was anointed imports many things First that he is to beare rule over all the Nations and indeed his natural kingdome reacheth over all the world from the highest Angel to the lowest Devil Secondly that he is to Governe and rule the Church which he hath purchased with his blood The Government is upon his shoulders Isai 9. 6. And therefore he is called the Law-giver Jam. 4. 12. and all judgment is committed to his hand Joh. 5. 22 27. to this end you have the rod of his Scepter his holy and righteous Laws and his mighty and blessed Spirit to give force unto them even into our hearts and there to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Thirdly that he is to maintaine and uphold his Church therefore he is said to Gird his sword upon his thâ—gh Psal 45. 3. and to ride upon a horse with his garment dipped in blood and armed as if he were ready to fight He is the mighty redeemer of his servants against all who intrench upon their peace and safety and he strikes downe Paul to the earth for persecuting him It belongs to the King to be the defence of his subjects so here God hath appointed all the Protections and safeties and deliverances of the Church to be in Christ Fourthly he is to conquer all his and our enemies God hath given Christ a Kingdome but it is such as he must fight for Not a Subject which he hath which comes in unto him but by conquest If we be in our own hands peccatum Hostisest quamdiu est said Saint Augustine and if we be in Satans hands we are in that enemies hands More plainely there are these enemies of Christ and his Church which he is to conquer for himselfe and them First hell and we read that he hath spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly and triumphed over them Col. 2. 15. Secondly death 1 Cor. 15. 54. Death is swallowed up in victory 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory c. 56 57. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly sin and this is Christ also to conquer he is to cast down all the strong holds of lusts and all imaginations and to captivate the whole man He is to subdue our iniquities for us and not to suffer sin to have dominion over us Fourthly Wicked men he will stick his arrowes in the brests of Princes and in the hearts of the mighty and terrible he is to bruise the Nations with a rod of Iron and to dash them in pieces like a potters vessell He will execute judgment upon all of them and cast them all to the dust who rose up against his person or Government or people He will set his people at rest from them that rise against them and will make his enemies his foot-stool CHAP. IV. What Believing in the Lord Iesus Christ doth import Q. 2 WHat doth the believing in the Lord Jesus Christ import Jesus Christ is like a ring and faith is like the finger which wears it He is like a treasury and faith like the hand which draws out thence As David spake in another kinde come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul or as Philip to Nathanael can there any good thing come out of Nazareth Philip saith come and see The same is to be said of faith God hath done great matters for sinful man saith faith Why but can any good be brought by any to us who are so bad yes sayes faith come and see Christ is very good he is a Saviour for a poor sinner but it is faith which finds him so Marke the answer of the Apostles here in the text what shall I do to be saved saith the Jayler They do not answer there is a Jesus Christ take thou no more care he did dye for sinners and thou shalt do well enough Nay this they answer thou maiest be saved by Christ but thou must believe in Christ Not a medicine is the remedy but a medicine applyed Not the man but the man taken becomes the husband So the taking of Christ the believing in him is the way to heaven Because this is an excellent point for our life lies in it give me leave to speak somewhat of faith First in the general and there I will be brief Secondly in special as justifying of faith or faith believing in Jesus Christ our Lord. First Generally For the generall nature of believing observe these propositions First that believing is an assent to such matters as are known only by revelation from another there are in the soul of man three qualities by which we came to finde out or perceive things First one quality is Scientia or knowledge which is a firme assent unto a thing which may be evidenced to
the understanding by solid demonstration of infallible principles or else by the undeniable evidence of sense and experience as thus that every natural body hath power to move or that the Moon will suffer an Eclipse or that the fire is naturally apt to ascend and the water to moisten c. These things have both a naturall certainty and truth in themselves and there is an undoubted evidence and certainty in the minde of the person truly knowing them and so certaine and full is the perswasion of the minde about them that there is no scruple of doubt remaining to discuss as any uncertainty whether the things be so or no. Another is opinion which is an inevident evident assent if I may so phrase it My meaning is the understanding doth so assent and yield to the things as that yet it sees some contrary reason to suspect and question whether the thing be so or no for as much as in opinion the grounds are not fully evident to the minde but they are only probable and therefore the assent by opinion is but conjectural As take a man in a case of a scrupulous conscience there is to that man some evidence of argument which doth seem to warrant his action or attempt and yet that argument is not so entirely convincing of his judgment but on the other side there starts up a medium or argument which renders the practice probably sinful whereupon if you come to demand of him May you do such a thing he answers I do not certainly know that is I am not entirely and absolutely resolved of it yet I think I may I think it is lawful and this thinking which is opinion is alwayes accompanied with some fear and suspition so that the minde is like a paire of Scales tottering and tilting to either side Things are partly cleare and partly obscure partly evident and partly inevident and therefore the assent of opinion is alwayes doubtful Another is beliefe which is an assent unto things not from any evidence of the things themselves but only from the relation or testimony of another If I feel the fire to burne my hand I do not call this a believing but a sensitive knowing if Ahimaaz comes and tells David that his Son Absolom is hanged and slaine though this be knowledg in him who saw it yet it is belief in David who did heare and credit the tidings so that to be brief belief differs from knowledge in this that knowledge depends on the evidence of things themselves but belief though the things be certainly true to which it doth assent yet it assents unto them for the testimony or authority of him who relates and reports them Though this be most true That Jesus Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary and that he is the Messias and Saviour yet I beleeve it to be true because God hath given testimony or report thereof in his Word unto me Again Belief differs from opinion in this that opinion is an indifferent probable hazarding and difficultly inclinable assent but in believing the assent is firme certaine and fixed especially where testimony and authority is sufficient Believing as it is restrained to a theological and divine consideration that is in the generall an assent of the soul to the truth and goodnesse of all divine revelations upon divine testimony Here much might be said as for instance First that all divine revelations are the object of belief as supernaturally inspired Secondly that the ground of believing them is Gods own testimony Faith hath sufficient reason to believe all things there to be true in their relation because of his truth and authority who doth say so viz. God himself Thirdly of the generall nature of believing which is an assent unto all spoken by God as most true and credible Secondly particularly of justifying Faith Faith as you well know hath a double aspect one is to the whole revealed Word of God another is to God in Christ or to Jesus Christ I am not now to speak of it as an eye which may see all colours but as an eye fixing it self on some singular and special object viz. on Jesus Christ in respect of whom it is called justifying faith The believing on whom may be thus described CHAP. V. Faith in Christ what described IT is a singular Grace of God whereby the heart and will of a sensible sinner doth take and embrace Jesus Christ in his person and offices and doth wholly or only rest on him for pardon of sin and eternal life There are many things to be opened in this description forasmuch as all the force of true faith cannot at once in a few short words be clearly expressed SECT I. COnsider therefore the spring or fountaine of this faith is at heaven Gods eternall decree is the radicall cause of it so Causa Acts 13. 48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed And the instrumental cause of it is the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And the immediate and singular cause of it is the Spirit of God Gal. 5. 22. there it is an expresse fruit So Joh. 1. 12. speaking particularly of believing on the Name of Christ he addeth verse 13. men come to this not being borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God That the will or heart of man should be brought off from it self and to abhor its own condition and sufficiency and to take Christ as God propounds him to be the only rock upon which I must built my salvation to be the only Lord to whose Law and Will I must resigne up my whole soul and to cleave unto him in a conjugall union and affection This I say ariseth not from naturall principles nor from the wisdome of a mans free will nor from any endeavour or action which can find footing in man himself It is observed that there are two sorts of habits Two sorts of Habits 1. Some which are acquired by the industry of the person and through a right use of a segacious and understanding mind and such may be purchased by practise and use as the Scholar by writing gets the habit of writing and the Apprentise by his wise and honest observation and industry gets into the skill of his trade and calling Now faith is no such quality we can send forth no such singular acts or operations which are able in time to ripen or beget so excellent a Grace in the soul 2. Others are plainly and entirely infused Faith is not water in the Earth which a man may pump out but it is even in the fulnesse or littlenesse of it in the allnesse of it as the drops or showers of raine which come from heaven Though the subject of it be below yet the cause of it is above it is man who doth believe but it is Gods Spirit alone who gives him that faith to believe
Gospel and Jesus Christ in it revealed to be a Saviour yea and we do assent or acknowledge the same Gospel to be a word of truth and that whatsoever it doth affirme of Jesus Christ it is infallibly true and divinely certaine The Gospel as the Word of truth is the object of this and therefore the understanding is to apprehend and acknowledge it Another is perfect I speak of an essential perfection not of that which is gradual and intensive which takes in the formall and vital nature of faith as justifying Now this doth not rest in any operation of the minde or understanding but immediately in the will for the Gospel conteines both truth and goodnesse It is the Word of truth and the Gospel of Salvation It doth not only make known a Saviour and that it is most certain that he is God and man and dyed for sinners but it doth offer the goodnesse of this Saviour unto me which to accept appertaines directly and immediately to the will That of the Apostle me thinks gives some light to the matter in hand 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners That Jesus Christ came to save sinners is a truth not to be questioned and therefore the understanding is to acknowledge the same And that he came to save sinners is not only a truth revealed but a goodnesse offered and therefore it is worthy of all acceptation Now as credence of the truth of it appertaines to the understanding so the acceptance of the goodnesse of it doth appertaine to the will Yea one word more it is the proper work of faith to conjoyne the soul with Christ to contract and espouse it as it were but the soul is not conjoyned with Christ by the meer opperation of the understanding but by the consent of the will Ergo faith as justifying is immediately and formally in the will and not nakedly in the understanding SECT IV. THe proper and genuine act of faith as justifying or as conversant about Jesus Christ is acceptance or receiving Actus This Doctrine Christ himself doth teach and therefore it is true and sure John 1. 12. To as many as received him he gave power to be the Sons of God even to as many as believed in his Name There you see expresly that believing is the receiving of Christ As if God came in these tearmes I have appointed my Son to be made man to be a Mediator and Redeemer and he did live and dye for sinners to procure their peace and salvation Now I offer his person unto you and with it all the merits and benefits purchased by him take him in his person in his offices and in all his vertues if the heart doth now accept of the Lord Jesus This is a lively and justifying and saving believing There are three acts of the soul which are conversant about Christ First one is I know assuredly That Jesus Christ the Lord is the Saviour of sinners The Papists generally make this the Credence Royall Act of Faith but this cannot be justifying faith because First this as so is but a truth apprehended and not a good received Secondly unbelieving hearts may enjoy this historicall assent meerly as assent Another is I take this Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Saviour Acceptance I know assuredly he is a Lord and Saviour and he offers himself unto poor sinners of whom I am chief and I do accept of him to be my Lord and Saviour I cast my soul on him I rest my self on him my will and heart doth embrace and accept of him only to be Lord and Saviour him I do and none but him I do accept 3. A third is I know assuredly that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Assurance my Saviour Many of the Lutherans and some of our own bend this way that the assentiall and proper Act of faith as justifying is assurance and so they do define it that it is an assurance a full assurance a full perswasion whence it followes That no man believes until he can truly say I know that Christ is mine I know that he dyed for me I know that my sinnes are pardoned It is not meet to take Armes and strike our own brethren who I think in this rather aimed to give us faith in its perfection then in its proper and substantial nature These things must needs be confessed 1. That the assurance of faith may be possibly attained unto God hath exhorted Christians to strive after assurance yea full assurance yea the riches of full assurance and no doubt that not only Paul but many a good Christian can say some time or other I am verily perswaded and that Christ loved me and gave himself for me 2. That the assurance of faith is a most heavenly and comfortable condition O the heavenly sweetnesse and divine solace contentment affections When I do not only possesse Christ but I know that I do possesse him When I do not only take him to be mine but see him to be mine when he saith to me Be of good cheer it is I or be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee Thirdly that believers should strive after this assurance they should not rest in the meer acceptance but should contend in prayer for the evidence and reflection of this faith that Christ is theirs and they know him assuredly to be theirs For though the estate of meere believing is sure yet that of assurance is comfortable That is a true day when the Sun is rising but when it comes to the highest the day is now glorious Yet this I deny that assurance I mean that reflexive perswasion that Christ is mine is the essentiall or proper act of faith that faith is not faith unlesse it be assurance There are two acts of faith One without which faith cannot be justifying faith and this is the acceptance or embracing of Christ or that which some call reliance and recombency Another which in time faith may produce and so assurance is an act of faith not the necessary act but the circumstantiall act as it were not the vitall act but the eminent act assurance of faith is fire blazing the acceptance of faith is fire truly burning though not highly flaming the more high faith doth rise at any time the lesse doubtings there are and the more assurance And yet faith may be in truth though it hath no reflexive assurance but many doubtings Why didst thou doubt said Christ O thou of little faith Faith though little Faith and faith though doubting as fire though much smoke and yet no doubting if faith were essentially assurance O how many souls are there who prize none in the world like Christ who love him with all their hearts who honour him with the highest regards of a Lord who hates the enemies of his Scepter with a perfect hatred who would not willingly offend and
Salvation for a sinner Secondly that there is a way tending thereto as a meritorious 5. Arguments cause of it Thirdly that every man is a sinner for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 22. Now then know that there are but two wayes of life according Two wayes of life to which there is a double Covenant First one Legal Secondly the other Evangelical The Legal Covenant is do this and live the Evangelical Covenant is believe and live The Legal Covenant grounds salvation in our own persons and the Evangelical in the righteousnesse of another person And these Covenants are opposite that one cannot consist with the other For and mark this though the Law and the Gospel may and do and shall consist as the Law is a word of rule for obedience yet they cannot possibly consist is the Covenant of justification and salvation that is whosoever will stand to the Covenant of works to be justified by it he rejects the Covenant of grace and so Econtra Well then this being true that our life is to be had by the Covenant of Works or of Grace I will briefly shew unto you that we sinners can never be justified and saved by the Legal Covenant which if I clear then it will be evident that our salvation is only by faith in Jesus Christ Thus then all the possibility to be justified and saved by the Legall Covenant ariseth from one of these grounds viz either because That there is a fulnesse and exactnesse in inherent holinesse 3. Things That there is a dignity and efficacy in actual obedience which they call good works That there is a latitude or sufficiency of duty to fulfil the Law which may be conceived to be in a regenerate person but none of these can justifie and save Ergo For the first viz inherent holinesse this holinesse is that 1. Inherent holinesse which is wrought in our whole soul by the Spirit of God whereby of wicked he makes us good and of unholy he makes us holy and according to the severall degrees of it is the person lesse or more holy Now this we say that though the justified person hath this infused inherent holinesse Yet this is not that which Cannot justifie and save can justifie him before God that is for the dignity of which he can stand so before the judgement of God as to be pronounced just and righteous and so acquitted which I prove thus 1. That can never be the cause of our justification which is defective and imperfect and leaves yet the person in some measure sinful I 4. Reasons of it cannot in the Court of Justice be pronounced perfectly just for that righteousnesse which is imperfectly just no more then he can in a strict court be reputed to make full satisfaction who hath not paid halfe his debt or to be throughly well who is scarse able to walk three turnes in the Chamber But that holiness which is in us inherent holinesse is very imperfect I speak of that which is in us here on earth it is not adequate or parallel to the whole will of God which requires perfection of degrees as well as of parts That it is imperfect is as cleare as day First it is at combate with sin Ergo it is not perfect the argument is good for whiles one contrary is mixed with the other there is still imperfection Sinne and Grace are contrary and conflictings shew imperfection as victory notes perfection Secondly that which may be encreased is not perfect but our inherent holinesse may receive more encrease Hence those many exhortations to perfect holiness 2 Cor. 7 1. and to labor after perfection 2 Cor. 1. 3. Thirdly all the parts of holinesse are imperfect Faith is not so clear an eye nor Hope so fixed an Anchor nor Love so pure a streame but that each of them need additions of degrees of strength of help the Moon when it draweth into nearest conjunction with the Sun and is filled with the longest beames of communicated light it hath yet her spots which like so many reproaches stick in the heart of her so is it with the holiest person on earth with the largest measures of inherent graces he hath yet great measures of sinne which like so many spots do blemish and disable the soul to stand perfectly pure and just before the eyes of God That righteousnesse by which we are justified is manifested without the Law See Rom. 3. 21. and what that righteousnesse is he expresseth in ver 22. even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe But inherent righteousnesse is not manifested without the Law Why because the Law commands this inherent righteousnesse viz. To love the Lord our God with all our hearts c. That cannot be the cause of our justification and salvation upon which the conscience dares not to rest in the secret agonies of conflict or in the eminent houres of death when the soul is to enter conflict with the wrath of God being wounded with the sense of sinne and cited as it were before the tribunal of Gods holy and strict justice dares it then to put it self seriously and in good earnest upon its own holinesse to make its peace to be its propitiation to satisfie the trials and demands of Gods justice One Chemnitius well observeth of the Papists that when they are to dispute with men they will plead for inherent holinesse but when they are to contend with God they will flie only to Christ tutissimum est said Bellarmine It was no ill meditation that of Anselme Conscientia mea meruit damnationem Paenitentia mea non sufficit ad Anselme satisfactionem sed certum est quod miserecordia tua superat omnem offensionem that is O Lord my conscience tells me I have deserved damnation all the repentance that I have or can perform comes short of satisfaction but thy mercy even thy mercy only can pardon and so exceed all my transgressions The most holy persons do every day sin and need daily pardon and daily mercy how then can we be justified or saved for the merit or dignity of any holinesse in our selves How ridiculous were it that he should think himself to stand in great favour and acceptation before his Prince for the singularity of his continued vertues and performances who every day breaks out into such acts which need the Kings gracious mercy and pardon There is no dignity or meritorious efficacy in actual holinesse or 2. Actual holiness or good works cannot justifie 2. Reasons of it in good works by reason whereof we can be justified and saved I know this fields is very large I will not expatiate but speak in a word of it with a proper respect to the thing in hand I prove the thing thus 1. No man since Adams fall can performe works in that perfection which
and with all those to have a heart glued to the world folded up in the love of sinne resolved against all hazards to shift off all profession rather then to endure any storme what so great a task is this But to have a minde taught of God and to have an understanding bowed with the strength of Divine light and inward change to the obedience of truth and to have a will sweetly renewed and with an holy trembling humbly receiving Christ in his person and offices and bestowing the whole soul and body on him againe here the work sticks CHAP. XII The sure and dangerous misery of unbeliefe THe last thing which may stirre us to try our selves is the consideration of that amazing danger and unspeakable misery to which the soul is assuredly obnoxious in case of unbelief Why will you say What danger if we believe Obj. not I answer there are three special dangers First all thy sinnes stand upon record against thee like so many sad debts which thou hast run thy self into from thy conception to this very day They are all written with the pen of a Diamond there is no blotting out of a mans sinnes but by the blood of Christ and the unbeliever hath not his portion in that blood and therefore there are all thy sinnes uncancelled thy sinnes of nature and all thy sinnes of life such a sin and such a sin then and there and againe committed c. O how great is the volume of them the number of them cannot be numbred and the guilt of them cannot be conceived if one sin binds thee over to hell Good God! To what flames of vengeance and horrible degreâ—s and intensions of misery and wrath do all thy sins oblige thee Yea and as Solomon said in another case Prov. 9 12. If thou scornest thou alone shalt beare it so I say here if thou remain an unbeliever thou alone must answer for all thy sinnes Whatsoever the wrathful displeasure of God is whatsoever the horrors of conscience are whatsoever the gnawings of that worm are whatsoever the heat of hell flames are Whatsoever the doleful separation from God is Whatsoever curse the Law implies for sin that maist thou expect who wilt not believe in Christ O! if that wrath was so hot when it obliquely as it were fell on Christ where it had no unholy and self-guilty quality to admix with it selfe that he sweat drops of blood and cryed out my God c. How wilt thou with any patience ease possible quietnesse susteine the extream wrath of the Almighty Judge who art vile and filthy and hast a conscience with all thy torments to gall and vex thee with the stings of misery guilts and self-accusations tell me how art thou able what canst thou say how canst thou beare up before the Lord if he should arise if he should terribly arise to judge the nations He is the Holy God and Just and is True and Great in power What satisfaction canst thou bring where are thine oblations or with what wilt thou reconcile thy self to the Lord Whereby canst thou either make thy former sins to be no sins or perswade the Lord to be propitious to thee without Christ Nay verily he will judge thee as an unrighteous person for if thou hast not Christ what righteousnesse hast thou there is no hope for thee to be acquitted nay nor hope to be saved nay thou art sure to be damned Mark 16. 15. Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature 16. He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God 36. He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that beleeveth not the Son shaâ—â— not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rev. 2. 8. The fearful and unbelieving are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone But you will say Why This is strange Why such Obj. extreame misery for not beleeving what sinne is it It is one of the greatest sins in the world not to believe that is Sol. not to receive the Lord Jesus Christ Because It is a sinne against the greatest love to the world Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave c. Rom 5. 8. But God commendeth his love towards us that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us God shewed the greatnesse of his love to bestow his Sonne and Christ shewed the greatnesse of his love to dye for us Greater love said Christ can no man shew then to lay down his life c. Now for the Lord to finde out a way of Salvation and in love to our soules to offer this Son of his unto us and to beseech us to be reconciled and then for us like them who were envited to the supper we cannot come we will not come O this c. It is a sin for which there can be no remedy for asmuch as it is a sin against the only remedy of a sinful soul The sentence of the Law may be repealed by the Gospel but not ècontra There is no plaister for the soul but the blood of Christ which yet unbelief will not take and receive It is a sinne which as much as in it lies makes void and vaine all the Covenant of Grace turning all the goodnesse of it into nothing and all the truthes of it into lyes and makes the blood of Christ to be shed in vaine He that beleeveth not makes God a lyar because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Sonne 1 John 5. 10. It is a sin which directly murders the soul because it doth wilfully hold it off from Christ who would upon believing pardon and justifie and save All these things being premised let us now descend towards the triall or evidences of true faith in Christ where I beseech you observe CHAP. XIII Rules for the discovery of faith FIrst some Rules of Direction for the manner of â—vidence and testifying of faith that you may neither be deceived by presumption nor perplexed by error and doubting Two things Secondly some lively instance of true faith as the Word of God doth clearly represent them The Rules of discovery and finding out faith which are these SECT I. THere are some things without which faith cannot be in the heart and yet they do not necessarily and infallibly conclude that a man hath faith They do well distinguish in the Schools 'twixt an Antecedent and a Cause a Cause is such a thing as is before the effect and which beiâ—g put the effect also is put one will not go without the other But an Antecedent is that which must go before another thing yet it is not necessary that if it be that the other thing should follow The rising of the Sunne is a cause of day and therefore this will
It doth see such a measure of goodnesse and mercy from God through Christ and such a height and depth and breadth of love to us in Christ and such an excellency of holy perfections and amiablenesse in Christ which drawes the soul with strong affections of love to Christ againe Secondly if faith might be without love then a person in Christ might be Anathema-maranatha forasmuch as he who loves not the Lord Jesus Christ is c. but it is a monstrous wickednesse to conceive that a beleever in Christ should be so Secondly there is no believer in any degree of faith but he hath a love of Christ The weak Christian as well as the strong the plant as well as the cedar The Father of a child who cryed out I believe help my unbelief as well as Abraham the father of the faithful Though one Christian may produce some testimonies which another cannot though every one cannot say with Paul I am fully perswaded yet every one can say with Peter when Christ demanded of him Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Joh. 21. 17. He said unto him Lord thou Knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Yea thirdly whatsoever straits the believing soul is cast into when it is in death in flames for Christ yet it can love Christ when it is under the crowd of temptations when it is in the bitter dayes of desertion When the Skirmish of reasonings do prevaile upon the soul so highly and strongly that the heart is ready to conclude against it self that God looks not on it Christ will not be mine yet even then however I love the Lord Jesus Christ I love him though I can see no sensible testimony of love from him my heart is still towards him he is my Center and Loadstone No meerly unbelieving person can love the Lord Jesus Christ For what is love Love you know it is the setling and transplanting of the heart It is such an affection as knits the soule to Christ but it is impossible that this should be whiles the heart hath no faith So then love of Christ is an infallible testimony of faith in Christ But you will say this is strange that love of Christ should be so Obj. lively and so distinguishing a testimony of true faith why doth not many a man yea every man professe that he loves Christ Beloved What men professe is one thing and what they Sol. affect and love may be another thing the semblance of love is a thing distinct from the sincere affection of love If your love be true and sincere never question the matter any further assuredly thy faith is right But this is the doubt this is it we question as much as the former Obj. whether we truly love Christ or no. A word to it and so an end of that triall If the love be true Sol. which is to Christ Then It will bestow our hearts on Christ only Nothing is too good for him whom we heartily love in true love the heart is in him who is loved and not in him who loves Anima est ubi amat non ubi animat and which way the heart goes all shall go that way It pitches on the person of Christ Love is base if it be 'twixt person and estate but pure love is 'twixt person and person I confesse that a wicked man an unbelieving person may have a tooth at the portion of Christ he may marvelously desire the merits of Christ pardon of sin exemption from hell but faith is it which drawes out such a love as makes the soul to admire it and to cleave unto the person of Christ It is sincere and conjugall It is not an adulterous love which is divided amongst several Paramours O no True love of Christ knowes no husband but Christ and no Lord but Christ he is the covering of our eyes SECT III. A Second trial of our true faith in Christ Jesus is this inward change and sanctity of the heart is an infallible testimony of a living faith Divines distinguish of a common faith and of a special faith and according to their nature so are their effects a common faith may elevate the minde to singular apprehensions notable expressions outward conformities in matters either not difficult or dangerous But special faith hath a distinguishing operation it works that which no false or pretensive faith can What 's that This is it it doth change the heart and is ever a companion with inward holinesse There be three things which I will shew you about 3. Things this First that true faith doth produce a change there is a twofold change 1. One of the condition which is when a man once in the state of death is now passed over to the state of life once in the termes of condemnation is now translated to the state of absolution and this change faith findes for us in Iesus Christ the imputation of whose righteousnesse in justification changeth the state so that our guilty debts are taken off and we are reconciled Secondly which is of the person and this change is the alteration of a mans nature for faith is not only a justifying grace but it is also a sanctifying grace Hence these phrases Acts. 15. 9. purifying their hearts by faith Acts 26. 18. that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ. As the blood of Christ is a pure blood as well as a precious blood and as it is a clensing blood as well as an expiating blood so faith is a grace not only to acquit but also to purge and renew It is not onely an entitleing grace that is that grace which doth interest us into Christ and his benefits but it is also a conforming grace that is such a grace as works into us the vertues and holy qualities of Christ And therefore you read that it doth engraffe us into the similitude of his death Ro. 8. and into the fellowship of his sufferings and resurrection Phil. 3. 10. Secondly observe that every believer hath a changed and a holy heart 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ and you know that it is faith which unites to Christ and plants us into him he is a new creature that is that a man is altered in his inward frame in his faculties in his inclinations all over There is a change either in the cessation of some particular actions which an unbeliever may attaine and there is a change in the newnesse of nature when the soul is turned and biassed and enclined quite another way I confesse the Apostle doth not say if any man be in Christ he is a strong creature yet he saith he is a new creature for though every believer hath not that maturity and ripenesse and strength yet he hath a newnesse in his nature an holy change wrought in him throughout Look as the first Adam derived guilt and corruption to his posterity
to do them Sol. I answer 1. Good works may be so stiled either First materially because they are such things as may do good Secondly formally being sealed with all the circumstances which are required to make them good both for spiritual composition and Divine acceptation Now though wicked men may performe works good materially yel formally they do not for to make a work formally good there must be the concurrence of all circumstances the person must have a good heart and a good ground and a good end and a good Christ c. 2. Though every Beleever cannot actually do every good work yet some good works or other he can do though he cannot give mony yet he can give prayer c. Now think on this ye who have riches and wealth and professe faith on Christ and yet scarce a person a poor distressed person can blesse God for your fruitful faith nay the very doing of a small good work sometimes doth even try all the faith in the soul a man doth many times beleeve he shall surely want and impoverish his estate if he should be rich in good works SECT VII SIxthly true faith doth desire and endeavour after increase Help my unbelif said the unbeleeving father O Lord increase our faith said the Disciples I pray observe a few things 1. That true faith begins in weaknesse Like a childe at the first very tender oâ— like the light at the first very broken Presumption being a work of fancy and borne with its strength and perfection it is fully assured and utterly confident at first But Jacobs ladder hath many steps 2. That though it hath weaknesse yet it hath life as the spark of fire though it be little yet it is hot and though the childe be weak yet it can suck even the weakest faith in Christ will be much about Christ it will be weeping at his grave or washing of his feet or looking on his person 3. There are yet many degrees wanting to faith either thou canst not be perswaded or not fully perswaded or not constantly pâ—rswaded 4. If the faith be true and living it will bend after a rising and that First in respect of its acts of receiving trusting perswading Secondly in respect of its object It would yet apprehend more and feel more of the communion and vertues of Christ All the preaching in the world doth not increase a false and presumptuous faith nor doth the administration of the Sacraments adde thereto But the living they grow and he must have more faith who hath any Paul would apprehend even as he is apprehended The soule which hath true faith would have yet more victorious â—ieldings more stedfast embracings more confident restings c. like the childe which sucks and thrives SECT VIII SEventhly true faith in Christ and a mournful heart for sinne go together Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only sonne There are two things which faith will fetch up in the soule one is love to Christ another is sorrow for sinne There may be a terror without faith the conscience may be crackt and wounded but till faith comes there is no sorrow the soul is not altered nor melted that which melts the soul is kindnesse and mercy and that which 〈◊〉 them is faith if thou doest cast an eye of Faith on Chrisâ— that eye will have some tears for forced sinning against Christ You shall finde in Scripture that true beleevers are characterized by this That they be mourners in Sion and they return with weepings and supplications and they poure out waters before the Lord and unbeleeving persons are described by hearts of Adamant of rocks of stone by hardned by unsensible by irrelenting hearts The text saith that when Christ looked on Peter he went out and wept bitterly there is a piercing vertue in a gracious look from Christ. The soule which hath been long humbling it selfe and much in seeking for mercy and a good look from heaven It is when any gracious manifestation of favour darts down even resolved into tears never did the child weep more soberly upon his reconciliation to his loving father then the beleeving Christian doth mourn in sober sadnesse when his faith gets to see God reconciled to him in Christ he reades his pardon with teares of joy There are two parts of sorrow One is essential which consists in a strong displeasure of the will against the soul for sinning against a good God Another is contingent which consists in those dreary teâ—res flowing into the eyes now this is contingent for when the heart is many times filled with teares like Davids bottle yet it may so fall out that the eyes may be silent in such expressions c. CHAP. XIV Singular comfort for all true Beleevers IF to beleeve in Jesus Christ be the only Vse 3 way to be saved then here is singular comfort to all true beleevers What Solomon spake of wisdome that I say of faith her Prov. 3. 17 18. wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that reteineth her If this be a happy thing to have the Lord to be our God and David judged it to be a superlative happinesse If this be a blessed thing not to be offended at Christ O how sweetly and greatly blessed is the condition of a beleeving soul which hath God to be its God Christ to be its husband and heaven to be its portion Faith and Christ why they are the ring and the diamond they are the way and the life the soul cannot have such a prize as Christ nor such a hand as faith such a match as Christ nor such a grace to contract it as faith Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation said Simeon He may cheerfully lay down his body in the dust who hath by faith given up his soule to Christ But to descend to some diâ—â—inct particulars of comfort to the soule which beleeves truly in the Lord Jesus Christ observe SECT I. FIrst this is one comfort in the Text that they are in the way to heaven Naturally we are out of our way as soone as we enter into the world as soone as they be borne they go aside said David and the way of peace they have not known and nothing sets us in the right way but faith for Christ is the way and it is faith which findâ—s a Christ It was not Philips natural eye but his spiritual faith which spied the Messias Christ is the waâ— to heaven and saith is the way to Christ Salvation it is the great object of â—he greatest desire and indeed I know no more excellently desiâ—able thing then God in a glorious union with whom is the perfection of our salvation Now if thou be a true beleever thou art in the way
to salvation 1. Not in a by way in a false way but in a true and direct way If God doth skill the way to heaven if he hath laid out to sinners the right way then believing is it Eph. 2. 8. By grace you are saved through faith Heb. 10. 39. We are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul 2. Not in an uncertaine but firme way It 's an infallible way of salvation Heaven is the assured mansion for thy soul if thy heart be the true lodging of saith 1 Pet. 1. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in beaven for you Object True that may not fade away but we may fall away that may remain but we maâ— be lost Sol. No saith the Apostle but as that is reserved for you so you shall be preserved unto that as mercy and truth will keep your portion sure so truth and power shall keep your persons sure Ver. 5. Who are kept bâ— the power of God through faith unto salvation therefore he addes a word more ver 9. Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls Now is not this a comfort to a man that he is in the true and sure way to heaven Every man is in a journey in a way wicked men have their wayes but the end of them is bitternesse and hell after all their jollities and pleasures yet their wayes are the pathes of death But the beleeving soul is in the way of life and therefore he is said already to have eternal life John 3. and to be saved O what is this I am going to my God to my Father to my inheritance SECT II. SEcondly here is another comfort to true beleevers there 2. Simile is a real and blessed exchange 'twixt them and Christ As upon the conjugal knot there is a mutual resultancy of communion The wife partakes of the estate of her husband and the husband interchangably of the estate of his wife for the personal union draws with it the real union If thou be mine thine estate is mine So is it in the spiritual espousing of the soul and Christ by faith Christ partakes of our estate and we shall partake of his estate He is ours and all his are ours we are his and therefore ours are his This exchange consists in these things 1. Christ doth take our sins and debts upon himself Look as the man who marries the woman if he take her person he must take her debts and satisfaction too So doth Christ when he takes us to be his he takes our sinnes also to be his How to be his not by way of infusion and infection as if our sinful qualities were transmitted from our persons into his nature O no he never takes upon him our sinnes to make his nature sinâ—uâ— â—ut by way of imputation and of satisfaction The guilt of our sinnes is imputed unto him as to a willing surety who doth present himself in our stead to make payment and satisfaction As Paul said to Philemon concerning his servant Onesimus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that upon mine account So saith Christ to the penitent and beleeving Philem. 18. soul if thou hast any guilt and debt to be answered for unto God put them all upon my account if â—hou hast wronged my Father I will make the satisfaction to the utmost for I was made sinne for thee 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. I poured out my soul for thy transgression It cost me my heart blood to reconcile thee to my Father and to slay enmity And as Rebekah said to Jacob in another case upon me my sonne be the curse so saith Christ to the beleeving soul Why thy sinnes did expose thee unto the curse of the Law but I was made a curse for thee I did bear that burden my self upon the crosse and upon my shoulders were all thy griefs and sorrows borne I was wounded for thy transgressions and I was bruised for thy iniquities And therefore we are said to have redemption and remission of sins in his blood Eph. 1. 7. Now what a comfort is this to a Beleever that Christ hath eased him of his great debts that he hath laid down the price for him he is his surety and hath diâ—charged and hath cancelled the Law of Ordinances and hath blotted out the hand writing God was in Christ saith the Apostle reconciling the world to himself not imputing their sinne unto them mark it not imputing 2 Cor. 5. 19. their treâ—passes unto them what is the not imputing of sinne but the not charging of it the not reckoning for it And what is it which he saith unto them trespasses were not imputed unto them as if God should say let them go I have nothing to say unto them my Sonne hath satisfied my justice fully for them Now saith Paul out of David Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sinne Yea he is blessed Rom. 4. 8. indeed for if the Lord should single out the most able transgressour for the least moity and scruple of guilt and arreigne his conscience with a judicial and straight severity O how the sinews of the soul would flie assunder and eternal despaire of ever satisfying so great and pure and infinite a justice would swallow up the thought and imaginations Till a man knows where to lay down his sinful burden his soul will be miserably afflicted but now if a man beleeves in Jesus Christ Christ will take off his burdens I will answer for thee saith Christ I will satisfie for thee As David spake in another case when Goliah presented himself against the Host of Israel Let no mans heart faile because of him thy servant will go and fight with this Phylestian So saith Christ to the beleeving soul be not dejected do not despaire though thy sins 1 Sam. 17. 32. be many and great yet I have overcome them I have discharged them my Sacrifice was presented it was sufficient it was effectual it was accepted for thee Secondly Christ doth bestow his righteousnesse upon us This is a great comfort to a sensible and understanding soul that there is a righteousnesse for it which it may safely and confidently present unto Gods justice These things are most true First that we are by nature all of us wretched sinners the whole Rom. 3. 19. world is guilty before God Secondly Divine justice hath a quarrel against every guilty soul and will have compleat and full and perfect satisfaction Thirdly no not our best graces performances are commensurate and square payment in the eyes of pure justice all of them as inherent in us and acted by us are but imperfect excellencies No man hath so much holinesse as is required nor doth he so much as he is obliged Every particular grace though it be of an heavenly and divine original yet it
is like the starres twinkling though placed in the heavens and every duty though it be a motion yet it is like that of Jacobs thigh which was touched and halted to his dying day So that if God should enter into judgment with the righteous person even the righteousnesse that is in him would not be safety and defence unto him As a man that hath a precious â—â—ding dares not to adventure it in any crackt and broken vessel so no Christian may or can dare to adventure the safety of his soul upon the leaking vessels and bottoms of his own holinesse or services This very smoak of doubtings which still mount up with our flames of faith and the grosse affections which cling to the root of our most heavenly love and part of that rock of hardnesse is seated and complanted with the freshest spring of softnesse and mournings and those infinite and frequent intermissions both of our prayers and hearings and readings and any kinde of dutiful doings that we are so shufled away from our devotions by the invasions and entertainment of strange thoughts in the times of our devotion I say those and infinite emaculations or spots do so adhere and cling about and defile our selves and that which comes from us that in proceeding of pure justice we may cast down our selves on the ground and beg for mercy much rather then to stand at the barre and plead for reward But now here is the great stay of a beleeving soul which hath truly received Christ that Christ will finde a full exact compleat most acepâ—able righteousnesse for it in which the soul shall stand boldly before the judgement seat Rom. 3. 19. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 2 Cor. 5. 21. We are made the righteousnesse of God in him 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ye are of him in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse c. Jer. 23. 6. In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ is therefore called the righteousnesse of God Rom. 8. 17 because it is it which God hath designed and which God doth accept for us in our justification and for and in which he doth acquit and pronounce us righteous Now in this lies our comfort thus viz. 1. That though our inherent holinesse be imperfect yet Christs righteousnesse is absolute 2. That as it is a full righteousnesse and every way answerable so it was designed by God to be that which should justifie the beleeving sinner 3. That God accepts of that righteousnesse and will clear any who hath it 4. That if by faith we have taken Christ Christ doth assuredly bestow his righteousnesse on us not by putting it into our persons but by improving it to our good It is though not infused into us yet imputed unto us and God will through it pronounce us clear SECT III. THirdly a third comfort to a beleever in Jesus Christ is this That he is in singular Covenant with God for the Covenant is with faith in Jesus Christ it was to Abraham and to his seed that is to all the faithful Observe a few things here 1. The Covenant of grace in the offer and revelation of it is the treaty of eternal happinesse 'twixt God and sinners whatsoever good a soul can desire to exempt it from misery and to make it truly happy there it is 2. The Covenant of Grace in respect of our entrance and admission into it is a most gracious and spiritual and firme engagement of God to be our God and to performe all the good which he hath there undertaken I will be a God unto you I will shew mercy unto you you shall have loving kindnesse I will give you grace in all kindes I will not faile to assist and guide and lead and uphold you I will be a father to you a rock to you a Sanctuary an alsufficiency an exceeding great reward So that if you need any thing come to me I have it for you and do not fear to come for I will assuredly do you good I am willing to do it for I have promised it and be you confident to possesse for I have obliged my self by Covenant to performe 3. He that beleeves in Jesus Christ is assuredly in the Covenant for Christ on whom he beleeves is the Messenger of the Covenant and his blood is the blood of the Covenant and in him all the promises of the Covenant are Yea and Amen If thou hast given thy consent to Christ if thou hast bestowed thy heart on him if thou hast truly received him to be thy Lord and Saviour undoubtedly God is become thy God and all those ample and rich and congruous and blessed undertakings in his Covenant they are all for thee thou art the man to whom God saith I will surely have mercy on him and to whom he saith Sin shall not have dominion over him for he is under grace and to whom he saith I will hear him and heale him and guide him and keep him Thou mayest go to all those treasures of divine promises as to thy own garden and take of any flower lay hold on any promise respecting thy particular exigence and say this is mine When thou lookest down into thy self thou mayest reade many wants with wet and sad eyes but then if thou look up to the Covenant thou mayest by faith espy all thy supplies with a glad heart Why God did put thy good into the Covenant and there thou shalt assuredly finde it Doest thou read of any altering grace of any pardoning grace of any enlarging grace of any preventing grace of any assisting grace of any preserving and upholding grace of any recovering and raising grace of any pacifying and comforting grace why all this is for thee and all that God hath there undertaken is thine SECT IV. FOurthly if you do beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ you may then with boldnesse approach the throne of grace Ephes 2. 18. For through him we both have accesse by one Spirit to the Father Heb 10. 21. Having an high Priest over the house of God Ver. 2â— Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith 1 John 5. 13. These things I write unto you that beleeve in the Name of the Sonne of God Ver. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Obj. You shall finde in your heart many sinful modesties you are afraid to be so bold with God and whether God will do such great matters for you yea and there are many unbeleeving fears our broken services shall never be accepted and who are we that the Lord should regard our prayers Sol. But if a man doth truly beleeve in Jesus Christ 1. His way is open to Heaven 2. He hath a friend and not an
respect of particular abilities and exercises yet there is a true nature of faith in the weakest as well as in the strongest There is as true a knowledge of the sinful and miserable condition in our selves and of the blessed condition in Christ in the one as well as in the other There is as true an assent to the word of grace the Gospel of salvation revealed in the one as well as in the other I say as true though perhaps not equal and full There is as true accepting and embracing of Christ to be Lord and Saviour the will doth as truly receive Christ offered though perhaps there be not such a strength of adherence at the first There is so much in the weakest faith as makes up the match 'twixt Christ and the soul nay there is not any thing in the strongest faith which is an effectual ingredient to espouse the soul with Christ but the same also is in the weakest faith Doth strong faith take Christ so doth the weakest doth it acknowledge him the only Saviour so doth the weakest doth it embrace him as its Lord so doth the weakest doth it breed union so doth the weakest doth it make a man a member of Christ and heire of promises so doth the weakest Thus you briefly perceive the habitual unity of all true faith SECT II. SEcondly now a word of the intensive diversities of faith How faith differs from faith I do not mean a true faith from a false but a true faith from true faith As one man truly living may differ from another truly living notwithstanding they agree in the common nature of man and life Or to use the Apostles Simile as one star may differ from another star in glory though all be in the heavens The rounds in Jacobs ladder are not all at the top yet are they every one of them steps to heaven so of faith every faith is not triumphing yet every faith is mounting up to the Lord of life and King of glory The severall and particular habits of faith though they consent in one truth of nature yet they differ in many things First in the strength of the parts and acts As in the eyes of men though the visive faculty be equal in all yet vision or the act of seeing is diverse one sees the colours more clearly then another So is it in faith which is the eye of the soul Though the nature be common and equall yet the act of beleeving is different There are three acts of faith and in respect of all of them there Three acts may be a diversity among believers 1. Knowledge and apprehension this is as it were the ground work of faith for believing is not rooted in ignorance but in light Now every believer hath not so full and distinct a knowledge as another Divine revelations which are the generall objects of faith are not clasped alike by all No nor yet the promises which are the special objects of faith they are not so equally apprehended There are severall promises and in them severall parts and degrees of goodnesse and truth now it is possible for some believers not to be acquainted with all their treasuries they have not been so long acquainted with the word as to know all the good which doth concerne them And that special good which they do apprehend one believer reacheth the large compasse of it more then another All even in Christ is not equally known by all who believe in Christ Hence it is that age and time and communion and study and use of meanes and experience do raise the apprehension and knowledge to farre more degrees and strength then at the first and the believing soul which at first saw things as the man whose eyes were touched by Christ dimly at length riseth by degrees to a more perfect light of the same truthes and to a more full and enlarged apprehension of other truths which he was ignorant of before 2. Assent even in this also may one beleever differ from another I confesse the usual and palpable diversities of faith be most in things as good rather then in things as true Neverthelesse every believer as so assents to all revelations as in particular to those of Christ as true yet the assents in believers may very much not only in the circumstances of the assent but also in the immediate workings of the assent The Judgement is not equally captivated in all or else why do some believers question and scruple more then others yea and why else needs there a farther evidence and demonstration to establish some in doctrinall truths if all believers were equally grounded and rooted in the word Yea and why are some good people more apt to errors then others no plausible error can be taught or spread with the speciousnesse of taking reason but presently they are questioning their old truths for new opinions which shews that all assents to divine truths are not alike in all believers Nay and this appeares to be so by the severall instances of diabolicall temptations which in some are of that great force as to make them not only question their particular interests in God and Christ which may befall the highest believer but also to question the first principles of Religion whether there be a God and whether the Scriptures are his Word and whether true or false 3. Reception embracing or consent though it be hearty and sincere in all yet one believer cannot so rest on Christ as another nor doth every one take Christ by the hand alike Like a child who gives out a trembling hand with some shruggings Simile even to his Father so the believer may put forth his hand of faith even to Christ with many feares and shakings O that I may have him that I might receive him that he would be mine that I could lay hold on him O that God would pardon my sinnes saith one yet another raiseth up the soul I will rest on his promise in Christ to pardon all In the measure of degrees Hence you read of that by Christ I have not found so great faith no not in Israel and O woman great is thy faith Abraham strong in faith Paul perswaded c. and Job I know that my c. In a comparative opposition to which you read those phrases O ye of little faith And why didst thou doubt O thou of little faith and of the weak in faith The degrees of faith are many viz. the habitual inclination of the heart toward Christ the actual laying hold on him the strong embracing of him reflection of the act that I know I take him as Lord and Saviour reflection of the object I know that he is my Lord and Saviour then a fulnesse of this reflexive assurance I doubt it not then the reasons of this full assurance which whether it meane the great continuance or the great abundance of the measure of assurance is disputable Againe the longer duration of this full and
its own estate for soundnesse As Gideon said in another case If the Lord be with us why is all this evil befallen us so where the faith is weak the soul is often in suit with God yea but if God were my God had I an interest in Christ were my estate good could it be with me thus could it be thus within me thus without me thus upon me c. 3. The more quick and hastening that the soul is for answer and satisfactions the more impatient of Gods delayings this is a signe that it is now weak in faith For did it throughly beleeve it would not make haste were it perswaded fully of Gods goodnesse which makes the promise of his wisdom which will take the fittest time for the grant it would now quietly wait and expect But an over-hastening when the soul will scarce allow any time 'twixt the petition and the speeding of it but I must presently have it or else God is not my God or else my state is bad I say hasty eagernesse to be answered and quick conclusions from Gods silence do shew much weaknesse of faith in the soul There is an importunity which may come from faith and this is a holy pressing of a promise yet with submission and patience And there is an hastinesse which comes from feare As if God would not alwayes be in a good mind towards us as if the present testimonies must be the only arguments of his love and intentions These two things will usually meet in a man whose faith is weak One is he will be hasty to be answered Another is he will be faint if delayed 4. The more inclining the heart is to the life of sense the weaker is the faith like Thomas unlesse he seeth the print of the nails c. he will not beleeve John 20. 25. So unlesse Christians have promises budding they will hardly beleeve that there is fruit growing on them unlesse I feele the sensible favour of God I will not beleeve that he loves me unlesse I reade my pardon I will not beleeve mercy unlesse I discerne sensible meanes I will not beleeve helps unlesse I feele sin slaine in me I will not beleeve that God will subdue it All these in promises affect not and support not the heart It is a signe of a weak childe that must still be carried in the armes When a mans perswasions cannot be wrought by the naked word of promise without some sensible pledges and pawne he is very weak When he is puzling his heart in an endlesse maze of disorder viz. he would have the things of the promise and then beleeve the fidelity of the promise this argues weakness The abstractions of things from sense when God gathers up all a mans estate or any particular good only into his promise into his own hand and saith now canst thou beleeve that I will be good unto thee I promise thee to be thus and thus wilt thou now trust me wilt thou adventure thy soule now upon my word of pardon and mercy upon my word of graâ—e and help so to do would evidence much strength Now you may observe a manifest difference 'twixt strong and weak faith If strong faith seeth its estate in the promise it hath enough it goes away rejoycing if weak faith hath not some of the estate in its own hand as well as in Gods hand it is troubled and afraid 5. The more hardly a beleever comes to be perswaded and assured of Gods undertakings in Covenant his faith is weak When one word of God is not enough but God must say it once and twice and yet againe more clearly As Gideon would have one signe the fleece must be wet and the earth dry and then another signe the fleece must be dry and dew lie upon all the earth Judges 6. 37 39. This shewed weaknesse in his faith so doth it in a Christian when not one or two promises and scarce all of them with all the arguments in God and in Christ can perswade him that God will be merciful to him or that Christ belongs to him 6. The more easie the soule is to let go that assurance the weaker is faith in it when a soul is like a weak hand clasping a staff and the staffe is easily wristed out so the soul le ts go that promise which did revive it and that Christ which seemed to embrace it this argues weaknesse as in Peter when he beleeved that it was Christ on the sea upon Christs Word he ventures out but when the waves met him he begins to sink his faith was weak Why didst thou doubt O thou of little faith said Christ to him Though Christs Word drew him out of the ship yet it did not hold him up all alone And the Disciples We trusted it had been he who should have redeemed Israel So when a temptation comes upon a soul and the soul is ready to be led by it to credit it against Gods promise and Gods testimony in the conscience this aptnesse to let go our hold argues much feare and much feare argues weak faith 7. The more apt the soul is to insist on personal and inherent qualities and abilities as media fiduciae meanes of perswasion this shews that the faith is weak when something in us makes us the more confident as when it is unapt to beleeve unlesse it can discerne such an inherent strength of graces to mourne and to pray or to keep down sinne or keep off temptation Object It is true these abilities are testimonies but yet they are not Media Sol. They are evidences of a solid faith but they are not meanes or causes of beleeving The means or causes are Gods promises which ought alone to be our foundations and encouragements Now when a person is unapt to beleeve that God will do these things for him unlesse these things be done this is weaknesse Good things when they are done they are matters of thankfulnesse and when they are promised they are matters of faith They say in Logick that demonstratio à posteriori is the weaker demonstration that à priori is much stronger for this depends on the cause and that on the effect So is it in beleeving A beleeving à priori from the perswasion of what God saith from his goodnesse and truth is more strong then a beleeving à posteriori that is from a fruition or apprehension of what God doth 8. The more dull and uncheerful the heart is this shews the faith to be weak A sad Spirit and a weak faith usually are companions for a strong faith breeds much peace in the conscience Rom. 5. 1 2. and rejoycing 1 Pet. 1. 8. In whom though now ye see him not yet beleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory such a faith as this hath got to much assurance but uncheerfulnesse of heart argues either as yet the want of all assurance or assurance very weak 9. The more anxious and careful the soule is
it is a signe of a weak faith What shall we eate and what shall we drink and what shall we put on This our Saviour saith in Matthew 6. shewes little faith For the lesser the things are for which we are to trust the more weaknesse is there if we do distrust especially where the helper is sufficient and willing and hath past his promise Now God is willing to do for Beleevers more then all the earth is worth and hath done greater matters for them And therfore a suspition of him for small matters shews but a small perswasion 10. The more apt the heart is to be offended at the estate of Christ it is a signe that faith is weak This is evident in the Disciples who being weak in faith Christ was forced to keep many things in because they were not able to bear them and when he spake of his sufferings and departing from them they were much amazed and troubled SECT V. THus for the discoveries of faith in weaknesse Now follow the demonstrations of the truth in faith though weak The truth of faith hath a great latitude it is not confined to such an height to such a point of eminency as some conceive Look as heat hath severall degrees and as health hath many species and as life hath many steps within which the true nature of them may be seated so is it with faith the true nature of it may be in a great measure and yet in a lesser measure and though weak faith be not strong yet it is faith weaknesse is not like death which is opposed to life but like infirmity which is opposed to strength Strong faith is weak faith more perfected and weak faith is strong faith in disposition in tendancy it is within the compasse Negation is one thing imperfection is another thing no faith is quite opposite to faith but weak faith if it be opposed to strength yet it is not opposed to truth Now the truth of weak faith may appeare in these 5. Demonstrations of the truth of weak faith things First though weak faith be not sure that Christ is its Saviour yet weak faith will honour Christ as its Lord though it cannot see Christ bestowing it self on the soul yet it will make the soul to resigne up it self to Christ Though it cannot finde comfort yet it will oppose sin though it cannot comprehend Christ yet it would not willingly offend Christ Faith in strength can put out it selfe in perswasion I know that my redeemer liveth Job 19. Yet faith in weaknesse as was that of Thomas can put forth it self in subjection My Lord and My God I will have no Lord but Christ Io. 20. The vitall act of faith is not reflexive but direct It is not this Christ is mine but this I receive and embrace Christ now the weak faith cannot setle its title to Christ so as strong faith can do yet it can vindicate the title that Christ hath to the soul though it cannot see its own propriety in Christ yet it can maintaine Christs propriety to it it doth acknowledge it doth yield unto no Law or power or right over the soul but Christs it looks on sinne as an enemy though it cannot see Christ as a friend 2. What weak faith doth want in the breadth of perswasion that it makes up in the depth of humility A weak believer though he cannot see himself great in Gods eyes yet he doth appeare low in his own eyes it will not quarrell with God because he opens himself no more but abaseth it-self because it is most unworthy of the least of truth and goodnesse There be two things which all true faith will work One is to value Christ Another is to under value our selves It can put glory on Christ and take shame to it selfe He is the sweetest Saviour and I am the greatest sinner Faith usually acts in one of these either in receiving or in abasing For either it makes the soul to see its happinesse in Christ which breeds joyfulnesse or to see its own unworthy vilenesse because of sin and so it causeth lowlinesse of spirit Strong faith like John can be in Christs bosome but weak faith like Peter will fall down at Christs feet strong faith may be seen by the eye and weak faith by the knee that stands up and blessed God for Christ this falls down and begs of God for Christ And this not for my sake O Lord for to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion but for thy goodnesse sake O Lord for to thee belong mercies and forgivenesses 3. Weak faith though it hath but tender confidences of its interest in Christ yet it hath strong dislikes and combates with that unbelief which hinders his perswasion Though weak faith cannot see Christ as its ease c. yet it can feel unbelief as its burden and trouble There are two things if I mistake not which accompanie all true faith and the weakest One is to magnifie the state in Christ Another is to dislike the state out of Christ O happy is that man who can comprehend as he is comprehended saith weak faith and what shall I do with this unbelieving heart this doubting suspecting fearful heart shall I alwaies question shall I alwaies find these disputings carnal reasonings reelings staggerings Lord help this unbelief Lord perswade this heart of mine cause it to trust in thy salvation in Christ say unto my soul that thou art my salvation The weak beleever hath many prayers in his heart many tears in his eyes and many conflicts in his minde he believes and doubts he prayes and doubteth he mornes and doubteth yet though he doubts he will believe and though he doubts he will pray and because he still doubts he will therefore still morne He looks often towards Christ O that I could believe he looks often on his own heart why wilt thou not yet believe he looks up to God O make me to believe sometimes he spends his time in prayer for more faith somtimes in dispute with his weak faith one maine difference 'twixt him and the strong believer is this that the strong believer hath got into Christs armes and this weak beleever is fighting for the way unto him Weakfaith will not rest in weaknesse if truth be in it In a weak child well and living there are two qualifications of life one is this that it is Active another is this that it is Progressive it will be doing and it will be encreasing So it is with al true faith though weak it is a drawing of the soul unto Christ yea it is a drawing of something more from Christ unto the soul what hinders it that grieves it and what it wants after that it longs and craves No grace is right which is idle or labours not to exceed it self Lord help my unbelief said that weak believer O Luke 9. Lord encrease our faith said they of little faith The weak criple he would be lying
Christ and a glad heart too the other hath a good Christ but yet a very heavy heart His possession is doubtful and therefore his heart is sorrowful 2. The weak beleever hath not that sweet peace that the strong believer hath where faith is weak there the conscience is not throughly setled Peace in the conscience is as it were the harmonious tuning of Peace whâ—t the soul it is a heavenly tranquility a serenity a gracious quieting and pacifying of the spirit of man springing from a perswasion of Gods love in Christ Now the weak faith hath strong scruples it hath many troubles it is not sure that all is right and all is cleare It may be that God is my God and it may be he is not it may be Christ is mine and perhaps not it may be my sins are pardoned and it may be they are not it may be that God is my friend and reconciled and it may be he is not You know that the peace of a Christian must be seen ratified in a double Court or else the soul will not be quiet One is in the Court of heaven another is in the Court of conscience Nay and the peace in this lower Court is not cleare til it comes from the higher Court conscience cannot be quiet till God be quiet it cannot give testimony and discharge untill God hath begun If God hath not yet dismissed the soul if he holds up the case of a sinful soul without release conscience cannot acquit and free that soul But weak faith sees its suit and tryal yet depending in the high Court of heaven a weak believer doth not yet see or know that God will assuredly pardon him that God is reconciled to him that God will indeed do good unto him here are his doubts and fears and therefore here are his troubles and perplexities The strong believer is like David in Psal 4. 8. I will both lay me down and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety The weak believer is like David in Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou thus disquietted within me The one is like the Mother which hath the child in her armes or at her breasts with many smiling delights and satieties the other is like the mother now in labor and travaile with the child which hath many bitter throwes and panges one succeeding the other The one is like a man standing upon a rock where his foot stands unmoved and steady but the oâ—her is like a man in a safe ship upon unquiet waters tossed up and down Weak faith is in a safe ship which is Christ but tossed upon variety of waves which are our doubtings sometimes faith and hope anon faith and feare sometimes I may have confidence anon I am cast out of his sight now I will look up to God as mine in Christ by and by surely this is presumption God will not accept of me Such a storme and such a calme is there in the weak believer such an unsetled setling The day of his small comforts doth easily sit and the night of many troubles abide long upon him You shall seldome see a weak believer without a teare at his eye a sigh in his breast and a fear in his heart yet I fear all is not sure O that God would once assure me that he is my God! I know not what to do or what to say or what to think I cannot see the hand writing yet blotted out nor the heavens opening and do you think there is any hope for me Thus the weak believer But strong faith can answer many arguments and uphold its evidence against many temptations It can more easily place and stay the soul upon its rest it hath seen and tasted more then weak faith it knows whom it hath trusted and that he will be its God and guide for ever that he hath pardoned transgressions and will remember iniquity no more where faith is great there the war is strong with sin and the love high to God and the peace more large and setled in the conscience The weak believer hath not that sweetnesse in communion with God as the strong believer hath Take him in the way of Ordinances or in the way of Duties in both his conversings with God are more brackish and flat When any threatning is opened and applyed his heart presently misgives him may not this concerne me and I fear this is my portion When any precepts and graces are revealed and differenced he is usually apt to charge want of them or hypocrisie under them upon himself either I am not thus as God requires or if so yet not in truth When the Box of ointment is opened I mean the blood of Christ and the tender of rich mercy and spacious promises of God yet the savour of them is mixt to his soul he doth more dispute his right then can close with their goodnesse yea but how know I that I am intended and answers I am not ripe for such consolations my wounds have not bled sufficiently I am not fitted I doubt I should presume if I should apply Againe in matter of duty here he hath not a sweet communion For duties with God neither Sometimes so over-borne that he thinks it in vaine for him to pray or look up and therefore is ready in a fit of temptation to lay aside the work yet he cannot but pray but then the knee is bended with such suspitions and conclusions perhaps this shall be but to harden me more and God will not heare me or if the soul can gather any degrees of better confidence that it shall finde some grace and acceptance then instantly it questions all this and suspects even the very grants and answers as well as its own heart and petitions conjecturing them to be rather the deluding fancies of a deceitful heart wishing well to it self then the sincere resolutions and satisfactions of a good and gracious God who heareth prayer And thus is the weak believer for a long time kept in bitternesse he cannot taste the goodnesse of God which he desires to embrace nor relish those promises which he desires to apply but in all communions with God either dis-heartens his way before or displaceth his comforts afterwards either he is not fit to pray or else not fit to enjoy either he cannot desire what is good or else still he is questioning what is true So that oft-times even the wayes of his own comfort are uncomfortable to him and the very method of peace is his usual trouble and vexation The reasons of all which may be Not only the nature of unbelief which is an uncomforting ingredient and disquieting impedient to the soul in all holy communion But also the properties of this unbelief causing the soul to look more on it self then God and raising more feares for present want then hopes for assured and promised helpes besides the limittings of God to present
streames on the Spring or the beames on the Sun and the fruitfulnesse of both depends upon the richnesse of faith Though the habits of grace depends immediately on Gods Spirit and not on faith yet the measures of grace depend instrumentally very much on faith it being the Conduit pipe that which draws grace for grace from Christ A weak believer cannot have such a strength of affection nor vigor of actions as the strong He is not so thankful you shall for ever finde this to be true that what is a weakening to faith that is a lessening to thanks No mans tongue is more in praise then he whose heart is filled with perswasion God hath but cold thanks from him who is yet disputing and questioning his receipts where the mercy is fully cleared there the heart is exceedingly enlarged But till the soul sees it self indeed a debter it will prove but an ill and slow pay-master How can I fully thank God that he hath expressed that Mirandum of love to give Christ to me when yet I do in my soul suspect and question whether this be so or no How can I fully blesse and praise God for his rich mercy in the pardon of my sinnes whiles my soul doth yet suspect that the book is uncrossed and the controversie of guilt is not yet taken up 'twixt God and me But where faith is strong there praise is great when the Moon is fullest of light then the tydes are higher in their returnes so the more clear apprehensions of Gods love to us in Christ even raiseth affections to a greater flow of thankful retributions Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits See how he chargeth and rechargeth his soul to praise but why Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Ver. 4. Who crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and mercies 7. The weak Beleever will be more puzled to die then the strong believer It is with the strong believer as with Simeon who held Christ in his armes Now said he lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation He may easily desire death to let him out of a miserable world who hath assuredly got and hath Christ the Authour of a better life Or as with Paul having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know if our earthly house c. we have a building of God For the strong believer knows that Christ is to him in life and death advantage By him we shall go to the God of all mercies and to the Father of all consolations He shall go to that mansion which his Saviour hath provided and there have a glorious union with God and society with Saints for ever But the weak beleever will perhaps stagger and his heart will divide it self I would not yet die if I must what shall I do Christ is he whom I have loved and served but I am not sure that he is mine Heavenly glory is the wages for our service but I am not sure that I shall go into it matters are yet doubtful and my heart is yet fearful I know not whether such sinnes are yet taken off and how will God look upon me if I die of whose loving favour I have not been assured whiles I have lived I hope the best and yet I see cause to fear death may do me good yet I had rather live to clear accounts 'twixt God and my soul that so then I might give up c. 8. The weak beleever hath not such cheerful expectations nor quiet submissions as the strong believer The strong believer is at it as the Church in Micah My God will hear me and if he denies a particular good yet he can sit down and sing when he is going to prayer he chears up his heart with a confidence on God and when he findes God determining and revealing his will there he blesseth God and follows his calling But the weak believer is apt to forestal a mercy he cannot see a plain way for his grant nor an easily quiet heart after his denial 9. The efficacy of temptations doth more intangle the weak beleever then the strong like the weaker vessel at sea amidst the greater waves Satan doth cousen his soul with ease and ever and anon disrobes him of his comforts like a lewd subtile enemy he forceth the weak believer often to try and clear his title and increaseth mistakes in all passages 'twixt God and the soul 1. If he doth cast himself on mercy then it is presumption If he holds off then it is infidelity and rejecting of Christ 2. If he doubts then it is despaire and a forsaking of God 3. If he sinnes then it is unpardonable because since knowledge and mercy 4. If he findes distractions in dutie then this is hypocrisie in the heart 5. If he meets with hellish suggestions of which Satan is only the Author O then who could be in Christ and have such abominable thoughts 6. If the Ordinances do not presently comfort O then they are sealed up and there is no faith else the Word would profit 7. If every corruption be not subdued in every degree and motion and act O then vertue is not gone from Christ the heart is still nought and the faith unsound 8. If not the same constant tenor of smart affections why then there was never any true love of God no reverence of him now nor fear nor duties but the soul is dead utterly hardened and God hath no pleasure in it 9. If God doth answer the soul yea but that is but an imagination If he doth not answer why then it is cleare that God neither doth nor will ever regard you 10. If I do not go to the Sacrament why then thou slightest Christ and his blood If I go and come away with tears O then thou wast unbeleeving or else thou hadst been sent away with joy and increase 11. If I do not put on for grace then thou art wicked If I do put on for grace then thou art so wicked that God will not bestow it on thee Thus doth Satan involve and distresse and set the soul of a weak Believer like a man at chesse forward and backward he makes him to suspect every mercy and every grace and every affection and every duty and every promise and every Ordinance so violently doth he tosse though he cannot totally sink the heart of a weak believer SECT VIII Motives to strive to greaten thy faith 1. THis is a signe of truth True grace is rising dead things do moulder and artificial things remaine the same but the living childe is growing to a full stature Phil. 3. Not as though we had already attained the graine of mustard-seed grows and the smoaking flax will flame Presumption hath all its perfections at first 2. This is
Sampson dayes as Methusalah riches as Dives were his dwellings like the doors of the Sanctuary and shaped into the most imaginable Paradise of all exquisite and earthly delights If yet his soul remained and expired unbelieving if he had not faith His unbelieving soul shall be cast out into the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone Revel 21. 8. 2. Nay again A man may perhaps be guilty of many sins and those very fowle high and crying he hath perhaps been an Idolater or else an Adulterer or else a Blasphemer or else a Persecutor yea even of Christ yet upon his repentance and faith in Christ his soul shall be saved in the day of the Lord. For no former sinnes shall prejudice the soul which is now truly turned from them and hath by faith yeilded up it self to Christ But the unbeleeving person hath every sinne and every guilt upon a severe and sure account he rejects his own satisfactions by refusing Christ The Law of God will sue him cut for every rebellion and the justice of God will break out upon him for all his iniquities and conscience will give up all his guilts and because he is unbelieving vengeance to the utmost shall cease on him and there is none to deliver him nor he ever able to deliver himself Vnbelief it bindes all the sinnes upon the soul and condemnation fast unto the sinnes It leaves the sinning soul naked to the eye of divine Justice neither hath the soul any shelter which is out of Christ O thou who wilt not kisse the Sunne now who wilt not have Christ to rule thee who despisest the tender love of God the precious blood of Christ who wilt receive him for thy Priest for thy Prophet for thy King In the last day thou shalt curse thy heart and accurse thy sins and cry to the mountaines but they will not cover thee to mercy but that will not pitty thee to Christ but he will not regard thee to Justice but it will not heare thee thou wouldst not believe thou wouldst not receive Christ as Lord and Saviour but thou wouldst have the love of sin and therefore thou shalt have the portion of a sinner thou shall not see life but the wrath of God shall abide upon thee Nay if the father hath given and offered unto thee his own Sonne and thou harden thy heart by unbelief thou wilt not take him upon those termes I tell thee in the name of the Lord Jesus that if thou wilt thus bid Christ farewell thou dost bid God farewell all mercy farewell all salvation farewell all hope of it farewell and thou bindest all thy sinnes upon thy soul and all the curse of the Law upon thy soul Woe unto thee it s better thou hadst never been borne If thou hast any sense as an ordinary creature any reason as a man any understanding as a Christian any true estimation of an immortal soul any conceptions of heaven or hell if salvation be any comfortable thing if damnation be any miserable thing then I beseech thee I beseech thee labour for faith get out of an unbelieving condition thou perâ—shest if thou stay'st there thou art lost for ever he that believes not shall be damned said the Prince of salvation O repent and believe why will you die O house of Israel Consider throughly of the love of God in giving Christ and of 2. Motive the love of Christ in giving himself and perhaps this may perswade thee to labour for faith The love of God in giving of Christ See Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 17. For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved O this love of God to sinners To give his Son and not a servant his own Son and not another his only Son and not a second his only begotten Son and not an adopted childe and that not for any ill but for good he did not send him as an enemy but as a friend not to deliver a poor and mean good but the best and highest good to save us not to deliver us from an ordinary danger but from condemnation Yea and he is sent and given he was not sought by us but given by him Yea and no way deserved but freely given yea and given to us not friends but enemies Thou hast shewed this day said Saul to David 1 Sam. 24. 18 How that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand thou killedst me not 19. For if a man finde his enemy will he let him go well away Thus here 'twixt man and man but saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Now shall all this love be in vaine shall God think of a Christ and we pass by him shall he give a Saviour and we reject him shall he bring salvation to our doores and we not accept of it Why you need my Son and you are damned if you take him not and I freely offer him unto you that you may be saved and shall not we strive for faith to receive him The love of Christ O how wonderfull was his love to us it was not a love to the fallen Angels but to fallen man and such a love to fallen man as the like cannot be found He laid aside his glory to do us good he humbled himself to raise us he became poor to enrich us he fasted and prayed and endured the contradiction of sinners Reproaches Crucifyings Wrath Bloody agonies Conflicts with Satan sorrows in his soul piercings in his body and a bitter death to satisfie for us and to reconcile us and shall we not accept of him shall all this be in vaine Why doest thou not heare Christ calling and crying out unto thee never were any sorrowes like my sorrowes never was any love like to my love O unbelieving and sinning soul look upon me why doest thou passe by why doest thou hide thine eyes from me why doest thou stop thine eares at me I am the Saviour of sinners and there is none else besides me thy own miseries might cause thee to look up and embrace me And let my love unto thee a little draw thee move thee melt thee Hast thou not heard of the revilings and scoffes which I susteined my love to thy soul made me a willing patient Hast thou not heard of the agonies of my soul which made me to sweat drops of blood and my soul was exceeding heavy even to the death yet my love to thy soul made me willing to drink that cup Hast thou not heard of that desertion and of that wrath which made me to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet my love to thy soul made me to passe through it Hast
have I stretched forth my hands Nay thy unbelief grieves the very heart of Christ he grieved at their unbelief â—he complaines of that slownesse in thy heart to believe O slow of heart to believe c. nay and he sheds tears because thou dost not believe and receive him When he came near the City he wept over it O Hierusalem thou that c. How often would I c Sixthly consider how unreasonable and unequal and sottish 6. Motive a thing it is not to receive Christ being thus revealed and offered 1. There is none who have right to thy soul but God and Christ our souls are Gods workmanship and Christs purchase Why then should we not give to God that which belongs to God and to Christ that which is his own Ye are not your own saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. for ye are bought with a price God put forth his own power to make thy soul and Christ shed his heart blood to redeem thy soul and yet wilt thou through infidelity with-hold it from him and passe it over into the possession of a stranger an enemy 2. Christ out-bids all Merchants for thy soul he out-bids sin and he out-bids all the world and he out-bids Satan Can the Sonne of Jesse give you vineyards said Saul can sinne give thee that which Christ can can the world let them now appear and declare their strength and treasury Is there any one of them that presents redemption unto thee Is there any one of them that can procure remission and pardoning mercy for thee Is there any one of them which can satisfie the wrath of God for thee which can make thy peace which can present thee righteous before the judgement seat which can settle eternal life upon thee All this can Christ do none of this can they do 3. Thou canst not possibly be a loser by receiving or believing on the Lord Jesus Christ Suppose it cost thee many tears and many prayers and many searchings and many waitings yet Christ will recompence all these in a moment one word I am thy salvation It is I be not afraid I am thine as thou art mine thy sins are forgiven thee will be a day for all former nights Suppose that the world doth cast thee off as they cast him out of the Synagogue who beleeved and professed Christ yet Christ will come unto thee as unto him And as Elkanah said to Hanna 1 Sam. 1. 8. Am not I better then ten sons or as the Prophet answered the King for the hundred talents God will be better unto thee 2 Sam. 20. 9. So will Christ he will supply all thy losses he will be better unto thee then houses and lands then father and mother an hundred fold better in this life and a thousand fold better in the life to come 4. What just extremity of shame and blacknesse of confusion will befal thee if thou be so wickedly unreasonable to keep off thy soul from Christ When thou art cited before God and Christ and the holy Angels and just men And God shall demand of thee why whom hast thou served upon whom hast thou bestowed thy soul who was it that made thy soul Thou Lord who was it that purchased and redeemed thy soul Thou Christ and who beseeched thee to bring back thy soul Thou by thy servants in thy Word And what did they say unto thee which should have prevailed upon thee They did assure me in thy Name that if I would come in and accept of Christ I should have favour and pardon and eternal life and what did keep back thy soul from accepting of this O it was such a lust that I loved and it was the world which I preferr'd And wouldest thou prefer earth before heaven thy profit before thy soul nay wouldest thou prefer a base sinne before a merciful God and a blessed Redeemer Thy own mouth doth testifie against thee was not my mercy better then a sinne was not my Sonne better then a sinne take him all ye children of darknesse sease on him my wrath to the utmost close him up in the lowest pit of hell conscience gnaw on him and sting him for ever fire and brimstone consume and torment him eternally he shall never have part in my mercy he shall never have portion in my Sonne He shall never see my face nor heaven who preferred his sinne his delights his profits before my love my mercy my Christ and his own soul Lastly faith would do great things for thee and Christ would do wonders for thy soul if once thy heart could be perswaded to consent unto him and to accept of him as Lord and Saviour SECT II. Secondly the impediments and hindrances Obj. But now as the Eunuch said There is water what hinders Obj. me that I may not be baptized so you may say why her is Christ set out to the life here are arguments faire enough to draw on my soul what hinders that we do not believe and receive Christ Sol. After all these discoveries yet the heart stands off and why because there are yet many cords with which the soul is held there are yet several impediments which do intangle and seduce the heart which keeps it down from mounting and rising up to the Lord of life against which we must earnestly labour if ever we would beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ I will touch some of the choisest of them 1. One impediment to faith is that natural Atheisme in the sons of men You know that as in the concoction or digestion of meats that which is a prejudice to the first concoction or digestion of meats is a hindrance to the two other and as in points of demonstration that scruple which weakens the apprehension of the truth of the principle it ever disable the strength of â—ssent to the deduced conclusion So is it in divinity whatsoever vile quality in the soul prejudiceth the reverent respects oâ— the most common and first truths it doth hinder it 〈◊〉 in the embracing of the depending truths which receive 〈◊〉 authority and strength from the grants of the 〈…〉 Now Atheisme it is a slighting quarrel with the first truths Atheistical spirit it hath most sordid and loose conceptions of God and of his Word it doth not set up God in the greatnesse of his nature and Majesty of his Attributes and Authority of his Word God looks not like a God unto him nor doth the Word of God work upon him like the Word of God God is not in all his thoughts he doth not really conceive of him as one who indeed is omnipotent and so holy and so just and so merciful as he reveales himself Those sweet truths of favour and kindnesse and mercy and the blood of Christ they are either nothing to him or as empty notions Those sharp threatnings against an unbelieving person with condemnation and wrath and hell they are as terrible fables and scar-crowes to him He doth not believe
any such displeasures nor torments that thus it shall be indeed Now how can the soul be inclined to believe in Christ to part with its deare lusts with its worldly advantages and pleasures and to submit it selfe to the Lawes and Scepter of Christ when as it doth expressely or vertually deny the nature of God and the power of his truths Didst thou indeed beleeve that there was a God didst thou indeed believe that his revelations of mans sinful misery and of his singular mercy in Christ were true and real Didst thou believe that God hath wrath and blacknesse of darkness and vials of vengeance for ever to be poured on the unbeliever and that the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone must be thy assured portion as God hath spoken how couldst thou sit still content thy heart neglect thy salvation by Christ stand off from the wayes and endeavours for faith Therefore to remove this impediment beg of God to forgive and cure the Atheisme of thy Spirit Strive to set up the true God in thy understanding and to believe that he is the Lord who will not lye Whatsoever he hath revealed himself to be and to do Why that he is and that he will performe that it is thy duty to return from sinne to him in Christ and if thou dost returne he will in mercy spare and deliver thy soul from the pit because he hath found a ransome but if thou wilt not return he wil bathe the sword of his flaming justice for ever in the blood of thy soul 2. A second impediment to the getting of faith is grosse ignorance Whatsoever is contrary to knowledge that same is contrary to faith for though faith sees not its ground in natural reason yet it must have divine evidence to shew it its object and way and causes or else it cannot be wrought in the soul The soul must have light for all its apprehensive operations for the eye to see and the understanding to perceive and for the heart to embrace Now this is it which keeps men off from beleeving they are extreamly ignorant First of their own sinful condition they do not know their nativity and conception what sin is nor what belongs to sinners â—â—w abominable and vile their natures are without all good and like a fountaine full of all wickednesse how dead in trespâ—sses and sins how totally defiled from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot How perpetually rebellious against every precept of heaven and how slâ—ghting of the tenders of salvation and mercy Secondly of Gods just disposition towards the sinful person They see him not armed and setting out against them in all the threatnings and curses of his Law as Balaam in his passage he adventured on for he saw not the Angel of the Lord with a sword in his hand ready to cleave him asunder So men rest securely in their natural state talk what you will of Christ and of God and of sinne and of faith they are not moved they know not the fearful issues of a natural and unbeleeving condition they know not that God will judge them and condemn them for ever Thirdly of the excellencies of Christ what he is whither God or man or both even as it pleaseth him but favourly what he is in respect of his Natures in respect of his Offices in respect of his Actions in respect of his Passion in respect of his Benefits in respect of his Vertues they understand not these things How God hath manifested love in Christ how Christ manifested love to them to what end he was made man why Ministers preach him so much what is more in him then in any other Alas they think not of these things they know them not Now brethren how is it possible for the soul to believe or to be perswaded to believe in Christ or to labour for this precious faith which is a stranger to it self to God to Christ Didst thou indeed know thy condition to be the condition of death wouldest thou not make out for the Lord of life didst thou indeed know thy condition to be the condition of enmity wouldest thou not strive to get unto the Prince of peace So againe as Christ spake to the woman If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water John 4. 10. O if men did know what a gift Christ was If heaven and earth men and Angels had studyed the helps of a poore sinner they could never have imagined such a remedy as God found in giving his own Sonne Now if men did know him aright what a Redeemer what a Lord he is what living water is in him That in him only there is life for the dead recovery for the sinner satisfaction for guilt sanctification for the soul atonement for trespasses comfort for distresses balme for wounds salvation for their persons Why how could it be but that they should ask of him for a drop at least of water for some faith to receive him who is the fountain of grace and life 3. A third impediment to the endeavours for faith is a vain confidence of natural righteousnesse This was it which kept off many of the Pharisees the Text saith That they trusted to their own righteousnesse Yea this is called the stumbling of the Jewes it cast them flat that they doted so on legal abilities When a base heart hath proud imaginations of Christ and peace and safety from something within it self why It will never look after Christ A proud person who hath mony in his house he scornes to be beholding to his neighbour the proud sinner who conceives that all is well 'twixt him and God and that he hath done no man wrong and none can say black is his eye he is neither whore not thief and his heart is as good as the best and his meanings are alwayes honest and none can tax him for injustice and he hath kept all Gods Commandments as well as ever he could and he hath had a good belief he thanks God ever since he was borne I tell you such a person will not be beholding to God for Christ for he in his opinion being so whole needs not the Physician neither shall you perswade him to mourn for his sinnes or to repent and to part with all for Christ to deny himself and all his own vaine confidences and to put himself only upon Jesus Christ he trusts to be saved by his good deeds and by his good meanings Ah foolish and seduced soul Who hath bewitched thee to forsake thine own mercies Thinkest thou that God would have sent his onely Sonne and to poure out his own soule for sinners if that yet there had been ability in sinful man to have purchased his own safety and happinesse And doest thou see no sinne in thy self which may therefore for ever thrust thee off from
resting upon thy selfe and are thy works such absolute bottomes and foundations when the Heathens can match them and exceed them or cannot God espy a flaw in thy Ship and much false conveyance in thy title and much defect in thy deeds who can charge folly upon the Angels And are thy meanings and works so good while thy heart is yet so ignorant thy life yet so prophane Can what thou doest finde acceptance or merit when yet thou trustest not on him who only is the merit for a sinner Thinkest thou thy meanings can be good which dishonour the Redemption by Christ and the freenesse of mercy O no my brethren the soul is the passenger graces are the sailes the Spirit is the wind but Christ only Christ is the bottom which carries all safe and sure to heaven Nay if thou canst see a Saviour in thy own good meanings if a Saviour in thy own good works a Saviour in any part or degree of inherent righteousnesse either inward for the change of nature or outward for the emprovement of life this this will keep thee and Christ asunder No man will labour for faith in Christ who hath a faith in himselfe already as his own Saviour Therefore as they in the Acts of the Apostles burned their books when they came to believe in Chhist so must we unbottom our selves of our selves Renounce our menstrous rags abhor our selves in dust and ashes lay flat before the mercy-seat cry out with the Leper I am uncleane unclean with Daniel To us belongs nothing but confusion for we have sinned with David enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh righteous be justified with the Publican stand afar off and say Lord be merciful to me a sinner with Paul I count all things but as dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and I desire to be foundin him not having my own righteousnesse but that which is of faith with those Elders cast if we had them our very crowns to the earth before the Lamb and say he only is worthy If ever thou wouldest get to believe in Christ labour to get Do not stand in thy own light the mountaines to be levelled the high imaginations to be cast down to cast thy self out of thy self There is nothing that I have been or have done or do or can do which I can trust to I seek for the living among the dead whiles I look for a Saviour in my self He is farre enough from safety who rests on the arme of his flesh and we shall never close with or magnifie Christs righteousnesse until we can in matter of merit or justification deny our own 4. A fourth impediment to beleeving is the league of the heart with sinne Light is come into the world but men love darknesse rather then light John 3. 19. Sinne absolutely doth not prejudice the contract of the soule with Christ for Christ doth not negotiate for any soul but the sinful soul He doth not come to a person and say if thou hast no sinne I will bestow my self on thee or if thou hast not committed sinne I will be a redeemer a Saviour unto thee O no the offer of Christ is only to the sinner and it is none but the sinner who is to beleeve in Christ But that which hinders the contract ' twixtt men and Christ it is the love of sin Christ comes in the Ministry of the Gospel unto us and reports unto us our own exceeding sinfulnesse and then his exceeding graciousnesse and invites the soul by many sweet and tender arguments to accept of him to be Lord and Christ and assures it of pardon and righteousnesse and salvation Now saith Christ that which I require of you is this leave but your sinnes your sinnes which will damne you and I will be yours Why saith the soul this is but reason and I will hearken to it well then saith Christ go and quit such a lust thy uncleannesse or thy Sabbath breaking or thy drunkennesse or thy lewd society c. Why now the base and foolish heart falls off I cannot live without my nature I must and will be allowed in such a course The heart riseth up O Benjamine shall not go nay any thing but this lust I will never be divorced from it if I may have Christ and this sinne too well and good Thus the love of sinne steâ—les awâ—â— the heart it bestows the heart else where nay it infâ—ames an opposition against the Lordly power of Christ the soul will never yeild to the dominion of Christ which delights in tâ—e 〈◊〉 to sin Brâ—thren if we could bâ—â— rip up the secrets of mens hearts unto you you should 〈◊〉 discâ—â—â—â—e that it is the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 all 〈◊〉 oft-times can mâ—ke no exception aâ—ainst Christ they 〈…〉 to come in 〈…〉 know they 〈…〉 be saved without him but 〈…〉 will not 〈…〉 sinnes it â—uâ—s their soules to think of such a divorce come on it what will thâ—y will take their pleasure and hold faâ—t their wickednesse 5. A fifth impediment is the world The honours of it how can you believe who receive honour 〈…〉 â—nother and 〈◊〉 not the honour that 〈…〉 â—od only John 5. â—â— The profâ—â— of it He went away sorrowâ—ul for he had great possessioâ—s Mâ—t. 19. 22. The Examples of it Have any of the 〈◊〉 or of the Pharisâ—es beleeved on him John 7 48. The teâ—rors of it the feâ—â—e of the Jews kept off many from coming to Christ The losses of it and crosses He that will be my Disciple muâ—â— deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me The cares and thoughts of it when a man mindes earthly things and will be rich and devours all his prerious thoughts to compasse that which will be but a fether a thorne vanity or vexation Presse men to lâ—bour for Christ why we have no leasure presse to frequent the wayes of getting faith why lwe must not neglect our callings Urge them to embrace Christ as Lord to shape and fashion their hearts and ways according to his rules after his righteous Laws and to deny themselves in some sinful compliances O then we shall not be esteemed of we shall be derided and scoffed at as vaine and singular O these sensible things which we can see with our eyes and grasp with our hands they put us off from the great moments of our best and eternal good And what are the honours of this world but as the shade of the Sunne which every discontented cloud and frown removes and what are the profits of it but heapes of chaff which any windeâ— from heaven may scatter and what are the friends of it but a gourd which any worme may gnaw out and shrivel And why doest thou fear man whose utmost power exceeds not thy body and fearest not that God whose vengeance can seaze on thy soul and why wilt thou bestow the strength of thy time to get no more
the chiefest good 7. It is that which stirres up the heart with a choice of Christ and resolution to have him what ever may befal it 8. It is that which makes the heart to cry servently to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to work his blessed grace of faith Yea which draws out of us strong supplications with many teares and longings and to implead all the promises of making mercy good and Christ good and faith good unto us 9. It is that which establisheth the soul to a patient expectation for ever to lie at the poole for ever to attend the doors of the Sanctuary till the soul can take and close with Christ by true beleeving But then to open unto you the way more distinctly I would commend this course unto a person that he may at length get a believing heart 1. Study thy natural condition throughly The right sense of this 8. Things though it doth not formaâ—ly cause faith yet it may have a compelling force to make us look after Christ and to strive for faith The Apostle calls the Law a Schoolmaster to Christ Gal. 3. why because it doth reveal such a smart and strong evidence of the sinful condition that it scourgeth a man out of himself to look for a Saviour yea it helps much to cast the proud soul down and to break and crush his natural bottom which otherwise would stâ—ve off and hinder a man from believing Therefore study thy natural condition O I would believe and I would have Christ yea but why what need seest thou in thy self of him I tell you that the more desperate the soul sees its own natural condition the more willingly may it be drawn to apprehend adore and embrace its remedies and safeties Now there are three things to convince our selves of about our natural condition I meane the state without Christ First the ugly vilenesse of it That it is sinful and stark naught it is no such thing as God doth like or approve but his soul abhors and hates it For it is compounded of nothing but want of good and inclination to evil to all that is opposite to God and holinesse That thou art in it poor and blinde and miserable and naked an ignorant opposing unconceiving creature of any spiritual good proud and sensual and vain and earthly loathsom and dead Secondly the sure and fearful misery of it Thou art without God without Christ without the Covenant not a drop of mercy for thee whiles thou remain'st thus but all the wrath of God is against thee and thou art under the dominion of sinne and terrible curse of the Law all the threatnings in the book of God are ever ready to sease on thee and how soon may they arrest thee if God gives them commission Thirdly the utter insufficiency to deliver thy self out of this state Thou art never able to merit the least mercy nor to answer the great justice of God Though thou shouldest offer thousands of lambs and ten thousand rivers of oyle thou art so totally broken in thy strength that thou canst not pay a farthing and never canst thou be a Redeemer to thy self from thy sins or Gods justice Now drive and fasten these things as real and experimental truths into thy heart till thou art shut up under sinne as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3. that is so convinced on all sides concerning thy natural self that thou art faine to fall down and cry out O Lord I am unclean I am uncleane I am uncleane a miserable wretch a lost person for ever unlesse thou shew great compassion to my poor soul This condition is deadly and barren I am full of sinne and without strength and this condition is so fearful that verily I will not rest in it Men and brethren what shall I do to be saved Is there no balm in Gilead for a wounded soul no City of refuge for a distressed sinner no Rock of safety for a shipwrackt person no hope of salvation yet left for me 2. Then study the hope of a sinful soul Why though thou hast been very wicked and hast exceeded in transgressions yet there may be hope The Gospel it is the â—ape of good hope it is that which thrusts out some sight of land to a tossed sinner It is a message from heaven proclaiming both the hope and possibility and also the way and method of salvation for a sinful person Look as the Law points out a way of salvation for a righteous and innocent man so the Gospel doth for an offending and sinful man Therefore study it much take some accurate paines to be throughly and really informemed and convinced what Gods dispositions are therein revealed towards sinners Now here are two things which I would commend 1. One is the study of Christ Study him all over perhaps thou mayest see that in him which may answer many yea all thy feares Perhaps thou mayest see so much in him as may win much upon thy heart to come in and accept of him by faith Therefore peruse him well First that he is God and man and as so a Mediator and because so therefore an Almighty and a compassionate Redeemer Secondly that it proceeds from the love and Counsel of God to give him to be the Saviour of sinners God did see the fallen state and great misery of men and his absolute insufficiency to recover himself and therefore his own love moved him to give his own Sonne in whom he did ordain the salvation of sinners Thirdly that Christ was willing to become a Mediator yea he did freely give his life to make peace and procure salvation and this sacrifice of his was both acceptable and effectual Fourthly that God would have thee to come unto him for life and that Christ is the surety and Mediator and only hope of sinners Fifthly that Christ hath in him all and enough to make up thy state and to reconcile thee and God and to get full pardon and to present thee righteous and to procure for thee eternal life Sixthly that Christ seeks even after thee by the Ministry of the Gospel and both offers himself with all his purchase unto thee and hath and yet doth beseech thee to accept of him I say study these things who knows how the great studies of Christ may be at length blessed with faith in Christ This I am sure of that the ignorance of the nature and offices and works and benefits and alsufficiency and marvellous affections and readinesse in Christ is a notable strength to unbeliefe Ergo on the contrary the knowledge of them is a good means for faith 2. Another is the study of the new Covenant Why what mayest thou not there see to draw on thy soul to Christ yea what arguments doth God there fill thy mouth with to conquer himself He gives thee in that Covenant ample and prevailing grounds by which thou maâ—est with an humble confidence even plead with him for Christ and faith
Thou shalt see there all thy good set freely open that God stands not for this nor for that and it matters not what thou hast been there is mercy enough for what is past and there is grace to renew thy heart for the present and strength for the future and thou mayest sue out the Lord for this faith of which we now speak and he will surely give it unto thee 3. Study the main hinderances of distance twixt Christ and the Covenant and thy soul There is one thing above all the rest which keeps thee off and that is unbelief For God doth not require any other thing of thee in the entrance of Christ but only to accept of him He doth not say if thou hadst never offended me then I would have bestowed my Sonne on thee or if thou hadst not offended me so much or if thou canst bring any singular nature and excellent qualities of thine own then I will give my Sonne unto thee or then I will give thee leave No but all that he requires is this Beleeve and accept of my Sonne to be thy Lord and Saviour and I will in him give thee pardon Why now brethren this is the last and sore check of the match our hearts are unbelieving we will not condescend to this condition but fly hovering after some unknown and devised method of our own 4. Study much the sinfulnesse of unbelief that it is a sinne and a great sinne and that in thee What! after all sense of misery to hold off from remedy not to close with Gods great love as if God were not wise enough to shew thee the way of salvation or as if he were not true that thou darest not to venture and fasten thy soule and state upon his Word 5. Study well wherein the nature of faith doth consist Many Obj. persons seeme to complaine that they have no faith and Sol. cannot believe Why they are not right in the doctrinal part of faith they mistake faith exceedingly thinking it to consist in a full assurance and in a sensible taste of Gods love in Christ and in a sensible and clear perswasion that their sins are pardoned which because as yet they never had they therefore perplex themselves much about faith Therefore inform thy self what faith in Christ is It is the hearty accepting of Christ upon his own conditions if thy heart and soul are willing to accept of Christ as the only Lord to rule thee and as the only Redeemer to save thee and to cleave unto him for better for worse through all the changes which may befal thee for Christs sake why this is faith viz. An accepting of his person and a reposing of the soul upon him for its safety and a cleaving to him upon all states If thou canst finde thus much that there is no one sinne which shall rule thee to the love and obedience of which thou wilt resigne thy selfe but Christ is he whom thou choosest for to be thy Lord And there is no Name in heaven and earth upon which thou wilt put confidence for thy righteousnesse and discharge and salvation but only in Christ. And upon him thy soul entirely and unfainedly desires to rest it self thou hast true faith 6. Know this and convince thy self of it that thou shalt never hurt thy self nor offend God if thou couldest believe wherefore hath God given Christ and wherefore hath Christ given himselfe and wherefore is he now offered to sinners and wherefore are we commanded to beleeve if yet to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to consent to the acceptance of his person upon his own condition were a sinne 7. Withal this beg fervently of God that he would perswade thy heart to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour and to rest thy soul upon him No man comes to me saith Christ except the Father draw him Now then O Lord draw me and I shall runne after thee O subdue this unbeleeving heart and give unto me the Spirit of faith and love and obedience Lastly look for this gift of faith to be wrought in thee by the Spirit of Christ in the Ordinances and wait upon God there continually Thou shalt in time perhaps sooner perhaps later finde thy soule touched and thy feares answered and thy soule made exceedingly willing to accept of Christ as thy Lord and to put it self upon him as thy Saviour Yea hold on in waiting and seeking and thou shalt not only have Christ formed in thee and faith formed in thee but thou shalt come to know him whom thou hast accepted and trusted This is a sweet and safe course for a sensible sinner viz. 1. To present up his request unto God in the Name of Christ earnestly beseeching him to declare this Almighty working of his Spirit in causing the heart to beleeve 2. Then to stand in the wayes of grant and come to the Ordinances wherein God doth reveale his arme and give faith and so enclines and unites the soul with Christ What thou doest earnestly seek in a private way that God doth ordinarily answer and bestow in a publick 3. Then wait and expect not to limit God just to this time nor to this preacher nor to cast off all confidence of answer upon present denials but to look up from day to day from week to week if at length God will give thee faith I never reade or heard of any whose hearts were thus set but God hath found a time to give unto them the desires of their souls He hath repâ—enished their souls with his salvation and loving kindnesse Therefore go on cheerfully in the use of these meanes whatsoever befals thee yet it shall be well with thee He that hath found Christ cannot but say that this way is good and he who is thus seeking of him shall say it was not in vaine to follow it SECT IV. Fourthly The Objections NOw I proceed to the resolution of those Scruples which do entangle the soul of a sinful sinner and hinder him from beleeving which beget extream fears and doubts that he may not lay hold on Christ and that God will never bestow Christ on him neither would he take it well of the soul to be so busie and forward Obj. 1. Why saith the sensible sinner my sinnings have been so great and transgressions so mighty that I may never look up with any confidence upon the rock of salvation nay it is not Satan onely but my own conscience which doth testifie against me the manifold numbers and the high exceedings of my rebellions I tell you you would tremble to think of such lewdnesse whereof I have been and now do stand guilty and the sensible consideration of them makes my heart to sink and checks me with shame and blushing when I think of laying hold on Christ Sol. For the assoyling of this Objection consider these particulars First the greatnesse of sinning should be a strong reason to compel in the soul
bountifulnesse of its own nature is the reason of its gifts and acts Suppose that a King executes a malefactor this is an act of justice and findes cause in the rebellion of the offendor Suppose that a King pardons a malefactor this is an act of graciousnesse and findes its reason only in the breast of the King and not in the worthinesse of the delinquent Thou stand'st upon thy worthinesse O if I were worthy of Christ why but is not Christ a gift he is often said to be given yea but is he not a gracious gift See Ephes 2. 7. God did shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Jesus Christ As if he should say if ever there were a gift free-given it is Christ If Christ be a gracious gift then he is not bestowed on the worthy but on the unworthy not on him who can challenge and say Lord there is good reason why I should have Christ and thou shouldest do me wrong if I have him not O no but he is a gracious gift and therefore the broken sinner may come in and say O Lord though I am unworthy yet give me Christ graciousnesse doth not expect any motion out of it self and therefore though in respect of my desert shame and confusion be my portion yet thy gifts of grace are free for thy exceeding riches of grace and mercy and love give me thy Christ If I meet an old decrepit poor beggar and seeing misery and poverty in his face I freely draw my purse and say there is a shilling for thee O no saith he Sir I am not worthy I am a poor man and ready to starve give it to that Gentleman yonder who is in gay cloathing and hath thousands in his chests for he is worthy what a proud folly were thâ—s why my almes was a gracious dole and if any man in the world had it he had who doth need but doth not deserve it So c. 6. Christ is worthy your taking though thou be unworthy of receiving 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief As if he should say this is so necessary a thing so good a thing so admirable a thing for a sinner so meet for him to hearken unto and to embrace What if the choisest Prince in the world should this day present himself to the foulest ill-favoure'dst neglected woman one without all beauty without all parts without all estate and assure her if she will consent to his termes he will bestow himself upon her Though she be totally unworthy to heare of such a thing yet the person is worthy and the acceptance of the motion is worthy all the world sees reason enough that she should hearken So it is Jesus Christ the Prince of peace the Lord of life the Authour of salvation comes to a sinful soul utterly naked and void of spiritual excellencies over-runne with all the spots of inglorious deformities exposed to all kindes and degrees of present and future miseries calls and invites that soule to accept of him upon his own termes yet that soul stands off and excepâ—s I am not worthy Thou worâ—hy saith Christ what do I esteem of thy worthinesse Not for thy sake be it known unto thee is it that I offer my self unto thee not for any beautiful or ingratiating ornaments and gifts is this but for my own sake Am I worthy the receiving if so then accept of me Christ hath worthinesse enough and as our helps in the promises draw us thither so the treasures in Christ should do Obj. But you will say Christ hath let fall a word which tels me that there must be a subjective worthinesse as well as an objective worthinesse in me as well as a worthinesse in him Matthew 10. 13. If the house be worthy let your peace come upon it Sol. I answer that there is indeed a double worthinesse First one of the object when it is so every way excellent and necessary and sutable to the exigencies of a person so Christ worthy Secondly another of the subject which to restraine it now to the place alledged is a worthinesse of judgement and affection not a worthinesse of qualities and action Then a man is said to be worthy in reference to Christ not because he hath any taking and inviting qualities but when he judgeth worthily of the Lord Jesus and his affections draw after him as most worthy of all acceptation Lastly what is that which makes thee unworthy It is nothing in the world but sinne all the debasings of the soul are our sinnes and so there is a twofold unworthinesse 1. Meritorious 2. Excluding But then mark two things could never be if meer sinnings did effectually prejudice the soul with an excluding unworthinesse one is That Christ could never have been a worthy gift Another is That faith could never have beleeved truths in Christ It could never take Christ as a Saviour nor beleeve in him for the sure pardon of sins if that sinnes absolutely did involve the soul with such an unworthinesse as should for ever exclude it from partaking of Christ O no Though sinnes make unworthy yet Christ came to call sinners and though ungodlinesse makes unworthy yet Christ justifies the ungodly 4. Obj. But I am not sure that Christ is willing to bestow himself on me or that I should lay hold on him else I should I think be able to beleeve Sol. To this I will returne two things 1. One is clearing Christs willingnesse 2. The order of a Christians assurance First That Christ is willing I shall but light a candle to the Sunne in endeavouring to manifest the willingnesse of Christ to accept of sinners Why 8. Things what can possibly expresse a willingnesse which is not espiable in Christ First when thou wert a sinner and an enemy yet then did Christ shed his blood and die for thee Rom 5. 8 10. Nay he did not do this through constraint but through consent it was a free-will offering therefore is he said to offer himself and lo I come and to give himself and to lay down his life and to pay a price nay to be straitned till it were accomplished Luke 12 50. His death was the putting of the seal to the bond It ratified all the Covenant which it had not done had not Christ been willing Why he knew thee long before and saw thee in thy blood before he shed his own and had he been unwilling to have done thee any good or that thou shouldest have received any good from him he would never have cloathed himself with such a nature as he did assume neither would he have anguished his righteous soul nor have suffered such a tormenting and accursed death Verily if I would lay down my life for a person this would sufficiently argue and declare that I were willing to bestow my self on the perso
find eternal life So that you may from this take notice of three things One That to be assured of Christ as mine is no ground for to move a man to believe but it is a consequent of it Another that to be assured that Christ is willing and ready to be mine and to accept of me this is a sweet motive and an encouraging ground for the soul to believe A third there is no better way to feel the sweetnesse of Christs being willing to bestow himself upon a man then by believing first on him for it is faith in Christ which opens to a man all his interests in Christ And if this be sure that Christs willingnesse prevents thine if therefore thou be willing to accept the very nature of the treaty and match assures thee sufficiently that Christ was ready long ago 5. Obj. But then saith the sensible sinner I am not prepared and humble enough Christ is to binde up the broken hearted but my heart is still hard and Christ is to open the prison for them that are bound but I am not at least in sufficient bondage and he is to give the oile of joy for mourning but I have no melting nor mourning spirit and therefore I may not believe on him nor take him for I am distinguished Sol. I shall not need to say much to this because I have touched heretofore upon in the Exposition of Mal. 1. 1. yet I will touch a little at this time 1. There is a twofold humbling according to a double cause of it One is in the exceedings beating of the conscience with inward terrors and feares springing from the Power of the Law which quickens the conscience and wounds it with the expresse sense of former guilt and which presents God in all the glories and terrors of his justice and as the great and sure avenger of an unrighteous person When the soul is in this kinde of humbling it is filled with exquisite sense and exquisite torment like a man with a burning arrow in his thigh or like a thief hearing the sentence of death pronounced upon him by the judge Now this kinde of humbling though sometimes it may be an antecedent to faith in Christ for God doth many times bring a man to heaven by the gates of hell he doth bruise and wound and even kill him by the terrors of the Law and then revive him with the workings and tender goodnesse of the Gospel yet it may be possibly without any future accesse of the soul to Chrâ—st For this mark that though God doth many times graciously superad another work of conversion to this of legall affliction yet he may and doth many times distribute these sorrows in wrath and they are but the testimonies of his pure and displeased justice even in this life to begin an hell of anguish in the conscience of a proud and daring sinner Another is in the tender abasings and sweet bathings or mournings of the affections when there is a fountaine of sorrow set open within the soul giving out it self in severall streames of melting because of sin and transgression Now this latter is not an antecedent but a consequent of faith in Christ as you shall hear presently A man cannot rightly judge of his fitnesse to lay hold on Christ by the meer strength or measure of any legall humbling but by the Issue and event of them If instead of one item from conscience thou shouldest now heare an hundred and instead of one lash from conscience thou shouldst now feel a thousand though thy heart were broken into as many pieces as the glasse which is dashed against the wall though thy spirits did even fry within thee for the heat of horror and that thou didst roare day and night for the disquietment of thy guilty conscience yet couldst thou not confidently affirme by all this I am now for Christ and Christ will assuredly accept of me I shall not misse of him Reasons whereof are these 1. Because these may be Gods tokens of just vengeance on thee meer punishments and judicial acts 2. The soul under these may be rather taken up with the stinging guilt and feares of sin then with the foul vilenesse and base nature and acts thereof standing in contrariety to the holy and good will of a gracious God 3. The thus afflicted soul may cry out for Christ meerly out of self-love to ease the burden but not to cure the nature to deliver it from paine but not to heal it of the sinfull inclination Therefore this I would say to any legall broken spirit do not judge of fitnesse meerly by the strength or depth of teares there is a threefold enough 1. Intensive for the degree 2. Extensive for the time 3. Dispositive for the efficacy therefore do but observe what disposition attends and follows these There be five things which if they follow upon legall humblings may be subordinate encouragements to the heart to put it self upon Christ First if quite driven out of ones self Secondly if sin comes to be felt as the basest evil as the guilt of it hath been found the sorest paine A third is if the heart finds it self any way loosened from the league of iniquity yea and that a secret war is begun now 'twixt the soul and the sinner Fourthly an high estimate and valuation of Christ as the only and choisest good of my soul and hope c. An active and fervent desire to put the soul under the Government of the Lord Iesus Whether thy legall humblings be great or small long or short more or lesse that 's not the thing but if they be thus attended thou mayest safely venture thy soul upon the Lord Jesus thou mayest believe and he will in no wise refuse thee 3. Faith in Christ will not hinder the humblings or meltings of thy soul I observe when there is a Thunder-clap then there is such a hurry in the cloud that fire flasheth out and the cloud is brust insunder and a mighty deluge of water is thrown down and you may likewise observe that the Sun doth though there be no storme draw up and sweetly open and pierce the clouds which thereby give down the most seasonable and refreshing showres of rain The Law is like a Thunder-clap it doth many times so tosse and hurry and vex the conscience that infinite sighes and feares and teares gush out But then faith makes the Sun of righteousnesse to arise within the soul and nohing melts the heart more then Christ apprehended by faith Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son and they shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born For faith First sees the greatest love the sweetest kindnesse the freest pardons 3. Reasons of it the readiest acceptations all which do even me it the heart into a river and works the greatest mournings I doubt not but
are very strict in it I will only present my thoughts amidst the crowd of conjectures First how punctual Gods day of grace is in the offer of Christ so that if a man doth not take it in the first moment of tender I think none can tell Secondly to say of this or that particular man that he is gone beyond his day for ought I know goes beyond our commission Thirdly that at any time when the Gospel is published then it ought presently to be embraced To day if you will heare his voice c. Fourthly God doth not take away from a man his day alwayes immediately upon his first refusal if so perhaps it would have been night with all the world ere this Fifthly it is probable that the day of grace is not closed against a particular person when his heart begins to be broken for former refusals for when men out-stand this day usually they are given up to a seared conscience to a reprobate minde to a sensible stupidity and to the works of sinne with greedinesse they grow worse and worse being not only destitute of all softning qualities but being more hardned by the Gospel which they refused and despised The man who out-stands his day is either deprived of the sound of the Gospel or else he hath only the judicial power of it working upon him 3. The sense and grief of the heart for former standings out this I say proclaimes that thy day is not set nay this is thy singular and special day Dâ—vines do distinguish of the day One is General like the rising of the Sunne the very rising and publishing of the Gospel makes a day Another is special which is like one of the twelve houres in the day when the Spirit of God begins to make day within the heart and Christ is dealing and secretly parling with the soul by conviction of its former refusals by sweet humblings and meltings for such proud and erroneous denials That the Prince of my peace should be refused that the Lord of my life should be refused that the termes of righteousnesse and mercy should be refused O how the heart judgeth condemns rents and afflicts it self for it falls down at the feet of Christ not worthy O Lord to look upon thee whom I have so often undervalued This is a special day here 's a season for thee thou mayest go to Christ Christ hath dealt with thee effectually this is the acceptable time 4. If thou hast stood out against Christ hitherto thou hast therefore now the more reason to come in and not to refuse the offer yet continued Observe two things First that former rebellions are never taken off by by new and continued For this is to make sinning much the worse perhaps thou didst refuse Christ heretofore through ignorance thou didst not see his excellencies nor thine own necessity or perhaps through inadvertency or carelesnesse thou didst not wisely and seriously heed that great salvation in him But now thou art convinced now thou seest thy refusals and carelesse pretermissions to be sinful Why is this the way to cure the former by adding more refusals Didst thou well to refuse him upon his own termes if thou didst ill then cease refusing labour to accept of them Thou canst never please God by continuing in a sin nor help thy self by pleading against thy duty Secondly thy obligation and present duty ceaseth not because of former refusals It was thy duty to have received Christ at the first and to this very day doth that duty lie upon thee former miscarriages should cause our humblings but they never disannul our duties Why the Gospel is yet in its revelation of Christ and yet in its tenoer of Christ unto thee and yet in commanding of thee to refuse him no more but to hearken and to beleeve that is to accept of Christ to be thy Lord and Saviour Obj. Oh why what should I do faith a soul that hath stood out Sol. I answer thou shouldest look back on thy withstandings with hearty grievings and shouldst presse on towards thy duty with fervent requestings now lay down thy weapons and strive to give up thy self to Christ not to harden thy heart any longer but beg of God day and night to forgive thy refusals and to give thee now a heart to beleeve and to yield 5. Christ will accept of any man who is willing to lay down his weapons Object 'T is true that Christ saith These mine enemies who will not have me to reigne over them bring them forth and slay them before me If a man will be still an enemy if he will not accept of Christ to be his Lord to govern him then Christ wâ—ll be a Judge and enemy to that man he shall perish Sol. But it is as true that if we accept of reconciliation if we would lay aside former enmity if we come unto Christ and cast our selves down at his feet and give up the sword which fought against him if we confesse our rebellions and beseech him to accept of us into his service and into mercy If we heartily desire now to be the servants of righteousnesse to take Christ to be our Lord and to serve him alone assuredly he will not refuse us Therefore if any here this day have their spirits entangled with this scruple that they now have refused Christ and are past their day but withal they finde their hearts bleeding for this and they do now judge of Christ as the chiefest of ten thousands and it is the desire of their souls to be reconciled and to put themselves under the government of the Lord Jesus I say unto such fear not come and accept of Christ he will be reconciliation to thee Though thou hast been an enemy yet if now thou wilt accept of the termes of peace the Son of peace will certainly accept of thee 7. Obj. Yet the sensible sinner is not satisfied for all this I am afraid Why because I finde not only former guilts in a manifold number but present corruptions in exceeding strength no man living hath an abominable heart as I surely the Lord Jesus will loath me and depart from me a sinful wretch I cannot think otherwise how then should I beleeve Sol. For some resolution of this scruple observe a few particulars First the sense of the strength of sinne is no unhopeful symptom nor prejudice to faith Of all tempers the hardned is most dangerous and sinne hath the greatest strength where there is the least sense A man seems to be nothing else but a lump of sinne when he is so wholly leavened and sowred that not a part in him can reflect upon it self and feel its filthinesse where the guilt of sinne is no burden and the nature of sin is no trouble that soul is in an ill case But the sense of the strength of sinne imports something else in the soul besides sin When the patient is deadly sick he saith he is well and feels no
make his addresse unto the Lord Jesus for cure and health and that he should by faith accept of him and trust upon him for the healing of his soul and the subduing of his sins and then verily you shall finde vertue to come from Christ raising a greater hatred of sin war with it in the very fountaine watching and praying against it and the power of the ordinance successively weakening and crucifying the power of sin Lastly know this that the time of contrariety is the time for faith to work When a man sees death then is it the time for faith to believe life When he sees the grave then is it the time for faith to believe a resurrection when he sees guilt then is it the time for faith to believe pardoning mercy when he sees himself a sinner then is it the time for faith to believe a Saâ—iour when he sees strong corruptions then is it the time for faith to believe great grace when he sees great discomforts then is it the time for faith to believe strong consolations the exigences of sense and the reliefes of the promises are quite contrary what I feel is one thing what God doth promise is another thing That which the patient observes in himself is sicknesse and that which he hopes for in the medicine is health Hath God made thee sensible of thy sins dost thou finde thus much that al that thou canst do wil not become a rebuke of corruption thou art able now to see the strength of thy sinfull nature but to remove it thou art utterly unable Why what is now to be done truly as in the sense of the guilt of sin we must then flye by faith to God and put our soules upon his free mercy for pardon so in the sense of the filthy strength of sin we must to heaven by faith and put our soules on Gods faithful promises in Christ for the healing and subduing of it This is the way and therefore strive to walk in it you may try other waters but they shall not help you and perplex your own thoughts but they shall not availe you the cure of the sinful soul is only in heaven and it is faith only which can lift up a soul to God and Christ which puts it into the Pool When sin is felt then let faith work If thou canst finde any one promise which God hath made of sanctifying and healing and subduing Why here 's ground for faith yea for thy saith for in these promises are the cures of thy sinful nature and faith it is which will apply the healing medicines to thee 8. Obj. Yet I am not satisfied saith the sensible sinner and fearfull soul Why Because First I cannot finde an heart to duty to pray and seek of God and surely if God did purpose and mean any good to me he would in some measure frame and encline and excite my heart towards him Secondly yea and againe though I do sometimes seek and entreat yet I observe that what I was that I am nothing comes of it how then can I may I should I be enduced to believe Sol. Here are two sore and real scruples which do indeed vehemently beat upon a sensible sinner I shall endeavour to assoyle them successively 1. I cannot finde an heart to any duty to pray for faith c. I Answer 1. As the inability to holy duties depends on natural corruption so the indisposition towards them depends exceedingly upon unbelief There is nothing disheartens a man more towards God then it For bâ—sides this that unbelief in its own nature is a departure from God it is a bias drawing the soul downwards This also is true of it that it represents God to the soul in all the appearances and methods of discouragements It makes the soul to see nothing in God or from God which might encline it to him O saith unbelief there is such holinesse and purity in him that he will never endure thee there is such truth and justice in him that he will surely be avenged of thee There is such strength and power in him that he will certainly meet with thee and lay load on thee There is I confesse a mercifulnesse in him but alas his tender bowels of compassion his ready forgivenesse extends not to thee there are many sweet intimations in his promises but they concern not thee there is a mighty salvation in Christ and powerful intercession to ingratiate some persons and their services but what of this to thee He is a God hearing prayer yea but he will not regard the cryes nor tears of some but their Sacrifices are an abomination unto him And thus doth unbelief set up God utterly against the soule so that the poor soul conceiving of God as an enemy dares not come neer it flies off it is even afraid to speak to him It is perswaded by unbeliefe that God will frowne upon all that is done whereupon the spirit sinks the affectionâ— are flatted I have no minde nor heart am like a lump a stock a stone Secondly it is faith which will fetch up the soul Psal 27. 13. I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord c. As if he should say my spirits were even breathing themselves out I was even sinking down giving up all unlesse I had beleeved but that confidence of Gods goodnesse towards me that did put life into me that did fetch me again that did put heart into me You see now the spring is coming on that those seemingly dead branches of the trees they begin to thrust out some hopeful sproutings and put on another colour of freshnesse why because the root is now more fed and warmed It is faith which will put colour into our faces and spirit into our hearts and life into our duties For 1. Faith sets open the mercy-seat It represents God to the Two reasons of it soul in all his attributes of graciousnesse not as an hard tyrant but as a good God willing to give audience to the humble requests and suit of a poore sinner Nay willing to dispatch and grant his requests What is thy request said Ahashuerus to Queen Ester it shall be granted thee c So saith the Lord What wouldest thou have of me Is it mercy I do promise it unto thee Is it grace I promise that unto thee Is it strength is it comfort is it deliverance whatsoever it be if thou beleeve on me I will not fail to give to thee Nay I will do it freely nay cheerfully with all my heart and with all my soul Jer. 32. Yea this makes the soul to come unto God as the ship into the haven with full speed and stretched sailes O the soul bends the knee with cheerfulnesse when it sees it shall be raised up with kindnesse a man may have some heart to pray when he knows My God will hear me that God hath a readiness to answer 2. Faith sets the soul in
I would have the present grants are not satisfying of my desires yet something is got by every faithful seeking there is not one faithful prayer which thou hast dispatched to heaven but it delivers thy message and is returned with a blessing Either it gets more additions to some grace or other or more alienation from some sinne or other or more dispotion to some duty or other or more resolution to seek or more strength to waite Like the many Bees which go out every one comes home with some thing one with honey another with wax so every faithful prayer flies up to heaven and gathers something or other from the good promises and though not so much as thou desirest yet alwayes more then thou deservest though not so much as to satisfie yet as to help 5. Suppose that yet you are not answered it is then a sinne to murmur and quarrel but it is thy duty to wait I observe this 1. That God never gives thee so large an almes but that thou needest the next houre to become a farther Petitioner 2. That God is pleased to make the beggar to stay sometimes at door he doth not alwayes presently give what he intends certainly to bestow but as his own free grace is the treasury of our gifts and supplies so his own wisdom is the dispensor of the time and season Now then as the goodnesse of the promise should draw us to beleeve so the fidelity and certainty of it should cause us to wait and expect God doth give thee leave to urge him but he likes it ill to hasten him if God doth promise then it is thy duty to believe and if he stayes then it is thy duty to wait for God doth wait that he may be gracious and blessed are all they that wait for him CHAP. XVII Of living by faith HAving formerly shewed unto you what it is to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and earnestly pressed upon you to get faith in him I now proceed to another Use which supposing that Vse 5 by this time you have attained unto faith shall be to excite and perswade you then to live by that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Beloved there be two offices of faith One is to breed conjunction and acceptance and this is done when the heart is upon good and choise and deliberated grounds effectually inclined to content and take whole Christ upon his own terms Another is to breed dependance and this is done when the beleeving soul makes continued use of that fulnesse and vertue which is in Christ touching the continued exigencies of its state and condition in this life As it is with a woman she first gives her consent and becomes a wife and then being a wife she looks upon her husband as the onely person to supply her direct her comfort her provide for her and hers So is it with faith first it doth espouse the soule to Christ it takes him as Lord and husband and then it casts all the provisions of the soule upon him all the supplies and helps it trusts on him for righteousnesse on him for pardon of sinnes on him for grace one him for strength on him for comfort on him for eternal life c. Now because this is a point of singular consequence give me leave therefore and it matters not if now and then I make a little digression to unfold these particulars that you may the better understand and be assisted how to use that faith in Christ which you have to live upon him by it 1. What it is in the general to live by faith 2. To what states the life of faith may extend 3. What it is more particularly to live by faith on Christ 4. What arguments and enducements I have to presse not only the getting of faith but also the living by faith on Christ 5. In what particulars the Beleevers should live by faith on Christ 6. What things oppose the life of faith 7. Tryals if so that we live by faith 8. What good helps may be found out to assist and more and more to encline and enable the beleeving heart still to live by faith If any other profitable and pertinent enquiry may hereafter fall in for the better information and direction besides those particular heads which I have now propounded unto you you shall have a view of them likewise but for the present I can think of no more Now the God of mercy and Father of all consolations direct and blesse their deliveries so unto you that you may not only have that precious faith but live by faith nay and die in faith and so receive the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules SECT I. Quest 1. VVHat it is in the general to live by faith Sol. I will not now stand on the several kindes and sorts of life viz. That there is a life of vegitation which the trees and plants do live and a life of sense which the beasts and cattel do live and that there is a life of reason and knowledge which man doth live and that there is a life of faith which the Christian either doth or should live Neither will I stand upon the opposition 'twixt the living by faith and living by works one being a legal life and upon our selves the other being an evangelical life and upon Christ Nor now of that opposition 'twixt the life of faith and the life of sense the one being a life in hand the other in promises That depending upon our eye this upon our eare that is sense dwelling on what it can see and faith on that good word which it doth hear These things being passed over I conjecture that to live by faith may be thus described It is an heavenly and dutiful committing of our whole persons To live by faith what and of our whole estates unto God with a pious depending upon his faithful and good promises in Christ for sutable and seasonable supplies in all our exigences occurrences and changes whatsoever Here are divers things observable First to live by faith is to commit all to God It is as it were to intrust him with our selves and ours I know saith Paul whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him 2 Tim. 1. 12. As if he should say I have put my very soul and life into the hands of Christ who I know will look to it take care of it for ever David makes this to be the putting of our selves under God as our Shepherd Psal 23. 1. and as our Keeper Psalm 121. 5. Mark this a man lives not by faith when he undertakes to be himself the Lord of himself or a God to himself when he trusts to his own heart or will subsist by his own arme or when he puts his confidence in any arme of flesh O no faith gives God the honour of our beings and safeties and resignes up all to be
and then to compare what it is and hath done with what it should be and should have done It is amazed at its own unrighteousnesse and this is much increased for it knows that no unrighteous person shall go to heaven It knows that God will not pronounce unrighteous judgement He will not acquit a man as righteous who hath not righteousnesse nor shall he ever stand in judgement before him Now this is another exigence which puts the soul upon the life of faith 3. The times of desertion when all the comfortable evidences of the Christian state are drawn off as it were when the Lord confines himselfe and all to his promise The poor soul hath no spark of comfort it hath no glimpse of divine favour if it can finde God to be his God and Christ to be its Christ in the promises well and good but there is no feeling nor handling any sensible tokens This is another exigence 4. The times of contrariety when the Sunne seemes to be darkened and when mercy seems to be angry and when fidelity seems to cast off when mindfulnesse seemes forgetful God seemes not to regard us but to fight against us and Christ who did call to us to come unto him doth seem to go away from us O this is a strong exigence of the soule and if ever now must it live by faith 5. The time of weaknesse when a man sees that his work is great and his strength is small duties many power little affections dull not able to do for Christ not able to suffer for Christ cannot pray hear receive obey as he should as he would This is also an exigence of the soul wherein it needs to live by faith on Christ 6. The times of corruption when a man feels sinne afresh he had thought sinne had been dead long ago and all conflicts had been past but now he perceives sinne to rise like an armed man and like a flood even ready to beare down the soule with that hideous insolency and violence of wicked thoughts and inclinations yea so great is this storme that as they said to Christ in another case so here Master help or else we perish 7. The times of temptation which like a crosse winde beares the ship almost under water The gates of hell seems to open themselves against the soul and the powers of darknesse fall in upon it with all the cunning of unbelief and excitation to blasphemy To deny God to slight his Word to let go our confidence in Christ so that the poore soul is almost brought to dust and death by reason of them This is also another exigence for the soul to make use of Christ and to live by faith 8. The times of contradiction when the mouths of wicked and foolish men like sharp rasors wound and cut off a mans good Name when their hands like claws of Lyons teare away the prey they take away the innocency of the upright and the estates liberties friends all the earthly encouragements of the righteous I say this may also be an exigence for the soul to live by faith in Christ and to make up all in him alone 2. Now as he who lives by faith is in the acting of that life still sensible of some one of these exigencies or straits of his soule so in the second place he must be able to Behold a sutable fulnesse in Christ He must know two things First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all these Secondly that Christ is appointed of God and willing to do it therefore I pray you remember First that Christ hath enough in him to answer all the exigencies of the soule Thy soule cannot be cast on any sea but he is there as a sure ship and harbour It cannot be cast upon any streight or trouble whatsoever but Christ is able to relieve it 1. For the sense of guilt Why in this there is that in Christ which can take it off His blood is good payment and it was shed for the remission of sins He can make perfect peace and satisfie to the utmost As the least sinne needs his me it so the greatest doth not exceed it If Christ would but offer up his soul for thine his merits for thy trespasses his precious blood for thy bloody crimes Why God will be pacified for his blood is the blood of atonement of reconciliation of blotting out of peace c. 2. So for unrighteousnesse Why there is that in Christ which can present the righteous unspotted unblameable which can present thee glorious without spot or wrinkle as the Apostle speaks Eph. 5. He can finde an ample garment without any rent an obedience which was perfect which God will accept for which he will justifie thee Though thine own righteousnesse for matter of judicial Justification be as filthy rags 3. The like may be said in a proportion to all the other exigencies Though thou be weak in grace feeble in duty yet he can make all grace to abound and he can strengthen the feeble knees and he can comfort the mourning spirit and he can open heaven againe He can open thy eyes that thou shalt see thy God again yea and as thou hast done formerly as thy God yea he can conquer the busiest corruption and put by thy strongest temptation and stand by thee in the bitterest opposition 2. Nay and Christ is both appointed of God to be and do all this for the beleever and is very willing He is made unto us of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 30. wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption therefore is he called the horn of salvation the Justifier of his people the Standard to which we should repaire the strength of them that trust in him in a word he was invested a Mediator with his triple office of Priest and Prophet and King to be and to do all this for such as are believers Thou doest not mistake thy self nor misconceive of God or Christ when thou goest to the Lord Jesus in any of thy streits then to be a Priest for thee or to be a Prophet for thee or to be a King unto thee O no God hath appointed him to be the Saviour of his body to be the head of his Church and Christ who was thus ably invested is as willing and faithful to discharge and performe 3. These things being to be known and granted there followes in the third place the conjunction of these two together which indeed is the very living by faith upon Christ When the soul is in any exâ—gence and comes to Christ and puts it self upon him and trusts to him for help this is to live by faith on Christ Suppoâ—e a person sensible of much guilt many sinful commissions or â—omissions lay heavy and sore upon him he is grieved at heart that he hath so dishonoured God take them off he is not able and therefore he renounceth all in himself to Christ he goes and saith thus O blessed Lord
acts of faith are capable of weaknesse and also of opposition one man may more confidently trust and expect and another lesse sometimes the same man is more pure and high in the act of trusting and sometimes he hath much ado with his heart to get it to roll it self on Christ but yet he doth do it against many feares and against many corrupt reasonings now he lives by faith but then know it is an ill businesse instantly to reverse the acts of faith faint in it or but to suspect Jesus Christ himself either in his power or goodnesse or truth Fourthly to live by faith on Christ it is an extensive work it is to trust on him not for one thing only but for every thing which concerns the state of the soul The soul is a needy thing naturally it is so and so it is spiritually either it needs grace or more grace or strength or comfort or peace or mercy and pardon something or other it wants now Christ is an adequate supply to the soul he hath grace enough and righteousnesse enough and power enough and peace and plenteous redemption Now then as our wants appear or as they multiply so must faith appear and abound in its acts if we will be said to live by faith I will be righteousnesse to thee saith Christ and I will trust upon thee for it saith faith I will be sanctification to thee saith Christ and I will trust upon thee for it saith faith I will be redemption to thee saith Christ and I will trust unto thee for that too saith faith yea I will trust upon thee to be my continual propitiation continual intercession to be my continual sufficiency and strength for more grace for quickning for comfort for salvation for all Doth corruption work againe and I will to Christ againe to subdue it he will do it for me doth Satan renew his temptations and I will renew my addresses to Christ who will againe I trust bruise him under my feet my comforts are gone but I will to Christ I will live upon him he will come again and then my joy shall be full And indeed the life of faith as it is a multiplied work for it makes the soul to live upon Christ for its manifold grace so it is a repeated work it leads on the soul often and often even for the same kinds of supplies Obj. O saith the soul I did go to Christ and did beseech him to rebuke Satan and I trusted on him and followed my suit and found it so but now Satan tempts again now sin works again now my heart is down again dull and dead and feeble again Ans I say to such an one to live by faith is to keep house with Christ it is to be a daily guest it is to relie upon him it is so often to come as we have need it is to draw water often from the same fountain As if Christ did say to a person whatsoever thy soul needs come to me for it and whensoever yet come I will do it for thee and the heart goes confidently to the Lord of its life and hope of its salvation SECT IV. Quest 4. WHat Arguments to move us not onely to get faith in Christ but also to live by it Sol. They are so many that I know not well where to begin First If we consider our own condition this might put us upon the life of faith First the life of faith is congruous to our condition for what is our condition but a depending being such a being as subsists upon and by another Take us as creatures and so we are but beames of light which the sunne lets forth supports contracts drawes in We are like a glasse which God doth frame and hold in his own hand or else we cannot stand or like the flowers they must be set in the ground and then watered and fenced or else they live not our whole being and working and maintenance is from him that made us In him we live and move and have our being And take us as new creatures so shall we find that not only our natural breath but our spiritual being not only life but grace too depends not on him who hath it but on God who gave it Grace is a sweet streame but that flowes and runnes still because still fed by a living spring It is a fruitful branch but that branch doth stand and bear because upheld and supplied by a more fruitful root Hence is it that Christ is called the head and we the members he is called the root aâ—d we the branches he the foundation-stone we the buildâ—â—â— he is called the rock we the house built on that rock h◠〈◊〉 husband we the wife and spouse he the Lord and we thâ— sâ—râ—ants he the Shepheard and we the sheep he the nurse and we the babes All which do evidence this much that our life is in him upon him for we are dependants from him we live therefore upon him we should live Secondly the necessity of our condition our condition here below doth so shift and vary and faile go and come that if we do not live by faith we cannot honestly live at all Helpe failed me on every side said David all men forsook me said Paul We know not what to do said Jehosaphat God is pleased to call off all our comforts to gather up into his own hands of promises all our supports It is with us many times as with a Ship laden but on a sudden broken to pieces now the persons of necessity must swim towards the shore and to the rocks So God doth dash in pieces our lower confidences he cracks a full estate he separates very friends he gives not a heart to people to shew us compassions and sorrowes on all sides poure in themselves a man hath nothing in all the world left him but Gods bond is word of promise So for the estate of the soul it is frequently so clouded so darkned so checked so distressed so assaulted that all the meanes under heaven do not relieve it if the Lord doth not help if Christ be not the rock it cannot be delivered or supported Now in such cases where the condition is wholly reduced to the promises or unto Christ there can be no living but by faith The heart of a man is either broken with despaire and griefe or will break into the wayes of wickednesse if it lives not by faith in the cases of all sensibe sequestrations For 1. It is only faith which can espy something for the soul now Who is he that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50. 10. Faith can see the stars in the thickest night of darknesse there is nothing but faith which can tell the soul of rich mercy in the times of greatest sense of exceeding guilt and there is nothing but faith which can finde out fulnesse of grace in Christ
for a soul which is bitterly sensible of its wonderful and continual emptinesse Till the Angel came and opened Hagars eyes to see the fountaine she gave up her child for dead so unlesse we have faith to open our eyes to see the fountain of grace and mercy in God and Christ I tell you that in many of our exigencies we shall throw away all all as dead and lost and hopelesse 2. Againe It is nothing but faith which gives spirit unto us from a bare promise one word of God is security enough to faith If a Marriner can get to the top of the Mast and descry but a point of land he is now glad all is well faith is said to see the promises afar of Heb. 11. well saith faith to the soul now as Paul to them which sayled with him be of good cheer thou shalt yet do well grace and mercy and help will come God hath promised it and Christ will make all the promises Yea and Amen and now the soul lives because of that good and faithful word c. Secondly If we consider God himself there is sufficient reason why we should live by faith There be six arguments which we may behold in God to envite 6. Things and perswade us to live by faith First his Alsufficiency I am God alsufficient said he to Abraham What 's that That is I am an absolute and independent essence in respect of my self infinitely perfect and enough and have enough and enough to satisfie all the world Take all the particular creatures in the world and view into their natures and conditions you shall finde every one of them to be imperfect to be depending to be replenished with wants even one man for his own particular is covered over with innumerable wants the wants of his soul are many so of his body so of his estate what then and how many are the necessities of every man But now God is alsufficient that is he hath enough to supply every man He can open his hand fill every living thing Thou openest thy hand said David Ps 145. 15. and satisfiest the desire of every living thing and he is able to make all grace abound saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 9. 8. He is rich to all that call upon Rom. 10. 12. He is able to do Eph. 3. 20. exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Phil. 4. 19. The Sunne you see hath light enough for a whole world and a fountaine hath water enough for a whole countrey Why all good is in God both originally and eminently and causally that is he is goodnesse it self and all goodnesse fulnesse without want strength without weaknesse holinesse without blemish yea and the universal cause of goodnesse and therefore infinitely able to supply and help and do good there is no one necessity but he is able infinitely to succour it and many yea all necessities are not to be compared to the unfathomed greatnesse and exceedingnesse of his fulnesse and alsufficiency 2. His Command As God is an absolute and full good all our helps do center in him as in their compleat cause so he hath commanded us to live upon his alsufficiency by faith How often do you read those charges Trust upon the Lord commit thy way to the Lord rest upon him stay upon the God of Jacob cast thy care on him As if God should say unto the sons of men I am he and there is none else besides me who can do you good there is not any good in all the world which you want but I am able to supply it I am alsufficient for wisdom for holinesse for mercy for power for grace for comfort for peace If you want water you would go to the Spring and if you want light you would look up to the Sunne and if you want any good why will you not look up to me who am goodnesse it self I tell you that I am a God and have the greatnesse and the fulnesse of a God Nay and I charge and require you when you need any thing come to me for it I am the Master of all the families of the earth and the Lord of all good It is my expresse will that you come unto me and that you put your trust on me that you beleeve on my alsufficiency that you live upon that stock which is in my fulnesse Nay I shall take it exceeding ill if you rest your selves or live on any other 3. His Promises Consider this two wayes 1. Generally his promises of good wherein is ground to trust 2. Particularly His promises to them that will and do trust Psal 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and verily c. Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee So Isa 57. 13. This puts life to all the rest for though God were never so able to do good and though his commands were never so urgent to live on him for all our good yet if he had not made over this good unto us we might maintain secret feares and discouragements But now God hath promised all good unto us that is he hath firmly and graciously made it over As if he should say all the good that I can do I will do it for thee all the ample fulnesse in me is to replenish thee it is to supply thy wants and necessities and I assure thee in the Word of a God it is so Psalme 84. 11. The Lord is a Sunne and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Ver. 12. O Lord of Hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee There is not any one particular want which is fit to be stiled a want and fit to be supplied in this life for soul but God hath by promises particularly engaged all his sufficiency to help and supply it Doest thou want an holy heart a returning heart an heart to hate sinne to mourn for sinne a beleeving heart an upright heart a meek and patient heart a joyful heart doest thou want any grace more grace pardon of sin assurance of pardon strength against sin strength for any duty active or passive wantest thou any convenient and fit good for thy body for thy name for thy estate for thy children for thy family any good for life at death after death Not any one of these which God hath not distinctly promised If you knew a man to be sufficient to have an estate worth ten thousand pounds and all free you will presently trust him for an hundred pounds or if such an one should command any in his need to come to him and borrow this would draw many to him but if he should take a man out particularly and say to him Friend my estate is thus great I have a great estate and I pray thee if
for certain God hath spoken such good things but further that he will assuredly performe them Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Jacob Jer. 33. 14. 6. His performance of them to them that have lived by faith When persons have committed themselves and their conditions unto him when they have trusted upon his word he hath not failed them he hath made it good Abraham he did live by faith when God promised him a Son the text saith that he did beleeve he did not consider his own body but gave glory to God nâ—resting upon the sole goodnesse fidelity and strength of his promise and God did indeed perform the same unto him Not any of the Kings of Israel and Judah but expressely sped well when in their exigencies they did trust unto God Our father 's trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them they trusted in thee and were not confounded Psal 22 4 5. The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I was helped saith David Psal 28. 7. The Lord shall help them and deliver them speaking of the righteous and save them because they trust in him Psal 37. 40. Now put all together should we not live by faith trust upon God in Christ and through and for Christ for all our helps of soul who is 1. An alsufficient fountaine 2. Who commands us in unto himself for our helps 3. Who hath promised all good unto us if we will but trust him 4. Who is able enough to make good whatsoever he promiseth 5. Who cannot and will not lie deceive or faile us 6. Who hath given testimony of his truth in all ages Who hath performed his oath to Jacob and remembred his mercy to Abraham who hath been ever in all ages mindful of his Covenant to such as durst by saith live upon him and trust in him Thirdly consider the qualities of this life of faith and these may much prevaile with us to labour to live upon God in Christ by faith There be foure ingredients in this kinde of life all which are admirable and indeed they are peculiar priviledges of it 1. It is the only Christian life 2. It is the only comfortable life 3. It is the only getting and thriving life Four excellencies of this life 4. It is the only certain and stedfast life 1. The life of faith it is the only Christian life The Christian hath a life common with many creatures his life of eating and drinking of nourishing and growth it is such a life as the beasts live as well as he his life of reason and labour that also is such a life which all men live as well as he but thee life of faith that is singular and proper to the beleever for no man hath that faith which the true beleever hath and no man hath his estate so in heaven so in Gods hands so inclosed and treasured in the Covenant of promises as he What Christ spake to his Disciples about this very matter Mat. 6. 31. Take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be cloathed Ver. 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek As if he should say it is enough for meer sinners for such as have not God to be their God who cannot in Christ call him Father it is enough for them to lead such a vexing and distrustful life That I say here Why it is enough for men of this life the men of this world for them who have their onely portion here to live the life of sense to be scraping to be plodding to be vexing their thoughts and hearts how to compasse how to fetch in how to lengthen an estate To have a God and yet to live without him a Christ and not to live upon him as if either were nothing in this Christian But for the beleever who hath a God and a Christ and all good undertaken for him by a full and faithful Covenant It is his life now to trust upon his God to rely upon his Saviour to quiet himself in Gods Word of promise As Christ spake in another case If you love them that love you and if ye do good to them that do good unto you what singular thing do you do not even the Publicans and sinners the same That I say in this case if ye will make up your own estate if ye will live upon what you see and what you taste and what you handle and go not above and beyond these and your selves do not sinners do not the worst of sinners do the same If the vilest person can rejoyce when his table is full and hang down his head when sensibles go off wherein doth the beleever exceed him who is merry and cheerful only in a sensible plenty and his heart is ready to break in the ebbe and substraction of that by the dayes or years of scarsity and sensible distresse If thou didst look upon God as thy Father and Christ as thy plentiful redemption and the promises as a goodly portion and thine inheritance then the dayes of tears to others would be houres of thankfulnesse unto thee and the nights of fears to others would be times of sweet repose and contentment unto thee When the spiders web was swept away yet thou couldest see the house standing and sure even in all sensible abstractions of the olive and vine and stalles thou couldest yet rejoyce in the God of thy salvation For the place of thy defence is the munition of rocks bread shall be given unto thee and thy waters shall be sure Isaiah 33 16. I observe a threefold difference 'twixt an unbeleever and a beleever One is in the very estate for the beleever hath a far better portion then the unbeleever he hath a portion set out for this life and a portion also for a better he hath food for his body and grace for his soul Another is in the manner of settling the estate for general providence relieves the one and special affections provides for the other The one is helped by common goodnesse of universal kindnesse and the other is undertaken for and secured by a singular bond of Covenant God hath made over himself and all his goodnesse unto him in his Sonne Jesus Christ He hath taken upon himself all the care and all the good and only wills the beleever to be upright and diligent and so to trust upon him he hath settled all his grace and strength and comfort in Christ c. A third is in the manner of managing The unbeleever he will like the prodigal have all the estate into his own hands he will trust upon himself he dares not settle on God for he feares him he suspects him he thinks verily God will not do him good but he will faile But the beleever knows whom he hath trusted God is
live by faith Take a place for either Ier. 17. 5. Thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. As the Lord of Samaria ver 6. For he shall be like the heath in the desart and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Psal 37. 39. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in the time of trouble ver 40. And the Lord shall keep them and deliver them c. and save them because they trust in him The soul oft-times bitterly complaines that as yet it hath not that good thing it sticks yet in the hands of God Christ can do it if he will Why but if ever thou wouldest speed thou must trust I dare not trust though saith the soul how then canst thou speed Why then doest thou complaine God and Christ undertakes thy good but then he requires this of thee do but trust me for it and thou shalt speed I will not fail thee I have sworne by my self that I will not alter nor repent The poor man comes to Christ and cries out for help Mark 9. O Lord saith he if thou canst do any thing c. Why saith Christ I can do any thing I am able enough and willing enough that 's not the thing this is it which will make thee to speed canst thou believe darest thou to trust upon me he answered Lord I believe I do trust and you know that his son was presently healed The childe comes to the father father supply me I will saith the father but I will have it instantly if he had asked and trusted his father he might have sped but because he doth ask and murmur with his father he is therefore justly denyed There are two things which mightily oblige a person to the doing of a kindnesse one is his own promise another is his friends confidence who hath upon the security of his word adventured so here besides the very inclination of the divine goodnesse to make good its own undertakings this also adds not a little to our speed and furtherance that we rely onely on God It is a common complaint that we cannot be answered I reply it is a common fault that God nor Christ can be trusted It is not how many wants thou feelest nor how many promises thou readest nor how many prayers thou makest If with all this thou doest not ask in faith think not O man to receive any thing from the Lord. I will give you three reasons why the life of faith is the only way to thrive First because it puts a man upon the only way of blessings As none can blesse but God and he can blesse so the blessings of God are to be expected only in the wayes of God and nothing so skilful in Gods wayes as faith Secondly it makes all the promises to yield It is true as God is infinitely above all and his power is greaâ— so faith in a qualified sense is above God himself he is not able to stand against it Be it to thee as thou wilt said Christ to the believing woman Thou shalt have the desires of thine heart said David Psal 37. 3. 4. Thirdly God himselfe and Christ and all become ours If we dare to trust and live by faith Thou wants outward supplies I require no more of thee saith God but to walk uprightly and diligently and to trust on me and thou shalt have it Thou wants spiritual supplies for thy soul I require no more of thee but to come to me to trust to me and go to my Ordinances stand in my wayes and thou shalt have them Fourthly it is the only stedfast and abiding life when other lives are broken and crushed they are gone down yet this life by faith like the Starres which shine in the night remaines firme I will clear it by Argument The stability of all sorts of lives is according to their principles and motives The life which depends upon a failing cause it is a fadeing life and the life which depends upon a constant cause is a constant life Now the life of faith is bred by a living principle and is fed by constant and abiding motives you know that the grounds of this life of faith are in God and Christ and the promise now all changes reach not to them our changes are below in other things but they are not in the promises nor in God above as changes are not in the heavens but in the aire Look upon things at hand and so they appeare with variety and with much unlikenesse but eye them in the Covenant in the Promises there you have the same faithful God still tender father still all sufficient Saviour still the Promises are yea and Amen Christ is the everlasting father the Covenant of God an everlasting Covenant Gods love and immutable love he is as able still as willing still his how abides in strength and underneath are his everlasting armes Though Davids father and mother forsake him yet the Lord will take him up and though all forsook Paul yet God stood by him so true is it that faith can cast a sure Anchor in all states and in all changes it can look upon the same God and the same Christ and the same promises Though the Marriners when they put to sea quickly lose sight of Land yet they never loose sight of heaven how far soever they saile and in what tempest soever yet still they may look upon the heaven the same heaven Faith never loseth sight of its rock of its salvation of its helpes that which it eyes it may eye for ever and that upon which it trusts it may trust upon for ever thou hast friends and this springs up thy spirit thy friends dye and now thy spirits sink thou hast parents and children in these thou rejoycest and settlest thy confidence both the one and the other embrace the dust and thy heart is utterly broken for help and comfort O Lord what have I more E contra thou hast a God and he is the same for ever a Christ and he yesterday to day and the same for ever Promises and they are a word setled forever in heaven But when all sensibles flie off yet if we live by faith we are at no degree of losse what can he lack who hath him who is all in all and what can he lose who hath him that knows no change at all Fourthly let us consider Jesus Christ himself There are diverse things which should perswade us to live by faith upon him There are nine things in him which may move us 1. The exceeding plentifulnesse of our supplies in him Thou art not approaching to a dry Cisterne but to a full fountain what may do thee good he hath and he hath that in a most eminent fulnesse Is it the good and vertue of
repose the victories of our corruptions upon his mighty arme nor the reforming and beautifying of our spirits upon his singular wisdom and holinesse Why what didst thou think or mean when thou didst accept of him to be thy Mediator didst thou conjecture that if once thou gavest thy consent to take him that never after thou shouldst need him or if so wouldest never make use of him Well no more what the Apostle said in another case that I say in this if we will not live by faith upon Christ we do what in us lies make void the Redemption of Christ the intercession of Christ the holinesse of Christ the glory and power of all the offices of Christ. 9. If all this will not move us to live by faith in Christ that is to trust upon him for the help and supply of our spiritual estate then take one thing more there is an impossibility of supplies for thy soul any other way go and think and act any other course to do thy soul good besides this and it shall be fruitlesse after many years industry as thou art so still shalt thou be Obj. Thou wilt say I will never leave complaining of this nature till it be bettered Sol. Thy nature is not bettered by complaint but by grace and that is in Christ and never had till we can trust Object Thou wilt say I will never leave grieving nor praying nor hearing nor reading nor fasting nor conferring till c. Sol. 'T is true these are meanes but where is the cause What if a man should say I will stay here all my life at these conduit pipes but I will have water whiles in the meane time the fountaine yields not forth I confesse the Christian must apply himself to the Ordinances but then it is Christ who sends forth the help and then do the Ordinances deliver us our helps from Christ not presently when one hears but when effectually they have enabled us to beleeve If thou canst heare and beleeve pray and beleeve mourne and beleeve fast and beleeve c. Then good shall come unto thy soul Draw a thousand bonds yet if they be none of them sealed nothing is yet legally and forcibly made over and conveyed many prayers availe little or nothing till they are sealed with faith and now God will acknowledge our demands as authentick and Christ will deliver unto us our hearts desire I had thought to have handled the opposites of the life of faith with the evidence of a true living by faith and also the meanes which might assist us to the life of faith But I recal my self I may not expatiate so farre sufficient hath been touched for this Use perhaps the subject may be more amply treatised if ever I should come to set down before that theame directly and intentionally I therefore proceed to another Use CHAP. XVIII The improvement of faith to a full assurance I Will yet advance on to one Use more Since faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved therefore not only to labour for that faith but to exalt that faith my meaning is to improve this faith also yet further â—o strength and comfort Divines observe a double act of faith One of adherence by which it cleaves unto Christ and relies upon him alone for righteousnesse pardon of sin grace and salvation Another is of evidence by which it cleares unto the soule its interest in Christ and his righteousnesse and merits In the former the soul renounceth all other corner stones all other rocks of salvation and trusts only upon the Name of Jesus Christ accepts of him as the only Lord and relies on him as the only Saviour casting or rolling its heavenly and eternal safeties into his blessed armes In the latter the soul feels it self reciprocally embraced by Christ I have accepted of him to be my Lord and he saith I am thy King I have relyed on him to be my Saviour and he saith I am thy salvation For pardon of sinnes and he saith unto me Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee Now to this part of faith do I desire to mount the soul of a true beleever viz. not only to apprehend Christ but to know himself to be apprehended by him not only to beleeve but to know him whom he hath beleeved To rise thus far by faith to an assurance that Christ is my Christ my Redeemer liveth who gave himself for me My Lord and my God that he is my righteousnesse my redemption my propitiation For the better settling and exciting of you in this particular I will briefly touch at these things 1. What the assurance of faith is 2. It may be had 3. It should be had 4. The Arguments to stir us up to labour for it that is to know our riches and to know our possessions 5. The means to get it SECT I. Quest 1. WHat the assurance of faith is Sol. It is a victorious conclusion against the strength of doubts whereby the minde of a beleeving person is ascertained and perswaded and upon good ground settled concerning his personal interest in Christ and his benefits For the better opening of this description be pleased to observe these subsequent propositions 1. That the assurance of faith it is the conclusion of an evangelical syllogisme The syllogisme is this Whosoever repents and beleeves in Christ Christ with his benefits are his and he is Christs but I do truly repent and beleeve in Christ therefore Christ and his benefits are mine and I am his In this Syllogisme there are three propositions The first is a Proposition of most infallible certainty it being expresly the voice of Jesus Christ himself and of it the minde hath no doubt but fully assents unto it as a principle of Divine truth viz. That he who repents and beleeves in Christ is his and he is Christs And of this the minde of a beleever may be abundantly perswaded without questâ—onings and doubts for as much as it is a part of the Word of God to whose absolute truth it doth plentifully subscribe The second is a proposition carrying with it the direct act of faith in which the beleeving soul doth accept of Christ or receive him and trust upon him by vertue of which there ariseth a most real and true union 'twixt Christ and the beleever The third and the last which is the conclusion or inference drawn from both the former comprehends in it the formal assurance of a beleeving heart that therefore Christ is mine and I am his That he who beleeves in Christ hath Christ and shall be saved this is not yet that subjective assurance of justifying faith for as much as many an hypocrite may beleeve that truth and yet have no personal interest in Christ Againe that I do beleeve in Christ neither is this essentially assurance for as much as to beleeve is one thing and to be assured is another thing many a good heart may accept of Christ
and now I labour to be assured now I come to be perswaded having subscribed to all the propositions and articles of the Gospel that now Christ is mine and I do by the Word convince my soul that so it must be For thus I argue with my soul whosoever repents and believes and endeavors to walk in Christ assuredly Christ is his and he is Christs but I do this Ergo Christ is mine I cannot make so short a cut as the presumptuous person doth Christ died for sinners therefore for me God is merciful therefore my sins are pardoned without any more ado O no there is an orderly progresse in true assurance It doth not saltum facere stride over to extreames As if a man should see a Lease drawn and presently concludes the houses are mine the lands are mine No but he must hear and understand and weigh things and subscribe and seal to the conditions and then he may safely and boldly say that they are his So must the soul hearken to the tenor of the Gospel understand both the precious offer and the peculiar conditions of Christ then he must consent unto them and accept of Christ to be Lord and Saviour and resolve to forsake every sin and to yield up his heart and life to the obedience of Christ and earnestly seek the Lord by his Spirit to perswade him of his particular interest in Christ and look up stedfastly and waite upon the Lord in the use of the ordinances and other consecrated meanes Thus is the assurance of faith wrought in the soul and upon these grounds doth it settle the mind 5. Lastly Assurance of faith concerning which we speake directs man even to a personal evidence of his particular interests in Christ and his benefits There is you know a double evidence One is real and respects the thing or object to be believed Another is personal and respects the state of him who doth believe Now assurance of faith consists in the determining of the minde about the particular goodnesse of that thing which it assents unto in the general as most true viz. That Jesus Christ is my Lord and my God that he is salvation for me it opens the eyes as it were to see what Christ is to me and what he hath done for me and what he will do to me And thus briefly have you had a short explâ—cation of the nature of this assurance a most heavenly thing it is and only believers have it though all reach not yet unto it I now proceed to another enquiry SECT II. Quest 2. VVHether such an assurance of faith may be had Sol. The Papists will not hear of it by any meanes some of them unlesse in an extraordinary way They conceive that faith is notable to raise the minde beyond a moral hope and conjecture and many lewd and lazy Protestants shake hands with them in that opinion But I will cleare it unto you that every believer may come to this assurance It is a possible thing I dare not say that every believer de facto is assured yet he may be assured of his particular interest and this I will evidence easily 1. The believing soul is not uncapable of perswasion They say that faith doth not destroy but elevate the understanding and that same is a truth for it doth new temper the understanding and the will but not overthrow their substantial natures and abilities Now this is undeniable that the power of reflexion is natural to the understanding It is such a faculty which is able to look upon its own actings and its own state yea and perswasion by way of certainty the understanding is capable of it forasmuch as it is by knowledge and sense and experience made most assuredly certain about many objects and conclusions Now because faith doth not destory but elevate the minde it may by faith come to a perswasion and reflexion 2. Againe to urge things as yet in a rational way Faith can see as strong reason and argument to perswade and settle the minde and assure it as the Phylosopher can to raise the minde to a certainty of his conclusions The mindes perswasion depending naturally upon strong evidence and the power of argument Now faith can bring as strong arguments to convince and perswade the minde for its arguments depend upon two strong testimonies One of the infallible Word of God the other on the voice of a renewed conscience Ergo 3. God would not promise that to a believer in this life which is impossible for the believer to rise unto Forasmuch as promises are of things as future they are the undertaking of good things which shall come to passe and be performed now every future thing is a possible thing that which shall be we may coâ—fidently affirme of it that it may be But this personal evidence or assurance it is a thing which God hath promised Ezek. 34. 30. They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will c. Verse 23. I will say unto them thou art my people and they shall say thou art our God 4. I spare to adde the strength of the divine Spirit in its reflections on the soule as also that perswasive vertue in a renued conscience and the many experiences in many Christians who have attained unâ—â—â—his assurance all which doth clearly evidence that it is a thing possible That which the Spirit is able to force in a beleeving soul that which many a beleeving soul hath attained unto that same is a possible thing but c. Ergo. SECT III. Quest 3. VVHither every Beleever should strive to the assurance of faith Sol. I will premise onely a thing or two One is that some duties concerne all men at all times and immediately as to repent and to beleeve Other duties concern some men and those in an order and mediately As to be assured of a mans particular interest in Christ it is not an immediate duty it doth not concern a man meerly as an absolute sinner for a man who is unconverted and yet unbeleeving is not bound to be perswaded that he is Christs and Christ is his unlesse we will say that he is bound to be perswaded of a lie no but he must first be a beleever he must accept of Jesus Christ upon his own termes and being a beleever I say he is bound to labour for particular assurance Not to let the real interest of Christ in him and of his soul in Christ to hang hovering and in dispute but to determine them by particular and personal evidence Againe premise this it is one thing to speed de facto what every beleever hath and it is another thing to speak de jure what every beleever should have It is true that every one who hath Christ cannot be yet assured and say that Christ is mine but then as Christ
is really his as certainly he is thine as thy husband is thy husband so the Christian is obliged to assure his heart thereof Which I shall easily clear by Argument 1. We are bound to draw neer unto God in the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. Which is 〈◊〉 conceive in a cleare perswasion that we shall not faile but enjoy the good which he promiseth now this cannot be unlesse a man be assured and perswaded that God is his God and Christ is his Christ for as much as perswasion of audience doth always arise from a presupposed persâ—asion of personal and mutual interest I cannot by faith be perswaded that God wil give such a good thing or such unless I am first perswaded that he is my God that God is my God or Christ is my Christ It is a fundamental perswasion upon which all others are built for this gives life and settlement to my doubting soul I many times doubt but shall I have this thing which I ask yes sayes the beleeving heart but how are you assured of it I reply because God is my God he hath given himself unto me Ergo he will give this but how know you that God is your God Upon good ground why saith the beleeving soul of that I am abundantly perswaded I doubt it not hereupon the soul raiseth it self to that other assurance of acceptance and audience why then I will nor doubt of this I will be confident that then the Lord will heare for he is my God and David goes this way very often 2. We are bound all our dayes to give God thanks for his greatest mercies now I think that the bestowing of Christ upon the soule is as great a mercy as ever poore sinners had Obj. It is so but what of this Sol. But we cannot give God hearty thanks whiles we are doubtful of our particular interest in Christ Can'st thou go unto the Lord and say O Lord I blesse thee from my soul for all the mercies which thou hast conferred on me health I have and I know it for which I do thank thee riches I have and friends and this I know too and for them I thank thee too I thank thee also exceedingly from the bottome of my soul for that thou hast given thy own Sonne to me Jesus Christ but truly I know not whether thou hast given him to me or no I thank thee exceedingly for the pardon of my vile sinnes in this blood but verily I am not sure of this I rather think they are not pardoned Nay this will not runne smooth and the reason is because so much particular evidence as God gives a man of his personal interest in himself or Christ or his merits so much and no greater thankfulnesse will the soul be brought unto SECT IV. Quest 4. WHat Arguments to move beleevers to labour for the assurance of faith Sol. There are many 1. As he said to Job Do the consolations of God seem small unto thee That I say here doth assurance seeme a small thing unto thee Consider seriously the matters and things about which this assurance is conversant and thou shalt finde them of the greatest consequence in the world What doest thou think of Jesus Christ for a sinner Can there be a more excellent good then Christ I count all things but drosse and dung for the excellency of Christ said Paul Phil. 3. or can there be a more necessary good for thee then Christ Tell me in sad thoughts that if thou hadst all the pleasures of the world and all the honours ours of the world and all the riches of the world and yet wast Christâ—esse that is thou hadst no portion in Christ why what avails all this as long as thou art Christless as Abraham said seeing I am childlesse In whom is God reconciled unto thee but in Christ and how wilt thou stand before God if thou have not Christ by whom canst thou get salvation but by Christ and why then wilt not thou force thy soul to give all diligence to make thy part in Christ sure to thy soul that thou mayest come in all cases to that of Job I know that my Redeemer liveth and with Paul He loved me and gave himself for me Again what doest thou think of the pardon of sinnes verily the time was once even then when thy spirit did roare all the night and thou foundest no quiet in the day when thy moysture was turned into the drought of Summer and thy soul was disquieted within thee I say in that time thou couldest with many teares break out and say with David Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity O what wouldest thou have given to have beleeved that thy sinnes should be pardoned thou couldest then discover death in so unpardoned a state and life then in a discharged and absolved condition Why I pray you is pardon of sinne so precious a thing and is the assured knowledge thereof a small thing Is it not enough to have the pardon passe not onely the seale of the King but the eye also of the malefactor Yea yet further what think you of eternal life what is it O I cannot reach it by thoughts much lesse by words Life no such thing on the earth as it eternal life what thing in heaven more then it To see my God my Christ to be gloriously united to them to be filled with the perfections of holinesse brightnesse of glory to know him as we are known to love him in the transcendency of love I know not what I say for I speak of eternal life O! if the the glimpse of divine favour here be the admiration of our soules the perfection of our joyes the heaven on earth tell me what is the fulnesse of his favour what is the full evidence of his favour what is the everlasting evidence of his favour Now eternal life is all this all this alas I have said nothing of it yet Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath c. And is not this a matter to be determined and ascertained to our souls what to let eternal life hang in suspense verily though until we do mount and rise to the assurance of faith we leave for our part though the thing may be sure in it selfe even this also our eternal life as a thing doubtful Thou wile not hold the least quillet of thy land upon unevident and unsure term yet wilt thou c. 2. Assurance will marvellously settle and quiet the soul David expresseth so much Psal 4. 6. Lord life thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Ver. 7. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corn and wine increased Ver. 8. I will lay me down and sleep The ship at anchor is safe but in a calme
it is quiet faith makes our state sure and assurance peaceful Two effects he there delivers of this blessed assurance one is a transcendent joy and another is a compleat peace It glads the heart and it pacifies the heart It is most true that faith in its vital act of acceptation intitles us to both Every beleever hath cause of great joy sweet peace but it is faith in this eminent act of assurance which replenisheth the soul with actual joy and actual comfort For now the beleever sees and knows his happinesse He hath a Christ and knows it he hath pardon of sinne and knows it he stands in favour of God and knows it that which held up his soule is now opened all the causes of his comfort shine as it were and clearly discover themselves in a way of well grounded propriety As David said concerning his enemies Psalme 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid So the assured soule in this case can exult God is my God Christ is my Christ they have pardoned my sinnes accepted of my person what should trouble me what should disquiet me my soule doth now rejoyce in God my Saviour Who shall lay any thing to the the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Romans 8. 34. Sinne that is pardoned Justice that is satisfied my soul that is reconciled my person that is justified my prayers they are answered my heart that is pacified for God is mine and Christ is mine and I am his Before I am assured I see my sinnes look up to Christ and adventure my soule on him for pardon I trust on him yet I may feare but when I am assured I see my sinnes look up to Christ and my soule is quiet and rejoyceth As it was with the Israelites when they were Neere the red sea they looked back on their enemies and looked up to God but yet they were exceedingly afraid Afterwards when they had past through the read sea and stood upon the shore they looked back upon the same enemies but now as drowned and then their sighes were turned into joyes and their feares into peace They exceedingly rejoyed Why in assurance though we look upon the same sinnes yet not in the same manner Now we look upon them as drowned enemies as iniquities cast into the depths of the sea as pardoned iniquities Now though sin doth grieve the soule yet sinne pardoned doth quiet and rejoyce the soul 3. Assurance doth arme the heart against future temptations There are two sorts of temptations against both which the assurance of faith doth arme the beleever 1. To sinne Though assurance be a kinde of heaven upon earth yet in this doth the beatifical vision differ from a beleeving assurance that the one leaves no sinne at all but the other is a day of great comfort to a beleeving sinner yet even an assured person hath yet much of a sinning nature remaining in him Neverthelesse though assurance doth not wholly cast off feare yet it doth exceedingly keep off sinne A beleeving person shall not easily sinne whiles he is reading his pardon and looking his Christ in the face How can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God If the meere respect of a God was so prevalent with Joseph O how much more powerful is the propriety in a God How can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against my God Should such a man as I flee said Nehemiah so the assured Christian should such a man as I sinne Nay remember it Sinne is never more odious to the heart then when the heart is most assured The great and rich mercy of God in Christ it is the principal bane of a temptation The man who formerly would have stept out against the threats of justice having now obtained mercy trembles at the very thoughts of sinning 2 To despaire it is possible for an assured person to sinne and then this is probable and more then â—o that new sinnings will quickly cloud olâ— assurance Though a beleever looseth not his life yet â—e may loose his health and though he hath a Father 〈◊〉 yâ—t by sinning he looseth the sight of that Father 〈…〉 exceedingly humbled and repents â—â—d 〈…〉 cannot read his former Evidences he 〈…〉 cast off for ever and shall be remembred 〈…〉 yâ—t an ancient assurance well grounded 〈…〉 and preserve the soul against despair◠〈…〉 â—hat God will not cast off the soul Jer. 〈…〉 hath appâ—â—â—â—ed of old unto me saying I 〈…〉 an everlastâ—ng love therefore with loâ—â—ng 〈…〉 thee Ver. 4. Againe I will build thee and thou shalt be built So Psal 8â— 30. 〈◊〉 his children forsâ—ke my Law and walk not in my judgments Ver. 31. If they break my statuteâ— and keep not my commandments Ver. 32. Then will I visit their transgression with the red and their iniquities with stâ—ipes Ver. 33. Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utteâ—ly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Vâ—r. 34. My Covenant will I not break c. Sure mercies of David Isaiah 55. 3. So for Christ Ioh 13. 1. Having loved his own he loved them to the end 4. Assurance by faith sweetens all other blessing to us Job speaking of many outward mercies in â—â—s children in his plenty his honours Job 29. 5. 67. and ver 3. he recounts one which shadowed all of them his candle shinâ—d upon my head Aâ— if the evidence of Gods favouâ— were like the light which gives life and beauâ—y to all the colours in the roome and without which all our blessings lay dead and dark O what an enlivening matter is this to all that I enjoy and God is my God too and Chriâ—t is my Christ too and my sins are pardoned too here is a dear and loving husband yea and God is my God too here are teâ—der and observing children yea and Christ is my Christ too here is plenty of food and raiment and friends yea and my sins are pardoned too But the want of this may check all our blessings and is able to marre the very comfort of our comforts I am exceeding rich yea but I cannot yet say that God is my God I am greatly honoured by man yea but I cannot yet say that Christ is my Redeemer I have health and marrow in my bones and want not for any outward mercy yea but I cannot yet say that my sinnes are pardoned for ought I know that may yet stand upon record which may lose my soul for ever 5. Nay again it is able to sweeten all our crosses a crosse is more or lesse heavy to the Christian by how much the more or the lesse God appeares to the soul The Disciples may even in a storme rejoyce if Christ be in the Ship It was an excellent speech that of Job 29. 3. By his light I walked through
darknesse and David answers him in Psal 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me How triumphant is Paul and beyond both himself and all crosses and all because of his assurance and perswasion Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Ver. 37 Nay in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loved us Ver. 38. For I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor Height nor Depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Can more be said need we to adde See him againe in Romans 5. 2. We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Objection Who would not may some reply in so great a good Sol. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation also and who can do this but he who hath some measure of assurance Indeed faith can make the soul to submit in a crosse but it is assurance which makes the soul to rejoyce and to triumph What the Apostle spake of death that is true of all afflictions the sting of them is finne where the conscience is wounded and the sight of heaven is darkned there the crosse is heavy and bitter A man hath a burden on his shoulders and a burden on his conscience and yet a burden that he cannot see any to smile on him and comfort him But now when the spirit of a man is sound and the evidence of faith is cleare when a man feeles all to be right within all to be peace abroad that all stands faire 'twixt him and his God Nay and he can see God as his God the strength of this assurance doth not onely allay a burden but raiseth the heart exceedingly above it yet God is good to Israel and though I see the Olive to faile and the Fields not to yield and the flocks to be cut off yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength Hab. 2. 17 18. Sixthly it makes all kinds of duty to flow and to rise I wil instance briefly in some 1. In the Active 2. In the Passive 1. Active 1. Praise and thankfulnesse Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Ver. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Verse 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Nay he is at it againe Psal 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take up the cup of salvation c. O the evidence and apprehension of so great a mercy and salvation it fills every vain of the heart c. Musick is highest and sweetest in the fairest weather He who disputes his mercy can hardly bless for it Now I see much forgiven and therefore I blesse much What! and all this forgiven to me and so freely and so fully also so many transgressions yet to cover all yet to be reconciled yet to put down the gracious pardon before mine eyes 2. Prayers There are two properties in these which will surely arise out of assurance One is confidence and boldnesse A man will come boldly to the throne of grace who is once assured by faith Now that of John comes in indeed 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have iâ— him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us Christ I remember teacheth his Disciples and in them all Beleevers to pray for many excellent things both for soul and for body but then he preferred he set this in the front Our Father as if he had clearly suggested this unto us that the assurance of God as our Father is that which gives unto the heart a strong confidence in all petitions why who will not come freely and confidently to a Father to his Father to his reconciled Father Another is quicknesse and life in the affections Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Observe it I will seek thee there is now diligence early will I seek thee there is quicknesse of affection and why I will seek thee early because O God thou art my God 3. Ordinances Now a man will flie to them as the Doâ—es to the windows it is the Prophet Isaiah's expression A man hath an heart to bow the knee when he knows that my God will help him A man hath an heart to heare the Word when he knows my God will teach him to profit and will speak peace unto him A man will with cheerfulnesse addresse himself to the Sacrament when he knowes this is the blood which was shed for the remâ—ssion of his sinnes and his salvation is there sealed The Apostle hath an apt passage in 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word and surely that is with much delight and with much earnestnesse for so do babes desire the milk of the breasts But what might stirre up this Ver. 3. If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious a taste of God of God as gracious yea this is it which whets the appetite this sets on the heart to the ordinances indeed 4. All obedience actuating the whole kinds of duty Why assurance in the soule makes all duty both cheerful and stedfast Psalme 26. 3. Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes therefore have I walked in thy truth Why is duty to good hearts sometimes so weary-some so slack so troublesome verily faith is weak doubts are strong feares are many could they once see God to be their God Christ to be their Lord and Saviour sinnes pardoned in his blood and all this to them Now even the lame would walk and the weary would runne the heart would set upon obedience with all its strength and all its care 2. The like may be said for passive obedience assurance enables it exceedingly The love of Christ constraineth us said Paul 2 Corinth 5. I remember the Apostle hath a notable passage Romans 5. 7. For a good man some will even dare to die That is for a bountiful man a man of eminent and singular good to preserve him for his sake a private man would lay down his life If the goodnesse and kindnesse of a man hath sometimes such a force with us what influence then hath the goodnesse of a God upon a beleeving heart the kindnesse the blood of a Christ upon a beleeving and an assured heart Who would not suffer reproach for Christ who suffered death for him who would not kiss the stâ—â—ke to bring him honour who shâ—d his blood to get his
Ordinance as for other ends so for this That the matter might be out of doubt out of controversie that Christ is ours and sinne is pardoned in his blood 3. Be much in prayer If a man would gaine assurance he must be much in prayers to perswade and assure the heart David found marvellous loving kindnesse but then he cried in supplications Psalme 31. 21 22. Thou must pray earnestly for mercy earnestly for pardon and most earnestly for Christ And thou must use diligence Remember this that in all thy endeavours for assurance thou must use diligence a cold hearing a cold reading a cold praying will not bring the soul to it No you must be most diligent and fervent in them and so c. 4 Again with all these there must be joyned strong upright care to please God This know that sinne separates but uprightnesse gathers God and the soule together To him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of the Lord Psalme 50. 23. Why Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Psal 97. 11. See that of the Prophet Isa 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes Unevennesse of heart or way it is a flaw and it is that which cuts us off after many prayers it renews our doubtings again and we are as far to seek as at the first but if the heart be plaine if it be sincerely set for God desirous to please him in all things this a compendious way of assurance the Word falls in directly to settle and confirme such a soul The steps of the Words direct us to the sight of our God 5. Lastly you must be much in the exercise of faith There be two parts of it which you must improve One is you must against all sense and feeling and against all the contradictâ—ons of reason and unbelief cast the soul on God in Christ and rest on him to be your God and on Christ to be your Lord and Saviour and that your sins shall be pardoned Then you must wait you must not limit God but seek still I will hearken said David what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace to his Saints Psalme 85. 8. See Isa 64 4. Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him The Lord will wait that he may be gracious blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30. 18. so Isa 25. 9. It shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him c. This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation For Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy So that this is the summe of all walk with all uprightnesse and with an humble penitent and believing soul cast your sins upon God in Christ trusting in him alone for the favour of God pardon of sinnes and eternal salvation and wait upon God for all this in the use of the means and constant diligency in prayer you shall at length have your hearts desire you shall hear from God thus much I am thy salvation and from Christ as much Be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL Table A Affiance THe neer relation betwixt Christ and a beleever is the ground of Affiance p. 254 Anointing vid. Christ Antecedent The difference betwixt an Antecedent and a cause p. 90 What antecedents go necessarily before faith p. 91 There is no concluding the presence of the habit of faith from the common antecedents of faith p. 91 Assent Assent how one beleever differs from another therein p. 121 122 Assisting Assisting vertue from Christ p. 143 Assurance Three things granted about assurance p. 38 39 How assurance is an act of faith p. 39 Assurance of Christs willingnesse an encouraging ground to beleeve p 196 A double assurance of Christs willingness p. 196 Assurance a fruit of an eminent faith p. 93 Assurance easily let go argues a weak faith p. 134 The improvement of faith to a full assurance p. 259 What the assurance of faith is p. 260 Assurance is the conclusion of an evangelical sylogisme p. 260 Assurance is a victorious conclusion against the strength of doubtings p. 261 Assurance is an asserting or perswading act p. 262 Two kinds of assurance touching our personal interest in Christ and the difference of them p 263 Assurance of saith directs to a personal evidence of particular interest in Christ and his benefits p. 265 Every beleever may be assured thereof p. 266 Arguments to evince it Ibid To be assured how far it is a duty p 267 A Christian is obliged to assure his heart that Christ is his p. 268. Arguments to evince it Ibid Want of assurance hinders thankfulnesse p. 268 Arguments to perswade to labour for assurance p. 269 The things about which assurance is conversant are of greatest consequence p. 269 Assurance will marvellously quiet and settle the soul p. 271 Assurance arms the heart against future temptations p. 270 Assurance sweetens all other blessings to us p. 273 Assurance sweetens all our crosses p. 274 Assurance makes all kind of duty to flow and to rise p. 275 Assurance is a bathing spring to all our graces p. 277 Assurance doth ease us of the world and mounts the soul above it p. 278 279 Means by which the soul may get up to this assurance p. 280 Atheisme Natural Atheisme a hindrance to saith p. 168 How to be removed p. 169 Atheisme what it is p. 168 B Beleever Believing Believing in Christ what it doth import p. 29 The general nature of believing in several propositions p. 30 The difference betwixt knowledg opinion and belief p. 30 31 Believing as restrained to a divine and theological consideration what it is p. 31 Vid. Faith In what sense beleeving in Christ is the only way to be saved p. 54 The difficulty of believing in Jesus Christ p. 79 The facility of errour and mistake about believing and what makes it so p. 84 Comfort for all true believers p 109 Believers are in a true and sure way to heaven p. 110 Every Beleever hath a sure interest in Christ p. 140 Every Beleever hath a beneficial interest in Christ What these benefits are p. 140 141 Motives to beleeving p. 158 God deals mightily with the soul to believe in Christ p. 165 We are noâ— losers by beleeving on the Lord Jesus Christ p. 166 Boldness Beleevers may with boldness approach the throne of grace p. 116 This boldness cures sinful modesties and unbeleeving fears p. 116 C Certainty The difference betwixt reflexive certainty and real certainty of interest p. 140 Change An inward change an infallible testimony of a living faith p. 98 There is a change produced
Eph. 4. It takes Christ so as none with Christ or besides Christ The Patriarchs had most of them a wife and a concubine it is not so here Faith doth match with an absolute exclusion of all other matches It is not the soul and Christ and sin nor the soul and Christ and the world nor the soul and Christ and the Devil it is not the soul and Christ in chief and sinne in service as a deputy or a corrivall a secondary thing c. Fourthly this taking is freed from mistaking Faith knowes what it doth it sees its way it understands 1. Who that is whom it takes 2. Upon what termes he will be taken 3 Its grounds of taking First who it is viz. the Son of God God and man a most holy person a mighty Redeemer and Saviour Secondly upon what termes viz. He will not come in by the by he will not be taken as a vassaile as a captive as a drudge he will not be taken for base and changeable reasons meerly to stop a gap in the conscience or only in faire weather but he will be taken as Lord and King to command all the heart to dispose all the wayes to rule our very thoughts he will be taken for his own sake out of a judicious love and estimation of his person he will be taken with all the estates and conditions that befall on the crosse crucified as well as in the way to Hierusalem magnified as one persecuted and distressed on earth as well as one raised and glorified in heaven and thus true faith takes Christ Thirdly upon what grounds viz. upon Gods offer of Christ and promise that whosoever believes on him c. and on his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son whereupon faith brings in the soul to Christ it believeth that God saith true that he doth not call upon men he doth not command men he doth not promise men and all this to delude men so that if you should ask faith what warrant had you to bring in such a soul to Christ Why saith faith God revealed and offered his Sonne and commanded me to believe and promised not to cast off any that come c. Fifthly this taking is resolved against untaking All takings are not of the same force and power if I take a servant I take him so that upon good reasons and occasions I can put him off againe but if I take a wife there can be no untaking on my part unless God takes her I must never forsake her Faith takes Christ this way to be a Saviour for ever to be a Head an Husband a Lord for ever I observe that there are two kindes of taking Christ to be a Lord one is compulsory and violent as when an enemy is made to rule a man in a sicknesse in a terror of conscience in a day of wrath in an expectation of death he will take Christ to be his Lord he will say Oh! sinne is vile I abhor it I will become a new man I will have none but the Lord Christ and he only shall be my Lord and hereupon the man sets about the work of shewing that Christ is his Lord he will command his servants to pray to heare to read to keep the Sabbath c. Yet this man as soon as Gods hand is off as soon as ever he is freed from his bands he will like a lewd apprentise break loose from his Lord and Master he will serve Christ no longer he will to his sins again to the world again to his base society again c. Why because this accepting was only violent and no actions are stedfast or constant whose causes are compelling and violent Another is ingenious of faith and this taking of Christ is grounded onely in Christ in its excellencies beauties perfections which are not like the light of a candle this houre very cleare and the next none at all but like light in the Sunne still abiding and remaining and therefore when a man doth by faith take Christ he takes him for ever for faith can never change for the better and it sees stedfast reason in Christ to cleave to Christ Now I come to the consequent object of faith and that is remission of sinnes and righteousnesse and whatsoever good comes from Christ For thus it is faith doth order its motions or actions according to the word Now the word reveales and offers Christ first and then the benefits next It is not whosoever beleeves eternal life shall have Christ the Sonne of God but whosoever beleeves on the Sonne of God shall have eternal life Nor is it whosoever beleeves the remission of sinnes shall have Christ but whosoever beleeves in Christ shall have the Remission of sinnes Yet when faith hath made the soule to take Christ it goes then from the person to the portion from Christ to the good in Christ and by him for if Christ be ours all is ours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. SECT VI. I Will therefore speak a word of faith as conversant about First Remission of sinnes Secondly Righteousnesse For the first of these viz. the pardon or remission of sinnes Consider That remission of sinnes is an Action of God acquitting the gilt and the punishment so that he will never reckon with the soul any more in a judicial way for those sinnes which are pardoned As when the King throughly pardons a Malefactor he dischargeth him and takes off the gilt we speak of it in respect of redundancy that it shall not now prejudice the person any longer so doth God when he pardons sinne Though he doth not in this annihilate the sinne that is make that to be no sinne which was sinne yet he doth prejudice sin that is he takes off the guilt that it shall never redound to the damnation of the sinner no nor to his dammage Jesus Christ hath procured remission or pardon of sinne for us hence Ephes 1. 7. In whom you have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of your sinnes His blood was shed for many for the remission of sinnes Mat. 26 that is he did die and by his death hath merited and procured our pardon and discharge God offering Christ offers with him the purchase of Christ viz. the pardon of sinnes If you will take my Sonne I will pardon your sins Now faith inclines the soul which is sensible of its sinful guilt to put it self on Jesus Christ for the discharge of them As the wife looks for none and goes to none but to her husband to discharge her debts so faith goes to none for to procure remission of sinnes but only to Christ and on him doth it rest O Lord Christ saith Faith thou didst take these my sinful debts upon thee and thou didst undertake to satisfie for them and to get them to be blotted out yea and I know that thou didst make a full satisfaction Now I renounce all hope of pardon from any thing in me
upon all his termes and articles of peace and life and may cast and repose it self on him as the only rock and hope of the soul and yet it may be so farre from assurance even at that time when it doth so earnestly cleave unto Christ that instead of assurance it may be both tossed and prevailed upon by doubtings suspitions and feares concerning its particular and personal propriety in Christ and in his merits But the last of the propositions I am Christs and Christ is mine this is formal assurance for this concludes the dispute of the heart and hath in it particular and personal evidence 2. It is a victorious conclusion against the strength of doubting you know that in the minde of man there are three kinds of working about an object comprehending goodnesse and truth One they call peremptory assenting and peremptory dissentings in which the minde doth yeild plainly or else refuseth to subscribe and grant the matter proposed to be true and good Another they call doubtings which are the wavering acts of of the minde wherein it doth not absolutely grant or deny it doth not absolutely conclude that so it is nor absolutely that so it is not yet rather enclines for want of further evidence in the soul that it is not so then that it is so The third they call evidence or assurance which is such a work of the minde wherein against all doubtings and suspitions the minde sees clearly the thing to be so or not to be so And thus is it here in the assurance of faith it hath such a light the minde hath that it is able to rise beyond and against doubtings and to convince the soul against all suspitions that Christ indeed is mine and I am his Where by the way observe thus much that assurance doth presuppose some doubtings for if the mind of a believer had not doubtings about its personall interest it could not well be said to be now assured Doubtings did verily and do and may work in a believing soul yea but am I sure that Christ is mine is it certain that my sins are pardoned I trust they are but I fear they are not Now assurance comes and conquers these workings and clears all the doubting arguments and convinceth the minde that of a truth Christ is mine and my sins are pardoned There are two degrees of doubtings One consists in the questioning of our beleeving proprieties is Christ mine is his righteousnesse mine c Another exceeds this and consists in dominion when the soul is supprest by the strength of these doubtings to side with it and still to hang in suspense Now this latter degree especially is assurance opposite unto namely it conquers our doubtings answers our arguments cleares it unto the soul against the many suspitions which did arise that Christ doth indeed owne it that he is the Saviour thereof and therefore I call it a victorious conclusion 3. Assurance of faith it is an ascertaining or perswading act and that is proper and inseparable from assurance therefore is it so expressed in Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come ver 39. Nor Height nor Depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea and it is expressed by a word of personal certainty 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed In knowledge there is alwayes a certainty for that is one of the maine differences 'twixt it and opinion that the one leaves the minde uncertain and wavering and the other determinates the minde with certainty and infallibility Whiles the minde remaines like a paire of indifferent scales which bend this way and that way or like a boat in the river now floating up and then sinking down now reeling to this side by and by to that side it cannot be said to be assured perhaps Christ is mine perhaps I am his this is a plaine uncertainty for the minde is not perswaded But in the assurance of faith the minde is like a scale that weighs down it is perswaded and ascertained there is a prevalent evidence of the thing Not only in absolute tearmes that Christ belongs to a believer but in reflexive tearmes that Christ belongs to me he gave himself for me and he is my redeemer and this particular or personal perswasion is assurance 4. Assurance is not all kinds of perswasion or ascertaining there are two kindes of assurance or perswasion of the minde touching a mans personall interest in Christ One is Imaginary and deluding for as the heart of a man may deceive it self about the habit of faith or any other grace so it may delude him about the acts and degrees of the same doth the true believer believe in Christ so thinks the Hypocrite that he doth too Hath the true believer a perswasion of his personall propriety in Christ which cleares the minde of doubting so hath the Hypocrite too a most exalted confidence an iron faith that would never bend nor bow by doubtings It may be with him as with a poore man in a dreame what the rich man hath by propriety and in possession even that same thing may the poorest man have in a dreaming fancy and imagination But then ask the Hypocrite by what grounds art thou thus confidently perswaded what did encline thy mind hereto what promise hast thou found that Christ is and will be his whose heart was never humbled for sin whose heart still retains the love of sin Now as the man who being demanded how he came without his wedding garment he is speechlesse The fool saith Solomon Prov. 14. 16. rageth and is confident and so the presumptuous person He sinneth and yet is perswaded he walketh in his sinnes and yet is assured I pray you remember that the assurance of faith is no such absolute and boystrous setling of the minde that Christ is mine however though I be never so ignorant and wicked and though I live never so wretchedly and profanely yet Christ is mine and God is my mercifull Father and my sinnes are pardoned O no this is a Diabolical assurance it is no Evangelical assurance Another is grounded and divinely rational and it alwayes followes sound repentance and faith That assurance which goes before these is false absolutely I am bound to repent and to believe but I cannot be assured but in a conditionall order If I should be assured that Christ were mine before before I did believe this were a lie forasmuch as Christ is not mine untill I do by faith accept of him and if I should be assured that my sins were pardoned before I did repent I did in this delude mine own heart forasmuch as sin is not pardoned unlesse it be repented of No but I must repent of my sins I must accept of Jesus Christ offered unto me in the Gospel to be my Lord and Saviour