is good that so we may be brought unto more dependence on Christ As a man is unable to stand and persevere So also he is unable to any one good work Spiritually Evangelically good We are not able saies the Apostle as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 to think a good thought to speak a good word but all our sufficiency is of God And Bradwardin he reasons the case very well Saies he thus â— If that a man bestow good breeding upon his child the father gives the natural being to the child he brings him up in Military affaires the child grows very skilful the father furnishes him with al kind of Armour yet notwithstanding if the child hath the prowess the valour of the action from himself he may boast in himself and he may say True indeed I had my being from my father I had indeed my skill from my father I had my Armes from my father But the Action is my own the valour my own the strength of the action is my own So saies he if God should give habitual grace to a man if the strength for the action should not be from God he might boast True indeed I had the habit from God the habitual grace from God but the action is my own the spirit of the action is my own he had now wherein to boast But all boasting is cut off as you shall hear by and by And therefore Naturally a man is unable to every work Not only the habit is received but strength for the action also 't is all received Fiftly As a man is unable to every action So also he is Naturally unable to prepare himself unto what is good spiritually good Good people mark it I say a man is also unable to Prepare himself unto what is good Not only unable to do good but unable to Prepare himself unto what is good Spiritually good not only unable to Overcome the enemy but unable to draw out his forces not only unable to Receive the enemies charge but he is unable to draw out his forces Ho ho every one that thirsteth Isa 55.1 come and buy wine and milk without money or monies worth If a man could prepare here is money here is monies worth As one observes well Then a man might say The first beginning of my salvation was of my self Yea in truth a man may say The greatest part is from my self for 't is more to begin and more to prepare so the the greatest part of our salvation should be from our selves Ye know what the Apostle saies and I pray consider it in Ephe. 2.1 And you hath He quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Even you at the 5. v. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by Grace ye are saved Mark Twice the Apostle brings in that sentence be brings it in again at the 8. verse For by Grace ye are saved why twice Not only to shew that the progresse of a Christian is by Grace but the very first begining and setting out 't is al of grace By Grace ye are saved 'T is a good speech of Austin Grace is no way Grace unlesse it be every way free Now can a poor dead man prepare himselfe unto life Did Lazarus prepare himself to life Could he do it Could Lazarus do it There is saith the Philosopher a proportion alwaies between the Action and the terme of the Action Now what proportion is there between Nature and Grace No man saies our Savior comes unto the Son Joh. 6.44 but whom the Father draws thus saies our Savior Oh! but saies Pelagius I can go unto Jesus Christ by my own preparation I can prepare I can draw my self unto Jesus Christ or I can draw Christ to me Beloved In natural Actions there needs alwaies preparations to the introducing of forms because in the way of Generation of Nature things are wrought by degrees As for example now If a great log lie in the mud before you can carry it away you must loosen it from the mud but the logg doth not loosen it selfe And so if wood be to be burnt first it must be dried there is preparing the wood to be burnt because the thing is to be done by degrees But in the conversion of a poor sinner the work is done in a moment it is no natural work God infuses Grace there and therefore there needs no prepararation there And therefore Bradwardine he reasons the case very well thus If saies he a man can prepare himself then the preparation either helps forward or causes the following grace if it does not help forward nor cause the following grace then it does not prepare that which does not help does not prepare if it does help forward the following grace or cause it that God must give a following grace as a reward of this preparation then surely this preparation makes a man pleasing in the eyes of God for will God reward a man for a work that does not make him pleasing in the eyes of God But how can a man be pleasing in the eyes of God Heb. 11.6 without Faith Without Faith it is impossible to please God So that a man cannot prepare himself to what is good Put all these together A man cannot naturally overcome a sin a temptation though never so small He cannot rise when he is fallen he cannot stand though he should rise yea he is unable to any good work simply in it self and he is not able to prepare himself unto what is good Surely therefore all is in a way of Receiving what ever grace one hath he hath it in a way of Receiving This is the first Argument Secondly This truth is also argued from the Supernaturallity of Grace Grace is a Supernatural thing and is called in Scripture phrase The Seed of God The Image of Christ The Divine Nature The good and perfect Gift that comes from above from the Father of Lights It is wrought in the soul by the infinite and Almighty Power of God the same power wherewith God Created Heaven and Earth at the first And therefore 't is called a Creation in Ephe. 2.10 We are His Workmanship created unto good Works The same power that the Lord used in raising up Christ from the dead is also put forth in the conversion of every sinner And besides When the Lord is pleased to convert and draw a poor sinner unto Himself He does not alwaies take those that are the best those that are the wisest those that are the most moral Civil men He does not alwaies take the most Prudent but many times the Lord takes the worst Paul Zacheus Matthew the Jailour divers others And if you look into the 33. Chapter of Job where you have the plat-form indeed of mans conversion you shall find there in what a time God takes a man to Convert him at the 14. verse God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceives it not
but for others So in the third place there is an infinite propension and willingness in Jesus Christ to communicate this grace unto the children of men Pray mark it There is an infinit propension and willingnesse in Jesus Christ to communicate and give out his grace unto the children of men Heb. 3.2 He is faithful saies the Apostle in all His house as Moses was Now if Jesus Christ should receive gifts for men for others and then run away with all and not be willing to give them out He could not be faithful but faithful He is Look I pray for this in the 16. Psal 2 v. Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodness not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom are all my delight You reade the words thus Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodnesse extendeth not to thee But in the Hebrew the word extendeth is not Thou art my Lord my goodnesse not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth That these words are spoken of Christ Pray reade the Four last verses I have set the Lord alwayes before me at the 8. ver because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption Now compare these words with what the Apostle saies in Acts 2.25 David speaketh concerning him mark For I foresaw the Lord alwayes before my face he is on my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope Because thou will not leave my soul in hell the same viorde neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption Mark what is said then at the 29. ver the Apostle proves That these words of the Psalm must needs be understood of Christ and not of David Men and brethren saies he let me freily speak unto you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his Sepulcher is with us unto this day Therefore saies he these words cannot be understood of David but must be understood of Christ Now then this Psalm being thus to be understood of Christ saies Christ Lord Thomiâ—t my Lord my goodness is not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom is all my delight They are my delight and therefore what goodnesse I have from thee I am willing to give it out again unto them because al my delight is in them Do you not think that a man is willing to eat his meat when he is a hungry I ray look into the 4. chaptes of John and you shall see what was Christs meat verse the 34. Jesus faith unto them My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His Work My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me What is that Finish His Work What is that You reade before in the 61 Esay That the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and God the Father had anointed Him to open the prison door Now therefore saith He look how willing a man is to eat his meat when he is a hungry So willing am I to releeve poor sinners to open the prison dore to poor captive souls Tender hearted Mothers are you willing to give your Children suck to have your breasts drawn Yes Why so Truly not only because of my child but the truth is unless my breasts be drawn 't is a pain to me not only for my child therefore but for my own ease also you will say Why brethren the Humanity of Jesus Christ is as I may so speak the breasts of the Deity by which we suck out all the holiness and grace which we have and if Jesus Christs breasts be not drawn He counts it a pain to Him And therefore He complains so in the Gospel Joh. 1.11 I came unto mine own and mine own received me not They will not draw My breasts He counts it a pain to Him Tell me are you willing to receive grace Yes If you be willing to receive grace Jesus Christ is willing to give it for you cannot be willing if He were not willing first your willingness does come from His. But I pray what grace are you willing to have Oh! saies one I am a poor ignorant creature I would fain I would fain have more knowledge Oh! saies one I am one of great Passions and of a disordered life and Oh! that I had my life better ordered Oh! saies another I am a poor guilty soul and I would have pardon I would have pardoning grace Now I 'le appeal to you Whether do you not think that an honest man is willing to do the work of his office Can a man be an honest man and not be willing to do the work of his office This is the Office of Jesus Christ He is a Prophet and therefore He must be willing to teach you you that complain that you are ignorant This is the Office of Jesus Christ to be a King and therefore He is willing to direct you and to order you You that complain of distemper and disorder This is the Office of Christ to be a Priest and therfore He is willing to satisfie for you and indeed if Jesus Christ were not willing to give out His grace unto the children of men He would never lay it upon such conditions as He does When a man is unwilling to do a thing for another He will put it upon hard conditions As Saul being unwilling to give his Daughter to David He put it upon hard conditions But now what does Jesus Christ require What does the Lord Jesus Christ require for the Communication of His grace But only this that you do receive it Mark only this that we do receive it a condition indeed that is no condition I say a condition that is no condition because he promises strength to receive also Oh! my beloved Why should we cumber the way to Heaven with Preparations and Qualifications and Precedaneous conditions There are no In-coms no In-coms to be paid at our coming in to Jesus Christ there are no Precedaneous conditions Grace is free and Mercy is free and Christ is free and His Love is free there is an infinite Propension in Jesus Christ to communicate this His Grace to the children of men This is the third Proposition Fourthly As Christ is infinitly willing So in the Fourth place there is nothing either in Heaven or in earth that can hinder Him from doing al. For now grant all the former Three That there is an infinite treasury of Grace in Christ That He hath not received it for Himself but others That He is infinitly willing to give it out unto the
persevere in the way that I am in notwithstanding sall thy discouragements Firm against all Afflictions if you want this creature-comfort or the other creature-comfort you will answer I true I want Friends I want Money I want Credit Oh! but yet there 's a Fulness in Jesus Christ and there 's enough in Him and of this Fulness through the Lords mercy I have received Oh! what a drawing what a drawing argument is here me thinks the stoutest sinner in all the Congregation should now come in and close with the Lord Jesus Christ You will say unto me Here are incouragements indeed Quest to Beleevers for the Doctrine runs thus There is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Oh! but what incouragement is here for others that are not Beleevers And truly I am afraid I am even afraid that I am not one of those what incouragement is there for others that are not Beleevers also I pray look into the 68. Psalm Answ and consider it wel at the 18. verse See what is spoken concerning Christ to this purpose that now I am upon Thou hast ascended on high Thou hast led captivity captive Thou hast received gifts for men 't is spoken of Christ yea for the Rebellious Also Mark that word Thou hast received gifts for men yea For the Rebellious Also Well then is there ever a Rebellious Childe in this Congregation Is there ever a Rebellious Drunkard that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ Is there ever a rebellious Swearer or an unclean heart here that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ Saies the Text He hath received gifts for men yea for the Rebellious Also The Reason why you have not these gifts is because you do not come to Christ Oh! But if you would come to Christ Mark If you would come to Christ you that are Rebellious if you would come to Jesus Christ He hath these gifts or Grace by Him if you would come to Him you should have these gifts from Him Who would not throw down his weapons now Is there ever a Rebel in all this Congregation that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ heretofore Me thinks he should be incouraged hence to come unto Jesus Christ Bodin hath a story concerning a great Rebel that had made a great and strong party against a Roman Emperour the Emperour makes Proclamation that who ever could bring in the Rebel either alive or dead should have such a great sum of money The Rebel hearing of this he comes in himself presents himself unto the Emperour and demands the sum of money Saies the Emperour if now I should put him to death the world would think that I did it to save my money notwithstanding all his former rebellion the Emperour pardons him and gave him the sum of money Oh! would a Heathen Emperour do thus by a poor Rebel And if thou man or woman wilt throw down thy weapons and come in unto the Lord Jesus Christ do you think that the Lord Jesus Christ will not give to you those gifts that He hath received for you Certainly He will Oh! me thinks therefore every poor sinner should now hang upon this last word yea For the rebellious Also Hath the Lord Jesus Christ receiued gifts for men and for the rebellious Also I wil for ever hang upon that word Also Oh! I have bin a Rebel I have bin an unclean Rebel I have bin a swearing Rebel I have bin a drunken Rebel Oh! Lord I will throw down my weapon and hang upon this word Also Hath He received gifts for men and for the rebellious Also Oh! I will come in unto Him Oh! what a mighty incouragement is here for all good and bad to come in unto Jesus Christ Come Drunkard Come Swearer Come Unclean heart Come Sabbath-breaker Come lying-Children Come stealing-Servants Oh! Come unto the Lord Jesus Christ that you may be fil'd for ever Oh! Come unto Christ that you may leave your sins Here is incouragement to all good and bad to come unto Jesus Christ One word more of Use unto Beleevers Appli 3. and so I have done Is there a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Then Beleevers Own your own own your own labor to strengthen your Assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ and maintain your confidence in Him If you have Assurance of Union with Jesus Christ you may have the comfort of all this truth you may and you will say thus or to the like purpose Hath the Lord given me Christ and will He not with Him give me all things else True indeed I want Grace to do such a work with to pray with to hear with to examine my own heart withal I want Grace to do such a work for God Oh! but there is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers and through the Lords Grace I am one There is a communication of the Fulness of the Lord Jesus Christ unto all the Saints and through the Lords Grace I am one and therefore in due time I know I shall have this Grace communicated to me But if you want the Assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ Oh! then you will want the comfort of this Truth then you will break out and say True indeed there is the communication of the Fulness of Christ unto Beleevers but the Lord knows I am none 'T is true indeed there 's a communication of the Fulness of Christ unto al the Saints but the Lord knows I am none I have an unclean heart of mine own the Lord knows I am none Oh! therefore you that have gone doubting up and down and had no assurance of your condition all this while assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ for the love of God get it now as you desire to have the comfort of this truth that now I have bin upon get it now You see Beloved these times we are fallen upon are dying times and truly I may say Dying times and Doubting hearts cannot stand together Oh! Cock up cock up you that have had your evidence for Heaven lying abroad all this while get it in Labor to get assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ and maintain your confidence and assurance and so shall you have the comfort of all this Truth made good unto you And the Lord give it in unto you SERMON III. JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Magnus Aug. 24. 1645. I Have made entrance into these Words in other Congregations And desire to proceed here where I left there The Words are spoken of our Lord and Savior Christ They hold forth Three great grand Propositions First That there is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of His Fulness all we have received Thirdly That of His Fulness all we have received Even Grace for Grace I have done with the
In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed Then He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction That He may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man When man least thinks of it then God comes in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon a man and in slumbrings upon the bed Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction What does all this argue then But that grace grace is infused grace is supernatural Oh! there is a supernaturallity in saving grace Surely therefore all is in a way of Receiving all is Received That is a Second Argument Thirdly This truth is also argued from the Shortness of the means of grace Much means of grace appointed but take the means as it is in it self without Gods appointment or institution upon it you wil find that all means are too short to reach the end For example In the old Testament when the Lord would take in Jericho and break down the walls of Jericho He Commands Josh 6.4 The Rams horns should be blown Take the blowing of the Rams-horns as lying under Gods appointment and so this action was sufficient for to break down the walls but take the action of blowing the Rams-horns by it self and so it was too short So the Lord commands Naaman 2 Kings 5.10 To go and wash himself in the water of Jordan take this action of Naaman washing himself in the water take it I say without Gods Commandement take it with Gods Commandement Gods Appointment so it was sufficient to reach his Cure and heale him of his Leprosy but now take the action as it was in it self without the Appointment and institution of God and so it was too short to reach his Cure So in the new Testament Joh. 9.6 our Savior Christ He takes spittle and clay for to cure a mans eyes Take this under Christs appointment and so it 's sufficient to reach the cure but take it without and so short So God did appoint in Baptisme a man should be washed in water and in the Sacrament we should eat bread and drink wine for the begetting and increasing of Faith Take these actions as they lie under Gods Appointment and Institution they are able to reach this end but take these actions as they are in themselves washing in water and eating bread and drinking wine they are all too short all too short either to beget or increase Grace Well now why does the Lord stil appoint such means as in themselves are too short for the end whereto appointed Surely not only for this reason that he might teach us that the thing done is rather by the appointment then by the use of means but also to show thus much That though we do use the means yet notwithstāding in the use of the means we do not attain the thing by the use thereof but that in the using of means and waiting there we shall receive strength from God to do it to attain the end Whensoever therefore you consider the shortness of the means appointed conclude thus That all is in a way of Receiving therefore God hath appointed the means that are in themselves short Fourthly This Doctrine is further argued From the work and nature of Faith There is no Grace that the Scripture puts more upon than Faith Mark I pray In the old Testament all the Victories are put on Faith In the new Testament all the Cures if thou canst but Beleeve saies Christ According to thy Faith be it unto thee Yea Beloved if you look into the new Testament you shal find that the same works that are given to Christ are given to Faith Jesus Christ He is said for to Sanctifie the soul So doth Faith Faith purifies the heart saies the Apostle Jesus Christ He is said for to justifie a sinner So does Faith too Being justified by Faith Romans the 5th Jesus Christ He is said for to save the soul He is called our Savior So doth Faith too By Faith ye are saved What 's the Reason now that the Lord does especially set the Crown upon the head of Faith Some think it is for this Reason Because that Faith doth unite the soul unto Jesus Christ But so does Love Love is an affection of Union and all Grace unites to Christ as every sin seperates so every Grace unites Others think 't is for this Reason Because that as Faith sets the Crown upon the head of Christ So God sets the Crown upon the head of Faith and this is true For as the Lord does honor those persons most that honor Him most So He wil honor those Graces most that honor Him most But besides this I conceive the great Reason is this why the Lord does thus set all over upon Faith I say because that Faith in the nature of it is a Receiving Grace And therefore John having said in this 1. Chap. of Joh. and the 12. verse To as many as received Him He gave power to be called the Sons of God Explains himself by this afterward in the same verse Even to them that Beleeve on His Name So that Beleeving is nothing else but Receiving the Grace of God the nature of Faith being to Receive the Truth or the Receiving of Jesus Christ the proper work and nature of Faith being to Receive Now therefore when the Lord does put al upon Faith and Faith in it's nature is a Receiving plainly it holds forth this Truth unto us That all is in a way a Receiving all Grace in a way of Receiving Fifthly and lastly This Truth is argued also From the posture and true behavior of Prayer Mark Prayer is nothing else but the souls begging or petitioning for something from Heaven A begger you know when he begs he holds forth or he stretches forth his hand noting a willingness to receive So you reade in Scripture that when the soul is put into a posture of Prayer it is put into this posture Reade therefore what is said in Job 11.13 If thou prepare thine heart or est ablish thine heart for so the word signifies if thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards Him That is if thou doest Pray unto Him thou stretchest out thine hands unto Him Now as one observes well As it were a derision or a mocking of God to praise God or to give God thanks for that which He doth not give but I have in my own power So it were also a mocking of God to pray to God for that which is not in His hands to give but in mine to do Now my Beloved What ever Grace or Holinesse a man hath he is to pray for pray for healing strength pray for quickning strength pray for confirming strength pray for strength to pray and seeing the posture of prayer is this to stretch forth the hands which notes receiving in that we are for to
all the People of God Oh! how great are their sins when they fall The Lord was quick with many that sinned in the old Testament and will He not be quick with Professors now that know more that have more Grace more Grace Discovered now Many when they sin they excuse themselves and they say True indeed I have thus and thus sinned but David did so I have sinned I have done thus and thus but Sampson did so I have committed this or that sin but Noah did so I but we have more light we have more Grace discovered ordinarily among us now than ordinarily among them in the Old Testament We have more Grace Discovered more Abundance of Grace Communicated now And therefore as the Apostle concludes from it we ought the more Abundantly to take heed For if they escaped not without a recompence of reward that sinned against the Law of Moses What shall become of those that sin against the Word of Christ the Son of God Professors all you that are the People of God take heed how you sin take heed how you tamper with your sins Grace hath Abounded you have received much and therefore if you sin this is that that will make your sins out of measure sinful Take heed what you do But in the Third place Appli 3. If there be such an Abundance of Grace Communicated now unto all the People of God under the new Testament What a mighty Incouragement is here to all good and bad I say a mighty Incouragement to all to all those that hear me this day good and bad Bad An incouragement unto those that are Bad to those that are wicked Therefore they should come in unto Jesus Christ He will not send your souls away empty there 's a Fulnesse in Jesus Christ and those that come unto Him shall be fil'd by Him He does not only give Grace but He gives Abundance of Grace Who would not come unto Jesus Christ that he may be fil'd by Christ Mark Is there an Abundance of Grace to be had from Christ and wilt thou have none Drunkard Is there such Abundance of Grace to be had in Christ and wilt thou have none wanton Unclean heart wilt thou have none Swearer Sab-bath-breaker wilt thou have none The Lord perswade your hearts to come in unto Jesus Christ I tell you you will have more from Him then you expect The Prodigal look't but for bread at his fathers house and he met with a fatted Calfe and with a Ring and with the best Garment you shall have more than you look't for 'T is a mighty Incouragement Oh! you that never thought of returning unto Jesus Christ Come in now unto Jesus Christ that you may have Abundance of Grace from Him I have done only this Here is also incouragement unto all that are godly and therefore they should labor to be rich in Grace shall Jesus Christ do much for you and will you do little for Him shall you receive Abundance from Him and will you not do Abundance for Him Labor Oh! labor all you Servants of God to Abound in the Work of the Lord That you may be fil'd with all the Fulness of God in Christ That you may be fil'd with all the fruits of righteousness That you may be strengthened with all might in the inner-man you have received much you have had Abundance he that hath the least Grace hath Abundance if thou hast but the least Gospel-Grace thou hast Abundance Brethren Grace hath Abounded Oh! let us Aboundin Grace Aboundin Faith and Abound in Patience and Abound in Meekness Sweetness and Love towards one another and towards all the Saints You have received much can you go to Heaven with doing little God expects much from you I conclude therefore with the exhortation of the Apostle Col. 2.6 As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ walk in Him Alwaies Abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And thus much for the First thing that is here intended SERMON V. JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Margrets new fishstreet Dec. 15.1645 YE heard the last day that three things were contained in this last Clause Even Grace for Grace as it stands in relation to the former part of the verse First of all It notes an Abundance of Grace Even Grace for Grace that is Abundance of Grace The Saints and People of God under the new Testament do receive Abundance of Grace from Jesus Christ Secondly It notes also thus much That all Grace is from Jesus Christ That whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Grace for Grace saies Austin that is Grace in order to Grace God gives the former Grace saies he to prepare for the after Grace Whether the former or the latter rain whether the former or the latter Grace 't is all from Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Christ This sutes with the phrase of Job still Skin for skin that is all a mans skins So 't is explain'd by the following words Skin for skin Job 2.4 even all that a man hath will he give for his life So here Of His Fulness have all we received Even Grace for Grace that is all Grace Whatsoever Grace we have we have it from Jesus Christ And this also sutes with the Scope of the place the scope of the place is to exalt Jesus Christ above them that came before Him above Moses Therefore saies he at the next verse Joh 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Though the Law were given by Moses yet notwithstanding Grace the chief that is from Christ Now Grace The word Grace here in the 17. verse must be understood of All Crace The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth that is All Grace And this verse being brought in as a reason of the former surely therefore this must needs be the meaning also of the former That all grace is from Jesus Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This is the Argument that I intend God willing to speak unto at this time Grace Sometimes is taken for the Favour of God Somtimes it is taken for Gods Assistance Sometimes it is taken for Holiness either in the habit or in the act Sometimes it is taken for gifts Sometimes the word Grace is used for an Office in the Church Whatsoever it be which way soever you take it All Grace is from Christ whatsoever grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This now will appear if you consider The Insufficiency of Nature And the All-sufficiency of Christ As for the Insufficiency of Nature You know what the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 3.5 Wee are not able as of our selves to think a good thought but all our sufficiency is of God
the world He must have infinite Knowledge to know the wants of Gods Peopel and He must have infinite Mercy and Patience and Goodness to pitty them and He must have infinite Power to reach it forth unto them which no creature hath and therefore no creature at all fit for this work Besides God the Father hath so ordered things in the dispensations of His Grace that he might take the most comentment and complacency and delight in the duties and services of his People this is the only way to it This is my beloved Son saies he in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 If there be a garment that is laid with gold-lace hung or stuck full of Pearls though the Cloth of the garment be not much worth yet because of the gold-lace and the Pearls that are upon it you count it very precious Such are our duties the Cloth of our duty is not much worth but because of the golden-lace and the Pearls of the Graces of Jesus Christ they are very precious 'T is not in regard of our duties as in regard of your flowers or posies let a flower or posy be never so sweet they receive not any of the sweetness from the bosom that it sticks in the posy does sweeten the bosom but the bosom does not sweeten the posy I but now the duty that is stuck in the bosom of Jesus Christ is sweetned by the bosom by the bosom that it sticks in Pray mark therefore what is said in the 11. of the Canticles for this purpose Saies the Spouse at the 12. ver When or while the King sitteth at his table My spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof My Spikenard what is that The Graces and the duties and the services of Gods People they are His Spikenard this Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof while the King sitteth at his talbe while it is in the presence of Jesus Christ whilst the posy is in His bosom it smels sweet else it does not Now God the Father I say He hath so ordered things that He may take a complacency and contentment in the duties and services of His People and therefore it is that all their Graces they come from Jesus Christ by vertue of Him It will be Objected yet Object It should seem that all Grace does not come from Christ no nor from God the Father neither for in the 16. of the Proverbs and the 1. verse it is said as some translations reade it The preparations of the heart are of man but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. If a man can prepare his heart that is a great matter but now saies Solomon The preparations of the heart is of man but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord Surely therefore all is not of Grace and all is not of Christ By way of Answer Answ 1 I shall say these Three things First The meaning of this place cannot be according to this Objection for then as Bradwardine does well observe the greater should be given to man and the lesser should be given to God for it is a greater thing for a man to Prepare his heart then for him to speak words when his heart is prepared And then again as Austin observes this would be contrary to other Scriptures for our Savior Christ Joh. 15.5 He saies Without me ye can do nothing Yes might a man say according to Solomons Doctrine I can prepare my own heart and that is a great duty And so whereas the Apostle saies We are not able for to think a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 A man might say yes but according to Solomons Doctrin I am able to prepare my own-heart The meaning therfore of this place cānot be according to this objection The scope therefore Secondly of this place is this To shew the vanity and the boot-lesness of all our thoughts without God Let a man think and think and spend his heart in thought-fulness all is in vain unless God go along with him for God can come between his heart and his lips So it was with Balaam he prepared his heart for to curse the people but God came between his heart and the preparation and he gave an answer of blessing contrary to the preparation of his heart That is the scope of the place to show the vanity of the preparations of our hearts to any busyness unless we take God along with us Thirdly This place is so far from speaking against the Doctrine in hand that it seems to speak for it For according to the Hebrew the words may be read thus The heart preparations of man and the answer of the tongue from the Lord giving both heart and tongue into the hand of the Lord. And if it be so that after a man hath prepared his heart unto any work God is able to come between the heart and the lip and to give in another answer into the mouth then what was intended in the heart this shows that all is of God that all is of Grace and so this place does rather confirm the Doctrine that I am now upon I but yet it will be said then Grant it Object that all Grace is from Christ that whatsoever Grace a man hath he hath it from Jesus Christ Yet so as that when a man is converted and drawn to Christ there is a principle or a habit of Grace infused into the soul whereby through ordinary concurrence and assistance from God a man is able for to walk graciously without fresh assistance For example When the Lord made the world in the beginning He gave unto the creatures a power to bring forth their like He gave unto the Beasts a power to bring forth their like He gave unto Plants unto Herbs a power to bring forth their like He gave unto Man a power to bring forth his like and so Grace being but a creature He gave also unto Grace a power to bring forth gracious actions without fresh assistance only by ordinary concurrence yet because that this first habit is infused and comes from God this is said to be from Christ and from Grace so that though all is of Grace and all is from Christ yet all is not from Christ in regard of fresh assistance Give me leave to answer this Yes Ans all is from Jesus Christ all Grace is from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance too For although in the beginning God made a Covenant of works with man and then gave that Grace that he had a power to bring forth it 's like Yet now the Lord hath brought us under a better Covenant a better Covenant than the former was In the First Covenant that God made with us and with Adam the Lord gave man a great stock of Grace but gave him no promise of perseverance but now he hath In the First indeed God gave man a great stock of Grace but Satan being a stronger than man came upon him and beguil'd him of it
honored God If I be a father Mal. 1.6 8. Pro. 3.9 where is mine honor saies the Lord. Why bring ye the leane and the maimed and the feeble Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase saies Solomon Observe therefore what is your best and what is your substance and what are your first fruits and give them up to Christ Young men young men women the best of your yeers the best of your strength the best of your time is to be given to Christ ye cannot honor Jesus Christ and give Him the worst Oh! that the old people would be much humbled and the young people would be much incouraged you cannot honor Jesus Christ and give the worst to Him Fourthly Ye cannot honor Jesus Christ And despise the choice work of Christ What is the choice work of Christ Grace Grace is the choice work of Christ that comes out of His hand and the worst name that you can give it is to call it Hypocrisy Some there are that looking upon the lives of godly men they say I but he is all Hypocrisy and they are Hypocritical Yea and some poor souls there are that when they look upon their own souls they conclude and say I but 't is all Hypocrisy I prayed at such a time but it was all in Hypocrisy I but what if it be the Grace of Christ what if it prove so Surely surely ye cannot honor Jesus Christ and despise the choicest works that come out of His hands Again A man is siad then for to honor Christ When He does trust unto Him rest upon Him for help at a dead lift as we speak commonly and the more a man does relie upon Jesus Christ in straights and in the time of Temptation the more he does honor Jesus Christ Abraham gave glory to God he beleeved above hope and under hope and because he beleeved above hope and under hope therefore he gave glory to God when he considered his own body Man or woman wouldst thou therefore now honor Jesus Christ Say True I confess indeed I Have finned much and when I look upon my self I know no reason why such a wretch so great a finner as I should be saved but because the way to honor Christ is for to rest upon Him and I have dishonored Jesus Christ enough already therefore now through the Grace of God I will cast the waight of my poor guilty soul upon Jesus Christ yea for that very reason will I leave the waight of my guilty soul upon Him because thereby I may honor Him Agtain The way to honor Iesus Christ is So to walk and so to live as the men of the world may speak well of the waies of Christ by your Conversation Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may glorifie God c. The men of the world will then speak well of the waies of Christ when a Christian that hath the Name of Christ in a special manner put upon him when he does that through the strength of Christ which the men of the world cannot do pray for those that persecute you do good to those that do ill to you when a man is Abundant in the Work of the Lord Constant therein and Humble For Abundant you know what our Savior saies In this is my Father glorified Joh. 15.8 that ye bring forth much fruit One Sun in the firmament honors God the Creator more then a hundred little stars One strong Christian that does much for God honors Him more then Twenty then a hundred weak ones I but though a man have Abundance of Grace and be Abundant in the work of the Lord yet notwithstanding if he be not Constant therein he does not cause the way of Christ to be well spoken of what will men say I he is wound up to a great height for the present but stay a little and you will find Him down by and by Yea though a man be Abundant and Constant yet if he be not Humble he does not honor the way of Christ when a man is Abundant in good Constant therein and walks Humbly what saies the world then I there 's the man if al Professors were such I there 's an Humble man there 's a self-denying man I if you were all such if you were all such then I should like the waies of God the better Take heed therefore unto your lives that you so walk as that the waies of Iesus Christ may be well spoken of by you In the Seventh place Would you honor Jesus Christas you should Then own Him own Him in evil times and stand for Him in the times of general decliningt Honor est Testimonium de alicujus Excellentia Honor is the Testimony of a mans Excellency when I testifie of an Excellency in aman then I honor him and the more I testifie of an Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now the less the Truth of Christ is and the more despised the Ordinance of Christ is and the more I suffer for it the more do I testifie of an Excellency in Jesus Christ What! suffer the loss of all for that which the world counts little worth ô if there be such an excellency in a Truth a smal Truth a despised Ordinance What an Excellency is there in Christ Himself Observe therefore what those despised Ordinances are and labor to bear them up those Truths that the world counts smal Truths be willing to lose much for them stand for them in times of general declining own Iesus Christ in evil times otherwaies you cannot honor Him I have done Only thus Be willing to stoop unto any work though it lies much below your condition for Jesus Christ and say that you are not sufficient unto such a work when you have done the work set the Crown upon the head of the means that is most properly Christs Some means are Natural and some Institutional Some means that are neer unto Christ Some means that ye use in a work that are more properly Christs Chuse to set the Crown upon the head of the means that is neerest to Iesus Christ Thus doing ye shall honor Iesus Christ And Oh! my Beloved Why should not we all now set our selves for to honor Him not in word but in deed to honor Iesus Christ He hath done all for our profit why should we not do all for His honor God the Father honors Iesus Christ why should not we honor Iesus Christ you that have had the experience of this Truth as I make no question but there are many here that have had the experience of it that whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Iesus Christ you I say that have had the experience of this Truth Oh! labor now to advance to lift up the Name of Iesus Christ Oh! that our whole life might be nothing else but a Christ-advancing life you that have the experience of
this for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years He look't too much upon and considered he stood poring too much upon the meanes and this was the enemy unto his Faith You know Beloved that the Scripture hath laid a flat opposition between Faith and sence We live by Faith sayes the Apostle and not by sight or by sence The reasons drawn from sence are sence and when a man does live by reason drawn from sence and beares up his heart therewithall he does live by sence If you live by Faith you don't live by sence if you do live by sence you don't live by Faith They are as two buckets the life of Faith and the life of sence when one goes up the other goes down the higher Faith riseth the lower sence and reason and the higher sence and reason the lower Faith That is true of the schooles Reason going before Faith weakens and diminisheth it But Reason following upon Faith increases and strengthens it Besides you know Paul sayes Not many wise c. Why not many wise called Those that are wise they consider the things of God and of the Gospel in a meere rationall way and therefore not many wise are called it hinders them from the worke of beleeving Luther sayes well If you would beleeve sayes he you must crucify that Question why God would not have us so full of wherefores And if you would beleeve you must go blindfold into Gods command Abraham subscribes to a blank when the Lord called him out of his own Countrey Besides You know the great field that Faith hath to work in the large and vast Orbe and Sphear that it hath to move in Faith can go into the Old Testament and run up as high as Adam and come back again to the Soul and tel the Soul I have seene a man whom God hath pardoned that damn'd all the World and why may he not pardon thee Faith can runne up to Heaven and come home againe to the Soule and say I have seene the Glory there be of good comfort ther 's enough in Heaven to pay for all Faith can runne unto Gods All-sufficiency to Gods Omnipotency and having viewed that well it returnes to the Soule home againe and sayes be quiet ther 's enough in God alone and Faith having placed and seated it selfe upon this high Tower and Mountaine Gods Omnipotency and All-sufficiency it hath a great prospect it can look over all the World and look into another World too but now Reason it gets upon some little Mole-hill of Creature-ability and if it can see over two or three hedges 't is well And therefore Oh! what a paine is it to Faith to be tied to Reason I suppose you will all say that if a man were able to go a journey of two or three hundred miles a foote he were a very good footman yet if you will tie him to carry a child of foure or five years old with him you will say it would be a great luggage to him and the man would say pray let this child be left at home for though he may runne along in my hand half a mile or go a mile with me yet notwithstanding I must carry him the rest of the way and when I come at any great water or to go over any hill I must take him upon my backe and that will be a great burden to me And thus 't is betweene Faith and Reason Reason at the best is but a child to Faith Faith can foot it over Mountaines and Difficulties and wade through Afflictions though they be very wide but when Reason comes to any Affliction to wade through that and to go over some great Difficulties then it cries out and sayes Oh! Faith good Faith go backe againe good Faith go backe againe No sayes Faith but I 'le take thee upon my backe Reason and so Faith is fain to do indeed take Reason upon its backe but Oh! what a luggage is Reason to Faith Oh! what a burden is Reason to Faith Faith never works better then when it works most alone The meere rationall considering of the means and the deadnesse thereof is a great and speciall enemy to the worke of beleeving That is the First The Second Proposition is this That when all meanes faile and seem to lye dead before us then it is the duty and commendation of all the children of Abraham to beleeve That is to beleeve the thing may be and so to rest and relye on God in Christ Thus it was here with Abraham And hath not the Lord commanded by the Apostle saying Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Soules to the hand of God as into the hand of a Faithfull Creator the 1 of Peter 4.19 When ye are scrupled about your Election or Reprobation you look upon God as a Potter that hath power over the clay to make it either a Vessel of honour or dishonour But when you are to beleeve then you are not to look upon God as a Potter that workes out of clay or out of materials but as a Creator that workes out of nothing yea as a faithfull Creator that will be sure to worke out of nothing whom you shall be sure of Thus then you are to look upon him You know the place in the third of Habakuk and the 17. verse Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the Fields shall yeeld no meate the flocke shall be cutt off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stals yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation the Lord God is my strength c. Thus Habakuk beleeved Beloved we are so to beleeve as the promise runnes Gods promise is the rule of our Faith look how that speakes so may we beleeve The promise and Faith is the buckle and claspe fit for one another Now the Lord does not onely promise to helpe the children of Abraham Isai 41 17. but he promises to helpe when all meanes faile When the poor and needy seeke for water and there 's none I pray look into that third of Jeremy and the 8. verse Behold sayes the Lord I will bring them from the north Country his people scattered here into the Land of the North. And gather them from the coasts of the Earth and with them the blinde and the lame the woman with childe and her that travaileth with child together a great company shall returne hither The Lord promises to bring them backe to their owne Country from the Land of the North. I but may some say Object I am a poore blind man and I shall never find the way home againe Sayes he Answ I will gather them from the coasts of the earth and with them the blind Oh! Object but I am a poore lame man and I shall never be able to
them Christ is the way to Heaven and Faith is the way to Christ understand it rightly Faith is the way to Christ now therefore it being so hard a worke to beleeve surely the way to Jesus Christ must needs be laid with many difficulties and naturall discouragements But that is but the rice Secondly Though the way to Jesus Christ be clogged with many difficulties True saving justifying Faith will carry us through all difficulties discouragements and naturall Impossibilities to Jesus Christ 'T is that grace that is opposed to the sinful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Apostle speaks of He being not weak in Faith he considered not his owne body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he staggered not the word you translate staggering in other places 't is translated doubting Nothing doubting but the same word is translated also discerning Not discerning the Lords body 1 Cor. 11.29 And so the word will fully bear that signification When a man lookes upon things with an eye of reason he makes a discretion of Dijudication of things some things are facile easy some things are hard But when a man lookes by faith upon the power of God there is not that discretion there All things are easy to the eye of faith that lookes at the power of God You shall observe therefore that when our Lord and Saviour himselfe would beare up the hearts of his disciples over all discouragements he directs them to this worke of beleeving with a saving instifying faith you know the place Let not your hearts be troubled Iohn 14.1 ye beleeve in God beleeve also in mee An Hebraisme noting a Similitude The father workes hitherto and I work That is as the father workes so I work So here ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me That is as ye beleeve in God the father so beleeve also in me ye beleeve that God the Father is able to provide for you beleeve in me that I am able to satisfy for you If you would not haue your hearts troubled that I am now to leave you at the many discouragements that you are to meet withall 't is not enough for you that you beleeve in God as God but you must beleeve in me also as your mediator and rest upon me True saving justifying faith is the onely meanes to beare up your hearts through all this trouble And if you looke into the 17. of Luke you shall find that when our Saviour Christ would teach his Disciples how to do a hard work he does point them unto this justifying faith And the Lord said at the sixt verse If ye had faith as a graine of mustard-seed you might say to this Sycamine-tree Be thou pluckt up by the roote and be thou planted in the Sea and it should obey you You will say This is a faith of Miracles You may be pleased therefore to observe that our Saviour Christ uses this and the like expression upon three severall occasions Once upon occasion that his Disciples could not cast out the Devil out of some that were possest Once upon occasion that the fig-tree was dryed up and withered And once here upon occasion that the Disciples said Lord increase our faith when they thought it was so hard a thing to forgive a man so often as Christ required First our Saviour uses this and the like expression of removing a Sycamine tree and the mountaines upon occasion that the Disciples could not cast out the Divell And of that you reade in Matth. 17.20 and there indeed he speakes of the faith of miracles Why could not we cast him out verse 19. Iesus said unto them because of your unbeliefe for verily I say unto you if ye have faith as a graine of mustard-seed ye shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be unpossible unto you Here he speakes of the faith of miracles because thereby we should be able to cast out the divell which plainly speaks a miracle He uses againe this like expression upon an occasion of the drying up of the fig-tree And concerning that you reade in Mark 11.20 As they passed by they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him Behold the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away Jesus answering said unto them have faith in God And verily I say unto you whosoever shall say to this mountaine be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart c. Here the faith called for is both faith of Miracles and a justifying faith too a faith of miracles it is brought in upon occasion of this miracle Christ sayes if he hath faith he shall not only do this but he shall remove mountains But here is a justifying faith also intended for he sayes Have faith in God at the 22 verse so you reade it But in the margent of your Bible it is have faith of God when as the Scripture speakes of a justifying faith it uses to speak in such an expression as this So Paul sayes Gal 2.19 I live by the faith of the son of God speaking of justifying faith not by faith in the Son of God So in Rev. 14. 't is called the faith of Jesus and then it seemes to run very largely somewhat too largely if it were only a miraculous faith faith of miracles that were here intended For I say unto you whosoever shall say unto this mountaine be thou removed The faith of miracles and gifts only to some unto another the gift of faith not to all sayes the Apostle And then here 't is opposed to doubting the same word that is used here in my text concerning Abraham who beleeved and staggered not sayes he here Whosoever shall say to this mountaine be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart or shall not stagger in his heart 't is the same word that is used there the same opposition So that I take it both are here intended one primarily the other secondarily But now in Luke 17. there is an other occasion that this expression is brought in by our Saviour Christ he sayes unto his disciples at the third verse If thy brother trespasse against thee rebuke him if he repent forgive him if he trespasse against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turne againe to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him And the Apostles said unto the Lord increase our faith And the Lord said if you had faith as a graine of mustard-seed you might say unto this Sycamine tree c. Here is no miracle here that these words is brought in upon why should our Saviour put that upon a faith of miracles in doing a worke of Christianity the forgiving the brother so often thus the faith that is to bwe exercised in prayer and in forgiving our brother ordinarily is not the faith of miracles but the faith he
here cals for is a faith that is to be used in prayer and in forgiving of our brethren surely this is a saving faith a justifying faith that is here intended And as one sayes well what 's all the worke of faith but an the removing of mountaines when take our sins that stand up and hinder the light of Gods grace from shining in our hearts and remove them off from our selves unto Jesus Christ to his bloud that they are drown'd as in the bottome of that Redses what is this but to remove mountaines when we take our carnall Reason and our High thoughts and bring them into obedience unto Jesus Chirst what is this but to remove mountaines when our great and manifold Temptations are laid levell that the promise may come into the soule freely what is this but to remove these mountaines Mountaines rose up in the way of Zerubbabell when he was to build the Temple Zach. 4.7 Who art thou O Mountaine Temptation and Corruption Mountaines and the Curse of the Law a great mountain Would you therefore now remove these mountaines walk over these naturall impossibilities ther 's no such way as to get a justifying and saving faith sayes our Saviour What a bundance of Difficulties did Noahs faith carry him through The Lord commanded Noah to build an Arke Noah he might have said thus Lord thou hast now commanded mee to build an Arke I was never brought up to that trade I have been a preacher many yeeres but I never yet was a Wheele-wright never yet a Ship Carpenter And Lord If I do go about to build an Arke the whole world will jeere me what will this old man doe will he ride in a Ship upon the dry ground And when I have built the Arke Lord How shall I doe to get in all the Creatures into the Arke And if the Creatures do come they will teare me in pieces the Lyons and the Bears they will prey upon me Yea Lord And if they do come into the Arke and into the ship the very stench of all the beasts will poyson me yet notwithstanding all these Difficulties and all these discouragements Noah prepared an Arke Why For he beleeved and he beleeved with a Saving justifying Faith So if you look into the New-Testament that is full of this What abundance of difficulties did the wise men go through that came to worship Jesus Christ They were commanded to go worship him that was borne King of the Jewes They might have said thus What is the King of the Jewes to us We know no such King Shall we go out of our own Kingdome and out of our own Country to worship the King of the Jewes The despised people of the Jewes When they came at Jerusalem the learned men the Priests and those that were of that Country they knew none such when they came at the place where Christ was borne they found him in a Stable and they might have said Is this the King of the Jewes Is this his Pallace What A Stable for his Pallace What Are these horse are these his Courtiers Is this a King 'T is impossible he should be a King Yet not withstanding they went Why because they beleeved and this their Faith carryed them through all What abundance of difficulties did Matthewes Faith carry him through The Lord commanded Matthew to follow him Matthew follow me sayes Christ and so he did Mat. 9 9. But he might have said thus Whether shall I follow this man I have a good calling I have so many hundreds coming in by the yeere from the Custome-house this man hath not wheron to lay his head I shall be a begger all my friends will call me a foole Notwithstanding Matthew leaves all and followes Christ Why He beleeved with a saving justifying Faith What abundance of difficulties did Zacheus's Faith carry him through Zacheus sayes our Lord to him hast Luk. 19.5 and come downe for I must abide with thee this day he came down he received him into his house and being there he sayes Lord behold verse 8 9. the halfe of my goods I give to the poore and if there be any one that I have wrong'd by false accusation I restore unto him foure-fold Marke what a hard worke he went through The halfe of my goods I give to the poore Pray let us compute it a little Suppose his estate was a thousand pound Lord sayes he the halfe of my goods I give to the poore ther 's but five hundred left Suppose he had wroung'd a man to the value of a hundred pound Lord sayes he I restore foure-fold then there is but one hundred left of a thousand What a great matter was this Yet this Zacheus did Why Oh! Zacheus sayes Christ This day is Salvation come to thine house for so much as thou also art the son of Abraham He beleeved as Abraham did with a saving justifying Faith So then thus you see that true saving justifying saith carries a man through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ But in the third place Nothing else can do it conviction of the good wayes of God cannot do it Saul was convinced that David was a righteous man 1 Sam. 24.17 O my son David sayes he thou art more righteous then I and yet he persecuted him Conviction bare conviction will not do it Resolution won't do it neither Resolution to turne to God and to become a new man or woman that won't do it bare Resolution won't do it Many Resolve thta won't do it And therefore saies our Saviour to Peter Luk 22â—13 Peter I have prayed that thy Faith faile not Satan hath desired to winnow thee and Peter thou hast said though all men forsake me thou wilt not thou hast taken up a great Resolution but Peter t is not Resolution will do it if any thing hold it will be thy Faith and therefore Peter I have prayed that thy Faith faile not He does not say I have prayed that thy Resolution faile not NO Peter I have prayed that thy faith faile not You have reade what Hazael resolv'd when the Prophet told him he should be a great persecutor rip up women with child Oh! sayes he Does my Lord look upon me as a dogs head and yet he did it Resolution won't do it Resolution won't carry one through Temptation and difficulties Againe Morall vertues won't do it The yound man that came to Christ he was a great moralist when our Saviour told him he should keep the Commandements that he might obtaine eternall life Lord Mat 19.20 sayes he all these have I kept from my youth and Christ look't upon him and loved him he was a fine Moralist but notwithstanding he did not follow Christ he went away and was very sorrowfull Bare morrall vertues won't do it for they are dead things You see how 't is with a mans shooe though the Leather be never so thick yet be going upon the
God much ones own heart may be much affected or the heart of God may be much affected Beloved we are apt to love our first-borne and though Legal repentance does not alwaies go before the work of the Gospel for what legal work was there in Matthew before he did come to Christ or what Legal work was there in Zacheus before he came to Christ yet often times it does I say yet often times it does and this being the first-born of our soul we go to God with both our Repentances Legal and Evangelical and we say Lord lay the hand Oh! lay the right-hand of thy blessing upon my first born oh let that inherite But the Lord deals here as old Jacob did when Joseph brought his two Children before him to be blest Jacob crost his hands and for Joseph's sake he laid the blessing upon the younger So now does God do you would have me to lay my blessing saies God upon your first-born upon your Elder upon your Legal Repentance No saies God I have said The Elder shal serve the Younger I wil cross my hands and for Joseph's sake because there is more of Christ in this younger therfore here will I lay the hand of my blessing Beloved the heart of a Christian a gracious man is never more drawn out in greif than upon the apprension of love in jured The greater love and the greater injury is presented the greater is the greif When the Kingdom of Heaven comes unto a poor soul there is the greatest love presented sin against that is the greatest injury when therefore a man is senfible of his sin under that notion then is his heart most affected and drawn forth in godly sorrow Surely therefore The approaching and the drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest motive argument under Heaven unto true Repentance By way of Application If these things be so Vse 1 What a sad condition are those in whom the kingdom of Heaven the word of the kingdom the Doctrine of free-remission hath come unto and yet they are not stir'd nor moved for to turn to God or to repent It may be here is some Drunkard some Swearer some notorious Sabbath-breaker some wanton that is gotten into the Congregation I will not say to thee Friend how camest thou in hither Ah poor soul thou maiest hear that voice and those words too soon another day But this I say Friend the greatest motive under Heaven hath been used to move and turn thee and yet thou art nothing moved and stirred therewith O! whereby shall thy soul be brought unto Repentance Go saies our Saviour Christ unto his Disciples preach Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand if they receive ye your peace be upon them if not it shall be more easie for Sodom and Gomorah than for that City than for that people at that great day Oh for the Lords sake take heed when ye hear the Word of the Kingdom take heed that ye don't lose it Repent and then turn to God But if these things be so in the Second place Then here we see the reason Vse 2 why our hearts are no more broken are no more humbled no more Repentance no more melting heart no more softened because ye don't labour to bring the Kingdom of Heaven neer unto your souls I mean the Gospel and the Word of the Gospel free-remission of poor sinners When the Kingdom of Heaven comes neer unto a person he runs away from it from the Promise Oh! it belongs not to me I am not so and so qualified I am not so and so broken I am not so and so weary and heavy laden and therefore the promise belongs not to me But the approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven is the only means and motive to break thy heart and wilt not thou therefore come to it because thy heart is not broken Oh! but the Promise don't belong to me the Promise is made unto those that are weary and heavy laden and I am not so Mistake not good people The invitation is made to the weary and heavy laden but the promise is made to Coming There are Two things in that speech Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden Here 's an Invitation and here 's a Promise The Invitation is made indeed to those that are weary and heavy laden Oh! but the Promise is made to Coming the Promise is made to Comming But that is all one you will say for then it seems I am not invited if the invitation be made to such God does not speak every thing in every Scripture But man or woman art thou not invited by some other Scripture Pray what think ye of that in the 9. of the Proverbs Wisdom hath built her an house that is Christ compar'd with the former Chapter she hath kild her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath furnisht her table She cries upon the high places of the City What does she cry reade the 4. verse Who so is simple let him come in hither as for him that wanteth understanding ye reade it 't is As for him that wanteth heart Come eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled The Invitation is made to simple ones who so is simple let him turn in hither Oh! But I have such an heart as never any had I want a heart unto all that is good Mark As for him that wanteth heart she saith to him Come eat of my bread How think ye is the Invitation here made only to those that are weary and heavy laden And if ye consider that place in the Gospel which ye know The Invitation to the great supper The servants are sent forth to call in those that were bidden and they excuse themselves But they were bidden they were invited were they weary and heavey laden think ye Well he sends out again and invites others Look upon the text were they weary and heavy laden too Go saies he Go Go to the high-waies and go to the hedges and compel them to come in were they weary and heavy laden too And if ye look into the 3. of the Revelations ye find there that our Saviour saies at the 20. verse Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in and sup with him and he with me Our Saviour Christ here stands knocking and offers the greatest mercies that can be fellowship and communion with a poor soul I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me What greater blessing or mercy can you desire than fellowship with Jesus Christ Saies Jesus Christ If any man will open I will come in and sup with him and he with me Here 's mutual fellowship Christ stands and offers this he stands knocking But I pray what door does he knock at whose door does he knock at Oh! my beloved 't is a Laodicean door Laodiceans what are
of water that is contrary a weak faith is borne down instantly Art thou therefore weak and hast newly begun to look towards Jesus Christ Oh labour to get stronger faith and that you shall do by growing in the knowledge of Iesus Christ Study Christ more his life more his death more his fulnesse more the merciful dispositon of Iesus Christ more Thus shal you be able to grow strong and shal work through all difficulties and discouragements unto the Lord Christ Yet you will say to mee Quest But suppose now that a man hath beleeved some time a great while been in Christ a great while difficulties and discouragements doe arise to beat a man out of the good wayes of Christ that he hath taken up How should a man so raise and use his faith as he may be able to work through all these unto Jesus Christ I 'le speak but to this and so I 'le wind up all Answ First of all consider your call often consider your call your first call to a worke and put your selves often unto this disjunction Either God hath called me to this worke or else he hath not If God hath not called me what meanes this Scripture And what meanes that Scripture And what meanes the other Scripture And if God hath called me why should I lay down the work for any difficulty Will not he carry me through And know this that difficulties do sometimes arise in our way to make a stoppage in our proceedings and sometimes they arise onely to draw out our faith When as thou seest thy call cleare unto any work then say these difficulties arise onely to draw out my faith and not to make a stoppage in my proceedings In the second place consider this That the more you beleeve in the face of difficulty the more you please God Nothing so pleasing to God as beleeving in the face of difficulty God will trust him with much that trusts much to God God will break through many difficulties to save thy soule if thou canst break through many difficulties to come to him There 's no grace does more honour God then Faith of all graces it honours God most and of all the pieces of faith none doe more honour God then beleeving in the face of difficulties When therefore any difficulty or naturall discouragement does arise say the Lord pardon mee Oh! I have dishonoured God enough already is this the way for to honour God to beleeve in the face of difficulties and naturall discouragements Here now I have more opportunity to do it the Lord help mee now will I set my selfe to beleeve In the third place Sometimes when you meete together speak unto one another of the great things that God hath done the great things that God hath promised the great things that Faith hath done As words of anger do draw out anger so experiences do draw out Faith Onely I pray take heed when ye speake of your experiences and what God hath done that ye don't lay or ground your Faith upon your experience but upon the promise 'T is a good speech that Parisiensis hath Experience sayes he 'T is like the crutch the lame mans crutch it does uphold the lame man but it don't cure him And so an experience it stayes up thy soule for the present but experience cannot cure you of your unbeliefe 't is onely the promise cures you of your unbeliefe 'T is said in the 106. Psalme concerning the children of Israel When they saw the Egyptians lie in the sea before them then they beleeved in God and sang his praise And the next words that follow are They soone forgate his works I when as we beleeve the word onely because of experience no wonder that we soone forget our experiences and all Therefore take heed tell of your experiences draw out your experiences for to strengthen your Faith yet lay not your Faith upon your experience but upon the Word And againe in the fourth place Above all things consider what great difficulties Jesus Christ hath broke through to come to you Ye reade of him so described in the Canticles He comes leaping over the mountaines many are the mountaines that Jesus Christ came leaping over to come to you Passion-worke is greater and harder then Creation-worke he came leaping over the mountaines of worke Oh! shall Jesus Christ come leaping over mountaines and difficulties to come to my Soule and shall I go over no mountaines and breake through no difficulties to get to Jesus Christ thinke what difficulties he broke through to come to you And lastly Never speak with your difficulties or discouragements apart from the promise If a man be travailing in the rode and a thiefe can sunder him from his company draw him alone into the woods a hundred to one but he takes his purse if he save his life And if the Devill can part you from the promise take you into the woods where you shall see nothing but darknesse difficulties and discouragements a hundred to one but he spoiles you of all your comforts man or woman does difficulty arise therefore naturall discouragement arise Away to the promise and say unto them when they come I will never speak with you unlesse it be in the presence of a promise Oh but Gods providence seemes for to crosse his promise Obj. Be it so yet thou mayest beleeve Answ though Gods providence seemes for to crosse his promise yet thou mayest rest on the promise Oh but I have a threatning set on upon my heart Object Be it so yet thou mayest beleeve the promise Answ although the threatning have taken hold upon thee and fild thee with trouble for God does therefore threaten that he may make way to a Promise Gods promises don't make way to his threatnings but his threatnings make way to his Promises God does therefore threaten that he may not fulfill but God does therefore promise that he may fulfill and therefore though the threatning have taken hold upon thine heart and thou liest under the apprehension of Gods displeasure get away to the promise rest upon the promise I but Jesus Christ hath withdrawn from me Object and hid himselfe from me Be it so yet thou mayest go to the Promise Christ doth therefore withdraw from thee that he may draw thee to him Answ Jesus Christ does therefore hide himselfe that he may show thee his face more and more Our brother Joseph he cannot conceale himselfe long his bowels and compassions won't let him Wherefore then whensoever any difficulties or naturall discouragements do arise upon you come to this conclusion now therefore will I trust in God now therefore will I venture upon Iesus Christ O my soule now venture now venture and say Lord such and such difficulties are risen thou hast called me to this work difficulties arise upon me surely thou hast called me to this work they are not therefore to make a stoppage in my proceedings but to draw out my faith now therefore I
do here lay the waite of my poore guilty soule upon thee do with me what 's good in thine eyes Ah Lord my prayers are dead my affections dead and my heart dead but thou art a living God and I bare my selfe upon thee Beloved if ye can beleeve all things are possible if you cannot beleeve all things are unpossible faith will make a thing easy though it be never so difficult as unbelief doth make a thing difficult though it be never so easie This is a certaine truth no difficulty can stand before faith true saving justifying faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilies to Jesus Christ Oh therefore as you desire to grapple with the difficulties that you do meet withall stirre up your selves in a way of beleeving for you have hear that nothing else can do it The Lord teach us to beleeve at a higher rate then ever yet we have done EVANGELICAL Repentance MATTHEW 3.2 Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Preached at Clapham May 10. 1646. MATTHEW 3.2 Or thus Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached THESE Words are the words of John the Baptist when he first began to preach the Gospel of Christ and if ye look into the next Chapter the 4. of Matth. and the 17. vers ye shal find That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself does preach the same Doctrine in the same words Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Our Savionr Christ the better preacher is not ashamed to tread in Johns steps and words John honored Christ and Christ honored John Ministers should strengthen the hands one of anoter And if ye look into the 10. Chapter of Matthew ye shall finde That when our Saviour sent out his Disciples for to Preach the Gospel he commands them to preach the same Doctrin too in the same words verse the 7. Go ye preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand But here 's no Repent Yes that was in their Commission too as ye may reade in the 6. of Mark and the 12. verse they would not preach a word beyond their Commission And they went out and preached that men should Repent So that their Commission also was to preach thus Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached or hath drawn neer unto you Surely there is somewhat more than ordinary in these words That John and our Saviour Christ and all the Disciples should begin thus for to preach in these words Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand They were all Ministers of the Gospel and the Ministers of the Gospel are not barely to preach Repentance but they are to preach Repentance upon Gospel Motives The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand In the words ye have an Exhortation Repent ye A Motive unto the work of Repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached Repent ye That is be not only sorrowfull for sin committed but mend your lives Repentance is sometimes taken in a large sence for Amendment of life Sometimes Repentance is taken only for Godly sorrow in a more strict and a narrow sence Somtimes it is taken largely For the Amendment of our life not only for godly sorrow but all obedience and reformation And so it may be taken here as ye may perceive by the 3. vers where this word Repent is explain'd Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand for this is He that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight Preparing the way of the Lord and making streight paths all one with Repentace There is a Iegal Repentance And there is an Evangelical Repentance Some think it is a Legal Repentance that is here required and there upon they urge a necessity of Legal preparation before a man does come to Christ as there is a John Baptist before Christ so say they there must be a Legal work of necessity before a poor soul can have any admittance to Jesus Christ But I pray consider the words and you will find That not a Legal repentance but Evangelical is here required Did our Savior Christ Himself preach Legal Repentance They are the words of our Savior Christ He uses them too The Repentace is as the Consideration is that this work is to be founded on as the motive is What 's the motive The Kindom of Heavcn is at hand Repent let your Repentance be upon this ground because the King-dom of Heaven hath approach't because the Kingdom of Heaven hath drawn neer He does not say Repent because the Kingdom of Hell is neer but because the Kingdom of Heaven is neer the Motive being Evangelical the Repentance is so 't is not a Legall but an Evangelieal Repentance that is here required Besidesw these words Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand are not spoken only to the ungodly but unto the godly also of those times who were to prepare the way of the Lord and to make streight their pathes And therefore not to be understood of a Repentance only preparatory to that in the heart But what then are we to understand here by the Kingdom of Heaven Quest and the approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven For the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached or drawu neer unto you The Kingom of Heaven sometimes in the language of the new Testament Notes Ans The glorious condition of the other world that we are going to Sometimes it notes the State of the Church it 's used for the Church of Christ And sometimes for the Gospel of Christ I take it here for the whole State of the Messiah the Kingdom of grace Christ and all his benefits grace mercy and free remission published in the Gospel in the several dispensations and administrations thereof this is called the Kingdom of Heaven for this motive The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand is set and used here in opposition unto the motives that was used among the Jewes when the Jewes were Excited and put upon any duty they were stirred up thereunto upon such motives as these for the Kingdom of Canaan is at hand If you do so and so God will bring you into the Land of Canaan and give you that Land Now under the Gospel here are other motives Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Not like those Jewish motives The kingdom of Canaan is at hand or the Kingdom of the Jebusites is at hand Christians are not only or especially to be stir'd up by such motives as those but by higher and greater motives Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hadn And may carry an Hebraisme with it The Kingdom of Heaven that is a heavenly Kingdom as the Law is called the Law of fire in the Hebrew a fiery Law The Jews expected the Messiah dream'd of an outward glourious and pompous Kindgom Now