in the Accursednesse of it p. 384. in the shame of it p. 385. in the painfulnesse of it p. 386 Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. yet he suffered in his Soul immediately from God p. 389 Whether Christ takes away all the sins of the world p. 395. Christ's being offered for us no comfort unless he be offered to us p. 356 That Christ dyed sufficiently for all is an improper speech p. 356 To receive Christ what p. 399. Christ offered freely p. 397 402. He that hath a will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404 Christ the proper and immediate Object of justifying Faith p. 418. Christ loved and valued above all by true believers p. 427. Christ and the Cross go together in this life p. 426 Christ very compassionate p. * 368 Christ is our Peace p * 454 To be a Christian indeed is no easie matter p. 426 Civil Righteousness See Morality Men deceived by Comparing themselves with others p. 46. and with themselves p. 47 The Conditions of Faith and Obedience required hinder not the freedom of Gospel grace p. 389 416 Confession of sin necessary and why p. * 376 Carnal Confidence as to our spiritual estate dangerous the vain grounds of it discovered p. 43 c. Conscience one of the Tormenters in Hell p. 153 Peace of Conscience See Peace Conviction necessary to Conversion p. 39 80 Conviction a work of Gods Spirit p * 364 Two hindrances of Conversion p. 4 A limited time for it p. 9 10 Crucifying a Cursed Shameful Painful death p. 384. c. The manner of it p. 386. The Curse followes sin p. 98 The Curses attending an unregenerate man in this life p. 120 c. The Curses on his Soul p. 127 The Curses at his death p. 130 Custom in sin hardens the heart p. 28 D. DAy of grace limited p. 9 10 34 35. The folly and danger of neglecting it p. 16 17 Death the wages of sin p. 110. The comprehensivenesse of the word Death p. 119 Death terrible p. 112. The teriblenesse of Bodily Death set forth in three particulars p. 131 c. What the first and second Death is p. 141 The Death of Christ described p. 384 c. Death-bed-Repentance See Repentance Deferring Repentance dangerous p. 16 17. The reasons of Carnal mens Deferring Repentance p. 21 c. The vanity of them ibid. Desires after Christ may be stronger in Temporaries then in true Believers p. * 388 The Devil takes possession of those whom God leaves p. 106 107 The Reason of Christians Doubting p. * 438. E. WHat use to make of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation p. 35 Encouragements for sinners to come to Christ p. 402 Examination of a mans self See Self-Examination F FAith why required to the receiving of Christ since he is a free gift p. 398. Faith consists not in a mans being perswaded that God is his God and that his sins are pardoned p. 402.413 It 's proper and immediate object is not that forgivnesse of sins but Christ p. 418. Faith must have a ground for it out of the word p. 414. What Faith justifies p. * 384. c. Faith jusstifies not as a vertue but in respect of its object p. 419. Faith justifies not as a Habit but as an act p. * 417. The Acts of Faith p. 423. By what sins the Acts of Faith are hindred p. 417. How those obstructions are removed ibid. Faith an instrument to receive Justification not to procure it p. * 424 * 434 Why Faith chosen for an instrument of Justification rather than any other grace p. * 437. A weak Faith justifies as much as a strong p. * 435 yet a strong Faith is to be laboured for and why p * 436. How Faith alone justifies p. * 436 Faith may be certainly known p. * 407. There may be Faith where there is no feeling p. 412 425 * 373 Faith strongest when sense least p. * 451 Encouragements to Faith p. 402 Carnal Fear its sinfulness and danger p. 140 141 Men apt to Flatter themselves as to their spiritual estate 41 Five false glasses that cause this self Flattery p. 43 c. Forgivnesse of sins not a distinct thing from Imputation of righteousness p. 399 c. Forgivness is properly of sins past only p. * 403. It is one continued act p. * 414. and therfore may be prayed for by a justified person ibid. Forgivnesse frees from guilt and punishment p. * 418 419 God forsakes none till they forsake him p. 108 True beleevers forsake all for Christ p. 427 428. Free grace in bringing sinners to Christ p. 398 No Freewill to good p. 404 G TO be given up to our selves a more fearfull thing then to be given up to satan p. 108 109.128 The Gospel not seasonable nor savory till the Law hath been preached p. 80. How the Gospel differs from the Law p. 86 The fulnesse and freedome of the Grace of the Gospel not hindred by the conditions of Faith and Obedience p. 398.416 Guilt of sin taken away in Justification p. * 420. H HArdnesse of heart a hindrance to Conversion p. 2 3 4 Hell for whom provided p. 139 Hell described p. 143 c. That Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. Christians rejoice in Hope p. * 458. The Humiliation of Christ see Christ I IMputation of Righteousnesse See Righteousnesse To be given up to Insensiblenesse a wofull thing p. 129 130 Joy in the sense of Gods love surpasseth all worldly Joy p. 430. It is attainable p. ibid. The reason why many beleevers are strangers to it p. 430 431. Some Joy may be in a Temporary p. * 393. How to try true Joy p. * 360. Means to get it p. * 462 463 Justification what it signifies p. * 396. How the Fathers used the word p. * 732 Justification one simple act of God p. * 400 How we are said to be Justified by Faith and how by Christs blood p. 420. * 422. In what sense we are Justified by Faith according to Paul and in what sense by works according to James p * 398. Impossible to be Justified but by imputed Righteousnesse p. * 402 * 410 411. In the instant of Justification no sins are remitted but those that are past p. * 411 412. A twofold Justification p. * 409 Why a justified person may and must pray for the remission of sins past p. * 413 414. Justification frees from the punishment and guilt too p. * 418 419 420. Justification confounded by the Papists with sanctification p. * 422. The difference between them p. * 423. * 429. No Justification before Faith p. * 440 How we are Justified by Faith alone p. * 439. Judgment in Scripture sometime taken for Righteousnesse inherent p. * 433 How men are deceived in Judging of their spiritual estate p. 43 K KNowledge one act of Faith p. 423 L THe use of the Law p. 79.354 * 366. It is necessary to be
preached before the Gospel p. 80 * 366 Men are under the Law till they come to Christ p. 84 how fearfull a thing it is to be under the Law p. 84 85. the difference between the Law and the Gospel in three particulars p. 86. Love of God twofold p 415. No temporary beleever loves God p. * 396. To be given up to our own Lusts a more fearfull thing then to be given up to Satan p. 108 109 M WAnt of Meditation one cause why most beleevers have so little joy in God p. 430 431. Mistakes in judging our spiritual estates See Judging Morality too much trusted to p. 49. It 's insufficient to bring men to heaven ibid. N NAtural reason not to be trusted to p. 49 Too short to convince of sin thorowly p. 51 Mans condition by Nature described p. 59. The Natural man dead in sin p. 67. His best works cannot please God and why p. 68 69 The Curses attending a Natural man in this World p. 120 c. Two blowes that God gives a Natural mans soul in this life the one sensible p. 127 the other insensible p. 128. The Curses attending him at Death p. 130 c. O CHrists active Obedience mixed with his passive p. 372. Wherein his active Obedience consisted p. 375. c. Wherein his passive p. 378 Partial Obedience a false glasse to judge our estates by p· 48 To designe only our Old age for God is dishonourable to him p. 22 23. Old age most unfit for Repentance p. 25 27 Men apt to have too good Opinion of themselves p. 41. The causes of it p. 43 c. Men deceived in judging of their estates by the good Opinions of others p. 44 P PArtial Obedience see Obedience Passive Obedience see Obedience Peace a fruit of faith p. * 441 * 447. Why many Christians want the sense of it p. * 442 443. * 450 451 The differences between a true and a false Peace p. * 448 c. The Causes of a Carnal Peace p. * 449. * 452 Christ is our Peace p. * 454 Spirit of Prayer what p. * 377 378 1. The Importunity and efficacie of it p. * 379 380 Why a person already justified may and must Pray for the forgivnesse of sins past p. * 413 414 R NAtural Reason see Natural To Receive Christ what p. 399. What Reformation may be in a natural man p. * 390 392 Repentance prevents ruine p. 7 Repentance not in our own power but in gods gift p. 13 14. The sinfulnesse of deferring it p. 11 c. Death-bed Repentance the hindrances of it p. 30 Not to be trusted to p 31. Hard to prove it sound p. 32 Superficial Repentance is vain p. 57 Repentance in what respects necessary to justification p. * 417 Remission of sin See Forgiveness Resting or Relying upon God a proper Act of Faith p. 425 Righteousnesse two fold p. * 397. * 409 Imputative Righteousnesse what it is p. * 402 * 410. Impossible to be justified without it and why p. * 410 411 S. Sanctification a distinct thing from Justification p. * 423. p. * 429 Satan See Devil A difficult thing to be Saved p. 53 Sealing a distinct thing from Faith p. * 428 The Causes of Security p. * 449 Self-Examination necessary to Conversion p. 39.57 a mark of a sound believer p. * 407 Self-flattery See flattery Self-Love how it deceives men in judging their estates p. 43. Sin continued in hastens Gods judgements p. 3 4 5. Sin compared to a weight p. 26. to Cords p. 27. Sin gets strength by continuance p. 28. The Sinfulnesse of Sin set forth in 6. considerations p. 90 c The dreadfull fruits and consequences of Sin It pollutes the Soul p. 100. It makes men loathsom to God p. 104. It brings the Devill into the heart p. 106. It calls for wages p. 110 The greatness of Sin should be no barr against believing in Christ p. 401 406. No Sin overtops the value of Christ's blood ibid. Encouragemets for Sinners to come to Christ page 401 c. Sin not discovered thorowly but by the spirit p. * 364. Sin may be cast away and yet no true Conversion p. * 392 Sin is only a Privation and no positive being p. * 399 * 400 Sins not pardoned before they be committed p. * 403. The guilt and punishment of Sin taken away in Justification p. * 418 c. Spirit of Bondage what p. * 365 Spirit of Prayer see Prayer T A Temporary Faith how far it may go p. * 388 c. How to know it from true faith p. ibid Temporary beleevers desire Christ only in affliction p. * 388 389 They do but only tast of Christ p. * 393. They desire mercy but not grace p. * 394. They do nothing out of love to God p. * 395 The sinfulness of thoughts p. 102 103. The end of Gods Threatnings p. 7. U UNregenerate Men See Natural Our unworthiness should not keep us from coming unto Christ p. 397. W THe Will wrought by God as well as the deed p. * 371 The Will more then the Deed 372. How God takes the Will for the Deed p. * 374 He that hath a Will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404. God alone inclines the Will to receive Christ ibid. A wofull thing to be suffered by God to have our own Wills in this world p. 355. Our Wills must be crossed here or for ever hereafter ibid. The Willingness of Christs sufferings rendred them the more meritorious p. 374 The Word presented to our faith under a double respect viz. 1 as a true Word p. 403 2 as a good Word p. 424 Works spiritually good cannot be performed by an unregenerate man and why p. 67 68 71. In what sense we are said by James to be justified by Works p. * 398 Wrath a Consequence of sin p. 98 Y YOuth the fittest time to Repent and break off sin in p 25 22 29. FINIS Male dum recitas c. * Lord in special forgive my sins of omission see Dr. Ber. Life and death of the Arch. Bp. of Armagh p. 110 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Sheffeild in Yorkshire· James Meath Anagram I am the same See Dr. Bernard page 52. See Dr. Ber. Epist. to the Reader in his life and death c. * See the Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government Received in the Antient Church published by Doctor Bernard in a Book entituled The Judgement of the Late Arch Bishop of Armagh c. * 2 Sam. 1.22 * Isa. 50.4 * 2 Cor. 3.2 * Acts 11.21 * Dan 12.3 * Heb. 2.13 * Tim. 4.12 * Mark 6.20 * Acts 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Mat 7.29 * 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 1 Cor 14.24 25. * Acts 18.24 Collatis scripturae locis Probans nempe sicuti solent artifices aliquid Compacturi singulas partes inter se comparare ut inter se alia aliis ad amussim quadrent Bez. In Act. 9.22 Efficere condescensionem ut sic dicam id est argumentis propositis efficere ut aliquis tecum in eandem sententiam descendat Mr. Leigh Critic sacr In verb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Ser. before K. James Wansted June 20. 1629 page 34 35. * Ecl. 12.10 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * John 16.5 * Psal. 16.3 * Acts 13.12 * Psal. 119.63 * Math. 11 29. * Mal. 2.4.5 6 7 8 9. * Esay 43.27.28 * 1 Sam. 2 30. * Deut. 33 11. * Math. 5.12 and 10.25 * Math 21.44 * Rev. 11.11 * 2 Sam 6.22 * Calvino illustri viro nec unquam sine summi honoris prefatione nominando non assentior Bp Andrews De Vsuris * 3 John 12. * Declarat what books are his what not Dr. Ber. page 20 l 21. * See Dr. Ber. Loc. Citat * See their Epist to the Reader Ibidem * See Mr. Cottons Epist. to Mr. Hildersams Book on John 4. * See Capt. Bell. Narat before Luth. Mensal Colloq * Liber ille â—onvivalium sermonum non est Lutheri nec Luthero approbante aut etiam vivente editus sed est Rapsodia sine Judicio Intellectu consarcinata Polan syntag de canonic Authorit script page fol. 45. * Heb 11.4 * Bp. Andrews serm 7. of Rep. and Fast. * John 3.10.19 Obs. Obs. Obs. Obj. Sol. Obj. Sol. 1. Order of outward things 2. The nature of sin Sin is compared to cords To defer repentance hardens the more The folly of those that defer their repentance till death Obj. Sol. Impediments to repentance on our death-bed Trust not to death-bed repentance It will be hard to prove death-bed repentance to be ound Gen. 6.3 What use to make of Election and Reprobation It 's our wisdom to arm against Satans fallacy and hearken to God in his accepted time 1 Glass Self-love 2 Glass Others good opinion 3 Glass When a man compares himself with others 4 Glasse Partial Obedience· Obj. Sol. Another false Glasse The Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light Superficial repentance will not change the nature of man No morality nor external change of life will do without quickning grace and a new life wrought Quest. Ans. Obj. Sol. Doct. Obj. No natural man doth judge himself so bad as he is The best works of a natural man cannot please God Look to the oginal of duties Look to the end of duty It 's necessary to preach the Law before the Gospel This is the 1 Instance 2 Instance 3 Instance Noâ—e Well Our Remedy or our Redempâ—ion by Christ. Christs humiliation in life and death The second degree of his humiliation that he might become a servant Christ accounted as a bâ—ndman Exam. Joseph for the calcu 14400000. drachms (x) Which were 120000. (z) Have the quotient 120 Drachms Four Drachms went to a Shekel so divide 120. by 4. your quotient is 30. shekels for each man which was the ordinary rate c. Gen. 9.25 John 13.21 Now this Obedience is two fold 1. Active 2. Passivâ— 1. For his active obedience in the whole course of his life 2. For his active Obedience after his Death
the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity it 's the most blessed condition as can be it is set down by way of Exclamation O the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity For justification see what it is the Scripture in St. Pauls Epistles speaks of justification by faith and in St. James of justification by works Now it will be useful for us in this point to know whence justification comes it comes from justice Tsedeck as the Original hath it and to justifie so that justification and righteousnesse depend one upon the other for what is justification but the manifestation of the righteousnesse that is in a man and therefore in Gal. 3.21 they are put for one and the same thing For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse had been by the Law that is justification had been by the Law Again If righteousnesse be by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. that is also if justification had been by the Law c. justification is a manifestation of righteousnesse and as many wayes as righteousnesse is taken so many wayes is justification which is a declaration of righteousnesse so that if there be a double righteousnesse there must be also a double justification Beloved I bring you no new doctrine be not afraid of that but I shew you how to reconcile places of Scripture against the Church of Rome and those things which the Papists bring against us in this point It stands by reason seeing justification is a declaration of righteousnesse that there must be so many sorts of justification as there be of righteousnesse Now there is a double sort of righteousness Rom. 8.4 That the righteousnesse of the Law may be fulfilled in us see then there is a double righteousnesse there is a righteousnesse fulfilled in us and a righteousnesse fulfilled by us that 's walking in the Spirit The righteousness fulfilled in us is fulfilled by another and is made ours by imputation so we have a righteousnesse without us and a righteousnesse inhaerent in us the righteousnesse without us is forgivenesse of sinnes and pardon of them which is a gracious act of God letting fall all actions against me and accounting of me as if I had never sinned against him all my life time then there is a righteousnesse within me an inherent righteousnesse And if a righteousnesse then justification for that is but a declaration of righteousnesse And so that which the Fathers call justification is taken generally for sanctification that which we call justification they call forgivenesse of sinnes that which we call sanctification they call justification so that the difference is only in the termes Justification we must know is not taken only as opposed to condemnation which is the first kinde of righteousnesse Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed from sinne if you look to the Greek or to the Margent it is he that is dead is justified from sinne this is not took in the first sense as opposed to condemnation but in the other sense as it hath relation to final grace The perfection of sanctification is wrought in me for where there is final grace there is a supersedeas from all sinne so Rev. 22.11 Let him that is righteous be righteous still the Greek is let him that is righteous be justified still See then the difference between Saint Paul and Saint James Saint Paul speaks of that which consists in remission of sinnes as in comparing the Apostle with David will appear Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Saint James speaks of justification in the second acception You need not flie to that distinction of justification before God and justification before men think not that Saint James speaks onely of justification before men Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac on the Altar What justified by killing his son this was a proper work indeed to justifie him before man to be a parricide to kill his sonne though it were not so before God So Psal. 106. we read how God accounted the act of Phine as for righteousness thus you see how works are accounted righteousnesse in the second kinde of righteousnesse In the former righteousnesse we are justified by faith for in righteousnesse inherent there is a goodly chaine of vertues Adde to your faith vertue c. adde one grace to another Adde to vertue knowledge faith is but one part of the Crown Now this justification in the first sense whereby my sinnes are forgiven is called the righteousnesse of God because of Christ which is God because it s wrought by Christ Dan. 9. he is called an everlasting righteousnesse which continueth for ever world without end for do not think the Saints in heaven have onely the second kinde of righteousnesse for they have the same covering by justification by Christ in heaven that they had before God covers their sins not here onely but there also justification follows them for ever Quest. But now what parts hath justification in it we are wont to say that there are two parts one imputation of righteousness the other forgivenesse of sinnes Sol. I answer for my own part I think Justification is one simple act of God and that it is improperly distinguished as parts but rather as terminus a quo is distinct from terminus ad quem And this I shall shew unto you both by reason and authority that faith is but one act Let none say that I take away the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ No the bringing in of light and the expulsion of darknesse is not two acts but one but there is terminus á quo and terminus ad quem We are accounted righteous and that is we have our sinnes forgiven And the reason is this if sinne were a positive thing and had a being in it self then the forgivenesse of sin must be a thing distinct from the imputation of righteousnesse Scholars know the difference between adversa and privantia white and black are both existent but darknesse and light are not but only a privation one of another Darknesse is nothing of it self but the absence of light The bringing in of light is the suppression of it you must understand sinne hath no being no entity it 's only an absence of righteousnesse the want of that light which should be in the subject which want is either in our nature and then it 's call'd original or in our person and actions and then it s call'd actual transgression Sinne is an absence of that positive being which is as I said either in our nature or works Then thus I will resolve you in another point viz. If sin were a positive thing all the world cannot avoid it but God must be the Author of it for there is nothing can have a being but it must derive its being from the first being God Now how can we avoid Gods being the
ignorance thou hast no feeling yet if thou consent thou art justified it s the consent makes the match If thou consent to the Father and take Christ the Son know it or know it not thou hast him though thou knowest not whether thy sins are forgiven yet as long as thou keepest thy hold all the Devils temptations shall never drive thee from him thou art justified and in a safe case though ignorance and other things in thee cause thee not to feel it if thou layest hold on him for his sake thou art apprehended Object Now then this is an easie matter you will say Sol. Not so easie a matter as you guess it to be It were easie indeed were there nothing but saying the word to make man and wife there are terms and conditions to be agreed upon God casts not his Son away he looks there shall be conditions on thy side he must be thy King and Head if thou wilt have him to be thy husband But what shall I get by him then saith the wife Get there is no end of thy getting All is thine Paul Apollos Cephas Life c. Thou art Christs and Christ is Gods Every man will take Christ thus for the better but there 's somewhat else in the match If thou wilt have him thou must take him for better for worse for richer for poorer Indeed there are precious things provided for you It s your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom you shall be Heirs with Christ but for the present while you are in the Church Militant you must take up your Cross you must not look for great things in this world In this world you must have tribulation you must deny your selves and your own Wills What would you have Christ the wife and you the husband No If you think so you mistake the match Christ must be the Husband and the Head and as the wife promises to obey her husband to stick to her husband in sickness and in health and to forsake all others so Christ asketh wilt thou have me if thou wilt thou must take me on these terms thou must take my Cross with me thou must deny thine own Will yea it may be thine own life also Let a Christian consider all these things these are the words and these are the benefits and then compare them together then if he can say I will have Christ howâ—ver for I shall be a saver by him I 'le take him withâ—ll faults I know I shall make a good bargain therefore I will have him on any terms come what will when a man can have his will so perpendicularly bent on Christ that he will have him though he leave his skin behind him there 's a true acceptation of him We must not here distinguish with the Schools about Velleities a general wishing and woulding and true desires after Christ Wishers and Woulders never thrive but there must be a resolution to follow Christ through thick and thin never to part with him a direct Will is here required And therefore Christ bids us consider before hand what it will cost us If any man come to me and hate not Father and mother wife and children and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Do not think that our Saviour here would discourage men from love Doth the God of love teach us hatred The phrase in the Hebrew is loving less as it is said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated that is loved less If a man hath two wives one beloved and the other hated and they have born Children both the beloved and the hated By hated is not meant that the man hated one wife but less loved her then the other so if any man come to me and hate not father and mother and that is if he love not all less then me and that it is so we may see it expounded by our Saviour Mat. 10.37 He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me There Christ expounds it He that will follow Christ in calm weather and not in a storm is not worthy of him Luke 14.28 Which of you intending to build a Tower sitteâ—â— not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it What is that to the purpose See verse 33. So likewise wâ—osoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple It s a small matter to begin to be a Christian unless you consider what it will cost you Do you tâ—â—â—k it a small matter to be the Kings son think not on so great a business without consideration what it will cost you It will be the denying of your own wills You must be content to follow naked Christ nakedly follow him in his persecution and tribulation in his death and suffering if thou wilt be conformable to him in glory When this case comes it makes many draw back as the rich man in the Gospel when he must forsake all he drew back When troubles arise many are offended so when it comes to a point of parting they go back Now we come to speak one word of the sealing in the Text. After that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise This sealing which is a point of feeling is a distinct thing of it self from faith no part of faith If I have faith I am sure of life though I never have the other these are two seals VVe put to our seals to the counter-part that is drawn betwixt God and us The first seal is our faith I have nothing but Gods VVord and indeed I have no feeling yet I venture my salvation and trust God upon his bare VVord I will pawn all upon it He that believeth saith John hath set to his seal that God is true If men doubt and trust God no further then they see him it is not faith But when God gives me a good word though I am in as much distress as ever yet I trust though it be contrary to all sense or outward seeming yet I put to my seal and trust him still Then comes Gods counter-part God being thus honoured that I believe his Word though contrary to all sense and feeling even his bare Word then God sets to his seal and now the Word comes to particularizing Before it was in general now it comes and singles out a man Say thou unto my soul that I am thy salvation Psalm 35.3 that is as I did apply the generality of Gods Word unto mine own case to bear me up against sense and feeling then comes the Spirit of God and not only delivers generalities but saith unto my soul I am thy salvation This is called in Scripture a manifestation when God manifests himself unto us as in Isa. 60.16 Thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck the brest of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer c. that
the iron is hot the fire hath made a change in it it 's malleable the hammer is able to work on it but let the fire be gone and it 's as hard as before nay we say steel is harder so that there is no change in the nature of iron it 's hard still redit ad ingenium it goes back into its own estate If it be softened it is by an accidental cause so here as long as the temporary faith is in the furnace of afflictions when God shall let loose the cord of his conscience and makes him see that there is no way for salvation but by Christ then the sense of his torture will make him desire with all the veines in his heart to have Christ. See a singular example of this temporary desire in Psal. 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God So Prov. 1.27 When their fear was on them as desolation and their destruction as a whiâ—le-wind when distresse and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me c. Not with a feign'd desire but in truth and reality they desire relief They remembred then that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer they saw a Redeemer when he was slaying of them and they believed that God would free them though it was but temporary Neverthelesse they flattered him with their mouths and lyed unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Observe then this was but a temporary case a temporary change there was no new creature no new nature wrought but being in the furnace of affliction as long as the fire was hot they were pliable they were not stedfast in his Covenant Let this be an admonition to them that think they never can have true faith till God slay them I am not of that opinion God sometimes useth this means but it is not so necessary as that it cannot be otherwise and to speak truly I had rather have faith that comes another way the difference is this The temporary believers will have Christ while God is slaying of them whil'st they are in the furnace of afflictions but the other in cold blood when Gods hand is not on them The true believer is sick of love and when he hath no affliction nor Gods hand on him with the Apostle he accounts all things dung and drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus There 's an ardent desire when this external cause draws not If when thou art out of the forge thou hast thy heart softned and findest this work of grace and faith to drive thee to Christ thou hast a faith unfeigned and so the faith of Gods elect Again there is not only this desire in him who hath a temporary faith but having understood the Word he so desires it that when he knows there is no having Christ nor happinesse or salvation by him unlesse he deny himself and part from his evil wayes being perswaded of this out of self-love he would have Christ and seeing these be the termes that he must turn a new leaf and lead a new life or go to hell therefore he will do this too this is much yet I say he doth this too but how shall this be proved most evidently in 2 Pet. 2.20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end with them is worse than the beginning Here is that Apostasie and here is the subject of the temporary faith It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them this was a temporary conversion as Ephraim like a broken bow turned back again in the day of battel Observe what they did they were like the foolish Virgins they kept their maiden-heads in respect of the pollutions of the world they lived very civilly they escaped the corruptions of the world and no man could challenge them of any filthy act they knew that Christ was the King of Saints and had the knowledge of him they knew that it was not fit that the King of glory and holinesse should be attended on by the black guard that they must have sanctity that will follow him and therefore they laboured to be fit to attend him They escaped the pollutions of the world but yet it continues not why so For it hapned to them according to the true Proverb the Dog is returned to his vomit and the Sow that is washed to her wallowing in the mire Mark the Dog turns again to his own vomit This proceeds from some pang in his stomach that enforceth that filthy beast to disgorge it self that it may have some ease but he quickly gathers it up again as soon as the pang is over Some there are that would be content to hide their iniquity under their tongues as Job speaks but there comes a pang sometimes a pang in their consciences which forceth them to vomit up their sweet bits again but well the fit is gone and being gone they like the filthy dog return to their vomit again considering the pleasure which they took in that filthy thing that they did disgorge themselves was but from that pang and present pinch not from the loathing or hatred of the thing and therefore they return again unto it By the way then take notice of the filthinesse of sinne how filthy is it that the Lord compares it to the vomit of a dog Then there followes another comparison of it It 's as the Soâ— that is washed and returns to her wallowing in the mire See another loathsome resemblance of this temporary faith the Sow was washed but how her swinish nature was not washed from her as long as the Sow is kept from the mire in a fair Meadow with the Sheep she looks as sleek and clean as they she was washed there 's an external change but her nature remained bring the Sow and the sheep to a puddle the sheep will not go in becâ—use it hath no swinish nature but the other retaining its swinish nature though before in outward appearance as clean as the sheep was yet she goes again to her wallowing in the mire There may be the casting away of a mans sinnes and yet no new creature wrought in him That I may shew this to you take this example A man known to be as covetous a man as liveth he loveth his money as well as his God yet perchance this man is brought in danger of the Law and must be hang'd for some misdemeanour committed this man to save his life will part with all he hath what is his disposition changed no not a whit he is as covetous as before he is the same man he doth it to save his life and to
that is called a faith unfeigned And though it be in Scripture called the common faith yet it is with some restriction it is the faith of Gods elect There is a faith also which is but temporary that being touch't with the sense of sinne and seeing there is no deliverance from the curse due to sinne but by Christ and that there is no part to be had in Christ but by renouncing all corruptions the consideration of the desperatenesse of his case without Christ makes him long after him and since he cannot have Christ without leaving sinne he will resolve on that too he will make towards Christ and perhaps he comes to taste of the sweetnesse of Christ and feels the power of the world to come he forsakes sinne and thereby comes so near the true believer that a man must as it were cut a haire to divide between them And this is a thing very necessary to be considered of And I shew'd unto you also that these are not moral things not a faith that is wrought by the power of men but by a work of Gods Spirit for it humbles a man for sinne and makes him make toward Christ and seek him above all things and having laid some hold on him he escapes the pollutions of the world and yet this faith is but temporary a thing supernatural it is yet it is without root Now as I noted unto you this is not different in the circumstance of time for time alters not the thing A childe that liveth but half an houre doth as properly and truly live as one that liveth a hundred years But it is called temporary not that therein stands the difference but therein it is shewn and that proves the man to have something wanting Our being united to Christ and being nigh unto him is as a graft or scyons put into a Tree there are two grafts put into one stock and each of them have all the several things necessary done unto them as cutting binding c. yet time discovers that the one thrives and the other withers so that there was a fault unseen though he that put in the grafts never saw it yet time discovers it Now the difference is not in the time but in the foundation of the thing it self Now what the difference is between these I laboured to declare unto you the last day The use of it is in brief this faith is not in all these All have not faith yet some come so near and have faith so like that it will trouble a wise man to make the distinction These are like the foolish Virgins that lived very civilly and kept their maiden-heads in regard of the world none could accuse them for any evil they had done yet they are at length shut out Many think themselves in a good way and a safe condition yea and go out of the world in this conceit and think they are entring into the gate of heaven till they in a moment are cast down to hell Try we therefore search and sift our selves if this grace were as grasse that grows in every field it were something but it is a precious flower which if we have not Christ profiteth us nothing This is the means of Christs being applied unto thee how doth it therefore behoove every one of us to look to it and not to slubber over the matter slightly but to search and try and examine our selves And in the marks I shew'd you before that it was such a thing as may be likened to a conception which never comes to the birth such a thing is this temporary faith Among others let me adde the tokens of love it is twice set down in the Galatians neither circumcision nor uncircumcision c. but faith which worketh by love and again neither circumcision c. but the new creature They that have a temporary faith want nothing but the new creature what 's that its faith that worketh by love They that love God it 's a sure token that God hath loved them first and God never giveth this love but they have faith unfeigned The next thing is he is ever careful to try himself to prove himself The temporary cannot endure to be brought to the touch or tryal He accounts every beginning of grace in himself very great every Mole-hill to be a Mountain Now Gods children know that they may be deceived with counterfeits and therefore he tryeth himself Mark the speech of the Apostle Examine your selves prove your own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates us understand the words first we see then it is a thing that is possible to be known whether we are in the faith or no and this is flat against the Papists for they think a man can have but a conjectural knowledge that he hath grace and faith It may be probable they say but it cannot be certainly known but does not the Apostle say Examine your selves prove your selves know you not your selves c. No Papist can know it yet it is possible to be known Prove and try you shall not lose your labour If you take pains in it you shall attain it in this world Make your calling and election sure saith the Apostle on Gods part it is sure enough for the foundation of God standeth sure but make it sure unto your selves in respect of your own knowledge Know you not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates It is a thing may well be made sure of therefore search try examine c. Others are content with bare beginnings that never come to any maturity but those that have true faith are ever bringing themselves to the tryal and touch-stone But may some say I have tryed and examined my self and I do not finde that Christ is in me what am I a reprobate therefore No God forbid I say not the man is a reprobate that cannot discerne that Christ is in him See what that is that will explain this 1 Cor. 11.19 For there must be heresies among you that they which are approved might be made known there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that are approved such as have endured the dint and shot of the Musket such as have put themselves to the tryal and come off well these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are opposed to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are such men as take things hand over head do not search and try and examine and put themselves to the proof it 's a signe these have not true faith for what is the having of Christ so slight or poor a thing as that they will take no pains for him or care not for knowing whether they have him or no what neglect Christ so much as not to adventure on the tryal these are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he which hath this saving faith he is ever putting himself to the tryal
great work or to a great deal of joy he first humbleth him the Prince of our salvation was consecrated by afflictions and we must be conformable unto Christ our Head when the stormes are past the Sea will continue raging for awhile and when you have turn'd the wheel round if you take away your hand it will go round it self for a time So when you are justified by faith the storme is over yet the roaring of the waves will continue it will be so with the children of God though there be a calme yet there will be some remainders of a storm Again they are in travaile and that is a painful thing My little children with whom I travail they have the pangs of the new birth and it is a good while before they can finde that quietnesse their heart doth long for Again God purposely doth though he be friends with them take away from them the sense of peace because he takes delight to finde that strength of faith Faith is manifest that way faith is most strong when there is least sense My God my God why hast thou forsaken me the lesse sense the faster the hold and God loves this at life that when he spurns and frowns he will not let go nor be put off let him kill me he shall kill me with Christ in my arms I will not let go my hold God cannot fail he hath given me his Word therefore I will not let go such astrong faith had Abraham contrary to reason Gods Word is true he gives me his Word and I will trust him So a childe of God will not be put off though God write bitter things against him he will not forgo him we have an excellent example in the woman of Canaan the end of it is O woman great is thy faith but how doth the greatnesse of it appear Lord have mercy upon me my daughter is grievously afflicted c. why not rather Lord have mercy on my daughter the reason is because she was afflicted in her daughters affliction by the way we may hereby understand the meaning of the Commandment where it is said he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him but why to the third and fourth generation because I may see the third and fourth generation and may see the judgment of God on them and may remember my sinne for which they are plagued the case is mine and not theirs only Lord have mercy upon me for my daughter is diseased I see my own sinne is punished by the judgment on her in my sight poor woman Christ will not hear her she might have been dash't out of countenance the Disciples were weary of her clamorous cryes and say Send her away for she troubleth us what saith Christ Is â—t fit to take the childrens bread and cast it unto dogs This was enough to dash her quite before she was discouraged by silence but to be called dog it were enough quite to discourage her but see the fruit of faith she seeks comfort out of that which would have undone another what am I dog a under the Table there I shall get a crumme others of the children that are better let them have the loaves I account my self happy if I may but get a crumb Oh woman great is thy faith this is great faith when it goes contrary to all sense That when God calls me dog when he spurns at me and frowns on me I will not be put off Faith is of the nature of the Vine if it have but the least hold on the wall it makes use of it and climbs higher and higher So out of the least thing that drops from her Saviours mouth she raiseth her faith higher so though we have this peace with God yet oft ofttimes he with-holds the notification of it to us 3. The last thing is to note the difference between the peace of a carnal and a spiritual man carnal peace is mixt with a great deal of presumption and pride but the more spiritual peace thou hast the more thou art dejected in thy self the more cast down see it in Ezekiel Ezek. 16.60 61 62 63. I will establish with thee an everlasting Covenant then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters thy elder and thy younger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy Covenant and I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that thou mayst remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord when God is pacified yet they hold down their heads and are ashamed when a man knoweth that God hath pardoned his sins he is ashamed that he hath carried himself so wickedly against God of whose mercy he hath now such experience When God is pacified a man remembers his former sinnes and is confounded as it is Ezek. 36.31 Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations in that time when I am pacified toward you That which would work in a carnal man security and pride for he never thinks himself better then when there 's peace within will work in the the childe of God the Spirit of humiliation In the last Chapter of Job God had manifested himself wonderfully to Job and however before he had very sharp afflictions his sufferings in soul were next to the sufferings of Christ. I believe never any man suffered so much as Job did insomuch that the arrows of the Almighty stuck in him thou hast eaten up my flesh c. This was the case of Job and he stood upon termes of justification he wâ—sh't that God would dispute with him that God would either be the Opponent or the Answerer If God would answer he would oppose or if God would oppose he would answer God comes as he would have him and Job is not at that point that he was before when God draws nigh unto him he saith I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eye seeth thee Job 42.5 Well this may make thee a proud man and elevate thee no saith he now I abhorre my self in dust and ashes The nearer God draws unto us and the more merciful he is unto us by that light we the more discern our own abominations That which would make another man proud brings Job to the knowledge of his vilenesse Therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 3. Now another thing is Who is this peace-maker This I shall but touch We have peace with God But how through our Lord Jesus Christ he is our peace-maker and interposeth between his Fathers wrath and us Ephes. 2.14 For he is our
Author of sin Why thus it is nothing But what is sinne nothing Will God damne a man and send him to hell for nothing I answer it s not such a nothing as you make it a man is not damned for nothing It 's a nothing privative an absence of that that should be and that a man ought to have As when a Scholar is whip't for not saying his lesson is he whip't think you for nothing indeed he hath nothing he can't say a word of his lesson and therefore it is he is whip't it is for a thing he ought to have and hath not Well if you will say there are two parts of justification do if you please but this I take to be the more proper and genuine explanation Besides it appears by testimony of the Apostle Rom. 4.6 As David describeth the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works c. Saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered The Apostle cites the Prophet David Psal. 42. Mark the Apostles conclusion and how he proves it His conclusion is That man is blessed unto whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works His argument then must needs be thus framed He whom God forgives is blessed But He to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works hath his sinnes forgiven him Therefore he is blessed Now how could this assumption hold if imputation of righteousnesse and remission of sinnes were two distinct acts for not imputing righteousnesse is not to bring in light which keeps out darknesse but observe the Apostle to the Colossians and Ephesians makes this forgivenesse of sins the whole work way foundation of our redemption But here remember I deny not the imputation of righteousnesse for that is the foundation of the other here 's the point How is Christs righteousnesse imputed to me that positive thing which expels the other Not so as if Christs righteousnesse were in me subjectively for it was wrought by his passion as well as his action The Apostle calls it faith in his blood by faith in Christ Christs passive obedience is imputed to me What do you think the meaning is that God doth esteem me as if I had hang'd on the Crosse and as if I had had my sides pierced No that would not stead me or do me any good that which was meritorious and singular in him did reach to us so that the meaning is this as it is in the Articles of the Church of England That for the merits of Jesus Christ God is well pleased with the obedience of his Son both active and passive as that he takes us to be in that state for his sake as if we had fulfilled all his Laws and never broken them at any time and as if we ow'd him not a farthing this is imputative righteousnesse however the Papists may scoffe at it And this kinde of justification must of necessity be by imputation why because when a man hath committed a sinne it cannot be undone again God by his absolute power cannot make a thing done undone for it implies a contradiction The act past cannot be revoked nor the nature thereof changed murther will be murther still c. How then can I be justified the sinne being past and the nature of it still remaining I say how can I be justified in the first sense any other way than by imputation its said in 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself c. This kinde of justification which consists in remission of sinnes cannot be but imputative sin cannot be changed nor the thing done undone But now cometh a greater question If by justification our sinnes be forgiven us what sinnes are forgiven I pray sinnes past or sinnes to come we are taught that in the instant of justification all our sinnes past and to come are remitted which is in my mind an unsound doctrine for if we look narrowly into it we shall finde that in propriety of speech remission of sinnes hath relation to that which is past it s said therefore Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God And remission of sinnes hath relation to those that are past as appears by inevitable reason for what is remission of sinnes but sinne covered Now can a thing be covered before it be blot out mine iniquities c. saith David can a thing be blotted out before it 's written this is the thing makes the Pope so ridiculous that he will forgive sins for the time before they are committed but what do we get nothing for the time to come yes yes when the sinne is past by faith we have a new accesse unto God and having risen by repentance we get a new act not of universal justification but of a particular justification from this and that particular sinne But if there be forgivenesse of sinnes past already and I know that I am justified and my sinnes remitted may I now pray for forgivenesse of sinnes past The Papists say it is active infidelity and as absurd as to pray to God to create the world anew or incarnate his Son again But there is no conversion where there is no praying and there is need of praying for the remission of sinnes past and against sinne for the time to come as I shall shew next time as also consider whether there be any interruption of the act of justification by falling into great sins There 's no man hath a mind more against quierks and quillets than I yet for the opening of these things and staying and setling the mind and clearing the understanding give me leave the next time to clear these things unto you ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. IN this Chapter especially in the beginning thereof I shew'd unto you that the Apostle sets down unto us those special comforts that a man receives after God hath wrought that supernatural grace of faith in his heart so that here is set down The Mother-Grace Justification by faith and then the blessed issues or daughters thereof and those are a free access to God a joyful hope of the glory to come and not only a patient but a joyful suffering of all afflictions that shall befall us in this life Concerning justification by faith I laboured to open it unto you the last day three things may well be considered therein 1. What that faith is whereby we are justified 2. What that justification is we have by faith 3. What relation the one of these hath to the other Concerning the first of these I told you that it was not every faith that justifieth not every kinde of faith that a man can live by There is a dead faith and a man cannot live by a dead thing And there is a living faith and