unable to obey the carnall minde is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. The Reasons hereof are these First Our universall both naturall and personall 〈◊〉 wee are by nature all flesh children of the old Adam Ioh. 3. 6. Children of Gods wrath Eph. 2. 3. and so long it is impossible wee should doe any thing to please God for they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. a man must first be renewed in his mind before he can so much as make proof of what will be acceptable unto God Rom. 12. 2. This naturall Impurity in our persons is the ground of all impurity in our workes for unto the 〈◊〉 every thing is uncleane Tit. 1. 15. and all the fruit of an evill Tree is evill fruit Math. 7. 18. And Saint Paul gives the reason of it Because our fruit should be frâ—…itunto God Rom. 7. 4. and fruit unto holinesse Rom 6. 22. Whereas these works of naturall men doe neither begin in God nor looke towards him nor tend unto him God is neither the principle nor the object nor the end of them Secondly Our naturall 〈◊〉 ie the best performance of wicked men is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of an enemie and the sacrifice of fooles It proceedeth not from love which is the Bond of perfection that which keepeth all other requisite ingredients of a good worke together Col. 3. 14. which is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 8. and the principle of obedience and all willing service and conformity to God Gal. 5. 6. Ioh. 14. 15. and ever proceedeth from the spirit of Christ Gal. 5. 22. for by nature we are enemies Rom. 5. 10. Thirdly Our naturall infidelity for the state of sinne is an estate of unbeliefe The spirit shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeve not Ioh. 16. 9. Now infidelity doth utterly disable men to please God without faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11. 6. There can no good worke be done but in Christ we are sanctified in Christ 1. Cor. 1. 2. we are created in Christ unto good works Eph. 2. 10. we must be one with him before wee can be sanctified Heb. 2. 11. and this is the reason why faith sanctifies and purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. and by consequence the whole man for when the fountaine was clensed all the waters were sweete 2. Reg. 2. 21. because faith is the bond which fastens us unto Christ. Eph. 3. 17. Fourthly Our naturall ignorance and follie For the state of sinne is ever an ignorant estate Evill men understand not judgement Prov. 28. 5. The usuall stile that the Scripture gives sinners even the best of sinners those who keepe themselves Virgins and escape many of the pollutions of the world as Saint Peter speakes 2. Pet. 2. 20. is fooles Math. 25. 2. though they know many things yet they know nothing as they ought to know 1. Cor. 8. 2. Now the roote of our well pleasing is wisedome and spirituall knowledge Col. 1. 9. 10. that is it which makes us walke worthy of the Lord and fruitfull in good works Whereas want of understanding is that which makes us altogether unprofitable that wee doe no good Rom. 3. 11. 12. And now what a cutting consideration should this be to a man to consider God made me for his use that I should be his servant to doe his will and I am utterly unfit for any services save those which dishonour him like the wood of the vine utterly unusefull and unmeete for any worke Ezek. 15. 4. what then should I expect but to be cast out as a vessell in which is no pleasure If I am altogether barrâ—…n and of no use what a wonderfull patience of God is it that suffers mee to cumber the ground and doth not presently cast me into the fire that 〈◊〉 me like a noisome weed to poison the aire and choake the growth of better things If I drinke in the raine and bring forth nothing but thornes how neere must I needs be unto cursing And this conviction should make men labour to have place in Christ because thereby they shall bee enabled to please God and in some measure to bring that glory to him for which they were made For this is a thing which God much delights in when a creature doth glorifie him actively by living unto him He will not loose his glory by any Creature but fetch it out at the last but when the Creature operates out of it selfe to Gods end and carries Gods intention through its owne worke then is hee most honored and delighted Herein saith Christ is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit Ioh. 15. 8. and herein did Christ glorifie his father in finishing the worke which he gave him to do Ioh. 17 4. What an encouragement should this bee for those who have hitherto liv'd in the lusts of the flesh to come over to Christ and his righteousnesse and for others to goe on with patience through all difficulties because in so doing they worke to that end for which they were made they live to God and bring forth fruit unto him who hath in much patience spared and in infinite love called them to himselfe How should we praise God that hath given us any strength in any way to doe him service that is pleas'd to account himselfe honoured when he is obeyed by us who spoile all the works we do with our owne corruptions And how should we husband all the pretious moments of our life to the advantage of our master whose very acceptation of such unworthy services should alone bee both encouragement and reward enough unto us The more profitably any man lives the more comfortably he shall die Now to consider more particularly this disabilitie which comes along with sinne we may note that it is either totall when a man is all flesh as by nature we are or at best partiall in proportion to the vigor of concupifence and life of sinne in the best of us To touch a little upon both of these First in a wicked man who is totally in the state of sinne there is a Totall and absolute impossibility and impotency to doe any thing that is good Every figment and motion of the heart of man is onely and continually evill Gen. 6. 5. But though his heart be evill may not his actions or his words be good No for that is the fountaine whence all they issue and impossible it is that sweete water should proceed from a bitter and corrupted fountaine Matth. 12. 34. Iam. 3. 11. Looke on the best actions of wicked men If they pray to God their prayer is an abomination Prov. 28. 9. If they sacrifice God will not accept nor smell nor regard any of their offerings he will esteeme them all abominable and uncleane as a dogs head or swines bloud Amos 5. 21. Esai 66. 3. Seeme things never so specious in the sight of men
the evill spirit against Ahab and his Prophets that hee should goe forth with lying perswasions and should bee beleeved and prevaile according to that of the Apostle that God giveth over those that beleeve not the Truth but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse to strong delusions that they may beleeve a lye and that the God of this world doth blinde the eyes of those which beleeve not Lastly the Punishment of sinne is Eternall That wrath which in the day of the Revelation of Gods righteous Iudgement shall bee powred forth upon ungodly men The Saints are redeemed already in this life and are said to have Eternall Life but yet that great day is by an excellency called the day of Redemption because then that life which is here hid shall be then fully discovered So on the other side though the wrath of God be revealed from Heaven already against all unrighteonsnesse and Abideth vpon those that beleeve not yet after an especiall manner is the last day called a day of wrath because then the heapes treasures stormes and tempests blackenesse and darkenesse of Gods displeasure shall in full force seize upon ungodly men And this wrath of God is of all other most unsupportable First In regard of the Author It comes from God Now we know a little stone if it fall from a high place or a smal dart shot out of a strong bow wil do more hurt then a farre greater that is but gently laid on How wefull then must the case of those be who shall have mountaines and milstones throwne with Gods owne arme from Heaven upon them for though God in this life suffer himselfe to bee wrestled with and even pressed downe yet at last he shall come to shew forth the glory of his Power in the just condemnation of wicked men Secondly in its owne nature because it is most heavie and invincible All conquest over an evill must proceede either from Power which is able to expell it or from Faith and Hope that a man shall be delivered from it by those that have more power then himselfe what ever evill it is which doth either keepe downe Nature that it connot rise or hedge it in that it cannot escape is very intollerable Now Gods wrath hath both these in it First it is so great that it exceedes all the power of the Creature to overcome it heavier then mountaines hotter then fire no chaffe nor stubble shall stand before it and it shall be All within a man folded up in his very substance like the worme in the wood on which it feedes And secondly as it is heavie and so excludes the strength of nature to overcome it so is it infinite too and thus it excludes the hope of nature to escape it The ground of which infinitenesse in punishment is the infinite disproportion betweene the Iustice of God which will punish and the nature of man which must suffer Gods Iustice being Infinite the violation thereof in sinne must needes contract an infinite demerit and debt because in sinning we robbe God of his Glory which we must repay him againe Now the satisfaction of an Infinite debt must needes be Infinite either in degrees which is impossible For first nothing can bee Infinite in Being though it may in duration but onely God And secondly if it could yet a finite vessell were not able to hold an infinite wrath or else in some other infinitenesse which is either infinitenesse of worth in the person satisfying or for defect of that infinitenesse of time to suffer that whith cannot bee suffered in an infinite measure And this is the reason why Christ did not suffer infinitely in time because there was in him a more excellent iâ—…finitenesse of person which raised a finite suffering into the value of an infinite satisfaction though Scotus and from him some learned men have rendered another reason hereof because hee suffered onely for those who were to breake off their sinnes by Repentance Now then to conclude all In as much as sinne is by the Law made exceeding sinfull and death exceeding deadly not to legall but evangelicall purposes not to drive men to blaspheme or despaire but to beleeve not to frighten them from God but to drive them unto him in his Sonne for the Law comes not but in the hand of a mediator And in as much as this is the accepted time and the day of Salvation that now he commandeth All Men every where to repent because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will Iudge the World in righteousnesse whom hee doth now invite and beseech in mercy We should therefore be wise for our selves and being thus pursued and cast in the Court of Law flie to that Heavenly Chancery that Office of Mercie and miâ—…gation which is set up in the Gospell and that while it is yet called to Day before the Percullis bee shut downe before the blacke flagge be hung out before the Talent of Lead seale up the measure of our wickednesse and the Irreversible decree of wrath be gone forth for we must know that God will not alwayes bee despised nor suffer his Gospell to waite ever upon obdurate â—…ners or his Sonne to stand ever at our dores as if he stood in need of our admittance But when there is no remedy but that we judge our selves unworthy of Eternall Life and stand in contempt and rebellion against his Court of Mercie he will dismisse us to the Law againe O Consider what wilt thou doe if thou shouldest bee dragg'd naked to the Tribunall of Christ and not bee able with all thy cries to obtaine so much mercie from any Mountaine as to live for ever under the weight and pressure of it When thou shalt peepe out of thy Grave and see Heaven and Earth on fire about thine eares and Christ comming in the flames of that fire to revenge on thee the quarrell of his Covenant Whither then wilt thou fly from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne Let us therefore learne to Iudge our selves that wee may not be condemned of the Lord to fly to his Sanctuary before wee be haled to his tribunall Hee requires no great thing of us but onely to relinquish our selues and in humilitie and sincerity to accept of him and receive that redemption by beleeving in him which hee hath wrought by suffering for us this if in truth and spirit we doe all the rest will undoubtedly follow namely the life of our Faith here in an universall obedience and the end of our faith hereafter even the falvation of our Soules THE RAIGNE OF SINNE ROM 6. 12. Let not sinne therefore Raigne in your mortall bodiâ—…s that you should obay it in the lusts thereof AFter the doctrine of the state and guilt of sinne It will be needefull for the further Conviction thereof that sinne may appeare exceeding sinfull to shew in the next place the Power and the Raigne of sinne from which the Apostle in
naturall man there is a power and prevalencie of sinne which yet may lie undiscovered under some generall moralities Thus as the Serpent in the fable had a true sting while it lay in the snow though it shewed not it selfe but at the fire so there may be a regall power in sinne when upon externall reasons it may for a time dissemble it selfe Ahab and Ieroboams wife were as truely Princes in their disguise as in their robes and a Sow as truely a Swine when washed in a spring of water as when wallowing in a sinke of dirt The heart of man is like a beast that hath much filth and garbage shut up under a faire skinne till the Word like a sacrificing sword slit open and as it were unridge the Conscience to discover it All the wayes of man saith Salomon are cleane in his owne eyes but the Lord weigheth the spirits He is a discoverer of the secrets and inâ—…rals of every action For the more paâ—…ticular opening of this point it will be needefull to answere some few questions touching the raigne of some particular sinnes which haply are seldome so thought of And the first is Touching smallsinnes whether they may be said to be raigning sinnes unto which I answere That it is not the greatnesse but the power of sin which makes it a king We know there are reguli as well as reges kings of Cities and narrow territories as well as Emperours over vast provinces Nay many times a sinne may be great in Abstracto as the fact is measured by the Law and yet in Concreto by Circumstances it may not be a raigning sinne in the person committing it and on the contrary a small sinne in the nature of the fact may be a raigning sinne in the commission as in a Corporation a man not halfe as rich as another may bee the chiefe magistrate and another of a farre greater estate may bee an underling in regard of Governement As a small stone throwne with a strong arme will doe more hurt then another farre greater if but gently laid on or sent forth with a fainter impression so a small sinne committed with a high hand with more security presumption and customarinesse then others will more waste the conscience then farre greater out of infirmitie or sudden surprizall As wee see drops frequently falling will eare into a stone and make it hollower then some few farre heavier strokes could have done or as water powred into a Sieve with many small holes or into a bottomlesse vessell is equally cast away A Ship may as well perish upon sands as rockes Dayly small expences vpon lesser vanities may in time eate out a good estate if there be never any accompts taken nor proportion observ'd nor provision made to bring in as well as to expend so a man otherwise very specious may by a course of more civill and moderate sinnes runne into ruine The second Question is Whether privy and secret sins which never breake forth into light may raigne To which I answere That of all other sinnes those which are secret have the chiefest rule such as are privy pride hypocrisie selfe-justification rebellion malitious projects against the Word and worship of God c. The Prophet compares wicked mens hearts to an Oven Hos. 7. 6 7. As an Oven is hottest when it is stopp'd that no blast may breake forth so the heart is oftentimes most sinfull when most reserv'd It was a great part of the state and pride of the Persian kings that they were seldome seene by their subjects in publicke and the kingdome of China at this day is very vast and potent though it communicate but litle with other people so those lodging thoughts as the Prophet cals them which lie stifled within may be most powerfull when they are least discover'd First Because they are ever in the throne for the heart is the throne of sinne and every thing hath most of it selfe and is least miâ—…ed and alter'd where it first riseth Secondly because they are in the heart as a stone in the Center freest from opposition and disturbance which breaking forth into act they might be likely to meete withall And this may bee one of the depths and projects of Sathan against the soule of a man to let him live in some faire and plausible conformitie for the outward conversation that so his rule in the heart may be the more quiet both from clamours of conscience and from cure of the Word The third Question is Whether sinnes of ignorance may be raigning sinnes To which I answere That it is not mens knowledge of a king which makes him a king but his owne power Saul was a king when the witch knew not of it For as those multitudes of imperceptible stars in the milkie way doe yet all contribute to that generall confused light which wee there see so the undiscernâ—…d power of unknowne sinnes doe adde much to the great kingdome which sinne hath in the hearts of men A letter written in an unknowne language or in darke and invisible Characters is yet as truely a letter as that which is most intelligible and distinct so though men make a shift to fill their consciences with darke and unlegible sinnes yet there they are as truely as if they were written in capitall Characters Saint Pauls persecution was a sinne of Ignorance that was the only thing which left roome for the mercy of God so he faith of himselfe I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly through unbeliefe Which words we are not to understand causally or by way of externall motive to Gods mercy as if Saint Pauls ignorance and unbeliefe had been any positive and objective reason why God shewed him mercy but only thus I was so grievous a persecutor of the Church of Christ that had it not beene for my ignorance onely I had beene a subject uncapable of mercy If I had knowne Christs spirit and beene so conuinc'd as the Scribes and Pharises to whom hee used to preach were and should notwithstanding that conviction have set my selfe with that crueltie and rage against him as I did there would have beene no roome for mercy left my sinne would have beene not onely against the members but against the Spirit of Christ and so an unpardonable sinne His persecution then was a sinne of ignorance and yet we may know what a raigning sinne it was by the description of it That he made havocke of the Church and haled men and women into prison And indeed Ignorance doth promote the kingdome of sinne as a thiese with a vizard or disguise will be more bold in his outrages then with open face For sinne cannot be reproved nor repented of till some way or other it be made knowne All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light The fourth Question is Whether naturall concupiscence may be esteemed a raigning sinne To which I answere That as a
shewed me in my distempers but I am but a ioynt of the foote or a meane dishonourable and lesse serviceable member therefore though I am tormented with a goute or stone the tongue will not speake the head will not worke the hand will not distribute any thing for me The Children in a family would not so argue my father is carefull to provide physicke and cure the diseases of my brother because hee is growne up to doe him credit and his countrie service but I am but a childe that lie upon him and doe no worke I am unable for any employments and therefore I shall perish in my disease without care or regard Surely if the members of a body or the children of men who are evill would not thus argue how much lesse reason have any of Christs who have a head entrusted with the care of his meanest members and a father tender of the fals and failings of his weakest children Thus rather should the soule resolve Though Paul had more grace then I yet he had no more meâ—…t then I. All the compassion which was shewed unto him was out of favour and mercie not out of debt or dutie and my wants and miseries make me as fit for mercie as he was and the compassion of a father is most commended toward the unworthiest and most unprofitable childe Secondly ' Promises in themselves are certaine but the wayes of performance are often undiscernable and hidden therefore wee must live by Faith and not by reason and measure the Truth of Gods Words by the strength of his Power and not by our owne conceits or apprehensions When wee looke upon God in his Promises wee must conceive of him as a God infinite in wisedome to contrive and in Power to bring about the execution of his owne will There is a Promise made of calling the Iewes unto Christ and causing them to turne from their transgressions The Redeemer shall come unto Sion and unto them that returne from transgression in Iacob Esai 59 20. But hee who should consider the extreme obstinacie and stubbornnesse of that people against the Gospell would thinke it impossible that they should ever bee pull'd out of the sâ—…are of the Divell therefore the Apostle makes Gods Power the ground of certaintie in this promise They also shall be grafted in againe for God is able to graffe them in As it is written There shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turne away ungodlynesse from Iacob Rom. 11. 23. 26. The Sadduces and Gentiles derided the Doctrine and Promise of the Resurrection from the deade and our Saviour carrieth the one from their owne prejudice unto Gods Power ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Math. 22. 29. And Saint Paul the other from their reason unto Faith in God Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the Dead Act. 26. 8. Therefore wee shall finde mens unbeliefe in Scripture hath risen partly from apprehension of power in those whom they feare and partly from apprehension of impotencie in those whom they should trust When the Israelites heard of Giants and sonnes of Anâ—…k in the promised laâ—…d presently they murmâ—…ed against the Lord and his Servants and provoked him by their unbeleefe of his mighty power which they had had so frequent experience of How long will this people provoke mee How long will it be ere they beleeve me for all the signes which I have shewed amongst them Numb 14. 1 11. They provoked him againe by infidelitie in the wildernesse when they asked meate for their Iust and that was by calling the Power of God in question They spake against God they said can God furnish a table in the Wildernesse Behold hee smote the Rocke that the Waters gushed out and the streames overflowed but can hee give bread also can he provide flesh for his people Psal. 78. 19. 20. They measured God by their owne reason and charged God with that impotencie which they found in themselves This was the sinne of that noble man who attended upon the king of Israel in the great famine at Samaria when the Prophet foretold a marvellous plentie which should suddenly come to the place hee measured Gods Power by his owne conceits of possibility in the thing If the Lord would make windowes in heaven this thing could not be 2. King 7. 2. There was a Promise made unto Israel to restore them out of that great captivity of Babylon and this seemed to them as incredible as for men to bee raised out of their Graves after so many yeeres consumption therefore they said our bones are dried up and our hope is lost and we are cut off for our parts Wee have no more reason to beleeve any promise or to rest upon any expectations of deliverance then dead bones have to revive againe Therefore the Lord acquainteth them with his Power together with his Promises O my people ye shaâ—â— know that I am the Lord that is that my wayes and thoughts are infinitely above your shallow apprehensions when I shall have brought you out of your Graves Ezek. 37. 11. 13. Though there should bee famine and mountaines betweene Gods people and his promises famine to weaken their feete that they could not crawle away and mountaines to stop their passage which they could not climbe nor overpasse yet when there was no might nor power left in them the Spirit of the Lord should be their strength their feete should be like Hindes feete to skippe over the mountaines and the mountaines should be as a plaine before them Hab. 3. 17. 18. 19. Zach. 4. 6 7. All doubts and distrusts arise from this that men make their owne thoughts the measure of Gods strength and have low and unworthy conceits of his Power This therefore in all difficulties wee must frame our hearts unto to looke of from second causes from the probabilities or possibilities which are obvious to our reason and admire the unsearchablenesse of Gods Power and wisedome which is above all the thoughts of man If a rich man should promise a begger a great summe of money and hee should discomfort himselfe with such plodding scruples as these Alas these are but the words of a man who meanes well and takes compassion on my povertie but how can hee possibly make good this promise If I should engage my selfe thus to another poore man I should be sure to faile his expectations and â—…latter him with winde what quiet or comfort could he have but he would have more wisedome then to measure rich men by his owne povertie and basenesse So should we doe in any difficulties and distresses either from sinnes afflictions or temptations As Abraham did 〈◊〉 not at the Promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe Rom. 4. 19 20. And after he offered vp his Sonne in faith because he
end that so we may receive a Crowne of Life For God doth not fulfill his promises in us onely but by us too and those things which in regard of his Word are his promises are also in regard of his commaund our Duties And therefore we must take the promises in that Connexion and dependencie which they have amongst themselves Fourthly promises though alwayes necessary are yet most usefull in Extremities and therefore it is best for us to store up of all sorts though wee see no present use of some particulars yet we know not what time may bring forth what wayes God my please to try us by Secondly It is best to acquaint our hearts with those which are most generall pretions fundamentall wherein Gods Power and Goodnesse is principally seene and from them it will be easie to inferre the rest As Iob argues from the finall resurrection to a deliverance from the dunghill And David from the deliverance of his Soule from Hell to the deliverance of his feete from falling And Habakuk from the deliverance out of Egypt and the wildernesse to the deliverance out of Babylon And Abraham from a miraculous generation in a dead wombe to a miraculous restitution of Isaak from the dead againe And Paul from a deliverance out of the mouth of the Lion to a deliverance from every evill worke Some notable act of Gods mercy and providence may bee applyable to severall more particulars because experience worketh hope Thirdly It is good to bring a mans selfe to a view of extremities in himselfe to keepe fresh in his eye the nakednesse poverty and utter disability that is in him to further his owne happynesse and that will fitte him to goe with Patience and Faith through any other exigencies which he may bee brought to There is as little ground why a sinner should beleeve and trust God for the forgivenesse of his sinnes as Hope foÌ„r any comfort and support in his distresses If a man can therefore now keepe before him a distinct view of the filthynesse of his sinnes and that anguish and extremities which it brings and live by Faith in the remission of them he will bee much the more fitted to trust and leane on God in the middest of any other distresses There is not so much evill so much unremoveablenesse and unmitigablenesse in any 〈◊〉 or misery as there is in sinne and therefore if we can trust God for pardon purging and extinguishing of sinne we may much more trust him for the supporting of us under or delâ—…vering us from any other evill Fifthly experience of Gods Wisedome Truth and Power in some promises will settle and establish the heart in dependance and expectation of the like in others Sense doth corroborate and confirme Faith And this wee shall observe to be a very frequent argument in Holy Scriptures to conclude Gods favour for the present or future by his proceedings past When the Israelites were afraid of the Anakims and Giants of the Land this was Moses his argument Dread not neither bee afraid of them the Lord your God which goeth before you hee shall fight for you according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes and in the wildernesse c. And againe I commanded Iosua saith he at that time saying Thine eyes have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two Kings So shall the Lord doe unto all the kingdomes whither thou passest So David argued against Gâ—…liah The Lord did deliver me from a Lyon and a Beare therefore he will deliver me from this Philistime And S. Paul The Lord hath delivered from a sentence of Death and doth deliver therefore I trust that hee will deliver So the faithfull argue in the Prophet Art not thou hee that didst cut Rahab and wound the Dragon that didst dry the Sea the waters of the dâ—…pe and madâ—…st a passage through the dâ—…pths of the Sea for the ransomed to passe over Therâ—…fore the Redeemed of the Lord shall returne and come with singing unto Sion c. These and sundry the like examples were written for our learning that wee also through comfort of the Scriptures might have hope that wee might learne to store up the passages of Gods providence in our lives that they may bee for presidents and rules in after times Men are apt to sinke under the present sense of any evill that presseth them because they doe not looke baâ—…kward to Gods former wayes of mercy towards them whereas if men could thus argue I have knowne a famine and felt a pinching season so long agone and I did then out-live it and Gods providence cared for me and â—…arried mee through that plunge and distresse I have felt a sore disease and beene in the mouth of the Grave and yet I live to prayse Gods power The buffets of Sathan have heretofore bruized my soule and I have beene even drencht in mine owne sorrowes and swallowed up of despairing and uncomfortable thoughts and yet out of them all the Lord hath delivered me and let his countenance shine upon me againe And hee is the same God still as full of compassion to comâ—…iserate my calamities as full of power to effect as full of wisedome to contrive as ful of fidelity to performe his owne Promises as hee was before And therefore I will waite upon him in the wayes of his owne mercy and rest in the constancie immutability indeficiencie of that God with whom there is no variablenesse neither shadow of changing I say if men could thus learne to comfort their hearts by their experiences and review of Gods former proceedings they might with the more quietnesse and silent affections expect the salvation of the Lord againe Sixthly The same thing in temporall and inferior blessings may belong to one man only ex largitate out of that generall providence which causeth the Sâ—…nne to shine on the good and the bad alike and to another ex promisso out of Gods promise because godâ—…ynesse hath the promises of this life as wâ—…ll as of that to come Now there is a vast difference betweene these two to have a thing onely out of patience and forbearance and to have it out of engagement and promise For by the promise there is a discharge of all the forfeitures incumbrances vexations perplexities which attended the same thing As in temporall so in spirituall and theologicall respects there is a great difference in Tenures touching the same things The wicked in the earthly things they enioy are wholly Tenants at will they have no engagement at all from God they may be thrust out every houre for all their right was forfeited in Adam and restored unto them only by a Generall providence during Gods good pleasure as a condemned malefactor till the time of his execution hath some thing allowed him out of favour but may at pleasure bee cut off from it But the faithfull have all things by
Two expositions I conceive may be given of these words both which tend to cleare that use of the Law which wee are upon First where there is a Mediator there must be parties at variance that are two by their differences and disagreements and not one This then shewes first for what reason the Law was promulgated namely to convince men of their offences which had separated between them and God who were at the first one in peace and mutuall affections towards each other Secondly the words following shew why the Law was published in the Hand of a Mediator because God is one Though the law serve to convince men thus of their sinfull variance with God yet they should not thereupon despaire and sinke under the feare of his wrath for as he made a Covenant of Promise to Abraham and his seede so he is the same God still One in his Grace and Mercy towards sinners As a Mediator doth shew that men by sinne are at variance with God so doth he shew likewise that God by Grace is at unitie with men For when the party offended sends a mediator to him who had done the offence to parly and make tender of a reconcilement two things doe herein manifestly appeare First that before this there was a breach or else there would have beene no neede of a Mediator Secondly that notwithstanding that breach yet the party offended from whom the Mediator comes is at unitie and peace againe so that though a mediator is not of one but of disagreeing parties yet God is one that is He in sending this Mediator doth declare to mankinde that Hee is at peace and unity with them againe if they will accept of the reconcilement A second exposition may be thus A Mediator is not of One. By One here may haply bee understood not one Party but one matter businesse or Covenant And then the meaning runnes thus As the Lord hath published Two Covenants A Promise to Abraham and a Law to Israel so hee hath appointed Two Mediators of those covenants or businesses which hee had to communicate to men Moses the Mediator of the Law for the Law came by Moses and Christ the Mediator of the Promise or better covenant For Grace came by Iesus Christ Moses the representative and Christ the substantiall and reall Mediator But now though there be two Covenants and two Mediators and they so much in appearance contrary unto one another as that God may in them seeme inconstant and to have by one cancell'd and repented for the other yet all this while God is One that is He is the same in both Covenants carries the same purpose and intention both in the Lawe and in the Gospell namely a benevolence and desire of reconcilement with men Vers. 21. Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid for if there had beene a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousnesse should have beene by the Law Here wee have an Objection of the Iewes If God be One then Hee doth not speake one thing and meane another pronounce the Law in some words and require them to be otherwise understoode And then it will follow that the Law is against the Promises for in the common construct on and sense of the words it is manifestly contrary This Objection the Apostle doth retort upon them In as much as the Law would be against the Promise if it should stand for a rule of Iustification by it selfe and not for a maâ—uduction unto Christ therefore God being one and the same constant in his Promise for Righteousnesse which he made to Abraham therefore they were in a manifest errour who sought for righteousnesse from the Law because that would evidently inferre one of these two things either inconstancie in Gods Will or inconsistencie in his acts The substance and strength of the Apostles answer I take to be this Contrariety is properly in the Nature of things considered by themselves Now though there bee in the Law an accidentall contrariety to the Gospell by reason of the sinne of man which hath brought weaknesse upon it so that the Law now curseth and the Gospell blesseth the Law now condemneth and the Gospell justifieth yet of it selfe it is not contrary For if any Law would have given life and righteousnesse this would have done it That which is Ex se considered in it selfe Apt to carry to the same end whereunto another thing carries is not of it selfe contrary thereunto but the Law is of it selfe apt to carry unto Life and Righteousnesse as now the Gospel doth therefore of it selfe it is not contrary to the Gospell but that difference which is is from the sin of mâ—…n which hath weakned the Law But now the Law in the hand of a Mediâ—…tor is not onely not against but it is for the Promises Suppose we two wayes unto one Citie whereof the one is Accidentally either by bogges or inclosures or some other reasons become utterly unpassable the other smooth and easie these are not contrary wayes considered in themselves for of themselves they point both unto one place but onely contrary in respect of travellers because the one will de facto bring to the Citie which the other by accident is unable to doe So heere the Law is one way tâ—… Heaven the Gospell another but sinne hath made the Law weake and unpassable which otherwise of it selfe would have sufficed unto righteousnesse And yet even thus the Law is not against the Promise for the impossibilitie which we finde in the Law enforceth us to bethinke our selves of a better and surer way to bring us unto righteousnesse and salvation And this the Apostle shewes in the next words Vers. 22. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the Promise by Faith of Iesus Christ might bee given to them that beleeve Though Sinne have made the Law contrary to the Promise in that it curseth and condemneth and concludeth men under sin and wrath yet such is the mercy of God that he hath subordinated all this and made it subservient unto the Gospell that the Promise thereby may be applyed and advanced For it is all ordered to no other purpose but that men might beleeve and inherite the Promises But what Doth the Law make men beleeve or beget Faith Formally it doth not but by way of preparation and manuduction it doth As when a man findes one way shut up he is thereby induc'd to enquire after another To summe up all that hath beene spoken touching the use of the Law in a plaine similitude Suppose wee a Prince should proclaime a pardon to all Traitors if they would come in and pleade it and after this should send forth his officers to attach imprison examine convince arraigne threaten and condemne them Is hee now contrary to himselfe hath he â—…epented of his mercy No but hee is unwilling to lose his mercie hee is desirous to have the honour of his mercy acknowledged unto him
projects and machinations against his Church but thou onely His heele the vitall parts shall be above thy reach And this Christ did not for himselfe but for us The God of Peace saith the Apostle shall bruize Sathan under your feete Hee shall be under our feete but it is a greater strength then ours which shall keepe him downe The victorie is Gods the benefit and insultation ours If He come as a Serpent with cunning craftinesse to seduce us Christ is a stronger Serpent a Serpent of Brasse and what hurt can a Serpent of flesh doe unto a Serpent of Brasse If as a Lion with rage and fierie assaults Christ is a stronger Lion A Lion of the Tribe of Iudâ—… the victorious Tribe Who shall goe up for us against the Cananites first Iuda shall goe up If hee come as an Angel of light to perswade us to presume and sinne The mercie of Christ begets feare The Love of Christ constraineth us Sathan can but allure to disobedience but Christ can constraine us to live unto him If he come as an Angell of darkenesse to terrifie us with despairing suggestions because wee have sinned If any man sinne wee have an Advocate and who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is Christ that is deade yea rather that is risen againe who also sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for us Thirdly but I have an enemie within me which is the most dangerous of all The World may be if not overcome yet endured and by being endured it will at last bee overcome The Divell may bee driven away for a time though he returne againe but the flesh is an Inhabiting sinne and an encompassing sinne If I breake through it yet it is still within me and if I reject it yet it is still about me Saint Paul who triumphed and insulted over all the rest over the World Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword nay in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loved us Over Sathan and Hell O Death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victorie Even hee cryes out against this enemie his owne flesh O wrethed man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of Death Yet even against this unremoveable and unvanquishable corruption the Life of Christ is safe in us upon these grounds First we have his Prayer which helpes to subdue it and to sanctifie our nature Sanctifie them by thy Truth Secondly wee have His Vertue and Power to purge it out and to cure it The Sunne of righteousnesse hath healing in his wings Thirdly wee have His office and sidelitie to appeale unto and where to complaine against our owne flesh He undertooke it as a part of his businesse to purge and clense his people Fourthly we have His Spirit to combate and wrestle with it and so by little and little to crucifie it in us and lastly we have his Merits as Sanctuarie to flie unto to forgive them here and hereafter to expell them Fourthly for all this I am full of doubts and restlesse feares which do continually fight within me and make my spirit languish and sinke and that which may decay may likewise expire and vanish away To this I answer that which inwardly decayeth and sinketh at the foundation is perishable but that which in its operations and quoad nos in regard of sense and present complacencie may seeme to decay doth not yet perish in its substance A Cloude may hide the Sunne from the eye but can never blot it out of his orbe Nay Spirituall griefe is to that light which is sowen in the heart but like harrowing to the Earth it macerates for the time but withall it tends to joy and beautie There is difference betweene the paines of a woman in travell and the paines of a goute or some mortall disease for though that be as extreeme in smart and present irkefomenesse as the other yet it containes in it and it proceedes from a Matter of Ioy And all the wrestlings of the Soule with the enemies of Salvation are but as the paines of a woman in travell when Christ is fashioned when the issue iâ—… victorious and with gaine the soule no more remembreth those afflictioâ—…s which were but for a moment Fifthly and lastly I have fallen into many and great sinnes and if all sinne be of a mortall and venemous operation how can my Life in Christ consist with such heavie provocations and apostacies To this in generall I answer If the sight of thy sinnes make thee looke to Christ If â—…hou canst beleeve all things are possible It is possible for thy greatest apostacies to vanish like a Cloud and to be forgotten Though sinne have weakned the Law that we cannot be saved by that yet it hath not weakned Faith or made that unable to save For the strength of sinne is the Law it hath its condemning vertue from thence Now by Faith we are not under the Law but under Grace When once wee are incorporate into Christs body and made partakers of the new Covenant though we are still under the Laws conduct in regard of its obedience which is made sweete and easie by Grace yet we are not under the laws maledâ—…ction So that though sinne in a Beleever bee a transgression of the Law and doth certainely incurre Gods displeasure yet it doth not de fectâ—… though it doe de merito subject him to wrath and vengeance because every justified man is a person priviledg'd though not from the duties yet from the curses of the Law If the King should gratiously exempt any subject from the Lawes penaltie and yet require of him the Lawes obedience if that man offend he bâ—…ch transgreâ—…sed the Law and provoked the displeasure of the Prince who haply will make him some otheâ—… way to 〈◊〉 it yet his offence doth not nullyfie his priviledge nor voyde the Princes grace which gave him an immunitie from the foâ—…feitures though not from the observance of the Law Adultery amongst the Iewes was punished with Death and Theft onely wtth restitution amongstus Adulterie is not punished with Death and Theft is Now then though a Iew and an Englishman be both bound to the obedience of both these Lawes yet a Iew is not to die for Theft nor an Englishman for Adultery because wee are not under the Iudiciall Lawes of that people nor they under our Lawes Even so those sinnes which to a man under the covenant of workes do dâ—… facto bring Death if he continue alwayes under that covenant doe onely create a Merit of Death in those who are under the Covenant of Grace but doe not actually exclude them from Salvation because without infidelitie no sinne doth peremptorily and quoad eventum
of holinesse and grace which in Christ wee haue receiued For as sense of sin as a cursed thing which is legall humiliation doth arise from that faith whereby wee beleeve and assent to the truth of God in all his threatnings which is a legall faith so the Abominating of sinne as an uncleane thing and contrary to the image and holinesse of God which is evangelicall repentance doth arise from evangelicall faith whereby we look upon God as most mercifull most holie and therefore most worthie to bee imitated and served Secondly Renovation and that two fold First inward in the constitution of the heart which is by faith purified Secondly outward in the conversation and practice when a man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and as he hath received the Lord Iesus so walketh in him Now in all our obedience wee must observe these three Rules First that binding power which is in the law doth solely depend upon the authority of the Lawgiver who is God Hee that customarilie and without care of obedience or feare of displeasure or antipathy of spirit breaks any one Commandement ventures to violate that authority which by one and the same ordination made the whole law equally binding by consequence is habitually in praeparatione animi a transgressor of the whole Law And therefore Obedience must not bee partiall but vniversall as proceeding from that faith which hath respect equally to all Gods will and lookes upon him as most true and most holy in all his commands Secondly As God so his Law is a spirituall and a perfect Law and therefore requires an inward universality of the subject as well as that other of the Precepts which wee walke by I meane such a spiritual and sincere obedience of the hart as may without any mercenary or reserv'd respects uniformely sway our whole man unto the same way and end Thirdly In every Law all matter Homogeneall and of the same kind with the particular named every sprig seede originall of the Dutie is included as all the branches of a tree belong unto the same stock And by these rules wee are to examine the truth of our obedience Before I draw downe these premises to a particular Assumption and Applycation I must for Caution sake premise that faith may be in the heart either habitually as an actus primus a forme or seede or principle of working or else actually as an actus secundus a particular Operation and that in the former sense it doth but remotely dispose and order the soule to these properties but in the later it doth more visibly and distinctly produce them So then according as the heart is deaded in the exercise of Faith so doe these properties thereof more dimly appeare and more remisly worke Secondly we must note that according as faith hath severall workings so Satan hath severall wayes to assault and weaken it There are two maine workes of Faith Obedience and Comfort to purifie and to pacifie the heart and according unto these so Satan tempts His maine end is to wrong and dishonour God and therefore chiefly hee labours to disable the former vertue of Faith and tempts to sinne against God But when hee cannot proceede so farre hee labours to discomfort and crush the spirits of men when hee prevailes in the former he weakens all the properties of Faith when in the later onely he doth not then weaken all but onely intercept and darken a Christians peace For understanding this point we must note that there are many acts of faith Some direct that looke outward towards Christ others reflexive that looke inward upon themselves The first act of faith is that whereby a man having beene formerly reduced unto extremities and impossibilities within himselfe lookes upon God as Omnipotent and so able to save as mercifull and in Christ reconcileable and so likely to save if he be sought unto Hereupon growes a second act namely a kinde of exclusive resolution to be thinke himselfe of no new wayes to trust no inferiour causes for salvation or righteousnes to sell all to count them all dung not to consult any more with flesh or blood but to prepare the heart to seeke the Lord To resolve as the Lepers in the famine at Samaria not to continue in the state he is in nor yet to returne to the Citie to his wonted haunts and wayes where he shall be sure to perish and from this resolution a man cannot by any discomforts bee removed or made to bethinke himselfe of any other new way but onely that which hee sees is possible and probable and where he knowes if he finde acceptance hee shall have supplyes and life enough and this act may consist with much feare doubt and trembling The Syrians had food and Samaria had none therefore the Lepers resolve to venture abroad Yet this they cannot doe without much doubting and distrust because the Syrians whom they should meete with were their enemies However this resolution over-rul'd them because in their present estate they were sure to perish in the other there was roome for hope and possibilitie of living and that carried them co Esters resolution If we perish we perish such is the Act of Faith in this present case It is well assured that in the case a man is in there is nothing but death to bee expected therefore it makes him resolve to relinquish that It lookes upon God as plenteous in power and mercie and so likely to save and yet it sees him too as arm'd with Iustice against sinne as justly provoked and wearied in his patience and therefore may feare to bee rejected and not saved alive Yet because in the former state there is a certainty to perish in the later a possibility not to perish therefore from hence ariseth a third act a conclusive and positive purpose to trust Christ. I will not onely deny all other wayes but I will resolve to trie this way to set about it to go to him that hath plenty of redemption and Life If I must perish yet He shall reject me I will not reject my selfe I will goe unto Him And this act or resolution of faith is built upon these grounds First because Gods Love and free Grace is the first originall mover in our salvation If God did beginne His worke upon prevision of any thing in and from our selves we should never dare to come vnto Him because wee should never finde any thing in our selves to ground His mercie towards us upon But now the Love of God is so absolute and independant that it doth not only require nothing in us to excite and to cal it out but it is not so much as grounded upon Christ himselfe I speake of His first Love and Grace Christ was not the impulsive cause of Gods first Love to mankinde but was Himselfe the great gift which God sent to men therein to testifie that Hee did freely love them before God so
side Love of lusts and pride of heart can never consist with obedience to the word Nehem. 9. 16. Ier. 13. 17. 43. 2. Thirdly converting and saving knowledge is not of our owne fetching in or gathering but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctrine that comes unto us and is brought by that sacred blast of the spirit which bloweth where he lifteth We doe not first come and are then taught but first we are taught and then we Come Ioh. 6. 45. Esai 55. 5. 65. 1. we must take heed of attributing to our selves boasting of our owne sufficiencies congtuities preparations concurrencies contributions unto the word in the saving of us Grace must prevent follow assist us preoperate and cooperate Christ must be All in All the Author and the Finisher of our faith of our selves we can doe nothing but disable our selves resist the spirit and pull downe whatever the word doth build up within us Ever therefore in humility waite at the poole where the spirit stirres Give that honour to Gods ordinances as when hee bids thee doe no great thing but onely wash and be cleane heare and beleeve beleeve and be saved not stoutly to cast his Law behinde thy backe but to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God and to see his name and power in the voyce which cryes unto thee Fourthly though sinne seeme dead to secure civill morall superstitiously zealous men in regard of any present sense or sting yet all that while it is alive in them and will certainely when the booke shall be opened either in the ministry of the word to conversion or in the last judgement to condemnation reviue againe All these points are very naturall to the Text but I should be too long a stranger to the course I intend if I should insist on them I returne therefore to the maine purpose Here is the state of sinne sinne revived the Guilt of sinne I died the Conviction of it by the spirit bringing the spirituall sense of the Commandement and writing it in the heart of a man and so pulling him away from his owne Conclusions The Doctrines then which I shall insist on are these two First the spirit by the Commandement convinceth a man to be in the state of sinne Secondly the spirit by the Commandement convinceth a man to be in the state of death because of sinne To convince a man that he is in the state of sinne is To make a man so to set to his owne seale and serious acknowledgement to this truth That he is a sinner as that withall he shall feele within himselfe the qualitie of that estate and in humility and selfe-abhorrencie conclude against himselfe all the naughtinesse and loathsome influences which are proper to kindle and catch in his nature and person by reason of that estate and so not in expression onely but in experience not in word but in truth not out of feare but out of loathing not out of constraint but most willingly not out of formality but out of humility not according to the generall voyce but out of a serious scrutinie and selfe examination loade and charge himselfe with all the noisomenesse and venome with all the dirt and garbage with all the malignitie and frowardnesse that his nature and person doe abound withall even as the waves of the sea with mire and dirt and thereupon justifie almighty God when he doth charge him with all this yea if he should condemne him for it Now we are to shew two things First that a meere naturall light will never thus farre convince a man Secondly that the spirit by the Commandement doth Some things nature is sufficient to teach God may be felt and found out in some fence by those that ignorantly worship him Nature doth convince men that they are not so good as they should be the Law is written in the hearts of those that know nothing of the letter of it Idlenesse beastiality lying luxury the Cretian poet could condemne in his owne countrey-men Drinking of healths ad plenoscalices by measure and constraint condemn'd by Law of a heathen prince and that in his luxurie Long haire condemn'd by the dictate of nature and right reason and the reason why so many men and whole nations notwithstanding use it is given by Saint Hierome Quia à natura deciderunt sicut multis alijs rebus comprobatur And indeede as Tertullian saith of womens long haire that it is Humilitatis suae sarcina the burden as it were of their Humility so by the warrant of that proportion which Saint Paul allowes 1. Cor. 11. 14. 15. We may call mens long haire Superbiae suae sarcinam nothing but a clogge of pride Saint Austin hath written three whole chapters together against this sinfull custome of nourishing haire which hee saith is expressely against the precept of the Apostle whom to vnderstand otherwise then the very letter sounds is to wrest the manifest words of the Apostle unto a perverse construction But to returne these Remnants of nature in the hearts of men are but like the blazes and glimmerings of a candle in the socket there is much darknes mingled with them Nature cannot throughly convince 1. Because it doth not carry a man to the Roote Adams sinne concupiscence and the corrupted seeds of a fleshly minde reason conscience will c. Meere nature will never Teach a man to feele the waight and curse of a sinne committed aboue five thousand yeeres before himselfe was borne to feele the spirits of sinne running in his bloud and sprouting out of his nature into his life one uncleane thing out of another to mourne for that filthinesse which he contracted in his conception Saint Paul professeth that this could not bee learned without the Law 2. Because it doth not carry a man to the Rule which is the written Law in that mighty widenesse which the Prophet David found in it Nature cannot looke upon so bright a thing but through vailes and glosses of its owne Evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light cannot endure a through scrutinie and ransacking left it should be reproved When a man lookes on the Law through the mist of his owne â—…usts he cannot but wrest and torture it to his owne way Saint Peter gives two reasons of it because such men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 3. 16. 1. Vnlearned men namely in the mysterie of Godlinesse have not been taught of God what the truth is in Iesus till that time a man will never put off his lusts but defend them and rather make crooked the rule coine distinctions and evasions upon the law it selfe then judge himselfe and give glory to God 2. Fickle unstable men men apt to be tossed up and downe like empty clouds with every blast never rooted nor grounded in the love of the truth unstedfast in the Covenant of God that lay not hold on it
and are therefore altogether undisposed to Continue or hold fast the truth A man in his lusts is like a man in a disease not long well in one way but is ever given to changes and experiments and as he changeth so doth he ever new shape the scripture and dragge it downe to the patronage of his owne wayes So that the Law in a wicked mans heart is like a candle in a foule lanterne or as a straight oare in troubled water or the shining of light through a color'd glasse wried and chang'd into the image of the corrupted minde wherein it lies The Law in it selfe is Perfect right pure sure and faithfull holy just and spirituall lively and operative and men by nature are unlike all this degenerate and crooked wavering and unfaithfull deceiving and being deceived unholy carnall and impure fleshly minded dead and reprobate to every good worke Such a great disproportion is there betweene Nature and the Law 3. Because it doth not Drive us out of our selves for a Remedie The sublimest philosophie that ever was did never teach a man to denie himselfe but to build up his house with the old ruines to fetch stones and materials out of the wonted quarrie Humiliation confusion shame selfe-abhorrencie to be vile in a mans owne eyes to be nothing within himselfe to be willing to owne the vengeance of almighty God and to judge our selves to justifie him that may condemne us and be witnesses against our selves are vertues knowne only in the booke of God and which the learnedest Philosophers would have esteemed both irrational and pusillanimous things 4. Because naturall judgement is so throughly distorted and infatuated as to count evill good and good evill light darkenesse and darkenesse light to perswade a man that he is in a right way when the end thereof will be theissues of death that he is Rich and in need of nothing when in the meane time he is miserable poore blinde and naked Platoes community Aristotles Vrbanitie and magnanimity Ciceroes blinding the eyes of the Iudges and his officious dissimulation and compliancie the Stoicks apathie and officious lies that so much admired stoutnesse or rather sullennesse of those rigid Heathen that puld out their owne eyes that they mighy bee chaste and kild themselves to be rid of evill times nay more the Pharisies strictnesse the zeale and unblameablenesse of Paul the devotions of obstinate Iewes all the strength of civill morall formall shewes and expressions of goodnesse though specious in the eyes of men yet in the eyes of God that seeth not as manseeth they are all but sinfull and filthy losse and dung Lastly because nature in particular men never knew nor had experience of a better estate and therefore must needs bee ignorant of that full Image in which it was created and unto which it ought still to be conformable As a man borne in a dungeon is unable to conceive the state of a Palace as the Childe of a Noble man stolne away and brought up by some lewd Begger cannot conceive or suspect the honour of his blood so utterly unable is corrupted nature that hath bin borne in a wombe of ignorance bred in a hell of uncleannesse enthrall'd from the beginning to the prince of darkenesse to conceive or convince a man of that most holy and pure condition in which hee was created the least deviation where-from is sinne unto him Now then since Nature cannot thus convince the spirit in the Commandement must We have no inward principle but these two We grant there is a difference to be made betweene the illumination and Renovation of the spirit men may be illightned and yet not sanctified as a false Starre or an ignis fatuus may have light without influence or heate yet withall it is certaine too that it is impossible to know sinne in that hatefulnesse which is in it with such a knowledge as begets hatred and detestation of it or to know divine things with such a knowledge aâ—… is commensurate to them such as in their spirituall and immediate purity they are apt to beget but that knowledge must worke admiration delight love endeavours of conformity unto so heavenly truths No comprehension of things divine without love Ephes. 3. 17. 18. the reason why God gives men over to strong delusions to beleeve lyes is because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved 2. Thes. 2. 10. 11. This conviction then of sinne the spirit worketh First by revealing the Rule Secondly by opening the condition of the state of sinne Thirdly by giving a heart experimentally and reflexively to understand all or by shaping and framing the heart to the Word and so mingling them both together The Apostle saith that By the Commandement sinne revived By the life of sinne I understand the strength of it and that is twofold A strength to condemne and a strength to operate or worke in a man obedience to it selfe a strength to hold a man fast and to carry him its owne way Sin is a body and hath earthly members Col. 3. 4. which are very active vigorous the Apostle speaketh of a holding propertie which it hath Rom. 7. 6. and this strength hath the sinewes of all strength in it It is a Lord and so it hath the strength of power to command and it is a husband and so it hath the strength of love to perswade and prevaile First it is a Lord and Master in which respect it hath these tyes upon us First a Covenant there is a virtuall bargaine betweene lust and a sinner Esay 28. 15. we make promise of serving and obeying sinne Ioh. 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16. and that returneth unto us the wages of iniquitie and the pleasures of sinne 2. Pet. 2. 15. Heb. 11. 25. Secondly love unto it as unto a bountifull and beneficiall Lord. Sinne exerciseth authority over us and yet we account it our benefactor Hos 2. 5. 12. 13. Iob 20. 12. 13. Thirdly an easie service the worke of sinne is naturall the instruments all ready at hand the helpers and fellow-servants many to teach to encourage to hasten and lead on in the broad way Fourthly in sinne it selfe there is a great strength to enforce men to its service First it is edg'd with malice against the soule arm'd with weapons to fight against it and enmity is a great Whetstone to valour Secondly it is attended with fleshly wisedome suppported with stratagems and deceits hastened and set on by the assistance of Satan and the world Eph. 4. 22 Heb. 3. 13. Thirdly it hath a Iudicature and regiment in the heart it governes by a Law it fâ—…nds forth lusts axnd temptations like so many edicts into the soule and when we object the Law of God against the service
meeke and peaceable In the same will a delight in the Law of God and yet a bias and counter-motion to the law of sinne In the same understanding a light of the Gospell and yet many relikes of humane principles and fleshly reasonings much ignorance of the purity excellency and beauty of the wayes of God In the same heart singlenesse and sensiblenesse of sinne and yet much secret fraud and prevarication hardnesse and dis-apprehension of sin and wrath In the same affections love of God and love of the World feare of God and feare of men trust in God and doubting of his favour Lord I beleeve helpe thou mine unbeliefe was the cry of the poore man in the Gospell and such must bee the complaints of the best of us Lord I will helpe thou mine unwillingnesse Lord I heare thee helpe thou my deafenesse Lord I remember thee helpe thou my forgetfulnesse Lord I presse towards thee helpe thou my wearinesse Lord I rejoyce in thee helpe thou my heavinesse Lord I desire to have more fellowship with thee helpe thou my strangenesse Lord I love and delight in thy Law helpe thou my failings Such tugging is there of either nature to preserve and improve it selfe Iacob was a man of contention and wrestling from the beginning Contention with his brother in the birth contention for the birth-right contention with an Angell for the blessing contention for his wife and for his wages with Laban He was a Typicall man his name was Israel and he was a patterne to the Israel of God We must be all men of contention wrestlers not onely with God in strong and importunate prayers for his blessings but with our elder brother Esau with the lusts and frowardnesse of our owne hearts The Thiefe on the Crosse was a perfect embleme of the sinne of our nature he was naild hand and foot destin'd unto death utterly disabled from any of his wonted outrages and yet that only part which was a little loose flies out in reviling and reproaching Christ Our old man by the mercy of God is upon a Crosse destin'd to death disabled from the exercise of that wonted violence and dominion which it used and yet so long as there is any life or strength left in him hee sets it all on worke to revile that blessed spirit which is come so neere him The more David prevailes the more Saul rageth and persecuteth him As in the wombe of Tamar there was a strife for precedencie Zarah thrust out his hand first and yet Pharez goâ—… foâ—…th before him so in a Christian many times the 〈◊〉 thruâ—… out the hand and begins to worke and presently the flesh growes sturdie and boisterous and gets first into the action A man sets himselfe to call upon God lifts up his hand with the skarlet thred the blood of Christ upon it is in a sweete preparation to powre out his complaints his requests his praises to his father and ere he is aware pride ln the excellencie of Gods gifts or deadnesse or worldly thoughts intrude themselves and justle-by Gods spirit and cast a blemish upon his offring A man is setting himself to heare Gods word begins to attend and rellish the things that are spoken as matters which doe in good earnest concerne his peace begins to see a beauty more then ordinary in Gods service an excellencie with David in Gods Law which hee considered not before resolves hereafter to love frequent submit beleeve prize it more then he had ever done presently the flesh sets up her mounds her reasonings her perverse disputes her owne principles her shame her worldlinesse her want of leisure her secular contentments and so resists the spirit of God and rejects his counsell I have enough already what needs this zeale this pressing this accuratenesse this violence for heaven strive wee what wee can our infirmities will encompasse us our corruptions will bee about us But yet Beloved as in a pyramide the higher you goe the lesse compasse still you finde the body to bee of and yet not without the curiositie and diligence of him that fram'd it so in a Christian mans resurrection and conversation with Christ in heaven the neerer he comes to Christ the smaller still his corruptions will bee and yet not without much spirituall industry and christian art A Christian is like a flame the higher it ascends the more thinne purified and azurie it is but yet it is a flame in greene wood that wants perpetuall blowing and encouragement A man sets himselfe with some good resolution of spirit to set forward the honor in questioning in discovering in shaming in punishing within the compasse of his owne calling and warrant the abuses of the times in countenancing in rewarding in abetting and supporting truth righteousnes his flesh presently interposeth his quiet his security his relations his interests his hopes his feares his dependencies his plausibility his credit his profit his secular provisoes these blunt his edge upbraid him with impoliticknes with malecontentednes with a sullen cynicall disposition against men and manners and thus put I know not what ill favor'd colours upon a good face to make a man out of love with an honest busines In a word good is before me the glory the service the waies of God I see it but I cannot love it I love it but I cannot doe it I doe it but I cannot finish it I will but yet I rebell I follow and yet I fall I presse forward and yet I faint and flagge I wrestle and yet I halt I pray and yet I sinne I fight and yet I am Captive I crucifie my lusts and yet they revile me I watch my heart and yet it runnes away from me God was at first the Author of nothing but peace within me what envious man hath sowed this warre in my bowels Let the Apostle answer this question saith Saint Austen By one man sinne entred into the world That which I would be I am not and that which I hate I am O wretched man in whom the Crosse of Christ hath not yet worne out the poysonous and bitter tast of that first tree It is the patheticall complaint of Bonifacius in the same Father How doth the Apostle even breake with complaining of this rebellious and captivating power of originall concupiscence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me though hee were delivered from the damnation yet hee was not delivered from the miserie of this sinne which must necessarily arise from the stirrings and conflicts of it Though lust in the regenerate bee not damnable because albeit it bring forth sinne yet it doth not finish and consummate it for it is broken off by repentance and disabled by the power of Christs spirit yet it is still miserable because it disquieteth the spirituall peace and tranquillity of the soule But there is no great danger in the warre if the enemie bee either foolish or
unto two men in severall by diverse wayes of propriety or unto sundry purposes A house belongs wholly to the Landlord for the purpose of profit and revenew and wholly to the tenant for the purpose of use and inhabitation but it seemes in ordinary reason impossible for the same thing to belong wholly to sundry men in regard of al purposes for which it serves But such an ample propriety hath every man to originall sinne that he holds it all and to all purposes for which it serves For though some sinnes there are which cannot by some men bee properly committed properly I say because by way of provocation or occasion or approbation or the like one man may participate in the sinnes which another commits as a King cannot be 〈◊〉 to his superiors in governement because he hath no superiors a lay man cannot commit the sinneâ—… of a Minister an unmarried man the sinnes of a husband c. yet this disability ariseth out of the exigence of personall conditions but no way out of the limitednesse or impotency of originall sinne which in every man serves to all the purposes which can consist with that mans condition and as his condition alters so is it likewise fruitfull unto new sinnes And these are two great aggravations of this sinnefull inheritance That it comes whole unto every man and that every man hath it unto all the purposes for which it serves Thirdly it is to be observ'd that in originall sin as in all other there are two things Deordination or sinfulnes and Guilt or obligation unto punishment And though the former of these be inseparable from nature in this life yet every man that beleeveth and repenteth hath the damnation thereof taken away it shall not prove unto him mortall But now this is the calamitie Though a man have the guilt of this sinne taken of from his person by the benefit of his owne faith and the grace of Christ to him yet still both the deordination and the guilt passeth over unto his posteritie by derivation from him For the former the case is most evident what ever is borne of flesh is flesh no man can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane an evill roote must bring forth evill branches a bitter fountaine corrupt streames leaven will derive sowernesse into the whole masse and the Fathers treason will staine the blood of all his posterity And it is as certaine for the latter that though guilt and punishment may bee remitted to the Father yet from him it may be transmitted to his childe Every parent is the chanell of death to his posterity Totum gonuâ—… 〈◊〉 fecit Adam is damnationis traduceâ—… Adam did diffuse and propagate damnation unto all mankind Neither is 〈◊〉 any wonder or injustice that from a cursed roote should proceed branches fit for nothing but the fire As a Iew that was circumcised brought forth an uncircumcised sonne as cleane crne sowed comes up with chaffe and stubble as the seed of a good Olive brings forth a wilde Olive so is it with the best that are their Graces concurre not to naturall generation and therefore from them is nothing naturally propagated For first the wiping off of Guilt while the fault abides is an Act of Grace and pardon now pardons are ever immediate from speciall favour from direct grant and therefore cannot runne in the bloud nor come to a man in the vertue of his birth or by derivation especially where the pardon runnes not in generall termes but personally by way of priviledge and exemption and that too upon certaine conditions the performance and vertue whereof is intransient and cannot availe any by way of imputation or redundancie Secondly though the personall Guilt be off from the man yet the ground of that Guilt the damnablenesse or liablenesse to be imputed unto punishment is inseparable from sin though sin be not mortall de facto So as to bring damnation to the person justified yet it never ceaseth to be mortall de merito that is to be damnable in it selfe in regard of its owne nature and obliquity though in event and execution the damnable vertue of sinne be prevented by faith which cures it and by repentance which forsakes and cuts it off For wee must observe that To merit damnation belongs to the nature of sinne but to bring forth damnation belongs to the accomplishment and finishing of sinne when it is suffered to grow to its measure never interrupted never prevented God hath patience toward sinners and waiteth for their repentance and doth not presently powre out all his wrath if in this interim men will bee perswaded in the day of their peace to accept of mercy offer'd and to Breake of sinnes before the Epha be full then their sinnes shall not end in Death But if they neglect all Gods mercie and goe on still till there be no remedie then sinne growes to a ripenesse and will undoubtedly bring forth Death Since therefore the nature of sinne passeth to posterity even when the guilt thereof is remitted in the paâ—…ent needs must the guilt thereof passe too till by grace it be done away Fourthly In originall sinne there is a twofold denomination or formalitie It is both a Sinne and a Punishment of sinne For it is an absurd conceite of some men who make it an impossibility for the same thing to be both a sinne and a punishment When a prodigall spends all his mony upon uncleannes is not this mans poverty both his sin and his punishment When a drunkard brings diseases on his body and drownes his reason is not that mans impotencie and sottishnesse both his sin and his punishment Indeed sinne cannot rightly be cald an inflicted punishment for God doth not put it into any man yet it no way implies contradiction but rather abundantly magnifies the justice and wisedome of Almighty God to say that he can order sinne to bee a scourge and punishment to it selfe And so Saint Austen cals it a penall vitiousnesse or corruption So that in the derivation of this â—…in wee have unto us propagated the very wrath of God It is like Aarons rod on our part a branch that buddeth unto iâ—…iquitie and on Gods part a Serpent that stingeth unto Death So that Adam is a twofold cause of this sinne in his posterity A meritorious cause he did deserve it by prevarication as it was a punishment an efficient cause he doth derive it by contagion as it is a sinne And this is the wretchednesse of this sinne that it is not onely a meanes to bring the wrath of God upon us but is also some part and beginning of the wrath of God in us and so is as it were the earnest and first fruits of damnation Not as if it were by God infus'd into our nature for wee have it put into us no other way but by seminall contagion and propagation from Adam but God seeing man throw away and wast
that original righteousnes which he at the first put into him and appointing him to bee the head and fountaine of all mankind not only in nature but in foro-too in regard of legall proceeding with-held from him and his seed that Gift which was freely by him in the Creation bestowed and willfully by Adam in the fall reiâ—…cted and adjudg'd this miserie upon him that hee should passe over to all his posterity the immediate fruit of his first prevarication which was originall sinne contracted by his owne default and as it were issuing out of his willfull disobedience upon him because they all were in him interessed as in their head and father in that first transgression Thus have I at large opened those many great evils which this sinne hath in it that life of concupiscence which the Apostle here speaketh of I cannot say of it as the Romane Epitomizer of his Historie Iâ—… brevit abella totanteius imagiâ—…m amplexâ—… suâ—… that in a small compasse I have comprized the whole Image of old Adam but rather cleane contrary In amplatabull non dimidiam eius imaginem amplexus sum The halfe of this sinne hath not all this while beene described unto you Now therefore to conclude this Argument wherein I have been the larger both because of the necessarinesse of it that we may know whither to rise in our humiliations for sinne and because it is the principall sâ—…ope of the Apostle in the place and serves most abundantly to shew our owne everlasting insufficiency for happinesse in our selves we see by these things which have been discovered in this sin at what defiance we ought to stand with the doctrine of those men first who mince and qualifie and extenuate this sinne as the Papists doe making it the smallest of all sinnes not deserving any more of Gods wrath then onely a want of his beatificall presenâ—…e and that too without any paine or sorrow of minde which might be apt to grow from the apprehension of so great a losse nay not onely denying it after Baptisme to bee a sinne but onely the seed of sinne an evill disease langvor tyranny and impotency of nature but that even in the wicked themselves concupiscence is rather imputed for sinne then is really and formally sinne notwithstanding it be forbidden in the Commandement and upon these presumptions reviling the doctrine of the Reformed Divines for exaggerating this sinne as that which overspreadeth in its beeing all our nature and in its working all our lives Secondly of those who heretofore and even now deny any sinfulnesse either in the privation of the Image of God or in the concupiscence and deordination of our nature It was the doctrine of the Pelagians in the primitive times that mans nature was not corrupted by the fall of Adam that his sinne was not any ground to his posterity either of death or of the merit of death that sinne comes from Adam by imitation not by propagation That Baptisme doth not serve in Infants for remission of sinne but onely for adoption and admission into Heaven that as Christs righteousnesse doth not profit those which beleeve not so Adams sinne doth not prejudice nor injure those that actually sinne not That as a righteous man doth not beget a righteous Childe so neither doth a sinner beget a Childe guilty of sinne That all sinne is voluntary and therefore not naturall That Marriage is Gods ordinance and therefore no instrument of transmitting sinne That concupiscence being the punishment of sinne cannot bee a sinne likewise These and the like Antitheses unto Orthodox Doctrine did the Pelagians of old maintaine And as it is the policy of Satan to keepe alive those heresies which may seeme to have most reliefe from proud and corrupted reason and doe principally tend to keepe men from that due humiliation and through-conviction of sinne which should drive them to Christ and magnifie the riches of Christs Grace to them there are not wanting at this day a broode of sinfull men who notwithstanding the evidence of Scripture and the consent of all Antiquitie doe in this Point concurre with those wicked Heretikes and deny the originall corruption of our nature to bee any sinne at all but to be the work of Gods owne hands in Paradise nay deny further the very imputation of Adams sinne to any of his posterity for sinne And now because in this point they doe expressely contradict not onely the Doctrine of holy Scriptures the foundation of Orthodox Faith the consent of Ancient Doctors and the Rule of the Catholike Church but in no lesse then foure or five particulars doe manifestly oppose the doctrine of the Church of England in this Point most evidently delivered in one article for the Article saith Man is Gone from originall righteousnesse they say Man did not goe away from it but God snatched it away from man the Article saith that by Originall sinne Man is enclined unto evill and calleth it by the name of concupiscence and lust they say that Originall sinne is onely the privation of righteousnes and that concupiscence is a concreated and originall condition of nature the Article saith that the flesh lusteth alwayes contrary to the spirit they say in expresse termes that this is false and that the flesh when it lusteth indeed doth lust against nothing but the spirit and that the Apostle in that place meant onely the Galatians and not all spirituall or regenerate men the Article saith that this lust deserveth Gods wrath and condemnation they say that it doth not deserve the hatred of God and lastly the Article saith that the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence and lust hath of it selfe the nature of sinne they say that it is not properly either a sinne or a punishment of sinne but onely the condition of nature in all these respects it will be needfull to lay downe the truth of this great Point and to vindicate it from the proud disputes of such bold Innovators And first let us see by what steps and gradations the Adversaries of this so fundamentall a doctrine which as Saint Austin saith is none of those in quibus optimi fidei Catholicae defensores salvâ fidei compage inter se aliquando 〈◊〉 consonant wherein Orthodox Doctors may differ and abound in their owne sense doe proceed to denie the sinfulnesse of that which all Ages of the Church have called Sinne. First they say That the Sinne of Adam is not any way the sinne of his posterity that it is against the nature of sinne against the goodnesse wisedome and truth of God against the rule of Equitie and Iustice that Infants who are Innocent in themselves should bee accounted Nocent iu another therein taking away Baptisme for remission of sinnes from Infants who being not borne with guilt of Adams sinne stand yet in no neede of any purgation Secondly they say that though
that doe them yet in his sight they may be uncleane Hag. 2. 13 14. If they turne and enquire and seeke early after God all this is not fidelity but only flatterie Psal. 78. 34. 37. Like the spicing and embalming of a carkasse which can never put so much beauty or value into it as to make it a welcome present unto a Prince But what then Can a wicked man doe nothing but sinne when he gives Almes builds Churches reades the Scripture heares the Word worships God are these all sinnes if so then he ought to forbeare them and leave them utterly undone Here are Two Points in this case First to consider How all the workes of naturall men may be esteem'd sinfull and secondly this being granted that they are sinfull How they ought to carry themselves in regard of doing or omitting of them For the former of these we are first to premise these notes First a worke done may bee Sub duplici genere Boni it may be measured by Two sorts of Goodnesse first there is Goodnesse ethicall or morall in relation unto manners and in order unto men and secondly there is Goodnesse theologicall or divine in relation to Religion and in order unto God A thing is morally Good when it is Good in the sight of men good unto humane purposes good by way of Example or by way of Edification to others who judge as they see But a thing is then done divinely when it is done with the spirit of holinesse and of truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him when it is done in obedience to the word for wee are to note that a thing may bee done by a man rationally out of the sway and rule of right reason and a certaine generousnesse and ingenuitie of spirit which loves not to condemne it selfe in the thing which it allowes and to walke crosse to the evidence of its owne rules and yet that thing is all this while done but unto himselfe and his owne reason is set up as an idoll in Gods place to which all the actions of his life doe homage or a thing may be done obedientially with an eye vnto Gods will that requires it not onely in a common conviction but in a filiall and submissiue affection as unto him when you fasted and mourned saith the Lord did you at all fast unto me even to me If you will returne o Israell returne unto me saith the Lord Zach. 7. 5. Ier. 4. 1. A notorious finner walkes contrary to the principles of his owne reason and nature Ro. 1. 32. 1. Cor. 11. 14. contrary to the prosperitie and securitie of his present life Levit. 26. 14. 1. Cor. 11 30. and contrary to the will and Law of God Now when a man breakes of a sinfull course with ayme onely at his owne reason or prosperitie though this bee to returne yet it is to turne to our selvâ—…s and not unto God They assemble themselves for corne and wine saith the prophâ—…t and so seeme to returne but though they returne it is not to the most high but like a deceitfull bow though it seeme to direct the arrow to the marke yet indeede it sends it out another way Hos 7. 14 16. and in this regard though the substance of a worke seeme very specious unto men who iudge according to the sight of their eyes and measure the aâ—…me and intention by the worke which they see not the worke by the intention which they cannot see yet to God that seeth not as man seeth it may be an abomination Luk. 16. 15. Secondly we are to note That amongst Christians divine workes may be done morally and meerely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the course of the places and times which a man lives in Such were Saint Pauls services before his Conversion which therefore he esteemed but dung and suffered the losse of them for a man may do good things and yet when he hath done lose them all 2. Ioh. vers 8. Nay they may be done profanely as Balaams blessing of Israel and the false brethrens preaching out of envy and ill will Phil. 1. 15. 16. And morall things may be done spiritually and divinely such were the Almes of the Churches of Macedonia to the Saints that which they did they did as unto God which made them ready to consecrate not onely their substance but themselves to the service of the Saints Such was the contribution of the Philippians towards the necessities of Saint Paul it was done with an eye to God in which respect the Apostle cals it a sacrifice of a sweete savour well pleasing unto God The Good was intended unto Paul but the service was directed unto God Thirdly we are to note That some things are so essentially Good in themselves as that they cannot be done but they must bee well and spiritually done such are those things which take in God into their very performance and doe intrinsecally and in the substance of the worke respect him Such are to love feare beleeve trust depend upon God which things though in regard of the unperfect manner of doing them they may have sinne miâ—…gled with them because not done with all that strength as the Law requires can yet never be totally 〈◊〉 and so unacceptable unto God Other things may be Good materially and in common acception because they are the things which God commands to be done but yet because the doing of them doth not necessarily and 〈◊〉 take in an ayme and respect to God but is onely 〈◊〉 unto him and that so as that the same thing may be done with other respects therefore the Goodnesse is not in the things themselves barely considered but in the right manner of performing them Such were Iehu his zeale the Pharises praying the hypocrites fasting and the like In one word somethings are so inherently Good that though they may be done imperfectly yet they cannot be doâ—…e profanely others so good with relation to God that because they may be done without that relation and such other conformities as are required in them therefore they may cease at all to be good as to preach out of envie to pray out of hypocrisie to fast out of opinion of merit c. Now as indifferent things may be made good by circumstances as to eate or not to eate is indifferent yet not to eate for feare of scandall is charitie and to eate for feare of superstition is Christian liberty To observe things indifferent as indifferent without any conscience of the thing it selfe onely in due submission to the commands of iust authoritie is obedience to observe the same things without such authoritie and that upon superstitious reasons directed to binde the conscience and leading to the thing as such a thing is in regard of others great scandall and in regard of a mans selfe bondage and idolatrie Thus I say as indifferent things may bee made good or bad by circumstances so other things the
yes for God requir'd it So then he was to performe Gods Command but he was not thereby to worke out his owne projects God commanded him to execute his justice but not his owne revenge When the Prophet Ieremie foretold the captivity of the Iewes if hee had preached judgement with such an affection as Iehu did execute it with aimes at his owne credit in the truth of his message with delight in the ruine and desolation of the Church with expectation and desire to see the lamentable accomplishment of his owne preaching as Ionah did at Ninive though hee had done that which God required yet had he greatly finned in corrupting his message with his owne lust but herein was the faithfulnesse of that holy man seene that though he did proclayme the woefull day yet he did not desire it but said Amen to the words of those false prophets that preached peace and restitution againe So then to conclude this Case when an Action hath evill in its owne substance it is to be omitted but when the Action is of it selfe the matter of a precept and so hath evill onely externally cast upon it by the Agent that doth it here the Action is not to be omitted but the Agent is to be reformed But you will say If I may not doe evill that good may come of it then I may not doe good when evill will come of it upon the same reason because evill is altogether to be prevented and avoided To this I answer that the Argument followes cleane contrary I may not doe evill though good would come of it I must doe good though evill should come of it For when a command is absolute and peremptorie we must not observe it with respect to consequences nor foist in conditions or relations of our owne to over-rule the duety lest wee make our selves Lords of the Law Now the Commandement for doing Good notwithstanding any consequences which may attend it is as absolute and peremptory as the command for not doing evill and therefore we must not observe or forbeare it with respect unto any consequences For God will have us to measure our dutie by his command which requires to abstaine from evill and to doe good not by the Events that are incidentall and externall to the dutie done So then that which is good materially of it selfe is to be done though evill follow first because God requires it and his will must stand against all consequences Secondly because the evill that comes along in the doing of it is not any way belonging or naturally appendant upon the dutie but is foisted into it by our wicked nature and the wickednesse of man must not either annihilate the commands of God or voide and evacuate his owne dutie or lastly justifie or priviledge his presumptions Thirdly because so to doe is not to prevent evill but to multiply it not to escape sin but to double it We must observe Gods way of breaking of sinne and not our owne It was never knowne that one sinne was the way to prevent or to cure another Besides there is lesse sinfulnesse in a defect which attendeth a duety done then in a totall omission of it for that comes in by way of consequence the other is against the very substance and whole bodie of the command that proceedeth from naturall and unavoidable impotency this from a wilfulnesse which might have beene prevented Now since the wicked haue such a totall disabilitie as that what ever they doe is altogether sinfull hath not a dramme of holynesse in it the principles the ends the wayes all Carnall Heere then wee might observe the foulnesse of those reliques of Pelagianisme in doctrine of the Papists who flatter and complie with nature against the grace of Christ in their doctrines of merit of congruitie and preparations for grace the acceptablenesse of heathen vertues in the sight of God the infallible attendance of Grace upon naturall endeauours as if things totally evill and deserving wrath could prepare for Grace But I rather choose to speake to the Conscience It should serve therefore to amaze naturall men in the sight of this state of sin and to throw them downe under Gods mighty hand when they shall consider that their best workes are totally evill that doe what they will it is altogether abominable in Gods sight What a wofull thing is it for a man to be debtor to the whole Law one iot or title whereof shall not passe away and to bee utterly unable to doe any thing which beareth proportion to the least title of that Law because the Law is all over spirituall and he all over Carnall It would be an Insupportable burden to perish everlastingly for but one sinne how infinitely more to be answerable for all those infinite trespasses not one whereof can bee remitted without all This one point of the Disabilitie of Nature to please God in any thing if it were duly considered would compell men to goe unto Christ by whom they may have accesse and for whom their services shall have acceptance before God till which time they are all but dung and God will throw them in the faces of men againe And the reason is till a man takes Christ by faith along with him these sacrifices have no golden Censer to perfume them no Altar to sanctifie them nothing but a mans owne evill heart to Consecrate them upon which makes them to be our owne and not Gods offerings When the Prodigall came unto himselfe and considered I have nothing I can doe nothing all that I eate is dirt and filth I am an unprofitable creature in this state these thoughts made him resolue to goe unto his father When Saint Paul considered that what ever before his conversion hee thought of himselfe yet indeede all his zeale was but blasphemie and persecution all his moralitie but dung and dogs meate all his unblameablenesse presumptions but losse unto him then he began to set an infinite value upon the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ and to suffer the losse of all that he might be found in him Sinne must be very sinnefull that Grace may be very welcome Secondly this Impotencie and Disabilitie is Partiall even in the most Regenerate so much flesh as they have in them so much deadnesse and unserviceablenesse still and this may bee seene in two points First there is a great disabilitie in the best to worke and goe on with patience and comfort in Gods service How apt are we still to quench and grieve the Spirit How doth every mans experience constraine him to crie out In mee dwelleth no good thing to will is present with mee but I cannot performe the things which I would Lord I beleeve helpe thou mine unbeleefe How doe we faint and waxe weary of well-doing How are wee led captive to the law of sinne which is in our members so that wee cannot doe the things which we would for though the Scripture call
much set forward by the Word because therein is made more apparant to the Soule the Glory and the Power of God therefore the Two Prophets are said to Torment the inhabitants of the Earth and the Law is said to make men guilty and to kill to hew smite and destroy those whom it deales with all Secondly such a faith as the Divels have begotten by the Word and assented unto by the secret suggestions of the heart witnessing to it selfe that it hath deserved more then yet it feeles and this begets a fearefull expectation of being devoured surpriseth the heart with horrid tremblings and presumptions of the vengeance to come which the Apostle calls the Spirit of bondage and feare But all this being an Assent perforce extorted for wicked men confesse their sinnes as the Divels confessed Christ more out of Torment then out of Love to God or humiliation under his mighty hand amounts to no more then a Naturall Conviction Secondly there is a Spirituall and Evangelicall Conviction of the Guilt of sinne and the damnation due thereunto arising from the Law written in the heart and tempered with the apprehension of mercie in the new Covenant which begets such a paine under the Guilt of sin as a plaister doth to the impostumation which withall it cures such a Conviction as is a manuduction unto righteousnesse And that is when the Conscience doth not onely perforce feele it selfe dead but hath wrought in it by the Spirit the same affection towards it selfe for sinne which the word hath is willing to charge it selfe and acquit God to endite accuse arraigne testifie condemne it selfe meete the Lord in the way of his Iudgements and cast downe it selfe under his mighty hand That man who can in secret and truth of heart willingly and uncompulsorily thus stand on Gods side against sinne and against himselfe for it giving God the Gloâ—ie of his righteousnesse if he should condemne him and of his uâ—searchable and rich mercie that hee doth offer to forgive him I dare pronounce that man to haue the Spirit of Christ. For no man by nature can willingly and uprightly Owne damnation and charge himselfe with it as his due portion and most just inheritance This can never arise but from a deepe sense and hate of sinne from a most ardent zeale for the Glory and Righteousnesse of God Now then since the Conviction of sinne and of the death and Guilt thereof are not to drive men to despaire or blasphemie but that they may beleeve and lay hold on the righteousnesse of Christ which they are then most likely to doe when sinne is made exceeding sinfull and by consequence death exceeding deadly give mee leave to set forth in two words what this Guilt of sinne is that the necessitie of righteousnesse from Christ may appeare the greater and his mercie therein bee the more glorified Guilt is the Demerit of sinne binding and subjecting the person in whom it is to undergoe all the punishments legally due the reunto This Demerit is founded not only in the Constitution Will and Power of God over his owne Creatures of whom hee may justly require whatsoever obedience hee giveth power to performe but in the nature of his owne Holinesse and Iustice which in sinne is violated and turned from and this Guilt is after a sort Infinite because it springeth out of the aversion from an Infinite Good the violation of an infinite Holynesse and Iustice and the Conversion to the Creatures infinitely if men could live ever to commit adultery with them And as the Consequence and reward of obedience was the favour of God conferring life and blessednesse to the Creature so the wages of sinne which this Guilt assureth a sinner of is the wrath of God which the Scripture calleth Death and the Curse This Guilt being an Obligation unto punishment leadeth us to consider what the nature of that curse and death is unto which it bindeth us over Punishment bearing necessarie relation to a command the trangression whereof is therein recompenced taketh in these considerations First on the part of the Commander a will to which the Actions of the subject must conforme reveal'd and signified under the nature of a Law Secondly a justice which will and thirdly a power which can punish the transgressors of that Law Secondly on the part of the subject commanded there is requir'd first Reason and free-will originally without which there can be no sinne for though man by his brutishnesse and impotency which he doth coÌ„tract cannot make void the commands of God but that they now binde men who have put out their light and lost their libertie yet originally God made no law to binde under paine of sinne but that unto the obedience whereof hee gave reason and free-will Secondly a debt and obligation either by voluntarie subjection as man to man or naturall as the creature to God or both sealed and acknowledged in the covenants betweene God and man whereby man is bound to fulfill that law which it was originally enabled to observe Thirdly a forfeiture guilt and demerit upon the violation of that Law Thirdly and lastly the evill it selfe inflicted wherein we consider first the nature and qualitie of it which is to have a destructive power to oppresse and dis quiet the offender and to violate the integritie of his well being For as sinne is a violation offered by man to the Law so punishment is a violation retorted from the Law to man Secondly the Proportion of it to the offence the greatnesse whereof is manifested in the majestie of God offended and those severall relations of goodnesse patience creation redemption which he hath to man in the quality of the creature offending being the chiefe and lord of all the rest below him in the easinesse of the primitive obedience in the unprofitablenesse of the wayes of sinne and a world of the like aggravations Thirdly the end of it which is not the destruction of the creature whom as a creature God loveth but the satisfaction of justice the declaration of divine displeasure against sinne and the manifestation of the glory of his power and terrour So then Punishment is an evill or pressure of the Creature proceeding from a Law giver just and powerfull inflicted on a reasonable Creature for and proportionable unto the breach of such a Law unto the performance and obedience whereof the Creature was originally enabled wherein is intended the glory of Gods just displeasure and great power against sinne which hee naturally hateth Now these punishments are Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Temporall and those first without a man The vanitie of the Creatures which were at first made full of goodnesse and beautie but doe now mourne and grone under the bondage of our sinnes The wrath of God revealing it selfe from heaven and the curse of God over-growing the earth Secondly within him All the Harbingers and Fore-runners of death sicknesse paine povertie reproach feare and
my furie to rest upon thee We have considered the Quod s◅ that sinne is full of filthinesse and pollution I will but name the Quid ◅it What this filthinesse is It hath Two things belonging to the nature of it First a privation of the nitor or beauty which the image of God brought into the soule with it A difformity to the holinesse and brightnesse of the Law The Law was both Holy and Good not onely the Rule but the beauty of our life and nature So that as evill is a declination and swarving from the Law as a Rule so it is sinne and as it is a swarving from the Law as our beauty so it is the staine and pollution of the soule Secondly it notes a positive foulenesse an habituall both naturall and contracted defilednesse of minde and conscience an introducing of the image of Satan hideous markes of hellishnesse and deformity in the soule body and conversation Every desire motion and figment of the heart being nothing but the exhalations of an open sepulcher the dampe and steame of a rotten soule Now in the last place let us see the Quale sit those Evill Properties which accompanie this pollution Foure woefull qualities belong unto it First it is a deepe pollution of a Crimson dye of a skarlet tincture that will not weare out Esai 1. 18. Like the spots of a Leopard or the blicknesse of an Ethiopian which is not by way of accidentall or externall adherencie but innate and contemper'd belonging to the constitution Ier. 13. 23. It is engraven upon their heart written with an iron pen and the claw of a diamond and so fashion'd even in the very substance of the soule Ier. 17. 1. It is an iniquitie marked which cannot bee washed away with niter and much sope no more then markes imprinted and incorporated in the substance of a vessell Ier. 2. 22. The whole inundation and deluge of Noah could not wash it of from the earth but it return'd againe A showre of fire and brimstone from heaven hath not so clensed it out of the country of Sodome but that the venome and plague of it doth still there appeare in a poisonous and stinking l◅ke The plague which came amongst the Israelites for the abominations of Baal Peor had not clensed the filthinesse all away but many yeeres after the staine remained Ios. 22. 17. Nay the very flames of Hell shall not in all eternity be able to eate out the prints or to fetch away the staines of the smallest sinnes from the nature of man Nay which is yet stronger then all this though Grace be of it selfe apt to wipe out and conquer sinne yet that measure and portion of Grace which here the best receive though it may shorten weaken abate yet it doth not utterly roote ◅t out Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am free from my sinnes The best of us have yet our sores running upon us and stand i◅ neede of a garment to cover our pollutions Secondly It is an universall pollution I said unto thee when thou wast In thy bloud live We are by nature all overdrown'd and plung'd in the filthinesse of sinne The Apostle here cals it filthinesse of flesh and spirit to note the compasse of the staine of sinne For notwithstanding some sinnes belong principally to the spirit as pride heresie idolatry superstition c. and others to the flesh as drunkennesse gluttonie uncleannesse c. yet certaine it is that every sinne defiles both flesh and spirit by the reason of their mutuall dependencie in being and working and of the contagious quality of sinne Sinnes of the flesh soake and sinke and eate in to the bottome of the spirit to drowne that with hardnesse insensibility errour security inconsideratenesse contempt of God c. and the sinnes of the spirit breake out like plague sores into the flesh pride into the eye malice into the hand heresie◅ to the tongue superstition and idolatry into the knee c. the soule and body have so neere communion that one can no more sinne al◅e without the contagion of the other then one wheele in an Engine move without the motion of the other Thirdly it is a spreading pollution A leprosie a gangrene a plague that diffuseth poison and infection upon others First it spreades in a mans selfe An evill lust will infect the thoughts and they the desires and they the words and actions and they grow into habits and reflect backe againe upon the heart and conscience to harden and defile them Secondly this infection staies not in a mans selfe onely but runnes forth upon others to leade and misguide them we will certainely doe as we have done We and our kings our princes and our fathers in the cities of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem To drive and compell them why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as doethe Iewes To comfort and hearten them Thou hast justified and art a comfort to thy sisters Sodome and Samaria To exasperate and enrage them Thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme To deceive and seduce them as the old Prophet of Bethel did the Prophet of the Lord by his lie To teach and instruct them the Israelites by their idolatry taught their children to walke after Baalim And by how much the more authority over the persons of men or emmencie of place or reputation of piety any man hath by so much the more spreading and infectious are his sinnes being taken with the more trust and assurance If a minister be loose and scandalous a magistrate carelesse and rustie a gentleman rude a◅d uncleane a man that professeth the power of godlinesse unjust and worldly strange it is how the lower and more ignorant ranke of men who beleeve that surely such men as these are not by their places so farre from or by their learning and studies so unacquainted with God as they will be hereby strengthned in their deadly and formall courses Thirdly which is yet worse the vory godly are apt to be infected by the sinnes of the wicked It is not so strange to see a godly man misguided and seduc'd by the errours of others like himselfe the estimation of whose persons may over-rule the opiniō of their actions and so make a man take them upon trust from them But that a Holy man should carch infection from the example of another who is in the gall of b◅ternesse is a thing that wonderfully sets f◅th the corruption of our nature and the contagion of sin◅e The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men and were polluted the people of Israel saw the Midianitish women and were ensnared A Holy mans conversing with loose carnall and formall men diswonts him from the wayes of God brings a deadnesse of spirit and insensible decay of grace upon him secretly and therefore the more dangerously conveyes a mediocritie and compliancie of Spirit with formes onely of godlinesse
principall discovery that Faith makes in Christ and that it fixeth upon is His love to us and this is a most soveraigne and superlative love Herein saith the Apostle God commended God heaped together His Love toward us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. Secondly Faith having thus revealed to our hearts the Love of God in Christ doth kindle in them a reciprocall Love towards Christ againe working in us the same minde that is in Christ Phil. 2. 5. and enflaming our spirits to a retribution of Love for Love We have beleeved the Love that God hath to us saith the Apostle and therefore saith he we love Him because He loved us first 1. Ioh. 4. 16 19. Thus Faith worketh Love But now thirdly there is a further power in Faith for it doth not onely work Love but it worketh by Love as the text speakes that is it maketh use of that Love which it hath thus kindled as of a goad and incentive to further obedience for that Love which we repay unto Christ againe stirreth us unto an intimate and Heavenly communion with Him unto an entire and spirituall conformitie unto Him And the reason is because it is a conjugall Love and therefore a fruitefull love for the end of marriage is fructification Yee are become dead to the Law saith the Apostle by the body of Christ that yee should be married to another even to Him who is raised from the dead and the end of this spirituall marriage is added That we should bring forth fruite unto God which is presently after expounded That wee should serve in newnesse of Spirit Rom. 7 4 6. If a man Love mee saith our saviour he will keepe my Words and this obedience is the childe of Faith as it is set downe in the same place yee shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and immediately upon this Faith it followes He that bath my Commandements and keepeth them hee it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my selfe unto Him Ioh. 14. 20. 21 22 23. In which place there are these things of excellent observation First the noble objects that Faith doth contemplate even the excellencie of Gods Love unto us in Christ. You shall know that I am in my Father in His bosome in His bowels in His dearest affection One with Him in mercie in counsell in power That He and I both goe one way have both one decree and resolution of Grace and compassion towards sinners And that you are in mee your nature in me your infirmities in me the punishment of your sinnes upon me that I am bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh that you are in my heart and in my tenderest affections that you were crucifiâ—…a together with me that you live togâ—…ther with 〈◊〉 that you sit together with mee in Heavenly places that â—… died your death that you rose my resurrection that I pray your prayers that you were my righteousnesse and that I am in you by my merits to justifie you by my Grace and Spirit to renew and purifie you by my Power to keep you by my wisedome to leade you by my Communion and Compassion to share with you in all your troubles these are the mysteries of the Love of the Father and the Sonne to us Now this Love kindleth a Love in us againe and that Love sheweth it selfe in two things First in having the Commandements of Christ that is in accepting of them in giving audience unto them in opening our eyes to see and our hearts to entertaine the wonders of the Law And secondly in keeping of them in putting to the strength of our Love for Love is as strong as Death it will make a man neglectfull of his owne life to serve and please the person whom he loves that so wee may performe the duties which so good a Saviour requires of us And now as our Love was not the first mover we loved Him because He loved us first So neither shall it be the last as the Father and the Son did by their first Love provoke ours so will they by their second Love reward ours And therefore it sollowes He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him This is not ment of a new Love but of a further declaration of their former Love namely in a more close and familiar communion and Heavenly cohabitation with them wee will come unto Him and make our abode with Him we will shew Him our face we will make all our goodnesse to passe before Him wee will converse and commune with His Spirit we will Suppe with Him we will provide Him a feast of fatted things and of refined wine wee will open the breasts of consolation and delight Him with the aboundance of Glory Excellent to the purpose of the present point is that place of the Apostle 2. Cor. 5. 14 15. The Love of Christ saith he constraineth us that is either Christs Love to us by Faith apprehended or our Love to Christ by the apprehension of His Love wrought in us doth by a kinde of sweete and lovely violence winne and overrule our hearts not to live henceforth unto our selves but unto Him that died for us and rose againe and the roote of this strong perswasion is adjoyned namely because wee thus â—…udge because we know and beleeve that if one died for all then all are dead to the guilt and to the power of sinne and ought to live a new life conformable to the resurrection of Christ againe Therefore in two paralell places the Apostle useth promiscuously Faith and a new Creature In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creature The reason of which promiscuous acceptation the Apostle renders the inseparable union between faith and renovation If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Secondly Faith gives us all good things requisite to our condition Adam was created Lord of his fellow inferiour Creatures invested with proprietie to them all In his fall hee made a forfeiture of every good thing which God gave him In the second Covenant a reconciliation being procur'd Faith entitling a man to the Covenant doth likewise re-invest him with the Creatures againe All things saith the Apostle are yours and hee opens the title and conveyance of them you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3. 23. So elsewhere hee saith that the living God giveth us all things richly to enjoy that is not onely the possession but the use of the things 1. Tim. 6. 17. where by all things wee may understand first the libertie and enlargement of Christians as it stands in opposition to the pedagogie and discipline of Moses Law which distinguished the Creatures into cleane and
wolvish and wasting lusts and by consequence is not able to settle and secure the heart in the enioyment of them But now by Faith in the promises the godly have their hold altered have their estate setled in a better and surer tenure delivered from those many encumbrances and intanglements vnto the which before they were obnoxious so that now a mans heart is secured beyond all doubts or humane feares A poore man may object I am not wise enough to order my affaires I am disabled by sicknesse and weaknesse to attend my Calling my charge encreaseth vpon mee and my probabilities of providing for them waxe smaller then before But yet Faith is able to answer these and all other the like objections by proposing the promise Dost thou live by thine owne strength Dost thou prosper by thine owne wisedome and industry or by the blessing and truth of God in his promises and is Gods Truth an Accepter of persons Is not his fidelitie as firme towards weake and poore as towards rich beleevers Is there any want or weakenesse any poverty or deficiency in heaven Doe the promises of God stand in need of mans wisedome or strength to bring them to passe Can thy encrease of charge or occasions exhaust the Treasures or drie vp the Fountaines and truth of God If an honourable and wealthy person have occasions to enlarge his retinue and live at a higher pitch then before yet because hee hath abundance he doth not repine at this necessitie All the faithfull are of the houshold and family of God who is no whit the poorer in his state and power by maintaining many or few He gives to all men yet he gives liberally Iam 1. 5. which no rich man in the World is able to do because as he gives to others himself decreaseth But God gives out of a Fountaine as the Sunne gives light which whether it shine to one or to thousands retaines still equall light in it selfe neither can the eyes of men exhaust or draw out the light of the Sunne All the Creatures are mine saith God upon a thousand hills If a thousand hills can beare corne enough or feed Cattel enough for any poore mans reliefe he need not doubt or feare for God hath still thousands of mountaines as it were so many granaries or store-houses in his truth and promises for the faithfull in any straits to have recourse unto And thus faith gives us all things by entituling us to the Promises Against all this which hath been spoken touching the excellency of Faith may be objected that determination of the Apostle Now abideth Faith Hope and Charitie these three but the greatest of these is Charitie 1. Cor. 13. 13. By which comparison this point touching the precedency of faith seemes to be impaired To which I answer That the Apostle speakes of a greatnesse extensivè in regard of duration Charitie being an everlasting Grace but faith pertaining onely to this life as being requisite to the present qualitie and states of the Church for faith and fruition are oppos'd 2. Cor. 5. 7. Faith looketh upon things in their promises fruition in their reall existence but now consider faith as an instrument to lay hold on Christ and the precious promises of life and grace in him and consider it as a Roote a living principle to put the heart in worke to purifie the conscience to enflame the heart to spirituall obedience and a retribution of holy love to God for all his love to us in his Sonne and thus Faith exceeds Charitie as the motion of the mouth in eating which is an act that tends immediately to life doth the motion of the mouth in speaking which tendeth not to an end so important nor absolutely necessary Another objection may be this Other Graces make a man like Christ which Faith cannot do because Christ could not beleeve unto justification or life having the Fountaine of both aboundantly in himselfe whereas the proper and primitive worke of Faith is to carry a man out of himselfe and to make him see all his sufficiency in another To which I answer two wayes First Christ had faith though not to such purposes as wee Faith in the common nature of it as it imports assent to all divine truth and adherence or reliance of the soule to the benefit and goodnesse which the same brings with it for ratio veritatis and ratio commodi are the two objects of a right faith or rather severall qualifications of the same object thus it is a Legall thing comming under the compasse of those duties of the Law unto which Christ made himselfe subject But faith as a Condition an Officer an Instrument of justification so it could not stand with Christ who was not to be righteous by beleeving but to bee himselfe the righteousnesse of those that beleeve But in other respects when the Apostle saith hee was heard in that which he feared when hee saith himselfe My God my God it is manifest that though he had not faith for righteousnesse yet he had it for deliverance that though he were not saved by beleeving yet hee was obedient in beleeving Secondly it is more to be one with Christ then to be like him more to bee a part of him then a picture now faith makes a unitie with Christ other graces onely a resemblance faith makes a man a member others onely a follower of him and so in that respect still Faith hath the prehemiuence Now then from the great necessitie and pretiousnesse of this duty we may first inferre the greatnesse of their sin who neglect it who live with no sense of the want and little sorrow for the weaknesse of it to lie sweare revell cozen to live in the practice of any notorious outrage and morall enormitie many men esteeme hainous and vnworthie But to live in infidelitie without the knowledge or fellowship of Christ in an utter unacquaintance with their owne unworthinesse and unexperience of their everlasting insufficiencies to compasse or contrive their owne saluation are things seldome or never seriouslie thought on by them And yet infidelity is indeed the edge and sting of all other sinnes that which bindes them and their guilt everlastingly upon the soule and locketh them like shackles to the conscience which otherwise by the helpe of Christ might easily shake them of He that beleeveth saith Christ is not condemned he that beleeveth not is condemned already and the wrath of God abideth on him There is a displeasure which is but for a moment a wrath which doth only sing and blow vpon the soule and then away such the faithfull themselues after some bold adventure into the waies of sinne may haue experience of And there is a wrath which is constant permanent intimately and euerlastinglie adherent vnto the Soule which will seize onely vpon vnbeleeuers The spirit shall convince the World of Sinne because they beleeve not saith Christ. Sinne there stands in opposition to righteousnesse and Iudgement
and unitie of natures with him in his spirit and having this Spirit of Christ He thereby worketh in us the will and the deed and thus our sealâ—… is put unto Gods covenant and wee have a constat of it in our selves in some measure whereas jnfidelitie makes God a lyer by saying either I looke for life some other way or I have nothing to doe to depend on Christ for it though God have proposed Him as an all-sufficient Saviour Now then when man hath experience of Gods working this will in him when he findes his heart opened to attend and his will ready to obey the call when hee is made desirous to feare Gods Name and prepared to seeke His face ready to subscribe and beare witnesse to all Gods wayes and methodes of saving That Hee is righteous in His Iudgements if He should condemne wonderfull in His patience when He doth forbeare mighty in His power wisedome and mercie when Hee doth convert unsearchable in the riches and treasures of Christ when he doth Iustifie most holy pure and good in all His commands the soveraigne Lord of our persons and lives to order and dispose them at His will on the sense and experience of these workes doth grow that conclusion and resolution to cleave to Christ. Lastly because this act of Faith is our dutie to God As we may come to Christ because we are called so wee must come because wee are commanded For as Christ was commanded to save us so we are commanded to beleeve in Him From these and the like considerations ariseth a purpose to rely on Christ. But yet still this purpose at first by the mixture of sinne the pragmaticalnesse and importunitie of Satan in tempting the unexperience of the heart in trials the tendernesse of the spirit and fresh sight and reflexion on the state of sinne is very weake and consisteth with much feare doubts trepidation shrinking mistrust of it selfe And therefore though all other effects flow in great measure from it yet that of comfort and calmenesse of spirit more weakly because the heart being most busied in sprituall debatements prayers groanes conflicts struglings of heart languishing and sighing importunities of spirit is not at leisure to reflect on its own translated condition or in the seeds time of teares to reape a harvest of Ioy. As a tree new planted is apt to be bended at every touch or blast of winde or children new borne to crie at every turne and noyse so men in their first conversion are usually more retentive of fearefull then of more comfortable impressions The last act then of Faith is that reflexive act whereby a man knoweth his owne Faith and Knowledge of Christ which is the assurance of faith upon which the joy and peace of a Christian doth principally depend and hath its severall differences and degrees according to the evidence and cleerenesse of that reflection As beautie is more distinctly rendered in a cleere then in a dimme and disturbed glasse so is comfort more distinct and evident according to the proportions of evidence and assurance in faith So then to conclude with this generall rule according as the habits of faith are more firme and radicated the acts more strong constant and evident the conquests and experiences more frequent and successefull so are the properties more evident and conspicuous For the measure and magnitude of a proper passion and effect doth ever follow the perfection of the nature and cause whence it proceedes And therefore every man as he tenders either the love and obedience he owes to God or the comfort he desires in himselfe to enjoy must labour to attaine the highest pitch of Faith and still with Saint Paul to grow in the knowledge of him and his resurrection and sufferings So then upon these premises the heart is to examine it selfe touching the truth of faith in it Doe I love all divine truth not because it is proportionable to my desires but conformable unto God who is the Author of it Can I in all estates without murmuring impatiencie or rebellion cast my selfe upon Gods mercie and trust in Him though He should kill me Doe I wholly renounce all selfe confidence and dependance all worthinesse or concurrence of my selfe to righteousnesse Can I willingly and in the truth and sinceritie of my heart owne all shame and condemnation and acquit God as most righteous and holy if He should reject me Doe I not build either my hopes or feares upon the faces of men nor make either them or my selfe the rule or end of my desires Doe I yeeld and seriously endeavour an universall obedience unto all Gods law and that in the whole extent and latitude thereof without any allowance exception or reservation Is not my obedience mercenarie but sincere Do I not dispense with my selfe for the least sprigges of sinne for irregular thoughts for occasions of offence for appearances of evill for motions of concupiscence for idle words and vaine conversation for any thing that carries with it the face of sinne And when in any of these I am overtaken doe I bewaile my weaknesse and renew my resolutions against it In a word when I have impartially and uprightly measured mine owne heart by the rule doth it not condemne mee of selfe-deceite of hypocrisie of halting and dissembling of halfing and prevaricating in Gods service I may then comfortably conclude that my Faith is in some measure operative and effectuall in mee Which yet I may further trie by the nature of it as it is further expressed by the Apostle in the Text That I may know him Here we see the nature of faith is expressed by an act of knowledge and that act respectively to justification limited to Christ This is eternall Life to know thee and him whom thou hast sent where by knowledge I understand a certaine and evident assent Now such assents are of two sorts some grounded upon the evidence of the object and that light which the thing assented unto doth carrie and present to the understanding as I assent to this truth that the Sunne is light by the evidence of the thing it selfe and this kinde of assent the Apostle contradistinguisheth from faith by the name of sight Others are grounded upon the authoritie or authenticalnesse of a narrator upon whose report while wee rely without any evidence of the thing it selfe the assent which we produce is an assent of faith or credence Now that Faith is a certaine assâ—…nt and that even above the certaintie of meere naturall conclusions is on all hands I thinke confessed because how ever in regard of our weaknesse and distrust wee are often subject to stagger yet in the thing it selfe it dependeth upon the infallibilitie of Gods owne Word who hath said it and is by consequence neerer unto him who is the fountaine oâ—… all truth and therefore must needes more share in the properties of truth which are certainty and evidâ—…nce then any proved