the ministerie of the word or in conscience This is a more refined degree of rejecting Christ very commun among many great Professors Some convinced Sinners are not so disingenuous as to be alwaies cavilling at Christ yet they do not approve the Reports made of Christ as they ought They have no considerable objections against evangelic offers and yet the heart is unwilling to entertain them They are unwilling to grant what they can hardly denie This Christ cals being slow of heart to believe Luke 24. 25. O fools and slow of heart to believe al that the Prophets have spoken This is the first part of faith in the wil to justifie recognise or approve that Assent which is wrought in the jugemenâ— touching Christ And when Christ has obtained the Wils approbation and consent he soon gains its affiance or confidence As a carnal heart that approves of the offers of sin is soon overcome by it So an awakened heart when once it comes to approve the offers of Christ and the Assent made thereto by the mind how soon is it induced to yield its consent to Christ But oh here lies the root of Unbelief the wil doth not fully approve and allow of what the mind is oft forced to assent unto This was also the condition of many unbelieving Jews So Luk. 7. 29. And al the people that heard him and the publicans justified God being baptised with the Baptisme of John The commun people and publicans are said to justifie God i. e they approved of what reports were made touching Christ though its likely many of them did it but with a temporary faith But then it followes ver 30. But the Pharisees and Lawyers o rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptised of him How did the Pharisees and Lawyers reject the counsel of God Why it was by not justifying or approving what God reported touching Christ So that when the wil doth not justifie approve or commend what God in his word or by the dictates of conscience doth report touching Christ it may be said to reject the counsels of God and Christ As the wil by approving the Assent of the jugement turnes it into Consent so by disapproving the same it declares its rejection thereof This holds true both in maters of Sin and Grace 5. The Heart may be justly said to reject Christ when it admits of demurs and delayes as to a complete closure with him This is a more subtile and refined degree of Unbelief Some there are who seem to justifie and approve the Reports made of Christ and their own Assent thereto they have nothing to object against Christ they seem wel-satisfied in the offers he makes But yet al this while there is a secret dilatorie procrastinating delaying spirit in them they would fain close with Christ but not as yet they have a wil for hereafter but not for a present choice of Christ they cannot as yet bid Adieu to their beloved lusts a little slumber a little sleep more they must have in the lap of their Delilahs This was the case of some tardy Disciples of Christ among the Jews as Luke 9. 59. And he said unto another follow me but he said Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father He hath nothing to object against Christ but seems abundantly satisfied in Christs offers only he desires to be excused for a while til he had buried his Father Again ver 61. And another also said Lord I wil follow thee but let me first go bid them farewel which are at home at my house Thus awakened sinners put off Christ as Felix did Paul with delays If Christ wil but wait a while their leisure wel and good they are then content to espouse him for their Lord but at present they have no leisure because they have no heart to close with Christ Yea is there not much of this dilatorie humor in many wounded souls who conceit they are not yet humbled enough and therefore not meet to go to Christ Whereas indeed there is no such way to get an humble spirit as to come to Christ for it Certainly al such delays argue much unwillingnes to believe A Wil for hereafter only is a present Nil An election for the future is no better than a present Reprobation If you consent only for hereafter you at present reject Christ So long as you defer to do what you know you ought to do so long you wil not do it Yea what are these delays to embrace Christ but a more slie rejection of him May not Christ justly estime your delay to embrace him a refusal of him Are not such put offs a kind of denial When Christ wooes thee long by many sweet Inspirations both of Word and Spirit for thee to stifle al these good motions by continued delayes doth not this argue a mightie unwilling heart to believe Hast thou the least shadow of Reason for thy delays to believe Thou saiest thou wantest Grace ay but mayest thou not by believing receive Grace for Grace Is not Grace both in being and degrees the effect of Faith in Christ Do not thy sins greaten much by delays to believe Are not thy debts to Justice multiplied by not believing The longer thou forbearest to believe wil not thy heart be the more averse and backward to believe Peradventure thou conceitest Christ wil not receive thee if thou comest to him ay but whence springs this prejudicate conceit but from the unwillingnes of thine own heart to receive Christ Has not Christ declared himself to be more willing to receive thee than thou canst be to come unto him as 't is evident from the Parable of the Prodigal Luke 16. 22-28 Are not al thine objections against believing presently but the forgeries and figments of thine unwilling heart Remember there is as great hazard in thy loitering delays as in down-right rejection of Christ For albeit thy delays may be painted over with some apparent colours of humilitie and fears lest thy faith would be presumtion yet Christ is as effectually opposed and excluded thereby as by manifest opposition Thou hadst as good say it in down right termes thou wilt have none of Christ as thus put him off time after time with dilatorie answers Though the Acts differ in degrees yet the Principle and root is the same in one and t'other namely an unwilling heart and this Christ sees ful wel and therefore thy demurs suspense and seeming caution or delay to believe greatly provokes Christ and is by him interpreted no better than a flat refusal of him Al the relief thou hast is this thou hopest to embrace Christ hereafter when thou art more humble and fit for him But oh what a poor shift is this Tel me mayest thou not be in Hel before this hereafter come or Wil not thine unwilling heart be more fortified against Christ by delays canst thou ever hope to be better or more humble but by believing
Christian world is so much amorous of and delighted in Infidelitie which is the worst leprosie povertie deformitie and miserie that the Soul partakes of Yea how comes it to passe that Believers themselves have such reliques and remains of Unbelief in them and that in such days as these are wherein Evangelic Light Love and Grace so much abound Hath not our blessed Lord taken al the courses and means that may be to cure men of their Infidelitie As to the encouragements and motives to believe doth he not shew himself as kind as kind may be Has he not given al manner of warrants yea commands for men to believe Doth not the Covenant of Grace give as good law-right as may be for al that wil to come and embrace the good things that belong to their peace Are not the offers of the Covenant general free abundant and most affectionate Is not Christ more willing to save than sinners are to be saved As to means what can God do more than he has in saying Here is my Son my Spirit my Gospel and al the good things of My peace take al and welcome And are not the termes on which al these good things are offered most easie to any that is but really willing to be happy Yea are not the means vouchsafed by God to cure our Infidelitie in these lightsome days much greater than in former days Whence then is it that men continue in their Infidelitie and that with so much delight Has Christ condescended so low in the offers of his Grace and do sinners stil persist in their rejecting or not improving such rich and gracious offers Oh! What mater of sad contemplation and Lamentation is here How ought every eye to weep apart and every heart to bleed apart for personal domestic Ecclesiastic and National Infidelitie Alas how true too true is that prediction of our Omniscient Lord touching these last days Luke 18. 8. Neverthelesse when the Son of Man cometh shal he find faith on the earth Who knows how near this coming of the Son of Man may be May we not conjecture that some great coming of the Son of Man cannot be far off because faith is so much departed from the earth Was there ever since the coming of our Lord in the flesh more light and yet more Atheisme in the world Is not the disbelief of the main Articles of our faith the only faith and belief that is to be found among some Are not al the great fundamentals and vitals of faith struck at by some who would count it an high affront to be judged Unbelievers Yea to come nearer home have we not cause to fear that many who passe for shining Believers wil one day appear to be rotten-hearted Unbelievers Yea to leave others to their supreme Judge have we not al cause to lay our hands on our hearts and condemne our selves of much Infidelitie If thou art not sensible of much Unbelief indwelling in thee is it not a sad Symtome that thou hast nothing or at best but very little of true Faith in thy heart May we not safely say That he never truely mourned for any sin who never mourned for Infidelitie which is at the end of every Sin Oh! what lamentable ruines has Unbelief brought on many flourishing Churches And may we expect to be exemted from the like strokes of Divine justice unlesse we lament and mourn over our Unbelief which deserves the same Take these Motives to provoke thine heart to a deep Lamentation and Humiliation for thine own and other mens unbelief 1 Unbelief is as has been said the greatest Sin and therefore ought to worke in us the greatest sense and humiliation 2 If thine heart be not deeply humbled for thine Unbelief thou wilt soon be overcome by it 3 The more thy soul is melted under the sense of Unbelief the more evangelic and spiritual it is What better marque is there of a spiritual yea of a believing heart than a deep sense of and humiliation for Unbelief It is a great proof of our Faith yea of an eminence in Faith to mourne greatly under Unbelief 4 A little unbelief in Believers is much worse than much unbelief in others because Believers have greater Obligations Encouragements Assistances and Means to believe 5 Not to be humbled for the Unbelief of others whether Churches or State is to partake with them in their sin and so to expose our selves to their approching jugements at least temporal 3. This lays a deep and essential obligation on al to examine accurately how far they fal under the Guilt and Power of Infidelitie If the Nature of Unbelief be such as hath been described then surely it concernes al to examine how far it prevails in them Doth not the great Ressemblance that there is between saving Faith and commun oblige al to trie of what stampe and make their faith is Alas how much commun Assent is there which passeth for saving What a great verisimilitude or likenesse is there between the notional Assent of Unbelievers and real Assent of true Believers Do not many knowing Professors seem to receive the Word of God as the Word of God who yet indeed receive it only as the word of men Have not many contemplative Professors sublime and raised Apprehensions of spiritual Mysteries and yet al the while their assent to them is but carnal and natural Do not some seem deeply convinced of and confirmed in evangelic reports who yet yield but a legal staggering assent thereto Doth not the vig or and strength of many mens assent arise from some transient worke of the Spirit of Bondage rather than from a deep apprehension and valuation of Evangelic objects which they assent unto Again how easy is it for men to be mistasten in their Consent to the good things of their peace Do not many seem very forward in electing of Christ who yet retain secret reserves for some beloved Idol Are not too many from the force of legal convictions compelled to close with Christ who yet secretly hate him at heart How many adhere to Christ in Profession and yet adhere to the world or lust in Affection Are there not many who seem to recumb and lean on Christ for life but yet really recumb and lean upon self Oh! what a world of convinced sinners take up with a spurious or commun faith instead of saving How dreadfully do millions of Unbelievers delude themselves with a sick dream and shadow of commun faith Alas what an easie mater is it for Professors in these knowing times to mistake commun faith for saving to deceive themselves and and others with a forme or picture of faith and yet to remain under the real power of Unbelief It is indeed very difficult to gain a true solid divine Faith but oh how easie is it to take up with a seeming faith which yet shal look as much like saving faith as may be Oh! how securely doth Infidelitie lurke in many poor souls under
THE ANATOMIE OF INFIDELITIE OR An Explication of the Nature Causes Aggravations and Punishment of UNBELIEF BY THEOPHILUS GALE LONDON Printed by J. D. for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden-Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1672. Preface IT is the Supreme Wisdome Interest and Perfection of Man who is an intelligent Being to understand adhere unto his last End and whatever means conduce thereto This is stiled Luke 19. 42. To know the things that belong unto our peace And the supreme end of our Great Lord in espousing Human Nature was to acquaint Sinners with the things that belong to their peace and bring them into an immediate Capacitie for the Fruition of them Is it not then the highest piece of Folie and Madnesse for rational Creatures to shut their Eyes and Hearts against that which is their supreme Happinesse Is there so much Beautie in the Deformitie of Sin So much Pleasure in the Chains and Fetters of Satan So much Libertie in the Vassalage and Bondage of Lusts So much Content in the embraces of an heart-distracting World So much peace and ease in the stings and troubles of a tormented Conscience So much life in the death of Sin and Hel torments as to make a rational soul amorous of and in love with them If not how comes it to passe that men mind not more the things that belong unto their peace Was it ever known that any but mad men would take delight to see their own heart-bloud gush out Would any but blind fools spurne at food the most delicious satisfying food when offered to their famished souls May we not count such bewitched Sots who plot and contrive by al means possible to ruine themselves And yet Lo is not this the Case of al such who wil not know and embrace the things that belong unto their peace when offered to them Alas What a world of such mad and blind fools are there Yea how many great Professors yea how many Churches fal under this black brand of Folie and Madnesse Was not this Jerusalem's sin and folie for which she has paid so dear for 1600 years And has Jerusalem been alone in this sin Has not England also dranke very deep of this venimous intoxicating Cup And what may we expect but Jerusalem's prodigious Ruines unlesse we al make haste to know and embrace the things that belong unto our peace before they are hid from our eyes The designe therefore of this ensuing Discourse is to awaken and provoke secure unbelievers and slumbering Professors deeply to consider and chearfully to embrace Evangelic offers of Life and Grace before it be too late And our First Book is wholly spent in the explication of our Lords doleful Lamentation Luke 19 41. over Jerusalems Sins and Ruines Wherein we have endeavored to explicate What were Jerusalem's Church-wasting Sins and Ruines which our Lord here laments in order to a Conviction of and Lamentation over our own Sins and approching Ruines if not prevented by a timous Repentance and closing with the things of our peace And because Jerusalem's main Sin was Infidelitie this therefore is the chief subject of what follows Book 2. Wherein we have endeavored to explicate the black and prodigious Nature of Unbelief in the several parts thereof and that in opposition to Faith whereof it is a Privation Wherein we have also opened the Nature and main essential Ingredients of Faith which indeed comprehends the chief vitals of Christianitie and therefore requires our most diligent Attention and curious Inquisition The next great and commun Head to be explicated is the Causes of Infidelitie which wil open to us what a great Mysterie of Iniquitie lies at the Root of Unbelief Hence we are to procede to its Aggravations which wil discover to us the monstrous Magnitude of this sin And thence follows the severe Punishment and Vengeance which the righteous God inflicteth for this Sin of Infidelitie These things wil if Providence favor and assist our desires be the subject of several Discourses Only that I might not at present wholly frustrate the Readers expectations I have in the Corollaries and Uses of the Second Book given some Hints and Intimations of the chief Particulars which I intend to discourse of under the following Heads As for the Forme of the Discourse I thinke I may with Sinceritie say I have endeavored to suit it to my Mater I would hate sinful Affectation of Words or Things merely to please itching curious spirits as much as Hel. Yet if any words occur that may give lustre and efficace to the Truths discoursed of I cannot thinke myself obliged to reject them because not so vulgar as other words lesse proper are Only if thou meet with any word beyond thy capacitie to apprehend remember that the following word usually explains the same A TABLE OF CONTENTS BOOK I. Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem CHAP. I. An Explication of Luke 19. 41. Pag. 1. THe Contexture of the words Pag. 2. And when he was come near 3. He beheld the Citie 4 5. And wept over it 6 7 8. Chap. 2. The most solemne Profession without Sinceritie wil not satisfie Christ 9-13 Chap. 3. Previous and General Observations 13. Chap. 4. church-Church-sins bring Church-ruines 17. Evil of doing brings the evil of suffering 18. Sin in itself the worst evil 19. Chap. 5. A numeration of Jerusalem's sins 22. 1. Vnbelief a Church-ruinating Sin Ibid. 2. Carnal Presumtion 24. 3. Spiritual Pride 27. 4. Carnal Securitie 29-31 5. Carnal Confidence 32. 6. Earthly-mindednes Pag. 33. 7. Vnfruitfulnesse 34. 8. Persecution of the Prophets 35. 9. Want of Reformation 36. 10. Impenitence 37. 11. Apostasie 38. Chap. 6. Divine wrath the effective Cause of Jerusalem's Ruines 40. The effects of Divine wrath on Jerusalem 43. 1. Temporal jugements Ibid. 2. Spiritual jugements 45 46. Chap. 7. 1. The Qualities of Christs tears 47. 1. They are Divine Ibid. 2. Rational 3. Free 4. Sincere 48 49. 5. Spiritual 6. Generous 7. Humble 49-51 8. Pathetic 9. Sympathetic 52 53. 10. Seasonable 11. Public 54. 2. The efficaces of Christ ' s Tears 55. 1. Prophetic 2. Instructive 3. Exhortative ib. 4. Threatning 5. Intercessorie 56. 6. Influential 7. Exemplary 57 58. Chap. 8. The Motives of Christs Tears 59. 1. As a Father 2. As an Husband ibid. 60. 3. As her Lord. 4. As a Minister 61 62. 5. Christs natural relation to Jerusalem 64. Chap. 9. Doctrinal Corollaries ibid. 1. Christs Affections relative ibid. 2. Christs Affections most pure 65. 3. Christs real Wil to save sinners ibid. 4. The Aggravations of such as refuse Christ 67 5. Mans Ruine from himself 68. Use 1. Advice to studie Englands Sins 69. Use 2. Mourne over Englands Sins and Miseries 71. Use 3. Caution against Church-sins Pag. 74. BOOK II. Wherein the Nature of Infidelitie consists Chap. 1. The Explication of Luke 19. 42. 76. Chap. 2. Eighteen general Observations drawn from Luke 19. 42. 86-98 Chap. 3. What the things of our peace are which men disbelieve
99. 1. Vnbelief as to the Scriptures in general 100. 2. Vnbelief as to the Gospel 104. 1. As to maters of Grace 105. 1. The Realitie of Evangelic offers 106. 2. The freedome of the Covenant 107. 3. The Vniversalitie of its offers 108. 4. The Riches of Grace in the Covenant 109. 5. The Immutabilitie of the Covenant 111. 2. Vnbelief as to maters of Providence 112-115 3. Vnbelief as to future Glorie ibid. The formal object of Vnbelief 117. Chap. 4. Vnbelief as opposed to the Assent of Faith 119. 1. Rejection of Divine Truths 120. 2. Non-Attention to sacred Notions ibid. 3. Implicite Assent is Vnbelief 121. 4. When Assent is not supernatural 123. 5. When Assent is only superficial 125. 6. When Assent is not real 126. 7. When Assent is not Spiritual 128. 8. A general confused Assent 129. 9. A suspense douting Assent 130-133 10. An inevident obscure Assent 133. 11. A legal Assent 134. 12. A forced Assent 135. 13. A fluctuating Assent 138. 14. An undervaluing Assent 140. 15. A barren Assent 141. Chap. 5. The real Objects of Infidelitie 142. Infidelitie strikes at 1. God himself 143. 2. His Divine Attributes Soveraintie c. 144. 3. Divine Providences 4. Ordinances ib. Vnbelief rejects Christ 145. Vnbelief rejects Heaven 146. The Acts of Vnbelief 1. Rejection of Chirst 147. 1. By open opposition of him 148. 2. By Dislikes of him 149. 3. By heart-Cavils against him 150. 4. By not approving the reports of Christ 151. 5. By Delays as to a closure with him 153. Chap. 6. The Wils defective reception of Christ 156. 1. As to the Object 1. in receiving a false Christ 158. 1. A compound Christ Ibid. 2. A Divided Christ 160. 2. The true Christ under false respects 163. 1. In regard of Motives Ibid. 2. In regard of Christs Grandeur 164. 3. When Christ is not received as offered 165. 2. The Defects of the subject 1. When the Wil is rotten 166. 2. When the Wil is languid and faint 167. 3. When the Wil is only terrified 169. Ch. 7. 3. Vnbelief as opposed to Adherence 174. 4. Diffidence and Distrust Pag. 178. 5. Dissatisfaction of heart 182. 6. The Disobedience of Vnbelief 185. 7. Non-application of Christs Grace 189. 8. Putting far off Christs coming 190. Chap. 8. Doctrinal Corollaries Cor. 1. Almost-Believers may procede very far and yet remain Infidels 195. 1. How far as to Assent 196. 2. How far as to Consent 197. Cor. 2. There is a boundlesse difference betwixt Saving Faith and Commun As to 199. 1. Knowlege 200. 2. Self-denial 201. 3. A legal and evangelic spirit 202. 4. The Bent of the wil towards Christ 204. 5. Purifying the heart from Sin 206. 6. Transformation of the heart into the Image of Christ 207. 7. The use of means 208. 8. The Foundation 209. 9. The End and Rule Ibid. 10. Gods Faithfulnesse ibid. Cor. 3. No middle 'twixt Faith Vnbelief ib. Cor. 4. Saving Faith most rare but Commun faith most cheap 211. Cor. 5. Believers have much Unbeief 214. Cor. 6. Unbelief is the greatest Sin 217. Cor. 7. This justifies God in his greatest severitie against Unbelievers 221. Chap. 9. Practic Vses Vse 1. Studie the Mysterie of Infidelitie 224. Studie the Causes of Infidelitie 227. 1. Spiritual darknesse 2. Carnal reason 228. 3. Carnal Securitie 4. Self-love ibid. 5. Spiritual Pride 6. Short-spiritednesse 229. 7. Beloved lusts Ibid. Use 2. Of Lamentation and Humiliation for the prevalence of Infidelitie 230. Motives to humble our selves for Vnbelief 232. Use 3. Of Examination whether our Faith be saving or only commun also how far we fal under Infidelitie 233. Heart-examens by way of Soliloquie 236. Use 4. Of Exhortation to deal with Infidelite as our worst enemie 238. Use 5. Pursue after Faith as the most excellent and useful Grace 245. The excellent effects of Faith 246. The opposite Qualities of Faith and Vnbelief 249 Scriptures Explicated Chap. Ver. Page Genesis 4. 7. 19. Deuteronomie 10. 20. 174. 32. 34 45. 38. 2 Samuel 23. 5. 111. 2 Chronicles 28. 22. 37. Job 1. 20. 185. Psalmes 37. 1 7. 187. 37. 5. 179. 63. 8. 175. 78. 34. 171. 78. 37. 178. 119. 11. 139. 119. 16. 138. Esaias 2. 10. 32. 30. 13. 22. 〈◊〉 25. 30. Chap. Ver. Page Jeremie 3. 10. 169. 7. 4. 25. 8. 14 15. 32. 31. 32. 61. Lamentations 1. 9. 30. 1. 15. 41. 2. 1. 42. 2. 14. 26. 4. 16. 42. Hosea 4. 16. 161. 11. 7. 178. Matthew 6. 30 31 32. 113. 11. 6. 149. 19. 20 21 22. 159. Luke 7. 29 30. 152. 11. 41. 182. 12. 22-29 114. 12. 29. 132 14. 26 33. 185. Luke 19. 6. 171. 19. 41. 3 c. 19. 42. 76 c. 19. 44. 44. 20. 5. 151. 24. 45. 124. John 1. 11. 61 161. 3. 36. 286. 5. 38. 139. 5. 39. 129. 7. 28. 141. 10. 24. 132. 12. 12 13. 10. Acts. 2. 41. 135. 17. 11. 137. Romans 2. 17-20 126. 4. 19 20 21. 131. 5. 20. 110. 10. 15 16. 106. 1 Corinthians 2. 14. 128. Galatians 4. 9 21. 184. Ephesians 1. 13 14. 191. Philippians 3. 3. 183. 1 Thessalonians 2. 13. 117. Hebrews 3. 12 14. 175 176. 4. 2. 135. 11. 1. 116. 12. 38 39. 177. James 2. 26. 142. 2 Peter 1. 9. 130. ERRATA PAge 11. l. 5. read pretensions P. 12. running title r. without P. 23. l. 2. for ying r. lying P. 37. l. 28. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 62. l. ◠after his own put a Colon. P. 78. l. 7. r. particle P. 85. l. 21. for thenc r. thence P. 111. l. 21. r. whereon P. 144. l. 18. after under adde the. P. 178. l. 18. for me r. him P. 179. l. 11. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 191. l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 192. l. 2. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 193. l. 1. for has leaning read hastening The Anatomie of Infidelitie BOOK I. A general account of Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem Luke 19. 41. And when he was come near he beheld the citie and wept over it CHAP. I. An Explication of the Text Luke 19. 41. AS Israels Temporal Benedictions were Symbolic Images or Types of Spiritual blessings promissed to the believing seed of Abraham so her Temporal Jugements were also Symbols or Typi◠Shadows of Spiritual Jugements threatned to and inflicted on Evangelic Unbelievers And to confirme this 't is worth our observation that most if not al of those expressions in Scripture whereby the place of eternal punishment is represented relate and allude to some places or stories remarquable for Gods exemplary vengeance executed on sinners under the old Testament Yea the last Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus here foretold and lamented by our Lord is by a learned Author stiled a Map af Hel. The Contemplation whereof is that which inclines me to pitch on this Scripture as the seat of our ensuing Discourse touching the Nature Aggravations and Punishment of Vnbelief And I
manner that so thereby men might behold as by a magnifying Glasse the proper Dimensions and Merits of their sins Ay but what was Gods end in making Sin thus to abound why that follows But when sin abounded Grace did much more abound Here saith Paul lay Gods bottome-designe in permitting sin thus to abound that thereby Grace might superabound yea that at that very time when sin so much abounded Grace might superabound at that very time when we appeared to be so great enemies to Christ he might appear to be so great a friend to us Thus Mercie in God is more merciful than sin in us can be sinful And oh what a foundation and encouragement for faith is here But alas how doth Unbelief spurne at and despise at least limit these Richesse of Grace 5. Unbelief cals in question the Immutabilitie Certaintie and Fidelitie of the Covenat David gives us an excellent character of the Covenant and its Immutabilitie 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in althings and sure For this is al my salvation and al my desire although he make it not to grow Notwithstanding al Davids care for the settlement of his familie on the Throne yet he foresaw by a spirit of prophesie how fragile and instable his Throne was only herein he solaceth himself that the Covenant wherein his faith and main hopes were bottomed was most stable and sure and oh how doth this amidst al his prophetic fears touching the instable and tottering state of his familie revive and chear up his spirits For this is al my salvation and al my desire Let althings else sink or swim it maters not so long as the Covenant is sure and inviolable Hence Covenant-Grace is stiled the sure mercies of David The blessed God has obliged himself by Covenant confirmed by Oath and Sacrifice which are the most essential ties and therefore he cannot but be true and faithful to his word otherwise he were not true to himself And yet lo how jelous how suspicious how captious is Unbelief touching the certaintie of the Covenant Men are ready to confide in those who are sufficient and faithful specially if they have their Bond But yet Unbelievers dare not trust the Faithful Alsufficient God albeit they have his Bond or Covenant and that confirmed by oath So much for the Grace of the Covenant 2. The Covenant of Grace is furnished with Promisses not only of Grace but also of Providence which Unbelief is very apt to cavil at The Covenant of Grace is the Believers Charter not only for Spirituals but also for Temporals it extends to the very hairs of their heads the most inconsiderable things Surely they can want nothing who have Alsufficience engaged for their supplie It s true Means sometimes fail Ay but cannot doth not their wise Father feed them without means when he sees it necessary And are not such supplies by so much the more pure and sweet by how much the more immediate they are The lesse there is of the creature is there not the more of God in al our provisions Doth not our omnipotent God oft bring the greatest Triumphs out of the greatest extremites It 's true He doth not alwaies keep his people from the crosse ay but doth he not always keep them under the crosse Have not the most black and seemingly confused Providences an admirable beautie and harmonious order in them Did ever Believer need any thing but what he could better need than have Are not those Needs blessed that secure us from sin and make way for greater mercies Are not al Gods Providences spirited by mysterious wisdome and paternal love Is it not then the Believers Wisdome and Interest to suffer his Father to be wise for him How comes it to passe then that Believers themselves should be so unbelieving as to Gods paternal providence towards them Oh! what a mysterie of iniquitie is there in Unbelief as to this particular This Christ much cautions his Disciples against and upbraids them with very oft and that with sharp Rebukes So Mat. 6. 30. Wherefore if God so clothe the grasse of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shal he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith As if he had said Doth God clothe the grasse of the field which is so fading with so much beautie and glorie And wil he not much more clothe you O ye short-spirited ones That which we render O ye of little faith is expressed by the Hebrews in such termes as import the anxious cruciating vexatious cares of suchâ— who though they have enough for the present are stil ful of inquietude and distrust about future supplies Whence he addes v. 31. Wherefore take no thought saying what shal we eat c. i. e be not anxiously solicitous or incredulously thoughtful about these viatiâ—s or necessaries of life And why v. 32. For after al these things do the Gentiles seek As if he had said Is it not a shame that you who are my Disciples should be as unbelieving as anxiously inquisitive about these things as the poor Gentiles who know nothing of my Covenant Thence follows another Argument or branch of the former For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of al these things i. e Alas Why do you concerne your selves so much about these poor things Have you not a Father in Heaven who is mindful of and provident for you Doth he not wel understand al your needs And is he not engaged by Covenant to supplie you with al necessaries And hath he not promissed in this very case Psal 111. 5. To give meat to them that fear him and to be ever mindful of his Covenant Why then wil you not believe We find the like character of Unbelief as to the Providence of God Luke 12. 22. Take no thought for your life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give not way to anxious distracting distrustful thoughts about the necessaries of life And then our blessed Lord gives the reason of this his Admonition v. 24. Consider the Ravens c. Luke makes a special mention of the Ravens because God has a particular providence and care of the young Ravens as both Job and the Psalmist observe The Hebrews have many observations about Gods care of the young Ravens The Philosophers also note how the young Ravens are neglected by their parents Hence Christ argues a minori How much more are ye better than fouls i. e surely if he be so much concerned for fouls how much more wil he concerne himself for you his Children Then he addes another Argument against Unbelief v. 25 26. And which of you with taking thought can adde to his stature one cubit c. Other Arguments are urged v. 27 28. Then he concludes v. 29. and seek not what ye shal eat or what ye shal drink neither be
He gave a deep firme practic Assent to Divine truths such as kept him from sin So much for the first part of Unbelief as opposite to the assent of faith CHAP. V. The Explication of Unbelief in reference to its Real Objects and its first main Act consisting in the Wils rejection of Christ HAving finisht the Notional Objects and Acts of Unbelief it remains that we procede to the Explcation of its simple real Objects and the Acts which answer thereto 1. As for the simple real Objects of Unbelief they wil as before be best explicated by considering what are the simple and real Objects of Faith For Unbelief being but a privation of faith it has one and the same object therewith Now the simple real Objects of Faith regard either our Present or Future state As to our present state the object of Faith is either Remote and Vltimate or Next and Immediate The Remote and Vltimate object of Faith is the Deitie or Divine Essence The Next and Immediate object of Faith is Christ God-man and Mediator betwixt God and Men. The object of Faith as to our future state is approching Glorie Heaven or al those good things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. According to this distribution of the real Objects of Faith we may with facilitie determine what are the objects of Unbelief or what are those Simple Real things that belong to our peace which Unbelief refuseth Of these we shal treat but very concisely because they wil again fal under consideration when we come to the Aggravations of Vnbelief 1. Unbelief is a Rejection of God his Divine Essence Attributes Providence Workes Ordinances and Glorie which are al great Ingredients of our Peace Unbelief strikes at the Deitie or Divine Being which is the alone ultimate foundation of al saving Faith Heb. 11. 6. Oh! what a world of practic if not speculative Atheisme lies wrapt up in the womb of Unbelief Again how are al the divine Attributes struck at by Unbelief Doth not Unbelief reject the Wisdome of God by preferring carnal wisdome before it Luk. 7. 30 Is not the Fidelitie and Veracitie of God oppugned by Unbelief in that it receives not his Testimonie and so makes him a Liar 1 Joh. 5. 10 11 How much is the Soveraintie of God opposed by Unbelief in that it cannot because it wil not submit either to his secret or reveled wil How doth Unbelief quarrel at and murmur against the soverain pleasure of God both Preceptive and Providential It can neither yield Active obedience to the former nor Passive to the later It can do but little and suffer lesse for God Again Doth not Unbelief offer much violence to the Love Mercie and Compassions of God Is not Mercie clothed with the rough garment of Severitie Is not the ugly vizard of Hatred and Revenge put on the beautiful face of Divine Love Doth not Divine Benignitie or Bountie fal under censure of illiberalitie when Unbelief sets in the chair Further Is not Divine Justice impleaded or masqued with the face of Injustice by Unbelief Doth it not put light for darknes and darknes for light good for evil and evil for good Is not the Righteous God accused as one that justifies the wicked and condemnes the Innocent Moreover how doth Unbelief narrow Divine Omnipotence yea look upon it as mere Impotence and weaknes Doth not Infidelitie also prescribe bounds to Gods Omnipresence Exodus 17. 2-7 Is not Gods Omniscience also blinded by it Isai 40. 25 So also for al Gods works of Providence how doth Unbelief draw a Veil on the most glorious of them Lastly as for al Divine Ordinances and Institutions are they not dispirited and made ineffectual by Unbelief Is not prayer no prayer Hearing the Word no hearing are not Sacraments no Sacraments to the Unbeliever 2. Unbelief refuseth Christ the next immediate object of faith and the great Mediator of our peace Oh! what a large heart has Christ to give but how narrow-hearted is the Unbeliever in receiving the things that belong to his peace Is not Christ the great Ordinance of God constituted designed and adapted to be the Mediator between God and man And yet Lo how doth Unbelief sleight him yea slander him reproche him plunder him grieve him provoke him and crucifie him day by day Is not Christ extreme liberal towards Sinners Doth he not meet them half way yea prevent them in the offers of Grace And yet oh how backward is Unbelief how unwilling to come to him for life What Distances Shinesses and estrangements from Christ doth it continually delight in Doth not Infidelitie attemt to turne the whole of Christs Mediatorie office into a mere shadow or Romance What rare experiments hath Christ given of the efficace of his bloud the energie and power of his grace to redeme sinners and yet how doth unbelief question and cavil at al What wonders are there in Christs love to sinners how omnipotent and invincible is it What sweet charmes to conquer hearts has it and yet how doth Unbelief cover al with the masque of hatred and crueltie Oh! what incomparable beauties are there in Christs person how amiable and lovely was he even in his lowest condition in the Womb Manger and on the Crosse Do not al the lines of Gods grace and our duty meet in Christ as Mediator how inglorious are the most excellent things in the world if compared with Christs glorious perfections and yet lo how doth Infidelitie disgrace and reproche Christ What low mean scandalous yea cruel thoughts has it of him 3. Unbelief rejects not only God and Christ and the Holy Spirit but also approching Glorie and al those good things hoped for of the other world Oh! what grosse and carnal conceptions has Unbelief of al those invisible and coming Glories How doth it turne al the great and glorious enjoyments of Heaven into mere insignificant Fancies Notions Fables and Sick-dreams Yea doth not Unbelief despise and contemne those rich delices of future Glorie Are not the sensual enjoyments of the flesh the pleasures of Egypt preferred before the ravishing delights of the celestial Canaan Do not sensible goods weigh down the invisible weight of Glorie in the Unbelievers heart But thus much for the real objects of Unbelief of which more largely hereafter Sect. 2. We now procede to the several Acts of Unbelief in relation to these real Objects which may be also distinguished according to the several acts of Faith whereof they are Privatives The first and general act of Faith in relation to Christ its next and most immediate object is Consent Election or Reception of him as tendred in the Gospel And opposite hereto the first and great act of Unbelief is Reprobation or Rejection of Christ and this indeed is the most fundamental and vital Act of Unbelief that which our Lord doth most directly strike at in this his doleful Lamentation over
to one that daily expects the coming of his Lord But oh How apt are Believers themselves to put far from them that great day Were not the the wise Virgins overtaken with fits of slumber aswel as the foolish Again how little can the most of Believers acquiesce and rest satisfied in Christ as the alone spring and mater of their life Do they not sometimes conceit that there is some grace or other good to be found out of Christ And are they not hereby oft inveigled to wander from Christ Ought not the heart to be where the treasure is And is not the Believers treasure in Christ How then comes it to passe that he is so little satisfied in Christ but for want of faith in him Moreover how short-spirited and impatient are many Believers What confined and narrow hearts have they under the crosse Do not the length and weight of their burdens oft make them extreme short-spirited as Exod. 6. 9. for shortnesse of Spirit So Num. 21. 4. its said They were short-spirited because of the way i. e the length of their sufferings shortned their spirits they could not in patience possesse their souls and many of them were true Believers for the main Oh! how soon do such short-spirited Believers despond and sink under their burdens What faintings under duties are they obnoxious unto How straitned are their spirits as to present or expected mercies What murmurs and discontents have they against the Yoke and Crosse of Christ Yea how dissolute soft and feeble are they in resistance of Tentations How timorous and faint-hearted at the approche of difficulties Whence procede Believers black and dismal Imaginations under Desertions but from their Unbelief Is is not hence also that they are so humorous and il-minded towards Christ so apt to raise black lies and slanders of him Do not their unbelieving hearts change Christ into another Christ by covering his face with a masque of hatred and displeasure Oh! How much are the sinews of many poor believing souls shrunk how much are their spirits cramped and dispirited by Unbelief specially in cases of soul-trouble or tentation So great is the prevalence of Unbelief in many sound Believers 6. Hence we may further collect That Vnbelief is a sin of the first Magnitude a great mysterie of Iniquitie the greatest Monster that ever was This naturally flows from the former Idea and explication of Unbelief For if the character and nature of Unbelief be so comprehensive if it seize so much on the vitals of the soul then certainly it must needs have a very maligne and venimous influence on al sin yea it must contain in it the malignitie and poison of al sin Oh! What a prodigious Sin is Unbelief What Abysses and depths of iniquitie are there in the bowels of it We have seen how it infuseth itself into the wholeâ— soul and dispirits al the faculties thereof Oh! what darknesses and mists doth it infuse into the mind How foolish and sottish doth it make sinners What grand mistakes and prejudices doth it breed touching al the good things of our peace How stupid and senselesse doth it make conscience What a world of securitie and false peace doth it produce What made the old world so secure before the Deluge came and swept them al away but their Unbelief How comes it to passe that both wise and foolish Virgins slumber before the coming of the Bridegroom but from their Unbelief What makes sinners so stout-hearted and opposite to the righteousnesse of Christ but their Infidelitie Isai 46. 12 How comes it to passe that Sinners are so inflexible as to al Chrsts gracious offers but flexible towards sin and its allurements What is it that fortifies the heart so much in its adherence to Idols and false objects of trust What makes mens wils so rebellions against Christ yea destroyeth obedience in the principal root thereof Are not al these the fruits of Unbelief Oh! What a lazy slothful remisse and softnatured thing is Unbelief as to al that is good And yet how vigorous and active is it in and for the production of al sin Yea is not Unbelief virtually al sin Doth it not breed preserve foment incourage actuate and spirit al sin Whence procede the great errors of mens minds hearts and lives but from Infidelitie How comes it to passe that sinners are so hasty in snatching at present goods but so slow-hearted and backward in closing with the good things of their peace Surely it is from Unbelief Whence spring mens confusions and distractions of heart in times of trouble but from their Unbelief Whence also springs al that formalitie and deadnesse in duties but from Unbelief Is not this also the cause of mens hypocrisie both in heart and life Oh! what a world of irregular and exorbitant passions doth Unbelief worke in mens hearts What makes the sensual world so tenacious in adhering to sensible good but their Unbelief as to good things hoped for May not then every sin deservedly cal Unbelief father Is not this sin of Infidelitie to be found at the end of every sin Whence spring the main exorbitances and distempers of mens hearts and lives but from Infidelitie Men discourse variously what was the first sin by which Adam fel but have we not much reason to believe that Unbelief was Adams first sin which opened the dore to al sin and miserie For had not Adam disbelieved the Word of God which threatned him in the day that he did eat of the forbidden fruit he should die he had not believed Satan And as Unbelief at first opened the dore to al sin so doth it not stil hearten and improve al sin Yea is it not the prodigious womb of al sin Yea has it not more of sin than any or al other sins It s true scandalous sins have more of Infamie but has not Infidelitie more of obliquitie and guilt in it Is not that the greatest sin which is against the greatest Laws and Obligations And is not Infidelitie against the greatest Obligations that ever were even a Covenant of Grace which makes such free such ful such rich such suitable such general such importunate such heart-satisfying offers of Grace And can there be a greater law than the Mediators evangelic law which is composed of such sweet alluring precepts and promisses and yet lo how doth Unbelief oppose the royal Law of Christ Oh! what a world of rebellion lies wrapt up in the bowels of Infidelitie How doth it scorne reject yea spurne at bowels of evangelic Love and Grace Yea is it not extremely opposite to al the principles of obedience Is there not also abundance of Idolatrie in Infidelitie Can there be a worse Idol than self idolised And doth not every Unbeliever idolise his own carnal wisdome his proud wil his commun gifts his self-sufficience his legal Righteousnesses and seeming good duties Is not the Unbelievers self-dependence the worst piece of Idolatrie Doth not every Unbeliever by depending on
those to be under the power of Unbelief who were never truly sensible of the power of it Is not Infidelitie as it has been shown the greatest sin and therefore ought to have the greatest sense What is the main and first worke of the Spirit of Bondage but to convince the unbelieving world of their unbelief as John 16. 9 And can men be convinced of it unlesse they studie and observe the nature and workings of it Why is it that the most of men do account Infidelitie so smal a sin but because they never inquired into its black ugly Nature and Aggravations How comes it to passe that many take part with their Unbelief but because they are not sensible what a mischievous pernicious thing it is Alas Did men studie and believe what an hainous sin Infidelitie is how would they abominate and loath it What speed would they make to be rid of it Yea why is it that Believers themselves are so much under the prevalence of Unbelief but because they have not that sense of its indwelling and prevalence which they ought to have Did Believers meditate much of and mourne under the evils of an unbelieving heart surely they would not be so much troubled with it as they are Oh! What a rare thing is it for Believers to have a quick sense of Unbelief What better argument and marque can we have of a sound Believer than a daily sense of and humiliation for Unbelief Yea is it not a good signe of much growth in Faith and other Graces to be inwardly acquainted with and troubled for the remains of Infidelitie dwelling in us Do not the best and most improved Christians usually complain most of this sin Oh! What an invisible slie and subtile sin is Infidelitie How long doth it lie lurking in the soul before it be observed Doth it not like some cunning Politicians animate and encourage every sin yet concele itself in al its actings Doth it not then greatly concerne al both Believers and Unbelievers to studie wel the Nature Causes and maligne Influences of Unbelief Oh! how much of Infidelitie might we find in every sin were we but wel-skilled in the nature and workings of it But alas what Mysteries and Riddles are Unbelievers to themselves How unacquainted are they with the spiritual cunning and subtile turnings and windings of their unbelieving hearts Is it not then the great concerne of al to be greatly intent on the studie of and inquisition into the Nature Operations and Effects of Unbelief But above althings we should much contemplate and inquire into the Causes of Infidelitie Is not he the wisest Philosopher who contemplates and understands best the causes of things And do not men account him the most able Physician who gives the best conjecture at the Causes of a Disease So in like manner may we not repute him among the most understanding Believers who is best skilled in discerning the Causes of Unbelief Surely althings are best known in and by their Causes O then if thou wilt understand the black nature of Infidelitie studie and inquire narrowly into its Causes Inquire into that Soverain venimous black darknesse which dwels in Conscience and makes al the good things of thy peace to disappear Oh! What a Veil doth this thick spiritual darknesse draw on al the excellences of Christ How doth it stain al the Beautie and Glorie of Evangelic offers made to the unbelieving Soul Oh! what an efficacious influence hath the darknesse of Conscience on the darknesse of Infidelitie Studie also how much carnal reason doth promote Infidelitie What more contrary to Faith than carnal reason When men endeavor to mesure the Promisses or Providences the Words or Workes of God by carnal wisdome what black jealousies and suspicions of Gods love care and faithfulnesse procede thence How is the Unbelievers heart filled with black ugly prejudices against Christ and al the offers of his Grace The lesse of carnal reason there is mixed with Faith the more pure it is Again observe how much carnal Securitie doth foment and promote thine unbelief Is not a secure Conscience ever an unbelieving Conscience When men consider not the things that belong to their peace how can they understand or believe them What made the old World so much disbelieve the approching Deluge of Gods wrath but their wretched securitie It s true Unbelief is oft the cause of carnal securitie but is it not also as oft the effect of it Is not the Securitie of the wise and foolish Virgins made a cause of their Infidelitie Matthew 25. 5 Is not faith maintained by an inward tender feeling sense and Unbelief by the want of such a sense Further take notice how much self-love doth feed and nourish thine Unbelief What self-dependence and self-secking it workes in thee How soft-natured and faint-hearted as to Dutie but stout-hearted and resolute against Christ and al his gracious invitations it makes thee Oh! Studie how much self-love fortifies thy heart against al the good things of thy peace but exposeth and layes it open to al the tentations of Sin and Satan Consider also how much Spiritual Pride contributes to thine Infidelitie Oh! how craftie and cunning is the pride of Infidelitie and how much are the Unbelievers bands strengthened hereby Meditate also on thy short-spiritednesse and its venimous influence on thine unbelief How contracted and narrow is the Unbelievers heart And how much is his unbelief promoted hereby A confined short straitned spirit is alwaies pusillanimous feeble and unbelieving as Exod. 6. 9. Lastly Examine if there be not some base darling lust lurking at the bottome of thy wil which secretly feeds and fortifies thine unbelief Oh! what large provision doth any beloved lust make for Infidelitie How much is its Throne maintained by it What stout arguments do darling lusts urge against Christ and al his gracious offers These with some other are the principal causes and most bitter roots of Infidelitie the observation and discoverie of which wil be of great use for the subduing of this sin But the more ful Inquisition into the Causes of Infidelitie wil be the entire Subject of the second part of our Discourse touching Unbelief 2. Another practic Improvement we may make of this Doctrine is by way of sad Lamentation and Humiliation for the prevalence of Infidelitie in the world even among Professors Is the Idea or visage of Unbelief so black and ugly Are its Influences so venimous and contagious How then comes it to passe that this knowing world is enamored and fallen in love with it Could any sober mind imagine that a thing so deformed and pernicious should seem so amiable and desirable in the eyes of men Was it ever known that the Leper was amorous of his Scabs or the Begger in love with his Rags or the Prisoner with his Fetters or the wounded Person with his bleeding Wounds How then comes it to passe that the
expected Oh! how bitter are many sweet Mercies when mixed with Infidelitie Yea doth it not turne al Mercies into Curses to those who are under the complete dominion of it as Rom. 11. 9 And how many choise Mercies are Believers deprived of by reason of their Unbelief Whence spring their groundlesse troubles of Consciences their misjugements and mistakes about their state their heart-faintings sinking discouragements and despondences under Desertion their hard and scandalous thoughts of Christ his Heart and Dispensations towards them but from their Infidelitie Oh! What a sting doth it put into al afflictions How burdensome and irkesome is the Crosse of Christ to the unbelieving heart How sweet and easy is the bitter heavy Crosse so far as Faith prevails But oh What a troublesome vexatious neighbor is Infidelitie How doth it torment the heart and cause it to pine away and consume to nothing even under groundlesse expectations and needlesse fears of trouble May it not become a true Proverb Much Infidelitie and much Sorrow How do afflictions pinch and gal unbelieving spirits How unable are such to see any good in afflictions What need have afflicted persons of Faith Again how soon doth Infidelitie betray us into the hands of every Tentation Faith hath Omnipotence engaged for its assistance but oh what a poor impotent thing is Unbelief How unable is it to to conflict with smal Tentations Satan is oft the father but is not Unbelief the mother of al Tentations What made Adam and Eve yield to Satan's tentation but their Infidelitie Was not this also that which made Judas betray Peter denie and the Jews crucifie the Lord of Glorie It s true when the Tentation is asleep the unrighteous man is righteous the unclean person is chaste the passionate man is meek the invidious man is kind the avaricious man is liberal the unfaithful man is faithful but oh when the tentation is awakened how soon doth Unbelief betray the heart into the hands of these or the like corruptions Thinke not thy self secure from the prevalence of any Tentation so long as thou art under the prevalence of Infidelitie Alas how soon is Tentation fired by Unbelief but oh How is the believing soul that by faith adheres to Christ strongly fortified and armed against the most violent Tentations Moreover how are the main breaches of our lives maintained and improved by Infidelitie What departures from God what turnings aside from or remisnesses in Duties are Unbelievers exposed unto Doth not Unbelief cut the Sinews and Nerves of al evangelic Obedience Doth it not let out the vital spirits heart-bloud of al good Inclination and affections Is not the very root and seminal virtue of good Intentions withered and blasted hereby How much beneath the least evangelic dutie is the unbelieving soul How doth Unbelief poison many good Inclinations Oh! what a venimous maligne thing is Unbelief How doth it infuse a malignitie and poison into al the parts of the Soul Is not the spirit of the mind the most noble part of the soul envelopped or wrapt up in contagious black darknesse by it Are not al the faculties of the soul spoiled of their vigor beautie harmonie order and exercices by Unbelief Oh! What a bloudy hard-hearted soul-murdering sin is it How doth it compel the Sinner to embrew his hands in his own bloud to sheath a sword in his own bowels by a wilful rejection of Evangelic offers How welcontented is it to see the Unbelievers sentence of condemnation subscribed and sealed with the Mediators dreadful curse John 3. 18 What flames of vengeance what treasures of wrath doth Infidelitie treasure up against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9 How patient is it whiles Satan claps on the chains and â—etters of spiritual slumber and hardnesse of heart on the Sinners legs How willing is it to see the poor Unbeliever famished and starved amidst the rich and sumtuous feasts of evangelic Grace and Mercie Has not Christ made a plentiful and costly feast for Sinners And is he not extreme free and cordial in his Invitations How then comes it to passe that Sinners come not to it when invited Why is it not Unbelief that keeps them back and that as it were by hairs namely some poor and foolish excuses Mat. 22. 1-6 Oh! how studious and ready is Infidelitie to shift it self of Christ and al the good things of its peace offered to it What silly excuses and pretences doth it make to put off Christ and his evangelic offers What little reason or cause have Unbelievers to object against Christs gracious offers Are not Christs armes open to receive them when they come Yea Doth he not day by day cal upon and importune them to come unto him Prov. 1. 20-25 Did he ever refuse or look strangely on any that came unto him Yea is he not more willing to receive Sinners than they are to come unto him or are the flames of Hel more elegible than the joys of Heaven Is the Vassalage of Satan more desirable than the Libertie of the Sons of God Is there so much Beautie in Sin as to make men desire it before the Beauties of Holinesse Are the Remorses and Stings of the worme of Conscience more agreable and pleasing than peace of Conscience and the smiles of Divine Love If not how comes it to passe that Sinners choose the evil and refuse the good offered to them Oh! is not Infidelitie the cause of al this miserie Is not Christ's hand and heart open towards Sinners but are not their hearts shut against him by Unbelief Is there any thing in Christ or his evangelic offers that keeps men from believing O then What an irrational sottish perverse cruel sin is Unbelief What a world of miserie doth it bring on Sinners How justly doth Christ pronounce a sentence of death against them who wilfully reject his offers and means of life Alas how is it possible that Salvation itself should save such so long as they wilfully spurne at the offers of Salvation Is there any sin that doth more directly oppose Salvation by Christ than Unbelief Christ comes by his Evangelic offers of Grace to draw the Unbelievers heart unto him but oh how doth he draw back Yea how doth his unbelief oppose Christ as He comes clothed with Grace Love and Pitie And can Unbelievers expect that Christ should passe by such affronts and indignities without severe punishments Doth any thing more provoke Christ than to have his bowels and compassions towards Sinners spurned at Cannot he put up any injuries better than this Is not Unbelief the most cruel and bloudie enemie in the world in that it takes away not only the active power of doing good but also the passive power of receiving good when offered Is not this the language of Infidelitie Lord I need not I desire not thy Grace keep it to thy self I have wherewith of mine own to supplie my needs I can make a shift with mine
own righteousnesse to clothe my nakednesse with the balsame of mine own good workes to heal my wounds c. And as Infidelitie thus puts a bar to al Grace and Mercie So also doth it not open the dore to al the jugements of God Are not the most severe Plagues of God entailed on Infidelitie Doth not this sin provoke God to curse mens blessings Doth it not also cut us off from many promissed Mercies Yea how severely hath God punished this sin in his own people Was not Moses an holy man deprived of entring into Canaan for one act of unbelief Oh! how deep doth Gods wrath sinke into the unbelievers soul How many flourishing Churches have been deprived of the Gospel and means of Grace for their Infidelitie Or suppose that God continues some means of Grace yet doth not Unbelief turne them into means of hardening When men wil not believe the Gospel how oft doth Christ leave such to a spirit of error to believe lies Yea doth not Infidelitie continued in oft cause Christ to give up such to their own lusts which break forth sometimes into scandalous sins Yea how oft doth Christ deliver up impenitent obstinate Unbelievers to a spirit of slumber judicial hardnesse and al manner of Divine vengeance Are these the effects of Infidelitie Is there so much sin and self-murder wrapt up in its bowels and are there so many Curses and Plagues both temporal spiritual and eternal entailed on it May we not then without any injustice conclude that Unbelief is the worst enemie we have in the world Doth not our Infidelitie give us more pain and trouble than al other enemies Oh! then how should we with fire and sword persecute Unbelief as our most mortal enemie Can we be too severe against such a deadly enemie Is not al pitie and compassion that we shew towards Unbelief the greatest crueltie that may be to our own souls Why should we then cease our Indignation and Revenge against Unbelief ' til we have let out its heart-bloud Remember the more you pitie spare it the more cruel you are to your selves 5. This also layes an essential and strong obligation on al both Believers and Vnbelieveâ—s to put an high value on Faith and to pursue after it as their supreme Interest and Concerne Surely if Infidelitie be so prodigious and pernicious a Sin then by a paritie of reason Faith most be the most useful and excellent Grace Contraries much illustrate and set off each other And oh how doth the black deformed nature and venimous qualities of Infidelitie set off the Beauties and excellent qualities of Faith What a strange and miraculous power and efficace has Faith How doth it make things absent present the invisible glories of the coming world visible as the visible glories of this world invisible and disapparent Yea doth not faith appropriate to itself the whole of Gods Alsufficience and Omnipotence and so may in a sober humble sense be said to be in some sort alsufficient and omnipotent For al that is in God Faith by a strange magnetic virtue can applie to it self and thence it can do althings so far as it has a Promisse to bottome on Doth not the great God make himself a debtor to such as trust in Him How doth Faith â—end a man from himself without violence or pain What more effectual to break al our Idols and Images of jelousie than saving Faith How doth it make al the beautie of the Creature to fade away as a Sun-burned Flower Doth it not also dismount the Believer and make him walke on foot in al manner of self-abasement How soon doth the bottome of al sensible good fal out when Faith comes into the Soul and takes the Chair What doth more elevate and refine reason than saving Faith Have not those that believe most the deepest and soundest reasons Who is the wiser man The Believer that adheres to the First truth and chiefest good or the Unbeliever who rejects the same and adheres to Idols of time How doth Faith corroborate and fortifie the Wil in what is good by uniting of it to Christ and the Divine wil What a sweet harmonie and order doth it inspire into the Affections How doth it make the Believer to fear God under smiles love him under frowns hope in him under difficulties wait for his returne under desertions Yea when our affections are under the greatest disorder and confusion doth not Faith oft draw peace and order out of it Is not Faith both food and physic Doth it not as wel feed Grace as purge out sin Whence springeth the Christians union with Christ but from Faith Could Christ and Sinners ever come together unlesse Faith did unite them Can things contrarie be united but by some efficacious bond of Union Was it ever known that there was a mariage between the living and the dead How then comes it to passe that the dead Sinner is espoused to a living Christ Is not this happy match the alone miraculous effect of Faith wrought by the Spirit of God And hence doth not Faith make God thine as surely as thou art thine own And Faith having united the person to Christ doth it not thence by Grace derived from him purifie the nature also Acts 15. 9 And doth not Faith hence worke a miraculous change in the whole disposition of the soul and conversation And as the member is naturally subject to the head so doth not Faith subject the whole soul to Christ Whence also doth not the Believer entirely give up himself to Christ as Christ gives up himself to the Believer Oh! how doth the believing Soul follow after and adhere to Christ by ineffable groans and acts of Faith though Christ may sometimes seem to depart from him How inquisitive is Faith to understand al the virtues of Christ and to receive from him Grace for Grace What a violence is it to Faith to live act breath speak and walke out of Christ What is it that keeps the heart as a chast Virgin for Christ but Faith Hence also Faith gives the soul solid peace in and with God and oh How satisfying is this peace which Faith gives What child-like confidence and boldnesse ensues hereon And thence how much is the soul satiated in communion with Christ so far as Faith prevails What solaces and delicious suavities doth the believing Soul at times receive from Christ What an active application is there on Christs part towards the Believer and passive application on the Believers part towards Christ How much is Faith delighted in trading with Heaven and Christ Is not this the main businesse of Faith to enjoy Christ to live and die in him What is it that gives the soul an abode in Christ and Christ in the soul but Faith as John 15. 5 Oh! What strong desires and thirsts after Christ doth Faith worke in the soul Doth it not make the absence and presence of Christ
tu quae singulari privilegio in toto orbe praecellis si tu inquam quae eâ—eleste es in terris sacrarium cognosceres Calv. Doct. 7â— Doct. 8. Doct. 9. Doct. 10. Doct. 11. Doct. 12. Doct. 13. Doct. 14. Doct. 15. Doct. 16. Doct. 17. Doct. 18. Doct. The Nature of Unbelief What the things that belong to our peacâ— are The first part of Vnbelief in respect of its object is Not to assent to the Word of God Joh. 5. 39. Disbeliefe of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Grace contains 1. Maters of Grace Unbelief questions the Realitie of the offers of Grace Rom. 10. 10 16. Unbelief questions the freedom of the Covenaâ—t Unbelief strikes at the Universalitie of the Covenants offers Unbelief limits the Riches of Grace Rom. 5. 20. Unbelief questions the certainty of the Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. Unbelief as to Providence Mat. 6 30 31 32. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebraeis etiam vocantur hi qui cùm in praesens habeant sat is futuri in ertitudinecruciantur Grot. Luke 12. 22 29. A istotle Pliny Aelian Unbelief as to future Glorie Heb. 11. 1. The formal Object of Unbelief 1 Thess 2. 13. The several gradations of Dissent from the sacred Notions of our peace 1. Rejection of Divine truths 2. Not to attend to sacred Notions 3. Not to yield an explicite assent to Divine Truths 4. Not to give a supernatural Assent Luk. 24. 45 5. Not to give a deep Assent 6. Not to yield a real Assent Rom. 2. 17 18 19 20. k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oâ—cum 7. Not to give a spiritual Assent 1 Cor. 2. 14. 8. A general confused Assent Joh. 5. 39. Metaphor A canum sagacitate sumta c. Strigel 9. To suspend our Assent Rom. 4. 19. ver 20. ver 21. Joh. 10. 24 l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hic est quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 12. 29 Suspensum tenere Grot. Luk. 12. 29 m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecis non cum modò declarat qui positus est in sublimi sed etiam cum cujus animus veluâ— inaâ—re suspensus modò huc modò illuc inclinat Beza 10. An iâ—evident obscure Assent n Veritates fidei sunt evidenter credibiles Aquin. 2 Pet. 1. 9. 11. A legal Assent Heb. 4. 2. 12. Forced Assent Act. 2. 41. Act. 17. 11 Psal 119. 16. 13. Not to retain the things of our peace n Jo. 5. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Johanni est infigi Grot. Psal 119. 11. Luk. 11. 28 14. Low estime Joh. 7. 28. 15. A barren Assent Jam. 2. 26. Psal 119. 11. 1. The simple Objects of Unbelief Unbelief refuseth 1. God 1. His Being 2. His Attributes Wisdome Faithfulnes Soveraintie Mercie Justice Omnipotence 3. Providence Ordinances 2. Unbelief rejects Christ 3. Unbelief refuseth Heaven The Acts of Unbelief 1. Rejection of Christ This Rejection of Christ Implies 1. Open opposition Dislikes of Christ Mat. 11. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat propriè tigillum in instrumentis quibus capiuntur Lupi aut Vulpes aut Muâ—es Hesychius expressè inquit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commentarius Aristophanis inquit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt curva ligna in decipulis Strigel in Rom. 11. 9. Heart cavils against offers of Grace Luk. 20. 5. 4. Not approving the reports of Christ Luk. 7. 29. o. v. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recâ—è vertitur rejicere id enim optimè opponitur verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est approbare Iaudare Groâ— 5. Delays as to a thorow closure with Christ Luk. 9. 59. The Wils defective Reception of Christ The Defects of Unbelief as to its object in receiving 1. A false Christ 1. A compound Christ Christ compounded wiâ—h the world Mat. 19. 20 21 22. Supâ— dum tristis Est enim composita dictio ex Adverbio intendendi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod semper per Paroxytonum est Et significat admodum excellenter valde nimis Schmidius in Mat. 26. 38. Christ compounded with lust Christ compounded with spiritual Idols 2. A divided Christ Joh. 1. 11. p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i e. ut Dominum Grot. q Lori impatiens The Dâ—â—cts of Unbelief as to the respects under which Christ is received 1. As 〈◊〉 Motives 2. As to the Grandeur of Christ 3. When Christ is not recâ—â—ved as offered The Defects of Unbelief as to the subject of its Reception 1. A rotten deceitful Heart 2. A languid faint Wil. Jer. 3. 10. A terrified forced Wil. Psa 68. 34. Luk. 19. 6. 3. The Wils Defects as to adherence unto Christ r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 10. 20. Psal 63. 8. Heb. 3. 12. Heb. 3. 14. Heb. 10. 38 39. Hos 7. 11. Psal 78. 37 4. Diffidence and Disâ—rest Psal 37. 5. Cant. 8. 5. Luk 11. 41. 5. Dissatisfaction Phil. 3 3. Gal. 4. 9. t Vocula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non â—â—m eandem sed similem voâ—picit Idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glass Gram. Sacr. u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e qui ultro perindè appetitis velle aliquando pro cupidè optare Glass Gâ—am Sacr. Luk. 14. 26 33. x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est minus amare Grot. 6. The Disobedience of Unbelief Job 1. 20. Joh. 3. 36. w Qui inobsequiens est filio Grot. Psal 37. 1. ver 7. 7. Nonapplication of the Grace of Christ 8. Putting far off Christs second coming Ephes 1. 13 14. Corollaries Corol. 1. Almost-believers may procede far and yet continue Infidels 1 As to Assent 2. As to Consent Coroâ—â— The 〈…〉 twiâ—t saving faith and commâ—â— 1. As to knowlege 2. As to selfdenial 3. As to a legal and evangelic spirit 4. As to turning the Bent of the Wil to Christ 5. As to purifying from sin 6. As to transformation into the image of Christ and conformation to his life and Laws 7. As to the use of means 8. As to the foundation 9. As to end and rule 10. As to Gods faithfulnes Corol. 3. No middle twixt faith and unbelief Corol. 4. 4. Saving faith rare but commun faith cheap Corol. 5. Believers have much of Unbelief in them Corol. 6. Infidelitie the greatest sin Corol. 7. God justified in his severe procedure against Vnbelievers Vse 1. Of Advice to studie the Nature and Influence of Infidelitie Studie the Causes of Infidelitie 1 Spiritual darknesse 2. Carnal Reason 3. Carnal Securitie 4. Self-love 5. Spiritual Pride 6. Short-spiritednes Lastly Beloved lusts Vse 2. Of lamentation and humiliation for the prevalence of Infidelitie Vse 3. Of examination whether thy faith be saving or only commun Heart examens by way of Solilâ—quie Vse 4. Of Exhortation to deal with Infidelitie as our worst enemie Vse 5. To pursue after Faith as the most excellent powerful Grace Faiths efficace 〈…〉 2. The elevation of reason 3. The fortifying of the Wil and Affections 4. Union with Christ 5. Sanctification 6. Adherence to Christ 7. Peace and Communion with God in Christ 8. The exercise of Grace 8. Al Spiritual goods The opposition betwixt faith and Unbelief
into captivitie before the enemie Oh! here lies the sting of al Israels sufferings that the multitude of her transgressions drew them on her This was that which most deeply wounded and pierced the heart of this holy man So v. 8. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned therefore she is removed as an unclean loathsome thing al that honored her dâ—spise her because they have seen her nakednes i. e her lewdnes and abominations yea she sigheth and turneth backward v. 9. Her filthines is in her skirts c. The like v. 14. 18. and Chap. 2. 14. Thus our blessed Lord here in his Lamentation the first thing he has in his eye and that which did most deeply pierce and wound his heart was Jerusalems sin He saw her to be a cage of al unclean birds a sink of al manner of abominations which would unavoidably involve her in ruine this makes his heart to bleed and his eyes to gush forth with salt tears over her And this is the genuine Character of a true Christian heart to mourne more for the Evil of doing than for the evil of suffering and for the latter only as the fruit and effect of the former A Cain or Judas can lament and groan under the strokes of the rod but a Peter or a Christian mournes under the offense that procured those strokes without dout an hard-hearted Jew could not but lament to see Jerusalem sacked and the Temple in flames about his ears ay but 't was the Christian only that mourned kindly for the sins of Jerusalem which were the fuel of those prodigious flames of Divine wrath To lament over the Ruines of a renowned Citie or Church is facile because natural to an ingenuous affectionate spirit but to bleed over and bewail those sins which were the cause of those Ruines none can in any mesure of evangelic sinceritie performe but Christ and such as are animated and influenced by his Spirit But we procede to particulars to explicate what those Church-Sins are which exposed Jerusalem and so by a paritie of reason wil expose any other professing Citie or People to Church-ruines and therefore ought to be mater of Lamentation CHAP. V. A particular enumeration of Jerusalems Sins which were the moral causes of her Ruine and so a chief mater of our Lords Lamentation 1. THe first great church-Church-sin which our blessed Lord here laments as the moral cause of Jerusalem's Church-ruine is her Vnbelief or Rejection of the things that did belong unto her peace This indeed is a prodigious Church-wasting Sin that which ever cost Israel very dear even from her infant-state Israel had signal tokens of Christs conduct care and providence in the Wildernes yet what passions of discontent what disingenuous murmurs what fits of Unbelief doth she ever and anon on the least approche of danger fal into How doth her spirit sink and despond under the least difficultie This is evident from Num. 13. 30 33. and 14. 1 14 c. For which al that generation save Caleb and Jesua who were of another spirit perished in the Wildernes Thus also before their Babylonian Captivitie the great Sin the Israelites were guiltie of and that which opened the dore to al their following Miserie was their Vnbelief or contemt of Gods word So Isa 30. 8. Now go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the time to come for lver and ever v. 9. That this is a Rebellious people ying Children that wil not hear the Law of the Lord. Now wherein lay this their Rebellion Why chiefly in their Unbelief or despising of Gods word as v. 12. Because ye despise this word and trust in oppression c. Here lies their main sin and what follows v. 13. Therefore this iniquitie shal be as a breach ready to fal swelling out in an high wal whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant i. e. exceding exceding suddenly for these two Synonymous Adverbs joined together are very emphatic and argue that this their ruine should be extreme sudden as also great Great Unbelief brings great and swift ruine to the most glorious Churches if Repentance follow not When Christ comes with Offers and Acts of Grace towards his Church then for her to despise his word turne her back on al his gracious offers Yea trample on them this exposeth the most flourishing Churches to sudden and inevitable Destruction This God threatens Israel withal in her first Churh-constitution Lev. 26. 14 15 16 c. this also we find threatned and executed on her in her last Church-destruction Mat. 23. 37 38. This therefore is the first and as we may phrase it the original sin of Jerusalem which our blessed Lord here bewails as the womb of al her miserie Oh! what a world of miserie hath Unbelief brought on many flourishing Churches When a professing people reject the Gospel of Christ is it not just with Christ to reject them What a Hel of plagues both spiritual and temporal doth a despised Gospel bring on Professors how oft doth Christ cut off his own covenant-people from promissed and expected mercies for their unbelief what sore jugements doth unbelief expose men unto Whence sprang that deluge of confusion and Barbarisme which drowned the Easterne Churches but from their contemt of the Gospel Yea had not the floud of Antichristianisme which has so long overwhelmed these Westerne Churches its rise from this envenimed spring of Unbelief this is evident from 2 Thes 2. 10. Because they received not the love of the truth c. And 't was a prophetic persuasion of a great divine That God would shortly take away peace from the whole World for despising the peace of the Gospel This Conclusion we no way dout but to make good That al the great plagues and jugements of God upon the professing World or Churches have been for the contemt of his Word by unbelief For albeit other sins have had their share yet this of Unbelief has been the main spring of al Church-ruines But this wil be the subject of our following discourse 2. Another prodigious Church-wasting sin which Jerusalem was notoriously guilty of is groundlesse Presumtions and self-flatterie Self-flatterie wherever it is predominant brings self-ruine A mere forme of godlines without the power is a grosse delusion which carries millions of souls to destruction in a golden dream A fond presumtion of being a true Church or member of Christ is the greatest delusion This was ever the great sin of Jerusalem in her declining state and that which exposed her to great ruines calamities Thus before the Babylonian Captivitie Jer. 7. 4. Trust ye not in lying words saying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these As if Jerusalem had said Alas why doest thou threaten us with Captivitie and ruine Have we not the Temple of God amongst us And are we not upon this account his federate people
ere long was to be sheathed in Jerusalem's bowels pierce thorow the very heart of her Messias How is his Spirit wounded by the sword of Divine wrath that hung over Jerusalem Al tears are the Legats or Ambassadors of Grief but none argue more grief than such as are dropt over our nearest Relates in deepest miserie And O! what passionate grief and sympathie was there in Christs tears over bleeding Jerusalem Thus Theophylact on this Text He wept over the Citie as a man-lover He therefore discovered by his weeping bowels of pitie What a sacred prodigious passion is here Oh! how warme and bleeding with compassions are these sacred bowels which embrace a Citie so impenitent so ingrateful so ful of bloudy and mischievous contrivements against so gracious a Savior Joseph when his bowels waxed warme could not choose but break forth into a passion of tears in the presence of his brethren who had been so injurious to him But O! Joseph's compassions were infinitely short of these in our Lord towards ungrateful Jerusalem It s reported of Scipio Africanus that when he beheld Carthage mount up in flames he could not but weep which argued some commiseration in this noble Heroic Spirit who was an enemie But alas what is this to those unparalled compassions which flowed forth from the heart of Christ together with his tears over Jerusalem 10. Another Qualitie appendent to Christs tears regards their season which was a day of public Rejoycing This sad Lamentation of Christ was in a day wherein they made solemne Acclamations of joy and sung Hosanna's unto him This argues the weight of Christs tears Surely there must needs be some weighty reason and cause of these tears which were so plentifully poured out by our Lord in a day of such solemne Triumph Ay but our Lord did by the eye of his omniscient Divinitie discerne a world of Hypocrisie Vnbelief Ingratitude and Treacherie in their hearts He foresaw that some of these very men who now sang Hosanna's to him as their crowned Messias would within few days crie out at least in heart and consent Crucifie crucifie him He had a clear prevision of al Jerusalems Treasons and bloudie designes against his Regal Person Crown and Dignitie with al the sad effects hereof and this sad prospect drew tears from him in this day of solemne Joy 11. Lastly These tears of Christ were public in the view of al standers-by which gives some accent to them Had he wept in a corner where no eye could have seen it surely it had been very much for a person of his Qualitie and Dignitie But oh to shed tears in such a public manner what burning Affections what a fermentation of boiling Compassions what sympathetic Tendernesses doth this argue to be in the heart of our Lord Thus much for the eminent Qualities of Christs Tears 2. We come now to the Efficâ—ces and Influences of these sacred precious tears which also admit several Regards 1. These Divine tears of Christ were very Ominous and Prognostic they did foretel dreadful Accidents and prodigious Disasters which would befal Jerusalem These tears proceded not from a sick brain or phantastic Imagination of Chimeric or impossible dangers No they were prophetic tears issuing from a judicious eye which had an hypostatic union with the omniscient Divinitie 2. Hence also they were Instructive Tears every tear dropt a lesson yea preacht a Sermon to impenitent unbelieving Jerusalem Oh! what sacred Instructions what sage Documents what deliberate Counsels what seasonable Admonitions what useful Cautions did every tear carrie in its bowels How happy might Jerusalem have been had she but understood and entertained the holesome Doctrines which these tears preached to her Did not every Tear instruct her what a tender-hearted Savior she had to deal with How unwilling he was to reject her How glad he would be to receive her into the bosome of his Grace What a bloudy sin unbelief was c. 3. These Divine Tears were not only Instructive but also exhortative They carried in them efficacious and binding Arguments to persuade impenitent Jerusalem to mind and embrace the things that did belong unto her peace What more efficacious to prevail on an obstinate wife than the tears of her affectionate husband What more powerful charme may there be to win the obedience of a rebellious child than the tears of affectionate parents Can there be a more forcible motive to gain the consent of a sick patient than his Physicians tears What wil move the hearts of desperate Rebels to returne to their liege Lord if his tears wil not do it And Lo here the King of kings by his pathetic tears exhorts persuades and invites his obstinate spouse his rebellious children his sick patients and his rebellious subjects to returne unto him and embrace the things that belong unto their peace So Ezech. 18. 23. Have I any pleasure at al that the wicked should die saith the Lord God c. More particularly these tears of Christ exhort and invite Jerusalem to Repentance Christ weeps for her sins that so she might thereby be induced to weep for her own sins Doth it not argue an heart desperately hard when Christs tears wil not dissolve or soften it Drops of rain wil in time make a rock hollow Oh then how obdurate is the heart of Jerusalem when the efficacious tears of the Son of God wil not move or work upon it to consider the things that belong unto her peace 4. These Tears of Christ were also comminatorie or threatning every tear speaks a curse and direful threat to the impenitent Jews As patience so tears rejected or abused become furious Those are the most dreadful curses which procede from the Mouth of Blessednes it self If Christs affectionate tears prevail not on sinners to come unto him and partake of his blessings they then fal down in shours of Divine threats and curses And oh what an astonishing curse is this to be cursed by the Mediators mouth which is the fountain of al Blessednes O! what a deplorable case is Jerusalem in when every Tear of her gracious Lord drops a threat and curse on her How has Jerusalem for more than 1600 years layn under this curse here dropt and mingled with our Lords tears 5. These sanctified tears of Christ were also Intercessorie As they threatned curses on the reprobate Jews so in like manner did they intercede for mercie on the elect Jews in Jerusalem Christs tears as wel as his bloud and prayers were a part of his Intercession they had an articulate language and voice which God the Father wel-understood And look as Christs intercessory prayer for his Church Joh. 17 includes also a curse on their enemies so also these his tears albeit they threaten curses to those who persevere in their impenitence yet they intercede for mercie on the elect seed 6. These Tears of Christ were very influential and fructuous Every tear
Visitation v. 44. 2. The Epithet thy is also very emphatic Thy Day i. e That day which thy Lord has in much singular favor vouchsafed to thee beyond al the world besides which as yet lies in darknesse Thy day wherein thy Messias has given thee such public and manifest Demonstrations of his sacred Mission and Commission from God Thy day wherein I have been wholly taken up in preaching to thee the great things of thy peace wherein I have given thee so many solemne Invitations so many gracious Allurements so many bland and friendly Intreaties to accept of me as thy Savior And 3. There seems yet to lie a farther Emphase in that first Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This which seems to be both Restrictive and Emphatic In This thy day wherein I now make my last Application and Addresse to thee As if he had said I sent my Prophets to thee but alas how were they abused and slain I have in person made many Addresses and Supplications to thee but have I not received as many Repulses from as ever I made Applications to thee Lo now I make my last Application to thee every word is watered and bedewed with Tears O! That thou wouldest in THIS thy day thy last Day receive the things that belong unto thy peace Albeit thou hast hitherto rejected al my gracious offers yet even now at least now in THIS thy day be persuaded to listen to me Thus some understand by This thy day the ultimate and extreme occasion and season wherein Christ made offer of Salvation to Jerusalem Yet we may not exclude the former Seasons and offers of Grace which Christ gave to Jerusalem For this pathetic Oration includes in it not only an Invitation for the present but also an Exprobation and Indignation against Jerusalem for her former contemt and rejection of the things that did belong unto her peace so that we may not exclude any part of that time which was afforded to Jerusalem by her Messias although the last period of this time may possibly be chiefly intended Hence it is thought that these words refer to that Zechar. 9. 9. Rejoice greatly O daughter of Sion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh to thee But this coming of Christ may not as I conceive be confined to this last coming of Christ to Jerusalem but extends to the whole Oeconomie or Dispensation of his Grace before his crucifixion But it follows The things which belong unto thy peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is evidently an Hebraisâ—e For the Hebrews under the notion of Peace include al manner of Beatitude and Prosperitie The things that belong unto our peace are either Complexe and Notional or Simple and Real The Complexe Notional maters of our peace are the Evangel or words of peace promulgated by Christ and his Apostles The simple and real things of our peace are 1. Christ himself the great Mediator of our peace with al his merits 2. The Spirit of Christ who makes Application of al our purchased peace 3. God the Father the original fountain 4. Heaven c. But now Here we have 1. an Aposiopesis or an abrupt breach in the course of the Oration whereby a principal part thereof seems to be left unmentioned This argueth the depth of Christs grief and the vehemence of his Lamentation which wanted words to give it vent This Aposiopesis or breach in Christs words may be thus filled up If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Oh! how chearfully how greedily wouldest thou have embraced them or Oh! how happy wouldst thou have been Others incline rather to refer the Aposiopesis to the last clause of the following words But now they are hid from thine eyes to thine unspeakable damage and eternal ruine The difference is not material we may take in both 2. But now As if had said Time was O Jerusalem when thou hadst the bright warme beams of my Gospel-Grace shining on thee But now thy day of Grace is gone thy Sun is set thou hast had many wooings and importunate offers of Grace from me But now I am come to give thee my last Adieu Adieu Jerusalem Adieu Thou hast had many strivings of my Spirit vouchsafed to thee But now my Spirit bids thee farewel farewel Jerusalem Thence it follows They are hid from thine eyes Here is an Hebraic Ellipsis wherein the Consequent is also expressed by the Antecedent for those things which are hid are removed out of sight whence the later is also expressed by the former So that the meaning is The Gospel is hid and thenc removed from thee Or peradventure it may allude to the Veil on Moses's face whereby the Glorie of God was hid from the Jews which was a Symbolic shadow of their blindnesse as it is explicated by Paul 2 Cor. 3. 13 14. For until this day remianeth the same veil c. This continues in use among the Jews to this very day For in their Synagogues whiles the Law is read they have a Veil on their faces which is a black marque though little considered by them of the veil of Ignorance and Hardnesse on their hearts Thus Christ threatens here that for the future The things of their peace should be hid from their eyes And it deserves a particular remarque that their jugement bears proportion to their sin They wilfully shut their eyes against the Gospel and Christ judicially shuts the Gospel and hides it from their eyes They reject the things that belong to their peace and the things that belong to their peace reject them Their hearts are sealed up by unbelief against the Gospel and the Gospel becomes as a sealed Book to them They bid Adieu to Christ and he bids Adieu to them They prefer Cesar before Christ and Christ deservedly leaves them to be ruined by Cesars hands whom they prefer before himself CHAP. II. Eighteen general Observations drawn from the words of the Text as before explicaâ—ed THe words being thus explicated they offer to us varietie of choise Observations As from that first notion Saying we may observe 1. That Christs expressions of pitie do spring from the deepest Affections Every word is attended with a tear every saying is a lively image of a wounded heart 2. That Christs Sayings and doings are the same Every word of Christ carries omnipotence in its womb As his Promisses so his Threats are omnipotent and Jerusalem found by dreadful experience this Threat fulfilled to a Tittle Yea to this very day she lies under the dreadful arrest of this Threat The Menaces and Threats of men even of the greatest of men are oft but smoke and wind they threaten and storme much speak big words but alas how little can they do But oh What energie and efficace is there in every saying of Christ Hath not poor Jerusalem layen 1600. years under
with vehement Indignation As if he had said What! Jerusalem serve me so Even thou who hast been so dignified by me Oh! what an hainous odious sin is this who can bear it Hence observe 2. That by how much the more any People oâ— Church is dignified with Divine privileges or gracious vouchsafements by so much the more hainous is their sin if they improve not those means and privileges The more excellent gifts we are invested with the greater punishment do we deserve if we abuse the same So Isai 5. 1 2 3 4 5. At least in this thy day These words as before explicated afford to us several practic Observations 1. That Evangelic sinners have a day of Grace afforded to them Where-ever the Sun of Righteousnes comes he brings healing under his wings i. e. beams or a day of Grace That it is the supreme wisdome and interest of Professors to fil up their day of Grace with the Duties of their day Oh! What deep engagements did Jerusalem lie under to improve her day of Grace How happie might she have been had she but performed the same 3. Hence also observe That the day of Grace wil have its period Though Christ wait long yet he wil not wait always the longest day of Grace hath its night and usually the clearer brighter and warmer the day of Grace is the shorter it is where Christ vouchsafeth the greatest means of Grace if they are not improved but contemned there usually the day of Grace is shortest Think of this 4. Hence also observe That the nearer Christ comes in the offers of his Grace and the longer he waits for our acceptation of those offers the more inexâ—usable shal we be if we reject or neglect the same This observation lies wrapt up in that first expression at least Our blessed Lord oft came very near and close to Jerusalem in the tenders of his Grace Oh! how oft did he knock at her gates how long did he wait for her Reception of him What sacred and sweet Importunitie did he use to persuade and prevail upon her in that her day to accept of the things that did belong unto her peace But alas she would not she rejects al his gracious offers ' til at last her day was expired And oh how much doth this aggravate her sin Who is worse than he who hath a clear day of Grace vouchsafed him and yet electively embraceth darknesse before light The things which belong unto thy peace i.e. my self who am thy Peace-maker the King and Mediator of thy peace with whom is thy covenant of peace c. Hence note 1. That Christ alone is the great Mediator of our peace Out of him there is no peace take away Christ and you take away the chief corner-stone the main foundation of our peace The Sin-revenging God is nothing but wrath and everlasting burnings out of Christ But he that hath Christ hath peace with God and with al the creation besides Nothing can hurt him who is under the wing of Christ the Prince of peace Al peace of conscience which is collected either from holy conversation or from evangelic Promisses or from the sense of Gods love or any other way is al resolved into Christ as the proper source and spring thereof Therefore he that knows not Christ knows not the things that belong unto his peace 2. Hence also observe That Vnbelievers are the greatest enemies to their own peace and welfare Al the enemies of Jerusalem did not so much obstruct her peace as her own Unbelief Satan and al his powers of darknesse are not so prejudicial and destructive to the peace of souls as their own unbelieving hearts How feeble is Hel How insignificant and unable are its iron Gates to prevail over the weakest believer that adheres to Christ But as for sinners that are under the Dominion of Unbelief oh what a world of enemies are they exposed unto How doth every Tentation prey upon them What wars what commotions what confusions doth every lust raise in their hearts Yea how much are such obnoxious to the wrath and rage of the Righteous God 3. Hence also we may observe That it addes much weight to the Aggravation of Vnbelief that it is a rejection of the things that belong unto our peace The excellence of the objects which are offered to sinners in the Gospel of peace greatly aggravates their sin who refuse them Was it ever known that a conquered enemie refused termes of peace Is there any record to be found of a captive Rebel that rejected a gracious pardon from his Prince And yet Lo this is the Unbelievers case Christ comes with gracious offers of peace and life but alas how are they rejected Oh! what an hainous sin is this Yea Unbelief is not a mere simple refusal of the things which belong unto our peace but it carries in its bowels much Enmitie Oppâ—sition Antipathie Blasphemie and Contumelie against God and Christ and al the great things of our peace as hereafter But now they are hid from thine eyes Hence observe 1. That when God puts a period to the day of Grace al means of Grace are insignificant and ineffectual Although God may sometimes continue the means of Grace yet doth he not withdraw his Influences of Grace from those means And then how inefficacious are they What is Christ but a veiled face What is the Gospel but a sealed Book What are Ordinances but broken Cisternes What are Promisses but dead letters What are duties but barren Wombs when the day of Grace is gone Yea are not al these so far from becoming means of Grace as that they are indeed by reason of mans wilful impenitence means of hardening Yea is not Christ himself a stone of offense and stumbling to such as are deprived of the day of Grace Thus are the things of their peace hid from their eyes 2. Hence also observe That when God Puts a period to the sinners day of Grace then begins his day of jugement Jerusalem's day of jugement began from this very moment that Christ pronounced this dreadful sentence against her For henceforward al Christs Dispensations towards her were in jugement There was a curse upon her Blessings wrath and revenge mixed with her sweetest Privileges and mercies What Christ speaks in general of Satan and his kingdome Joh. 12. 31. Now is the jugement of this world c. the same may be in particular applied to Jerusalem and al other impenitent sinners who are passed their day of Grace Thus when the day of Grace ends the day of Jugement begins For when al the things that pertain to thy peace are hid from thine eyes what remains but chains of darknes and beginings of Jugement 3. Hence also we may observe That there is an exact proportion between the unbelievers sin and jugement The wilful unbeliever shuts his eyes against al the things that belong unto his peace and then the
righteous God comes and claps a seal of judicial occecation or spiritual blindnesse on his eyes that so he never see them more Joh. 9. 39. For jugement am I come into this world that they which see might be made blind There is ost an exact conformitie betwixt mans sin and Gods jugement What a visible character and stampe of Jerusalem's sin is here impressed on her jugement What is it that she suffers from the righteous mouth and hand of Christ but what she voluntarily inflicts on herself She wil not see the things that belong unto her peace and therefore saith Christ she shal not see them they shal be hid from her eyes She wil not open the Gates of her Soul that the King of Glorie her Messias may enter in and therefore saith Christ let her heart be shut under the curse of judicial obduration This was Gods usual method in punishing Israel even from her Infant-state And oh how much doth this illustrate the justice of God when visible Ideas and stampes of mens sins are to be seen in the face of their jugements How must this needs cut and wound the heart of an awakened penitent sinner to see his guilt in the face of his punishment This Analogie and Affinitie betwixt the unbelievers sin and jugement leaves him also without the least shadow of excuse Alas who but the Unbeliever himself may be blamed if the good things of the Gospel be hid from his eyes seing he himself first shut his eyes against the dazling glorie of those bright beams which shone so long on his eyes What cause have Unbelievers to complain that the Gospel is a veiled or sealed book unto them seing their hearts are veiled and sealed with unbelief against it Oh! what a vindication wil this be of the righteous jugement of God but confusion to wilful unbelievers to consider the exact paritie and Analogie which there is between their sin and their punishment How wil this confound them to al eternitie CHAP. III. The Notional Object of Unbelief or What are those Notional things that belong unto our peace which unbelief assents not unto THe precedent Observations furnish us with singular mater of Discourse each Observation deserves a particular examen and Remarque But we shal cast al into the mould or forme of this one general Proposition or Doctrine That Vnbelief or the not knowing the things that belong unto our peace is a sin of the deepest tincture or most hainous Aggravations and that which exposeth the sinner to the most severe wrath and jugements of God This Proposition contains the spirit and mind of the Text as also the sum and substance of al the former Observations which in the explication hereof wil have their particular consideration And for our more regular and methodic procedure herein we shal resolve the Proposition into these four grand Questions 1. What it is not to know the things that bâ—long unto our peace Or Wherein the genuine Idea or Nature of Vnbelief doth consist 2. Whence this Vnbelief springs or What are the seminal Roots the original Causes of this siâ— 3. What are the Aggravations of this Vnbelief 4. What severe wrath and jugements from God attend this sin of Vnbelief The Examen and Resolution of these Questions wil give us the ful Explication of our Proposition as also of the Text. Q. 1. What it is Not to know the things that belong unto our peace or Wherein the Nature of Vnbelief doth consist For the more ful Resolution of this Question we shal consider Unbelief 1. with relation to its Object 2. In regard to its Act. 1. The Object of Unbelief is here expressed under this comprehensive notion The things that belong unto thy peace These are as we before intimated either 1. Complexe and Notional or 2. Simple and Real The Complexe or Notional Things that belong unto our peace are al those divine Axiomes Maximes Canons or Notions loged in the sacred Scriptures which any way conduce to our peace The simple or real things that belong unto our peace are the good things themselves which lie wrapt up in those Divine Axiomes or Notions of sacred Scripture namely God in Christ Heaven c. The former are the Object of Faiths Assent the later of its Consent Election and Choice Again the Notional things that belong to our peace which are the complexe Object of Faiths Assent may be considered by us 1. Materially 2. Formally The Material complexe objects of Faiths Assent are the Scriptural Notions which Faith assents unto The Formal Object of Faith's Assent is the Formal Reason Proper Motives or principal Grounds of its Assent that which induceth or draws our minds to assent unto sacred Scriptural Notions as also constitutes specifies and distinguisheth Divine saving Assent Lastly The Notional Material Object of our Assent is either General or Particular The General Object is the whole Word of God The Particular is the Gospel or Covenant of Grace which gives us a more particular and expresse Idea of the things that belong to our peace The things that belong unto our peace being thus distributed according to their several Constitutions and Regards to Faith we may with more Facilitie and Perspicuitie determine and resolve our Question What it is not to know the things that belong unto our peace But before we enter on the explication of Unbelief we must premise that our Intendment is to treat of it in its general and abstract Nature and not as it relates to this or that subject For albeit our Text speaks of the Unbelief of persons irregenerate yet inasmuch as the unbelief of persons regenerate differs not totally from that in persons irregenerate we may very wel and properly treat of both under one general Idea though with different Reflexions on and Applications to this or that subject Thus much being premised we procede to the explication of our Question First we shal begin with the Notional Material General things that belong unto our peace which are the sacred Scriptures or Word of God in the General which not to know or truely assent unto is the original and no smal part of Unbelief Oh! here lay the the bitter Root and Spawn of al Jerusalems sin and miserie she did not understand at least not practicly assent unto the sacred Scriptures in which al the things that belonged to her peace lay wrapt up Moses and the Prophets were a sacred Map wherein Jerusalem might have viewed the celestial Canaan her Messias his glorious Names and Titles of Honor his Person and Offices with al other things that did belong to her peace But alas Jerusalem wanted spiritual eyes to contemplate such glorious objects This our blesâ—ed Lord upbraids the carnal Jews with Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to search signifies here by a sacred sagacitie and unwearied studie to
yet the more fully to anatomise the Bowels of Unbelief as to Maters of Grace offered in the Covenant we shal a little though but cursorily touch on those offers of Grace which the Covenant makes with their Proprieties 1. The offers of Grace made in the Gospel or Covenant of Grace are very Real and Cordial There is never a line no nor a word of the Gospel but it carries Christs heart wrapt up in it Every promisse is a love-letter sent by Christ to assure the sinner how affectionate his heart is set towards him There is not an expression that drops from the mouth of Christ but is ful of bleeding Affection Every promisse gives the sinner a good Law right to Grace provided that he accept of it when offered If Christ be real in any thing he is so in the offers of Grace to sinners But now Unbelief looks on al these offers of Grace as mere Romances Fables or fine-spun stories This was the case of the unbelieving Jews as Paul assures us Rom. 10. 15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Oh! what good News is here who would not chearfully assent to such glad tidings of peace Is there any so sotish as to refuse such good things Yes addes Paul v. 16. But they have not al obeyed the Gospel For Esaias saith Lord who hath believed our report As if he had said True we preach the great truths of Gospel-peace unto sinners but alas how few have obeyed or assented to the truth of the Gospel Do not the most of men look on these things as too good news to be true Where is the man that really assents to the Realitie of these Glad-tidings May we not then justly crie out with Esaias Who hath believed our Report Thus Unbelief cals in question the Realitie of Evangelic offers of Grace 2. The offers of Grace in the Gospel are very Gratuitous and Free and this draws on Faith freely to close therewith For faith being a federal Instrument influenced and acted by the Covenant the more it apprehends the freedome of the Covenant the more freely it wil embrace the same Now the Covenant instructs Faith fully in this point It teacheth us that the Grace of the Covenant expects no foundation in us no Condignitie no Congruitie no moral Capacitie or Condition in us but what itself intends to confer The Covenant informes us that Free-grace is moved by nothing without it self that it gives because it wil give or because it hath given That the poorer we are the more willing he is to inrich us the nakeder we are the more ready Christ is to clothe us Yea the Covenant assures us that Christ intends much good for them who intend no good to him nor yet to themselves yea to such as intend evil to him and to their own souls even for such rebellious souls he intends gifts and Grace as Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwel among them Now this freedome of the Covenant and the Grace of God offered therein gives a mighty foundation and encouragement to build upon For the great obstacle and bar to Faith is this that we are not fit for Christ This is one of Unbeliefs greatest pleas against closing with the good things of the Covenant What may poor I presume to believe I who am so unworthy I who have so long spurned at Christ and al the things that belong to my peace I who have so oft broken with Christ plaid fast and loose with him What may I presume that Christ wil have any regard to me poor sinful backsliding rebellious me Oh! how can this be What a presumtion would it be in me to cast an eye towards Christ and the good things that belong unto my peace Thus Unbelief opposeth or at least demurs at the freedome of the Covenant and its Grace 3. Another proprietie of the Covenant is the Vniversalitie of its gracious offers Though the Covenant of Grace be as to its interne Spirit Mind and Dispensation particular definite and absolute yet as to its externe offers and Dispensation it runs in conditional indefinite and universal termes inviting al that wil to come in It sets no bars or rails about the throne of Grace but gives free Admission to al that wil come for mercie Rev. 22. 17. The Covenant excludes none but such as exclude themselves by Unbelief and why should sinners exclude themselves before God excludes them But alas this is the il-humor of Unbelief because it cannot see the sinners Name in particular written on the Covenant therefore it questions al the grounds of Faith Oh! saith the unbelieving sinner here are rich offers indeed but alas I what am I the better for al this May such a wretch as I come to Christ to be embraced in his sacred armes What I who am in such a nastie pickle so polluted with sin Oh! I may not I cannot believe that such an hainous sinner as I shal find Christs armes open to receive me Thus Unbelief questionsthe Vniversalitie of Christs offer and puts a bar to its own mercies whereas the Gospel puts none but saies John 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drink and Rev. 22. 17. Whoever wil c. There lies no Restriction or bar on the Covenants part al the Restriction and bar is in mens wils Wilful Unbelief is the only bar 4. Unbelief sets limits to the Plenitude and Richesse of Grace held forth in the Covenant We find the Richesse of Grace in the Covenant expressed under the Symbol of a sumtuous feast Mat. 22. 4. Tel them which are bidden Behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and althings are ready come unto the mariage Here we see what a bountiful Lord sinners have to deal with how much his infinite Grace excedes al our sins Now what reception is given to such a magnificent rich Treat That follows v. 5. But they made light of it and went their way one to his farme and another to his merchandise c. Oh! what moâ—strous unbelief and ingratitude is here O! what infinite Treasures of Grace are there wrapt up in the Covenant How much do those Treasures of mercie and goodnesse loged in the heart of Christ excede al the treasures of sin loged in the hearts of poor sinful we Is Christ such a liberal Savior for sinners And shal they be ashamed or afraid to beg at the dore of such a liberal Savior Was not this the very end why God gave the Law That Sin might appear exceding sinful to the intent that Grace might appear exceding gracious Ro. 7. 13 So Ro. 5. 20â— Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound As if he had said This is the very reason why God delivered the Law on Mount Sinai in such a terrible
spiritual Objects and a carnal Subject Must not every visivè facultie have some agreament with the object visible And is there any agreament betwixt a carnal mind and things spiritual Is not every thing that is received received according to the nature of the Recipient Doth not then the carnal heart receive things spiritual carnally as on the contrary the spiritual heart things carnal spiritually Thence saith Christ to the unbelieving Jews Joh. 8. 15. Ye judge after the flesh i. e ye judge of me and of my Gospel only in a carnal manner by carnal Reason and therefore no wonder ye believe not in me 8. Such as content themselves with a general confused Assent to evangelic Truths and Promisses know not the things that belong to their peace The more particular and distinct our knowlege is the more certain it is General Notions are more confused and fallacious a particular Dissent may wel stand with general Assent Therefore he that has some general confused Notions of the things that belong to his peace lies under a particular ignorance of the same This was the case of these unbelieving Jews they had some general notices of the Messias some rude confused Ideas of Heaven and God but alas How imperfect how grosse how insignificant were their Notions Hence our blessed Lord exhorts them that they would in order to the procurement of a true saving faith Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s a Metaphor drawn from the sagacitie of Dogs which with their noses closely follow and search into the sent of their prey These unbelieving Jews had much general confused knowlege of the Scriptures ay but they wanted this Divine sagacitie to inquire and search into them as Dogs do into the sent of their prey they could not sent the things that belonged to their peace because they made not a narrow scrutinie a particular distinct exact inquisition into evangelic Truths and Mysteries As if Christ had said Ah friends You pretend to believe Moses and the Prophets You conceit your life lies wrapt up in them But how comes it to passe then that you believe not in me Do not al the Scriptures testifie of me Oh! here lies your sin you wil not search into the Scriptures you content your selves with some general confused Notions without any particular distinct Inquisition into the things that belong to your peace 9. Men know not the things that belong to their peace when they suspend their Assent or yield to any prevalent dout touching the truth of them I shal not dispute what mesure or degree of certaintie is essential to true saving Faith but that it cannot consist in a mere opinion or probable conjecture without some degree of certitude I think is most certain from the current of Scripture This is evident by the character Paul gives of Abrahams faith Rom. 4. 19. Being not weak in faith i. e his mind did not hang in suspense or under some prevalent dout touching the truth of the promisse This is illustrated by another notion ver 20. He staggered not at the promisse through unbelief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies to hesitate or remain under varietie of anxious douts and opinions his mind was fully persuaded of the truth of the promisse as it is expressed v. 21. being fully persuaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s a Metaphor borrowed from Navigation as sails are filled with a good wind so his mind was filled with a fulnesse of assent to the truth of the promisse there was no room for any suspense or prevalent dout And this indeed seems essential to al true saving Faith that there be a prevalent certitude or certain persuasion touching the truth of the object albeit many sincere Believers may be altogether uncertain touching their Title to or Interest in the Object My meaning is this There ought to be a plenitude or fulnesse of Assent to the Truth of the Promisse albeit there may be wanting in many Believers an assurance of their interest in the things promissed Now this certaintie of Divine assent ariseth partly from the certitude of the object but more immediately from the Demonstration of the Spirit elevating or raising the mind unto this certain persuasion touching the truth of the promisse And herein true saving Faith is differenced from that which is commun and human The Unbeliever may yield some feeble staggering instable Assent to the good things that belong unto his peace but stil he hangs in suspense his doubts are greater than his faith It s true the true Believer hath oft great douts touching the Promisses but yet his douts are not so much of the truth of the Promisses as of his interest in them or whether his apprehensions of them be true whereas Unbelievers dout of the truth of the Promisses albeit they may be presumtuously confident of their Interest in them Thus it was with the unbelieving Jews Joh. 10. 24. How long doest thou make us to dout or how long doest thou keep our souls in suspense They hung as it were 'twixt Heaven and Hel under much suspense whether those things Christ preached were true or false They did not totally dissent and yet they could not fully assent to Christ Thus they hung in suspense for suspense is a middle twixt Assent and Dissent Though as to Divine Assent every such prevalent suspense or dout touching the truth of the promisse is real unbelief she that assents not fully doth really dissent Therefore Christ addes v. 25. I told you and you believed not they seem to lay the blame on Christ the darknes of his Revelation but he resolves al into their unbelieving hearts The like character of unbelief we find Luke 12. 29. Neither be ye of doutful minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its primary Notation signifies to be carried up aloft in the Air as Meteors Clouds or Birds which wanting a firme foundation are tossed to and fro with every blast So it signifies the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wander or with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 10. 24. to lift up the mind or keep it in suspense Hence also it is used to signifie an anxious suspense hesitation or dout touching the truth of things This is the condition of many awakened sinners they arrive at some anxious suspense or doutfulnes of mind and that is al They hang in the air of commun conviction between Heaven and Hel for a little while til the prevalence of lust make them fal down again on the earth where they lie buried in the ashes of their own convictions and profession They dare not they cannot yield a ful and prevalent assent to the Gospel of Christ al that they attain unto is a mere opinion a suspensive faint Assent Thus every unbeliever hangs as a Meteor in the Air under prevalent suspense and hesitation touching the truth of the promisses Thence Mark 11. 23. We find
subjection to the foot of God Such was Abrahams faith Isai 41. 2. Called him to his foot Faith yields up it self to Christ to be acted as he pleaseth to do or suffer as he thinks fit it leaves the soul with Christ to be wrought upon as he seems good So Paul Act. 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Paul makes Christ master of his wil and al he is content to be wholly influenced by Christs Soverain wil and Spirit Whence faith is compared to a Mariage-covenant whereby the wife gives over and resignes al right to her husband So the Believer gives up himself to Christ that he may be his Hence the more resistance there is against the Wil and Grace of Christ the more Unbelief An unbelieving wil is an inflexible wil its mighty stiffe and hard Unbelievers are extreme covetuous and greedy of their own wils to part with their wils is death to them 7. Infidelitie or Vnbelief implies also an unwillingnes to appropriate or applie the Promisses and Grace of Christ for the sinners benefit Faith is a mighty appropriating applicative Grace although it be very silent patient and submissive as to mesures degrees seasons and the manner of receiving Grace yet it is very ready to applie al Promisses or intimations of Grace given it Yea if it has but a general promisse yet it can make particular application of it to the soul yea sometimes though it has but an Item an half-promisse or nod from Christ yet it can applie and improve it for the sinners encouragement As by the acts of Adherence and Recumbence the soul goes forth to Christ so by this appropriating applicative act of faith it sucks in and applies to itself the Grace of Christ according to its several needs and indigences Is the poor sinner laden and pinched with the guilt of sin O then how doth faith applie thereto a Plaister of Christs bloud Doth some powerful lust or tentation assault the soul then faith goeth to Christ for fortifying corroborating Grace Is the Believer called to any difficult piece of service either active or passive for Christ then Faith applies to itself the Divine assistance and direction of Christs Spirit Thus it receiveth out of Christs fulnesse Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. But now unbelief is altogether unacquainted with this Divine Art of appropriating and applying the Grace of Christ It doth want not only legs or an active power to go to Christ but also hands or a passive power to receive from Christ Oh! what a prodigiously proud begger is Unbelief in that it scornes to receive an Almes from Christ What! not receive Grace when offered Doth Christ offer an Act of Indemnitie unto sinners and wil not they receive it at his hands Oh! what a proud bloudy sin is Unbelief Alas many convinced sinners think it too much Presumtion and Arrogance for them to appropriate and applie the Grace of Christ to themselves They think it better becomes them to applie nothing but wrath and condemnation to themselves So modest and humble do they seem to be But oh what a world of pride doth there lie at the bottome of this seeming Modestie and Humilitie Is it not rank pride for sinners to refuse that Grace which is freely offered When Christ comes to pour in Grace freely into the soul then to refuse that Grace because we have no monie to purchase it what egregious pride is this 8. The last act of Infidelitie or Unbelief is A diffident removing or putting far from the soul the second coming of Christ and al the great things of Eternitie which ensue thereon Faith has such a miraculous efficace as that it can make things absent present things invisible visible Heb. 11. 1. It gives a prelibation and foretast of approching Glories Ephes 1. 13 14. Here Paul tels them That after they believed they were sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a Translation borrowed from Seals by the impression or stampe whereof we distinguish things true from false things authentic from uncertain The stampe of a Seal impressed on an Instrument renders it indubitable and unquestionable The Jews had the externe seal of Circumcision and the Grecians were sealed with the marque of their Idols ay but saith Paul Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Article here is treble which carries in it a great Emphase and demonstrates some extraordinary work of the holy Spirit It seems to refer to the great Promisse of the Spirit Luke 24. 49. as elsewhere But what is meant by this seal of the Spirit I know some understand it of the Seal of Assurance whereby they were assured of their eternal possession and we need not altogether exclude this sense yet I humbly conceive that this Seal is primarily to be understood of the Stampe or Impresse of Grace at first Regeneration which is communicated to al Believers whence it is said they were sealed with that Holy Spirit i. e the Spirit of Sanctification Now this Impresse or stampe of the Spirit of Sanctification after their first believing is said to be ver 14. the earnest of our inheritance c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the general signifies al that which is given for the confirmation of a promisse and particularly among the Phenicians whence the Grecians seem to have derived the word it notes earnest-money So that the sense is this Ye who have believed have received the earnest of the Spirit of Grace whereby you have hopes and expectation of glory Hence Faith has the Bridegrooms coming fixed on its eye the sound of the last Trumpe ever ringing in its ear Ay but Unbelief removes al these far from the soul it says in the language of those secure sinners 2 Pet. 3. 4. Where is the promisse of his coming do not althings continue as they were Unbelief is possest with a kind of sleeping Devil it dreams of nothing but building Tabernacles here What a stranger is it to eternitie and the concernes thereof If the secure sinner be now and then a little awakened and startled at the apprehensions of future jugement how restlesse is Unbelief til it has got the soul asleep again How are the eyes shut and the wil bolted against al foresight and expectations of Christs second coming Oh! what a torment is it to the Unbeliever to lie under awakened apprehensions expectations of and approches towards future jugement What would he give if eternitie were buried in oblivion There is nothing in the world that the Unbelievers heart is more alienated from and averse to than the second coming of Christ Faith breeds a great expectation of longing for and has leaning unto that great day But oh how doth Unbelief endeavor to choke and stifle al awakened apprehensions thereof And if the spirit of Bondage worke any lively sense and convictions of that terrible day what dreadful stormes
himself as his first principle and last end make himself his God Again is there not an Hel of Blasphemie in Infidelitie Doth not every Unbeliever by his secret or open murmurs against God raise many black lies and scandals on God Yea what are the Unbelievers discontents against God but in the Scriptures account a cursing of God as Job 1. 11 22 Lastly is there not a world of Atheisme in al Infidelitie Doth not Unbelief at one stroke take away the Scriptures God and Christ and al the good things of our peace As the Unbeliever doth by his self-dependence deifie himself so doth he not also by the same undeifie the true God Thus we see what a prodigious monstrous sin Unbelief is 7. This Notion of Infidelitie as before explicated Justifies God in his most severe procedures against al Vnbelievers Alas what blame may be laid upon the holy God for hiding the things of his peace from the Unbelievers eyes when as he wilfully shuts his eyes against them Has the Unbeliever any thing to object against Christ for not healing his wounded soul seing he wilfully rejects the Medicinal Grace and Bloud of Christ which are the only remedies for his healing If sinners wil justifie their unbelief which is so much condemned by God is it not just with God to condemne them for it So long as Unbelievers despise Gospel-love and Mercie is it not just that Gospel-vengeance take hold of them What more equitable than that such perish in their sins who resist al the sweet attractives and allurements of Grace by which Christ endeavors to draw them out of sin and miserie Doth not Infidelitie dispirit and make void al Ordinances and means of Salvation Who then can be blamed but the Unbeliever for his own damnation Is not Infidelitie the highest Treason against Heaven Can then any punishment be too severe for it Doth not Unbelief as has been intimated darken al the glorious Attributes of God Is not the wisdome of God estimed mere folie by it Doth it not rebel against the Soveraintie of God by placing the sinners wil above it Doth it not make the Faithfulnesse of God unfaithful Yea give the lie to it by questioning the truth of his Promisses 1 John 5. 10 Oh! how warme how large how tender how rolling are the Bowels of Free-grace towards sinners But doth not Unbelief spurne at those bowels by shutting the heart against them Is not the Omnipotence of God limited yea counted mere Impotence by Infidelitie Isai 40. 27 28 29 How doth it likewise trample on the patience and forbearance of God Is it not then most righteous that the great God who is thus injured and abused by Infidelitie should revenge his own quarrel thereon Again how doth Infidelitie slander reproche and undermine Christ the great Mediator of Life and Salvation Is not Christ the greatest Institute and Ordinance of God Is he not appointed by God as the alone Savior of Mankind And yet lo how do Unbelievers reproche and oppose him Is not Christ greatly undervalued when his gracious offers are rejected Can we abuse Christ more than by opposing the good things offered by him Is it not a bloudy crime to meet Christ's Grace with resistance Oh! what an Hel of Iniquity lies in this sin of Unbelief in that it is a despising of Christ's bleeding drawing Love Is any sin a greater burden and pain to Christ than Infidelitie Is he not hereby wearied Esa 7. 13 Yea is not Christ greatly mocqued and slandered by Unbelief Yea doth not Infidelitie rob Christ of al his Mediatorie Offices and Perfections Yea is it not the sorest Crucifixion of Christ Did not Judas the Jews and Pilate pierce Christ more sorely by their Unbelief than by their acts of betraying and condemning him Now if Infidelitie be so injurious to Christ is it not just with him to vindicate such injuries Yea indeed What are al the Unbelievers jugements and torments but such as he electively and voluntarily draws upon himself Are any Evangelic Unbelievers damned but such as wilfully elect Death before Life Do not al they that reject Christ electively embrace Death Prov. 8. 36 And has the Unbeliever any reason to complain against God for condemning of him seing he is unwilling to be saved Is not this the main that Christ expects from evangelic Unbelievers that they willingly accept Grace offered to them And if they wil not who is to be blamed but their own perverse stubborne wils Do not they deservedly perish who wilfully perish If sinners wil be so cruel so bloudy-minded as to murder their own souls by unbelief they must blame none but themselves for their ruine the righteous God is sufficiently vindicated from any imputation against him Oh! how wil this silence and seal up the lips of Unbelievers unto al eternitie that Grace and Life was offered to them but they voluntarily chose death before life What pleas can such have why they should not be damned seing they wilfully rush into ways that lead to damnation CHAP. IX Practic Uses 1. Studie the Mysterie and Causes of Infidelitie 2. Lament over the prevalence of it 3. Examine how far it prevails 4. Abjure it as the worst Hel. 5. Pursue Faith as the highest Interest and Spring of the Divine Life WE now procede to a more close and practic Application of these general Notions of Infidelitie And the first Vse we shal make of this Doctrine is by way of general Advice unto al both Believers and Unbelievers to studie much the black nature and venimous Influences of Infidelitie Certainly if Sinners were but wel acquainted with that Mysterie of Iniquitie that is wrapt up in the bowels of Infidelitie and how pernicious this sin is to their souls were it possible that they could please themselves in it as they do Alas Can we imagine that Unbelievers would sit down so quietly under the chains fetters of their unbelief were they but in a serious manner apprehensive of it But ah here lies the great damning sin and miserie of the Unbelieving World men are not deeply and feelingly sensible of the burden and stings of an unbelieving heart How few are there who observe and mourn under the secret veins of Infidelitie that loge in their hearts Where is that soul that lamentes day by day his want of a particular supernatural spiritual distinct certain firme evangelic ful prevalent affective effective and transformative Assent to the good things that belong to his peace Do not many great Professors seem to assent to the Mysteries of the Gospel but yet really dissent from or at least not live up to them Have not many the name of Believers who yet never felt the virtue and efficace of faith Do not many pretend to a kindnesse for Christ who yet secretly hate him in their hearts How few yea very few among the croud of professed Believers live under the vital power of Faith May we not without breach of Charitie judge
the vizard of Faith Doth not commun faith oft look so demurely as that you can very hardly discerne its difference from saving Are not the most of Professors too soon satisfied in their own faith Do not multitudes of awakened sinners lay their consciences asleep or amuse themselves with the apparences of faith Is not every Unbeliever yea Believer also a mysterie to himself How much then are we al concerned to make a narrow scrutinie into our hearts and to examine whether our Faith be of the right kind Oh! What a foolish and dangerous thing is it for any to deceive themselves with false Images and Apparences of Faith Is not the least error here fundamental Alas What a poor felicitie is it to steal silently to hel in a fond persuasion of being Believers when as our faith hath no foundation but in our own sick dreaming Phantasies Of what use wil a Forme of Faith without the Power of it be unlesse to sinke us deeper into Hel To have a Notion of Faith and yet to live under the practice of Unbelief what wil this serve for but to concele and fortifie hypocrisie and al manner of spiritual lusts in the heart Doth not this then further oblige us to examine strictly what we are as to Faith and Infidelitie Again if after al this men wil not examine and use the means to discover their state are not such willingly deceived And if men are willingly deceived in this particular do not they willingly perish And oh What a sting wil this be to torment wilful Unbelievers in Hel that they were so willing and took so much pains to deceive themselves with a mere semblance and shadow of faith but were no way willing and took no pains to examine their hearts thereby to undeceive themselves and lay a foundation for saving Faith Wil not this make the Evangelic Unbelievers Hel seven times hotter than al other Hels that he took so much pains to deceive and ruine his soul but was not willing to take a little pains to undeceive and save his soul Oh! What cruel self-murder is this Doth it not then nearly and greatly concerne us al to make a very curious examen and strict research into our hearts touching our faith whether it be saving or only commun O that Professors would put such Questions as these unto their Consciences and never desist til they have brought the whole to some good issue It s true I have a Notion and Forme of faith but have I indeed the real Power and Virtue of Faith Am I not rather under the Dominion and Prevalence of Infidelitie I assent to some words of God thaâ— are agreable but do I not dissent from some other which disagree with and crosse my lusts I do receive the word of faith but have I Faith mixed with the word I receive Mine awakened Conscience attendes to the joyful sound of the Gospel but doth not my lustful heart attend as much to allurements of lust The Peace of the Gospel is pleasing to my wounded Conscience but are not the duties of the Gospel displeasing to my rebellioâ—s heart My mind hath some estime for the good things of my peace but has it not as great estime for the good things of this world Have I a right valuation of those things I hope for Mine assent to Evangelic truths and Mysteries seems firme and strong ay but doth it leave suitable impressions on mine heart Is it vigorous affective and active Doth it kil my lust and give life unto my soul Moreover O my soul thou seemest to have a good liking to Jesus the Savior ay but hast thou as good a mind to Christ i. e as anointed by the Father to be King over thy lusts person and goods Art thou brought over to a voluntarie free cordial complete and fixed closure with him as offered in the Gospel Canst thou take a whole Christ with thy whole heart and that for ever Doest thou give Christ that place in the Intention and Bent of thy Wil which belongs to him Hath his lave and Grace the Soverain dominion over thy Wil And is thy wil bended to a correspondence with his Divine Wil Canst thou be content to be nothing that Christ may be althings to thee Is his Glorie thy last and utmost end And is it thy joy to see althings to suit with his end though they may crosse thine own private ends Wil nothing but Christ content thee Art thou restlesse ' til thou attainest to the enjoyment of him Is this the grand motive of thy seeking after Christ that thy good is laid up in Him and not in thy self And art thou wholly for Christ as he is wholly for thee Doest thou adhere to Him with a plenitude of Wil as the Iron to the Loadstone Canst thou do much for and yet trust in nothing but Christ Art thou obsequious and obedient to the Spirits dictates as to thy supreme Conductor and Director And when thou comest short of honoring Christ by Obedience doest thou honor Him by humble acknowlegement and Dependence Canst thou wait on and adhere to Christ in his Ordinances albeit thou feelest no sensible impartments of comfort peace and quickening These or such like questions which take in the spirit and life of Faith thou shouldest frequently put to thy soul and never desist from urging of them ' til thou hast brought the question to this Conclusion Whether thou art a true Believer or not If thou desirest more expresse rules to examine thy state by then take those mentioned in the foregoing Chapter Corollarie 2. touching the Differences between saving Faith and commun Whereby thou mayest with the concurrence of Divine illumination arrive to a wel-grounded persuasion Whether thy faith be only commun or saving 4. This also affordes mater of exhortation unto al to abjure and abandon Infidelitie as the worst enemie in the world yea worse than Satan or Hel itself Can there be a worse enemie than that which deprives us of our chiefest good And is not this the grand design of Infidelitie Yea doth it not put a bar to al Mercie but open the dore to al Sin and Miserie How sottish and foolish doth it make Sinners What a dul lazy remisse loitering spirit doth it breed in Men Yea how negligent slow-hearted and backward to whatever is good are Believers themselves so far as Unbelief prevails on them Luk. 24. 23 O! how doth it slug mens spirits in whatever good they are about What a clog is it to the soul in al its spiritual Exercices How doth it crampe and dispirit the Affections those feet of the Soul What stubbornesse rebellion and obstinace doth it infuse into the Wil How much doth it distract deaden and harden the heart in al duties How lean poor and barren in Grace and gracious fruits are many Believers by reason of their prevalent Unbelief Doth it not also take off the Beautie Lustre and Sweetnesse of Mercies received or
deep obligation to lament over her sinful and ruinous state Christ was invested with an Aptitude and Facultie to preach glad tidings of Salvation unto Jerusalem Yea the Jews just before this Lamentation Luke 19. 38. recognise him as Mediator and supreme Minister of the Covenant This toucheth him to the quick to consider that he who was their alone Mediator and had with so much Fidelitie and Affection preached the everlasting Gospel to Jerusalem yea was by some of them solemnely avouched to be their Crowned King should yet be rejected by them together with al the great things that did belong to their peace Christ tels us that it was his meat and drink to performe his office as Mediator namely to gather in the lost sheep of Israel Therefore when he considers their contumacious obstinacie and rejection of him Oh! how doth this wound his heart What a doleful contemplation was this unto him Thus as he was Jerusalems supreme Minister he doth by virtue of his office deplore its wilful impenitence and approching Ruine Alas what an heart-bleeding consideration is it to a faithful Gospel-Minister after al his indefatigable and unwearied labors with his flock to see them persist in open defiance against God to the ruine of their souls And may we imagine that our tender-hearted Lord who was Jerusalem's chief Bishop or Minister and had preached so long with so much affection to her should not be deeply afflicted at the consideration of her wilful unbelief and ensuing miserie Surely the consideration of this his Office and Relation added much weight to his Lamentation Would it not grieve a tender-hearted Physician to see his Patient to spil his Physic which alone can cure him and so run into desperate courses which wil unavoidably bring death to him Just so it was here Christ was the good Samaritan Jerusalem 's most affectionate Physician and therefore it could not but prick him to the heart to see her wilfully rejecting al the good things that belonged to her peace and health to run her self into inevitable ruine 5. Christs natural Relation to Jerusalem as he was a borne Jew and so her elder brother added many ingredients to this his sad Lamentation Our blessed Lord was borne of a Judaic Mother he had a Judaic heart loged within him Judaic bloud running in his veins Judaic bowels and compassions and therefore no wonder that he weeps over his impenitent brethren who were on the brink of ruine But so much may suffice for the Motives which induced our Lord thus to weep over Jerusalem CHAP. IX Doctrinal Corollaries and practic Uses drawn from this Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem HAving gone thorow the explication of the Proposition we come now to the Improvement thereof and that first by Doctrinal Inferences 1. Doth Christ weep over the Sins and Ruines of impenitent Jerusalem Hence then Infer That Christs Affections are Relative his sorrow stands in relation to the sinners miserie as also his joy to the sinners good Al Christs Affections whiles on earth were very generous and public he discovered little or nothing of private Interest and Passion Al his Affections Actions and Passions were relative Yea the whole of Christ as Mediator is Relative He espoused human Nâ—ture not for himself but for sinners He lived not for himself but for his people He died not for himself but for sinners Thus here he wept not for himself but for Jerusalem 2. This aâ—so discovers to us The Heroic and pure strain or temperament of Christs Affections Doth he indeed shed tears over Jerusalem who is now meditating how she may shed his bloud Has he so much pitie and bleeding compassion for her who hath so little pitie and compassion for herselfe Oh! what incomparable generous Assections are here What an unparalled sweet humor is there loged in the heart of this great Emmanuel Who could ever have imagined that human Nature had been capable of such pure and desinteressed Affections had we not so real an experiment thereof in this Soverain Messias 3. Hence likewise we may collect How really and chearfully willing Christ is to save sinners Certainly he that makes such bitter Lamentation over the foreseen Ruines of Jerusalem must needs have a very cordial and unfeigned wil and desire of her salvation This we find expressed to the life Mat. 23. 37. O Jerusalem Jerusalem How oft would I have gathered thy children together even as an hen gathers her chickens under her wings and ye would not What a pathetic expostulation is here which carries in it notices of vehement Affections Oh! how willing is Christ to give unto sinners the things that belong unto their peace Yea is he not more willing to to bestow great things than smal Doth not his willingnesse to give infinitely excede the sinners willingnesse to receive Is not Christ more glad to receive poor and weary souls than they are to come unto him May sinners come too soon to Christ or before they are welcome Has Christ set any bars or rails about his Throne of Grace May not whoever wil come and drink freely and deeply of this living fountâ—in Is not every thing about Christ mighty drawing alluring and inviâ—ing How drawing and â—ncouraging is his Gospel What alluring and inviting Arguments are there in his bloud and passion Has not Christ removed al groundlesse cavils and objections which foolish sinners are apt to make against coming to him for life Doth not Jerusalem first break with him before he breaks with her And when that unhappy breach is made doth not his weeping over her sufficiently argue how fain he would be reconciled to her how much 't would please him to see her but cast half an eye towards him how much his heart would leap within him to behold her in the Prodigals posture returning towards him Did Christ ever cease to make tenders of Grace to her ' til she ceased to accept or desire the tenders of his Grace Yea is not Christs forwardnesse to give beyond the Sinners forwardnesse to receive Did Christ ever refuse to give til sinners refused to aske what they wanted Oh! how oâ—t doth Christs kindnesse overcome the Sinners unkindnesse Did he not frequently expresse great love and pitie when he had the greatest cause to expresse severe wrath Oh! what infinite pleasure and satisfaction doth Christ take in his gracious effusions and communications to sinners Doth he not thinke himself sufficiently paid for what Grace he hath given forth if he may but obtain the souls desires after more How industrious is he in seeking sinners when they have lost themselves Oh! what a sad consideration is it that Christ should be so boundlesse and large in his offers and we so narrow in our receivings 4. Christs weeping over Jerusalem instructs us further What a dreadful sin it is to reject Christ and al other concernes of our peace Christs gracious invitations unto long waitings for and at last tears over
Jerusalem do greatly aggravate her impenitence and unbelief towards him For the lower Christ condescends to sinners the nearer he comes to them and the more importunate he is in the offers of his Grace the greater is their sin in rejecting such gracious and sweet offers What doth Christ come unto his own his own children spouse subjects brethren and friends and wil not his own receive him Doth he so freely open his gracious heart to sinners and wil they shut their hearts against him Is he so forward to give and shal we be so backward to receive Doth Christ offer such great things to sinners and shal they prefer such poor toys before them Yea is Christ in himself so incomparably excellent and wil sinners yet so much disdain him and so proudly shift themselves of him Can there be a more hainous sin than this to meet Christs bowels and pitie with kicks and contemt Oh! studie the weight of this sin 5. This Lamentation of Christ over impenitent Jerusalem teacheth us also That mans Ruine is from himself If after al Christs gracious Invitations al his unwearied forbearances al his bitter and salt tears Jerusalem wil sâ—il persist in her rebellious contemt of his gracious offers how inexcusable is her sin and inevitable her ruine What wil prevail upon her if Christs Tears and Intreaties wil not prevail What can save her if her Redemers Grace and Mercie save her not What is it that keeps Evangelic sinners from being saved is it any defect in the Object or its Revelation is it mere simple Ignorance or Impotence in the subject No but it is wilful blindnesse and impotence they shut their eyes and wil not see they bolt their hearts and wil not open to Christ who knocks at the dore of the soul by many gracious Invitations of his Gospel and Spirit And do not such deservedly perish who electively embrace their own ruine and wilfully reject the things that belong to their peace Mat. 23. 37 Surely this wilful Impotence or rather impotent wilfulnesse evidently demonstrates That impenitent sinners frame their own Hel. 6. Hence also infer That the greater privileges and marques of favor Christ doth confer on any People or Church the more sorely doth he resent any unkindnesse from such The resentment of a smal unkindnesse from such as have been obliged by special favors is more afflictive than greater unkindnesses from others For Jerusalem who lay under so many and essential obligations to reject Christ and al his gracious tenders of mercie Oh! how much doth this break his heart What swords and spears to pierce thorow his soul is this For Jesurun when she is made fat with Divine mercies to kick against those bowels whence her mercies flowed how much doth this wound and grieve the heart of Christ 7. Lasty Hence also we may collect That Christ's tears are the best Exemplar or Patterne of ours He that wil mourne in a Christian manner needs no better Idea or exemple than this Christs Lamentation Al Christs Affections Actions and Passions so far as they are imitable by us deserve a great Remarque But nothing cals for a more exact imitation from us than this Christs Lamentation Every branch thereof deserves great Consideration Admiration and Imitation 1. We procede now to some more practic Application of our Proposition and that first by way of Admonition and Advice That we al studie wel and consider deeply Jerusalems Church-wasting sins how far they may be found amongst us Was Jerusalem guiltie of rejecting Christ and the things that did belong unto her peace And have not we been in an high mesure guiltie of the same Doth not this sin lie involved in Londons Ashes and Ruines as wel as in Jerusalems Did Jerusalem fondly flatter herself and ungroundedly presume of peace when Christ threatned nothing but Wars and Desolations And has not this also been Englands Sin Do not men crie Peace Peace when God speaks nothing but Wrath Was Jerusalem puffed up with Spiritual pride and Carnal confidence in her Church-privileges and the tokens of Gods presence And have not English Professors been notoriously guiltie of the same sins Did Jerusalem sleep securely under al Christs Divine Comminations Menaces or Threats of approching Jugements And has not England also slept securely under al Divine premonitions of coming jugements Had earthly-mindednesse a great place in Jerusalems black Catalogue of Church-desolating sins And have not English Professors been dreadfully guiltie of this sin also Have not Back and Belly Trade Pompe and Pleasures been the great Diana's which have captivated the hearts of too many Professors Was Jerusalem infructuous and barren under al gracious Appointments Vouchâ—afements and Influences And has not this also been Englands great sin Did Jerusalem persecute Gods Prophets and Apostles And may we exemt England from the guilt of this sin Was the want of Reformation Jerusalems Church-depopulating Sin And is England free from this Sin Lastly was Jerusalem guiltie of Impenitence want of Humiliation and open Apostasie And let al judge whether England has not been fouly guilty of the same sins O that English Professors would spend some time studie and pains in completing this parallel between Jerusalem and England in point of Church-wasting sins thereby to break their hearts and make them bleed forth bitter Lamentations over Englands sins and approching miseries if she repent not Hence also we are furnisht with mater of Exhortation to English Professors That they would by al means possible endeavor both in themselves and others an exact imitâ—tion of this our Lords Lamentation over Jerusalem Did our gracious Lord who was himself void of the least spot weep so bitterly over Jerusalems sins Oh then how much should We poor sinful We weep over Englands sin whereunto we have contributed so great a share Doth our blessed Lord who was free from al sin so much lament the sins of others wherein he had no share O! What an high degree of impenitence is it then for us not to lament over our own sins or National sins wherein we have had our share If we mourn not over National or Church-sins do we not hereby make our selves partakers in them and so by consequence in those jugements that follow Oh! What a sad contemplation is it to think how many great Professors make themselves guilty of National or other-mens sins by not lamenting over them How much Blasphemie Atheisme Profanesse Idolatrie Sensualitie Securitie Contemt of the Gospel and other National sins are by the Righteous God charged on the account of many great yea some good Professors because they never mourned over these National sins And may not these Professors expect to be involved in National jugements who thus by their defect of humiliation involve themselves in National sins Yea may not the great want of Mourning and Humiliation for other mens sins give too many great Professors cause to suspect that they never truely mourned or were humbled for