our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith Before the time then thou hast faith which is the day salvation comes to thine house thou art kept under the Law Thou art not assured of salvation nor canst thou expect till then that God should shew thee mercy We may have a conceit that though we are never transplanted nor cut off from our own stock yet God will shew us mercy But we shall beguile our selves to hell therein for we are kept under the Law till faith comes that so we may know our selves We are kept c. Kept It 's a Metaphor drawn from Military affairs when men are kept by a Garrison and kept in order Now the Law is Gods Garrison which keeps men in good awe and order The Law doth this not to terrifie you too much or to break your minds with despair but to fit you for the faith It 's a shutting up till that faith which should afterward be revealed He 's a miserable Preacher which ends with preaching of the Law the Law is for another end it 's to fit us for faith It 's our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. We thunder not the Law to make men run away from God but to bring them home unto him The Schoolmaster by the smart of his rod makes the child weary of his bondage and desire earnestly to be past his non-age and this is his end not that he delights to hear him cry Thus are we beaten by the law not that God delights or loves to hear us sigh or sob but that we may grow weary of our misery and cruel bondage may desire to be justified by faith The Law then is so a Schoolmaster as that by making us smart it might bring us home We see then the course method of the Scripture it hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be made to them that believe Now because men like not this kinde of Doctrine to begin with Preaching of the Law and therefore think there may be a shorter and nearer way to preach Christ first I will therefore make known unto you this method of the Scripture and I will justifie it unto you There must be this Preparative else the Gospel will come unseasonably If before we are sowred by the leaven of the Law Christ be preached he will be but unsavoury unpleasant to us 2. Does God at the first Preaching of the Gospel begin with Adam by Preaching Christ before he saw his sin and wickednesse No he said not to him presently assoon as he had sinned Well Adam thou hast sinned and broken my covenant yet there is another covenant thou shalt be saved by one that comes out of thy loynes But God first summons him to appear he brings him out of his shelters and hiding places tells him of his sin and saith Hast thou eaten of the tree which I forbad thee to eat of But the man shifts it off and the woman also to the serpent The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat Yet all this will not excuse him Gods judgments are declared his sin is made apparent he sees it Then being thus humbled comes in the promise of the Gospel The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Be ye open then ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in 2. John the Baptist who was the Harbinger to prepare the way for Christ Preaching to the Scribes and Pharisees warned them O generation of vipers He came to throw down every high hill and to beat down every mountain calls them serpents This was his office to lay the Axe at the root of the Tree 3. And Christ himself coming into the world and Preaching to Nicodemus begins Vnlesse a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God John 3. A man in his natural condition can never enter into Heaven for he is wholly carnal That that is born of the flesh is flesh and that that is born of the Spirit is Spirit It 's carnal and must be born again A little patching will not serve the turn Thou must be new born new moulded a little mending is not sufficient A man must be a new creature and new made So that this is the substance of this doctrine of Christ that if thou be no better then moral vertue or civil education can make thee if thou hast any thing lesse then Regeneration believe me thou canst never see heaven There 's no hope of heaven till then till thou art born again till then our Saviour excludes all false fancies that way 5. The Apostles began to gather the first Church after Christs resurrection Act. 2.23 They doe not begin to preach Christ first his vertue and efficacie but first they tell them of their great sin in crucifying the Lord of life viz. Whom with wicked hands you have taken and crucified But what was the end of their doing thus It 's set down v 37. They were pricked to the heart and then they cried out Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved See this was the end of all the humbling of them that by declaring what they had done they might be pricked at the heart so that now they see if it be no better with them then for the present it 's like to go ill with them This makes them cry out What shall we doe Then saith Peter repent and be Baptized and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost After he had told them their own and had brought them to their search which is their first work then comes the promise of Christ. Observe the Apostles method in the Epistle to the Romans which book is a perfect Catechism of the Church which containes these three parts of Divinity Humiliation Justâ—fication and Sanctification See how the Apostle orders his method From the first Cap to part of the third he treats all of the Law and convinces both Jew and Gentile and all of sinne Then 3 Cap. 19. mark his Conclusion that every mouth may be stopped When he had stopped every mouth cast down every strong hold which listed it self up against God when he had laid all at Gods feet and left them bleeding as it were under the knife of God then comes he to Christ Rom. 3.21 The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested He had done his first businesse in humbling them in shewing them their sins by the Law and assoon as that was done when every mouth was stopped then comes he to the promise by faith in Jesus Christ to all them that believe You see then the method of the Scripture is first to conclude all under sin and so to fit men for the promise of Jesus Christ. Know therefore that the law is the high-way to the Gospel the path that leads to it that way which must be trodden in we are still out of our way till
of the disease that will not suffer the plaster to stick on It counts the blood of the Covenant wherewith we should be sanctified an unholy thing if this sinner would not pluck off the plaster and tread it under foot he should be saved but this is it when God is liberal and Christ is free we have not the heart to take him at his word and come to open this Word this is the point of all this is the free preaching of the Gospel indeed when a man hath nothing desirable in him but is stark naught and stark dead and is not worth the taking up that yet he may challenge Christ and be sure of all Unless thou hast Christ thou hast nothing by Promise not so much as a bit of bread by Promise if thou hast it it is by Providence All the Promises of God are in him that is Christ yea and Amen Ye are the Children of the Promise in Christ but you have nothing till you be in Christ. The Question is What must I do in this case what incouragement shall I have in my rags when I am abominable worth nothing There are certain things that are preparations to a Promise such as are Commands Precepts Intreaties which incourage them to it and then comes a proposition I being a Believer shall have eternal life If Christ be mine I may challenge forgiveness of sins the favour of God and everlasting life But how is Faith wrought believe not that foolish conceipt that is too common in the world that faith is only a strong perswasion that God is my God and my sins are forgiven this is a foolish thing a fancy a dream unless it be grounded on the Word of God It s but a dream else that will lead thee unto a fools Paradise Nothing can uphold faith but the Word of God here 's the point I being as bad as bad can be what ground have I out of the word of God of an Unbeliever to be made a Believer Now we must not take every Text but such only as may be appliable to a dead man one that hath no goodness in him that is yet out of Christ we were all swimming at liberty till this word catched us in we never thought of the business before till we were thus taken Now there are certain degrees to get faith in us 1. The first word is a general proclamation whereby Christ gives any one leave to come and take him Christ is not only a Fountain sealed as in the Canticles but a Fountain open for sin and for uncleanness as in Zachary so that now when he keeps open house he makes proclamation that none shall be shut out He puts none back sins not the greatest that can be can keep thee back this is the first thing and to confirm it we have our Saviours own proclamation Isa. 55.1 Ho! every one that thirsteth come you to the waters and he that hath no money come buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without a price A strange contradiction one would think What! buy and yet without money and without price The reason is because there is a certain thing which fools esteem a price which is none Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tryed in the fire Why How must this be done Truly thus whensoever a sinner comes to Christ to have his sins pardoned and to be a subject of Christs Kingdom thou must not then be as thou wast but thou must be changed Thou must not live as thou didst before in the state of rebellion Now to leave sin is not worth a rush it s not a sufficient price but yet wee see a fool will esteem his own bables I must lay down my lusts I must lay down my covetousness intemperance c. and a man thinks it a great matter thus to do and to leave the freedom he had before though it be a matter of nothing When a rebel receives his pardon is the Kings pardon abridged because he must live like a subject hereafter Why should he else seek for the benefit of a subject This is said in respect of the foolish conceit of man who thinks it a great price to forsake his corruptions Again John 7.37 with the same loud voice Christ cryed when he offered himself a Sacrifice for sin he cryed at the time of the great feast that all should come In the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood and cryed saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink In ult Rev. there is a quicunque vult that is it I pressed It s a place worth gold And these are the places which being applyed make you of strangers draw near but now these are not appliable to a man before he hath grace every one cannot apply them Never forget that place while you live it s the close of Gods H. Book and the sealing up of his Holy Book What 's that It s in Rev. 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that is a thirsty come and drink of the water of life freely Whosoever will let him come what wouldst thou have more Hast thou no Will to Christ No Will to salvation then its pity thou shouldst be saved No man can be saved against his Will nor blessed against his Will If thou wilt not have Christ if thou wilt try conclusions with God then go further and fare worse but whosoever will let him come Oh! But I have a Will Why then thou hast a warrant take Christ Object But O Sir you are a great Patron of free-will What doth it all lie in a mans Will Will you make the matter of taking Christ lie there Sol. I say if thou seest thou hast a Will then thou hast a warrant I say not that this Will comes from thy self It s not a blind faith will do thee good the Word of God works faith in thee thou hast not a Will to it born in thee It is not a flower that grows in thine own Garden but is planted by God John 6.44 No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him What Will Christ offer violence to the Will and draw a man against his Will No there 's no such meaning It s expounded in the 65. verse No man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father By this Christ sheweth what he meant If thou hast a Will to come thank the Father for it for of Him as in the Philippians we have both the Will and the deed Take for example that general proclamation in the book of Ezra VVhatever Jew would might be free Ezra 1.3 So said the King that had power to make them free Who is there among you of all his people his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the house of the God of Israel Then we read verse 5. Then rose
So that now to come to that great matter without which Christ profiteth us nothing which is Faith The Well is deep and this is the bucket with which we must draw This is the hand by which we must put on Christ As many as are baptized put on Christ thus must we be made ready we must be thus clothed upon and by this hand attire our selves with the Son of Righteousness Wherefore I declared unto you that this Faith must not be a bare conceipt floating in the brain not a device of our own The devil taking hold on this would soon lead a man into a fools Paradise To say I am Gods Child and sure I shall be saved I am perswaded so this the Devil would say Amen to and would be glad to rock men a sleep in such conceipts Such are like the foolish Virgins That went to buy oyl for their Lamps and were perswadâ—d they should come soon enough to enter with the Bride-groom but their perswasion is groundless and they are shut out So such groundless perswasions and assurances in a mans soul that he is the child of God and shall go to heaven is not Faith thou mayst carry this assurance to hell with thee This Faith is not Faith For faith comes by hearing and that not of every word or fancy but by hearing the word of Truth Faith must not go a jot further then the Word of God goeth If thou hast an apprehension but no warrant for it out of the Word of God it is not faith for it s said After you heard the Word of Truth you believed So that we must have some ground for it out of the Word of Truth otherwise it is presumption meer conceipts fancy and not Faith Now I shew'd unto you the last time how this might be for while a man is an Unbeliever he is wholly defiled with sin he is in a most lothsom condition he is in his blood filthy and no eye pities him And may one fasten comfort on one in such a condition on a dead man And this I shew'd you was our case When Faith comes to us it finds no good thing in us it finds us stark dead and stark nought yet there is a Word for all this to draw us unto Christ from that miserable Ocean in which we are swimming unto perdition if God catch us not in his Net Hearken we therefore to Gods Call there is such a thing as this Calling God calls thee and would change thy condition and therefore offers thee his Son Wilt thou have my Son Wilt thou yield unto me Wilt thou be reconciled unto me Wilt thou come unto me and this may be preacht to the veriest Rebel that is It is the only Word whereby faith is wrought It is not by finding such and such things in us before-hand No God finds us as bad as bad may be when he proffers Christ unto us He finds us ugly and filthy and afterwards washes us and makes us good It is not because I found this or that good thing in thee that I give thee interest in my Son take it not on this ground No he loved us first and when we were defiled he washt us with his own blood Rev. Now there is a double love of God towards his Creatures 1. Of Commiseration 2. Of Complacency That of Commiseration is a fruit of love which tenders and pities the miserable estate of another But now there is another love of Complacency which is a likeness between the qualities and manners of persons for like will to like and this love God never hath but to his Saints after Conversion when they have his Image instamped in them and are reformed in their Understandings and Wills resembling him in both then and not till then bears he this love towards them Before he loves them with the love of pity and so God lov'd the world that is with the love of Commiseration that he sent his only Son that whosoever believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life Now we come to the point of Acceptation the Word is free and it requires nothing but what may consist with the freest gift that may be given Although here be something that a man may startle at Object Is there not required a condition of faith and a condition of obedience Sol. Neither of these according to our common Understanding do hinder the fulness and freedom of the Grace of the Gospel 1. Not Faith because Faith is such a condition as requires only an empty hand to receive a gift freely given Now doth that hinder the freeness of the gift to say you must take it Why this is requisite to the freest gift that can be given If a man would give something to a Begger if he would not reach out his hand and take it let him go without it it s a free gift still so that the condition of Faith requires nothing but an empty hand to receive Christ. 2. Obedience hinders it not I am required may some say to be a new man a new Creature to lead a new life I must alter my course and is not this a great clog and burthen and do you account this free when I must crucifie lusts mortifie Passions c. Is this free when a man must renounce his own Will Yes It is as free as free may be as I shewed you the last time The very touching and accepting of Christ implies an abnegation of former sinfulness and a going off from other courses that are contrary to him If the King give a pardon to a notorious Rebel for Treason so that now he must live obedient as a Subject the King need not in regard of himself to have given the pardon if he give it it takes not from its freeness that he must live like a Subject afterwards the very acceptance of the pardon implies it But now to declare Faith and to open the Mystery thereof Faith is a great thing it is our life our life stands in the practise of it that as in the offering of Christ for us there is given him a name above every name That at the name of Jesâ—s every knee shall bow As I say in the purchasing of Redemption so in the point of acceptation God hath given unto this poor vertue of faith a name above all names Faith indeed as it is a vertue is poor and mean and comes far short of love and therefore by the Apostle love is many degrees prefer'd before faith because love fills the heart and faith is but a bare hand it lets all things fall that it may fill it self with Christ. It s said of the Virgin Mary That God did respect the low estate of his hand-maid So God respects the low estate of Faith that nothing is required but a bare empty hand which hath nothing to bring with it though it be never so weak yet if it have a hand to receive it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a like
of the thing A thing cannot be remitted before it be committed nor covered before it had an existence nor blotted out before it be written Therefore justification from such or such a fault must have relation to that which is past but for justification for the time to come I will speak anon there I left the last time I have now faith and I believe in Christ I have now relation to him and remission of sinnes past But why then do I pray for it to what end is that Bellarmine objects that it is an act of infidelity to pray for it afterwards but we do it and we ought to do it see Psal. 51. David made that Psalme after the Prophet Nathan had told him his sinne was pardoned See the title of it and we must know that the title is a part of Gods Word as well as the rest A Psalme of David when Nathan came unto him after he had gone in unto Bathsheba Nathan told him that God had took away his sinne Yet he cryeth here throughout the whole Psalme to have his sinne pardoned and blotted out so that though there were faith and assurance yet he still prays for it Now Bellarmine saith this cannot be but doth he dispute against our opinion no he disputes against the Holy Ghost for David having received a message of forgivenesse yet prays Therefore if the Jesuite had grace he would joyne with us to salve the matter rather then through our sides to strike at God But it is a Fallacy to joyne these two together for a man to pray for a thing past it is an act of infidelity as to pray that God would create the world and incarnate his Sonne I answer there is difference between an act done and an act continued when the World was made by God God had finished that work And when Christ took our flesh upon him the act was done but the forgivenesse of sin is a continued act which holds to day and to morrow and world without end God is pleased not to impute thy sinnes but cover them Now this covering is no constant act I may cover a thing now and uncover it again now forgivenesse of sinne being an act not complete but continued and continued world without end and therefore we say the Saints in heaven are justified by imputative righteousnesse Gods continuance of his act of mercy The point then is this As long as we continue in the world and by contrary acts of disobedience continue to provoke God to discontinue his former acts of mercy and our sinnes being but covered therefore so long must we pray for forgivenesse When the servant had humbled himself before his Lord it is said The Lord of that servant loosed him and forgave him the debt but though he forgave him yet he did another act that caused his Lord to discontinue his pardon Matth. 18.33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant as I had pity on thee He had pity on him yet since he doth another act which turns his Lords heart against him therefore he is now cast into prison and he must not come out thence till he hath paid the utmost farthing He had forgave him to day and to morrow and would have continued his forgivenesse if he had not thus provoked him we must pray to God to continue his acts of mercy because we continually provoke him by new acts of rebellion Adde to this The King grants a pardon to a man In all Patents of pardon there is a clause that the man must renew his Patent If forgivenesse may be renewed then those things are to be renewed again by which the renovation of my remission may be wrought God would have me renew my acts of faith and if of faith why not of repentance and of prayer There is a singular place in Ezek. 36.29 35 37. that makes it plain That though God intends to do the thing yet he appoints this to be the means Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them i. e. though I have done it and intend to do it yet will I do it by the means of prayer Howsoever that God had promised Eliah that raine should come upon the face of the earth yet he goes upon the Mount and saw no shew of a cloud The Text saith not what he did but he put his head between his knees Saint James saith he prayed and he opened heaven and brought down raine It was an humble secret gesture A man may be more free in private than in publick He prayed and the heavens opened God had promised it and would do it but yet he would be sought too So we see the mediate cause is prayer so though the Lord will do this yet for all this he will be enquired of It is not with God as with men men who have promised would be loth to be sued to not to break their promise they account that a dishonour to them but it is not so with God God hath promised yet thou shalt have no benefit of it untill thou sue him for it therefore thou must go to God and say Lord fulfill thy promise to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust God loves to have his bond sued out Lord make good this word performe that good word that thou hast spoken God would have his bond thus sued out And as thy faith repentance prayer is renewed so is thy pardon renewed When God will make a man possesse the sinnes of his youth when a man is carelesse this way it pleaseth God to awaken him Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquity of my youth Job 13.26 When a man forgetteth the iniquities of his youth and reneweth not his repentance and hath not new acts of faith and petition then God maketh him to possesse the iniquities of his youth he makes his sins stand up and cry out against him by this means his old evidences are obliterated When a man hath a pardon and it s almost obliterated the letters almost worne out that they cannot be read he would be glad to have it renewed to have a new exemplification Every sinne it puts a great blur upon thine old evidence that thou canst not read it It may be firme in heaven and yet perhaps be blur'd that thou canst not read it and therefore if thou wouldst get them clear'd again thou must go to God by prayer and renew them again so that whether our evidences be blur'd or whether it be that God will make us possesse the iniquities of our youth it is necessary to pray for the forgivenesse of those sinnes which have been before forgiven But now you will say when I have sinned afterward how come I then to be justified Then a man would think repentance only doth it and without repentance a man cannot be justified But you must understand repentance is
forgive thus Alas no! forgivenesse is without a man I have an action against you perhaps an action at Law I will let fall my suit my charges I will forgive this is forgivenesse God justifieth who shall condemn Though God has just cause to proceed against me as a Rebel yet he is content to let fall his action to fasten it upon the Crosse of his Sonne there to fix the Chirographum the hand-writing against us He will let fall that which was the ground of a suit against us all that he could say against us That you may understand the thing the better there are two things two kinds of righteousnesse the one of justification the other of sanctification The Holy Ghost distinguisheth them by several terms 1 Cor. 1. ult Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption You see here are two distinct graces righteousnesse and sanctification they make them but one sanctification and remission of sinnes Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Here justification and sanctification is nothing else but justification and glorification Saint Paul speaks of a thing past not of the glory to come i. e. sanctification which is inchoate glory For what is the glory we shall have in heaven but the inlargement of those inherent graces God begins in this world Here is the seed there is the crop here thou hast a little knowledge but there it shall be inlarged now thou hast a little joy there thou shalt enter into thy Masters joy here some knowledge but there thou shalt have a full knowledge and a full measure Here glory dwelleth in our Land but there we shall with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 i. e. we are more and more conformed to the image of Almighty God by â—â—edience and holy qualities infused into us that we grow from one degree of sanctification unto another And so you see how these are distinguished by their termes Justification and glorification justification and sanctification There is another place in Saint John an hard place but yet as I take it these two righteousnesses that have the same name to be distinct in their termes It is said Joh. 16.8 That when the Spirit shall come he shall reprove or as we should translate it he shall convince the world concerning sinne righteousnesse and judgment Thus I say it should be translated for 't is no sense to say that God shall reprove the world of righteousnesse on what occasion this was spoken we must not stand to speak but righteousnesse and judgment is justification and sanctification And the drift of the place is this when the Spirit shall come how not upon me or thee but the Spirit here spoken of is that Spirit that should come upon the Apostles it shall begin at the day of Pentecost and these 1. should set forth like twelve Champions to conquer the world and to bring them unto the Scepter of Christ. He shall convince the world i. e. when the Spirit shall come on you and your tongues be tip't with that spiritual fire which shall be active it shall convince the world concerning three particulars of sinne righteousnesse and judgment Oâ— the point of humiliation for sinnes the point of justification by righteousnesse imputative and the glory of sanctification in judgment and righteousnesse inherent This method Saint Paul useth in the Romans to stop every mans mouth First He convinceth the Gentile which was easie to be done after he convinceth the Jew that there is righteousnesse to be had in another though none in my self He shall convince the world c. As if he should say To be shut up under unbelief is to be convinced of all sinnes Now consider what is the nature of unbelief it is to fasten all sinnes upon a man and when I have faith all my sinnes are put out of possession they are as if they were not but if we are shut up under unbelief we are dead The second work of Gods Spirit is the Ministry of the Word He shall convince the world that there is righteousnesse to be had by a communion with another though we are guilty in our selves yet he will set us free and the reason is because I go to my Father As if he should say though you be convinced of your sinnes that you are wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes and have no means in the world to put that away yet notwithstanding the second work of Gods Spirit is to convince of righteousnesse that there is a righteousnesse to be had in Christ because he was our surety arrested for our debt he was committed to prison where he could not come out till he â—ad paid the utmost farthing There is a justification to be had in me I go to the Creditor I have made no escape not like one that brake the prison and run away but I am now a free-man I have not made an escape before the debt is paid then I might be brought back again but the debt is discharged and therefore I go to my Father to maintain my place and standing I was given unto death for your sins but I am risen again for your justification and I now sit at my fathers right hand this is the second thing But is there not a third thing that the work of the Ministry must do Yes to convince the world that there is judgment or righteousnesse inherent There is a hard place I shall speak of it it is usual in Scripture to joyn righteousnesse and judgment together The words of the Lord are righteousnesse and judgment And the integrity of a mans heart which is opposed to hypocrisie is called judgement as God liveth who hath taken away my judgment Job 27.2 How did God take away his judgment is it meant that he had taken away his wits no but but he hath put his heavy hand on me that hath put a conceit in the minde of my friends that I am an hypocrite and therefore he falls on him ver 6. My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live His judgment was taken away i. e. the opinion they had of his integrity and this will expound another place in Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoking flax shall he not quench untill he send forth judgment unto victory what is that untill he send forth judgment This judgment signifies nothing but those inherent graces those infused qualities that God sends into the heart of a Christian. In a mans first conversion there are but beginnings of grace what is faith hope patience and fear it is like a smoaking flax i. e. like the smoaking wick
forsaken the fountain of life art liable to everlasting death And for this see some places of Scripture Rom. 6.2 3. The wages of sin is death Consider then first what this wages is Wages is a thing which must be paid If you have an hireling and your hireling receive not his wages you are sure to hear of it and God will hear of it too James 5.4 He which keeps back the wages of the labourer or of the hireling their cry will come into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath As long as hirelings wages are unpaid Gods eares are filled with their cries Pay me my wages pay me my wages So sin cries and it is a dead voice Pay me my wages pay me my wages the wages of sin is death And sin never leaves crying never lets God alone never gives him rest till this wages be paid When Cain had slain Abel he thought he should never have heard any more on 't but sin hath a voice The voice of thy brothers blood cries unto me from the ground So Gen. 18.20 the Lord saith concerning Sodom Because the cry of Sodom is great and their sin very grievous therefore I will goe down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come up into mine eares As if the Lord had said It 's a loud cry I can have no rest for it therefore I will goe down and see c. If a man had his eares open he would continually hear sin crying unto God Pay me my wages pay me my â—ages kill this sinful soul And though we do not hear it yet so it is The dead and doleful sound thereof fillâ— Heaven it makes God say I will goe down and see c. Till sin receive its wages God hath no rest Again see Rom. 7.11 Sin taking occasion by the commandement deceived me and by it slew me I thought sin not to have been so great a matter as it is We think on a matter of profit or pleasure and thereupon are enticed to sin but here 's the mischieâ— sin dâ—ceives us Iâ— is a weight it presses down it deceâ—â—es men it 's more then they deemed it to be The committing of sin is as it were running thy self upon the point of Gods blade Sin at first may flâ—â—ter thee but it will deceive thee It 's like Joabs kisse to Amasa Amasa was not aware of the spear that was behind till he smote it into his ribs that he died When sin entices thâ—e on by profits and pleasures thou art not aware that it will slay thee But thou shalt find it will be bitternesse in the end A sinner that acts a tragedy in sin shall have a bloody Catastrophe Rom. 6. What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed Blood and death is the end of the Tragedy The end of those things is death The sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15. What is sin It 's the sting of death Death would not be death unlesse sin were in it Sin is more deadly then death it self It 's sin enableth death to sting enableth it to hurt and wound us So that we may look on sin as the Barbarians looked on the viper on Pauls hand they expected continually when he would have swollen and burst Sin bites like a snake which is called a fiery serpent not that the serpent is fiery but because it puts a man into such a flaming heat by their poyson And such is the sting of sin which carries poyson in it that had we but eyes to see our uglinesse by it and how it inflames us we should continually every day look when we should burst with it The Apostle James 1.15 useth another metaphor Sin when it is accomplished bringeth forth death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Original sin goeth as it were with child with death The word is proper to women in labour who are in torment till they are delivered Now as if sin were this woman he useth it in the faeminine gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So is it with sin sin is in pain cries out hath no rest till it be delivered of this dead birth till it have brought forth death That is sin growes great with child with death and then it not only deserves death but it produceth and actually brings forth This is generally so Now consider with your selves death is a fearful thing When we come to talk of death how doth it amaze us The Priests of Nob are brought before Saul for relieving David and he saith Thou shalt surely die Ahimelech And this is your case you shall surely die death is terrible even to a good man As appeares in Hezekiah who though he were a good man yet with how sad a heart doth he entertain the message of death the newes of it affrighted him it went to his heart it made him turn to the wall and weep How cometh it to pass that we are so careless of death that we are so full of infidelity that when the word of God saith Thou shalt die Ahimelech we are not at all moved by it What can we think these are fables Do we think God is not in earnest with us And by this means we fall into the temptation of Eve a questioning whether Gods threats are true or not That which was the deceit of our first Parents is ours Satan disputes not whether sin be lawful or not whether eating the fruit were unlawful whether drunkennesse c. be lawful he 'l not deny but it is unlawful But when God saith If thou dost eat c. thou shalt die he denies it and saith ye shall not die He would hide our eyes from the punishment of sin Thus we lost our selves at the first and the floods of sin came on in this manner when we believed not God when he said If thou dost eat thou shalt surely die And shall we renew that capital sin of our Parents and think if we do sin we shall not die If any thing in the world will move God to shew us no mercy it 's this when we slight his judgments or not believe them This adds to the heigth of all our sins that when God saith if thou dost live in sin thou shalt die and yet we will not believe him that when he shall come and threaten us as he doth Deut. 29. when he shall curse and we shall bless our selves in our hearts and say we shall have peace though we goe on c. The Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against him It is no small sin when we will not believe God This is as being thirsty before we now adde drunkennesse to our thirst That is when God shall thus pronounce curses he shall yet blesse himself and say I hope I shall doe well enough for all that There are two words to that bargain Then see what follows The anger of the Lord and his
up the chief of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the Priest and the Levites and all them whom the Spirit of God had raised up to go up Observe here though the proclamation were general yet the raising up of the Will was from the Spirit of the Lord. We must not by any means take our will for a ground the Will cometh from God but if thou hast a Will thou hast a warrant Who ever will let him take the water of life freely without covenanting say if thou had but a measure of faith and such a measure of humiliation for that were to compound with Christ away with that Whosoever will let him come Christ keeps open house Whosoever will let him come whosoever comes to him he will not shut out John 6. If thou hast a heart to come to him he hath a willing heart to receive thee as it was with the Prodigal son the Father stayes not till he comes to him but runs to meet him he is swift to shew Mercy and to meet us though we come slowly on towards him But this is not all there is a second gracious Word that is preacht to a man not yet in the state of Grace A man that keeps open house he seldom invites any particularly but if he come he shall be welcome Christ he keeps open house but some are so fearfull and so modest that unless they have a special invitation they are ashamed to come to Christ they reason thus if my case were an ordinary mans I should come but I am so vile and wretched that I am ashamed to come my sins have been so many and so heavy that I am not able to bear so great a weight they are more in number then the hairs of my head and yet alas they are crying ones too But hearken here a second word Dost thou think thy case more heavy because thou art out of measure sinfull Lo it pleaseth God to send thee a special invitation who findest thy self discouraged with the great bulk and burthen of thy sins It pleaseth God I say to send thee a special invitation See Mat. 11.28 Though all apply it not to this use Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest You of all others are they that Christ looks for Those that can walk bolt upright in their sins that desire to live and die in them they will not look upon me and I will not look upon them they scorn me and I scorn them but you that are heavy laden and feel the burthen of your sins are invited by Christ. Let not Satan then couzen you of the comfort of this word that which Christ makes the latch to open the door to let himself in we do usually by our foolishness make the bolt to shut him out Let thy wound be never so great thou hast a warrant to come and be cured be of good comfort then as it was said to blind Bartemeus so is it to thee Loe he calleth thee When Christ bids thee come and gives thee his Word that he will heal thee Come let not the Devil or thy corruptions hinder thee or make thee stay back hast thee to this City of Refuge he hath engag'd his Word for thee and he will ease thee But now after all this there is a Third Word that though Christ keeps open house so that who will may freely come and though he sends special invitations to them that are most bashfull because their case is extraordinary What do you think now that Christ will come with his souldiers and destroy those that do not come in He might do it when he is so free and invites thee and thou turnest it back again into his hand but yet here 's another Word of comfort Christ doth not only send a Messenger to invite thee who hast no goodness in thee but he falls to beseeching and intreating thee and that 's a third word whereby faith is wrought in an Unbeliever 2 Cor. 5.10 Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us observe the place We pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God This is the most admirable word that ever could be spoken unto a sinner Alas thou mayst say I am afraid that God will not be friends with me why he would have thee to be friends with him do not then with the Papists make such an austere God as though he might not be spoken unto as though thou mightst not presume thy self but must make friends unto him We have not an high Priest that is not touched with our infirmities Will the Papists tell me I am bold if I go to God or lay hands on Chrst I am not more bold then welcome Let us go with boldness to the Throne of grace We are commanded to do it do not think but that he had bowels to weep over Jerusalam and he carried the same with him into heaven when thou liest groaning before him he will not spurn thee We pray you and beseech you to be friends therefore in this case make no doubt its Gods good pleasure to entreat thee and therefore thou hast warrant enough Christ wept over Jerusalem and he is as ready to embrace thee You have now three words to make a man of an Unbeliever a Believer Is there or can there be more then these Open house-keeping special invitations Entreaties and Beseechings yet there is more then all this which if thou hast not a heart of stone it will make thee believe or make thee rue it And that is 4. When God seeth all these things will not work with us but we are slow of heart to believe then he quickens us and there comes a word of Command God chargeth and commands thee to come and then if thou breakest his Command be it to thy peril It is the greatest sin that can be committed Thou wilt not draw near to God because thou art a sinner thou now committest a greater sin then before thou returnest back Christ unto God thou bidst him take his commodity into his hand again thou wilt not believe and this is an hainous crime John 16.8 9. And when the Spirit shall come it shall reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of judgement of sin because they believe not in me this is that great sin he shall convince the world of because they believe not in him Of all sins this was the most notorious this makes us keep all other sins in possession It is not only one particular sin but it fastens all other sins upon us be they never so many When faith comes it will out them but till then they remain in thee where there is no Commandment there is no sin How could it be a sin in not believing if I were not commanded so to do but you shall here more then so When the Apostle speaks of excluding Rejoycing under the Law Rom. 3.37 Where is boasting
â—his Kingdome of grace before you come to the Kâ—ngdome of glory First here â—s set down the mother and radical grace of all the rest and â—hat is justification by faith and then followeth the blâ—â—sed fruit that issueth from thence 1. Peace wâ—th God 2. A graciâ—us accesse into his presence 3. A joyfuâ— hope arising from that great glory that we shall enjoy for tâ—e time to come 4. In the â—orst of our troubles and midst of our afflictions this â—oy is so great that it cannot be abated by any of them â—ea it is so far from being abated by them that they are a fuel to kindle it we rejoyce in affliction saith the Aâ—ostle that which would undo the joy of a carnal man is made the matter of this mans joy Concerning the first of these justification that is the ground or foundation of all the rest being justififyed by faith that 's the root and ground without which there is no fruit no peace no joy no hope much lesse any kinde of rejoycing in tribulation Faith is that which seasoneth all we must first be justified by faith before we have any other comforts for that 's the first ground the first rudiment of a Châ—istian in the School of Christ. Therefore I proposed unto you three things for the understanding of it 1. What that faith is that justifieth 2. What that justification is that is â—btained by faith 3. What relation the one of these hatâ— to the otâ—er Concerning the first of these I sheved you that it is not every faith that justifieth I shew'â— you that there is a dead faith whereupon the Apostlâ— saith The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God A dead thing cannot make a living maâ— it must be and I shew'd you how a living faith Again I shew'd that beside the trâ—e faith there was a temporary faith which is active 〈◊〉 and comes near the other It had the operations of the Spirit but it wanted root It had supernatuâ—â—ll works but it wanted the new creature There wâ—â— a conception that was but an abortive kinde of birth it came not to maturity not to a full growth it did not continue And I shew'd unto you how a man migâ—t discern one of these from the other for herein lyeâ— the wisdome of a Christian not to content himself 〈◊〉 be deceived with flashes therefore the Apostle exhorts us to prove and try and examine our selves it 's an easie matter to be deceived and therefore Gods people should be careful to examine themselves to have their senses exercised herein that however others may slight and slubber over the matter they must and will be careful in it and then they will not only do it themselves but they will crave the aid of God also Prove me O my God c. try me c. Then for the second thing concerning that justification that is obtained by faith I shew'd you that the word justification was derived from justice or righteousnesse and as many wayes as justice and righteousnesse may be taken so many wayes may justification be taken Sometimes for justification of righteousnesse in a man and sometimes it is opposed to condemnation so it s taken in Saint Paul and it signifieth an acquital sometimes it s opposed to hypocrisie and pollution in a mans soul so it signifies sanctification whereby God not only covers our sinnes past but heals our natures The first is perfect but imputed the second inherent but imperfect When the time cometh that God will finish his cure he will then make a perfect cure when final grace cometh we shall not need to think of a Popish Purgatory Death is the Lords refining pot then there is not a jot of sinne shall be left in a Christian Now when God hath taken away our drosse then to think we shall be put in a refining fire that an intire soul that hath no blot that one that hath no spot should be purged after final grace hath made him clear and whole this is against reason and common sense They might have learned better of their own Thomas all the fire in the world will never put away sinne without the infusion of grace This by the way concerning them I shew'd besides that these two being both righteousnesses the Church of Rome confounds them both together Saint James his justification wâ—â—h Saint Pauls They confound inherent righteousnesse which is begun and shall be perfected in final grace with the other so that the point is not between us and Rome Whether faith justifieth by works or no but Whether it justifieth at all in truth that is the state of it The question is this whether there be another justification that is distinguish't from sanctification or whether there be another grace besides justification Do not think that we are such block-heads as to deny faith and sanctification yet faith is but a piece or part of that traine of vertues There justification is taken for sanctification we acknowledge a man is justified by faith and works but the question is between us and them whether there be any justification besides sanctification i. e. whether there be any justification at all or no we say sanctification is wrought by the Kingly office of Christ he is a King that rules in our hearts subdues our corruptions governs us by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit but it is the fruit of his Priestly office which the Church of Rome strikes at i. e. whether Christ hath reserved another righteousnesse for us besides that which as a King he works in our hearts whether he hath wrought forgivenesse of sinnes for us we say he hath and so saith all the Church till the new spawn of Jâ—suites arose They distinguish not remission of sinnes from sanctification Bellarmine saith remission of sinnes is the extinguishing of sinne in the soul as water though it be cold yet the bringing in of heat extinguishes the cold and so remission of sinnes is the bringing in of inherent righteousnesse which extinguisheth all sinne which was before A strange thing and were it not that the Scripture does speak of a cup in the hand of the Harlot of Rome whereby she makes drunk the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornications except men were drunk it were impossible that a learned man should thus shake out an Article of their Creed which hath ever been believed by all the Churches When the Scripture speaks of forgivenesse of sinnes see how it expresseth it Ephes. 4.32 Be ye kinde one to another Brethren tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Observe in the Lords prayer we pray that the Lord would forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespasse against us Let him that hath common understanding judge Do we forgive our neighbours by extinguishing sinne in the subject I forgive you i.e. I take away the ill office you did me Doth he
preached before the Gospel p. 80 * 366 Men are under the Law till they come to Christ p. 84 how fearfull a thing it is to be under the Law p. 84 85. the difference between the Law and the Gospel in three particulars p. 86. Love of God twofold p 415. No temporary beleever loves God p. * 396. To be given up to our own Lusts a more fearfull thing then to be given up to Satan p. 108 109 M WAnt of Meditation one cause why most beleevers have so little joy in God p. 430 431. Mistakes in judging our spiritual estates See Judging Morality too much trusted to p. 49. It 's insufficient to bring men to heaven ibid. N NAtural reason not to be trusted to p. 49 Too short to convince of sin thorowly p. 51 Mans condition by Nature described p. 59. The Natural man dead in sin p. 67. His best works cannot please God and why p. 68 69 The Curses attending a Natural man in this World p. 120 c. Two blowes that God gives a Natural mans soul in this life the one sensible p. 127 the other insensible p. 128. The Curses attending him at Death p. 130 c. O CHrists active Obedience mixed with his passive p. 372. Wherein his active Obedience consisted p. 375. c. Wherein his passive p. 378 Partial Obedience a false glasse to judge our estates by p· 48 To designe only our Old age for God is dishonourable to him p. 22 23. Old age most unfit for Repentance p. 25 27 Men apt to have too good Opinion of themselves p. 41. The causes of it p. 43 c. Men deceived in judging of their estates by the good Opinions of others p. 44 P PArtial Obedience see Obedience Passive Obedience see Obedience Peace a fruit of faith p. * 441 * 447. Why many Christians want the sense of it p. * 442 443. * 450 451 The differences between a true and a false Peace p. * 448 c. The Causes of a Carnal Peace p. * 449. * 452 Christ is our Peace p. * 454 Spirit of Prayer what p. * 377 378 1. The Importunity and efficacie of it p. * 379 380 Why a person already justified may and must Pray for the forgivnesse of sins past p. * 413 414 R NAtural Reason see Natural To Receive Christ what p. 399. What Reformation may be in a natural man p. * 390 392 Repentance prevents ruine p. 7 Repentance not in our own power but in gods gift p. 13 14. The sinfulnesse of deferring it p. 11 c. Death-bed Repentance the hindrances of it p. 30 Not to be trusted to p 31. Hard to prove it sound p. 32 Superficial Repentance is vain p. 57 Repentance in what respects necessary to justification p. * 417 Remission of sin See Forgiveness Resting or Relying upon God a proper Act of Faith p. 425 Righteousnesse two fold p. * 397. * 409 Imputative Righteousnesse what it is p. * 402 * 410. Impossible to be justified without it and why p. * 410 411 S. Sanctification a distinct thing from Justification p. * 423. p. * 429 Satan See Devil A difficult thing to be Saved p. 53 Sealing a distinct thing from Faith p. * 428 The Causes of Security p. * 449 Self-Examination necessary to Conversion p. 39.57 a mark of a sound believer p. * 407 Self-flattery See flattery Self-Love how it deceives men in judging their estates p. 43. Sin continued in hastens Gods judgements p. 3 4 5. Sin compared to a weight p. 26. to Cords p. 27. Sin gets strength by continuance p. 28. The Sinfulnesse of Sin set forth in 6. considerations p. 90 c The dreadfull fruits and consequences of Sin It pollutes the Soul p. 100. It makes men loathsom to God p. 104. It brings the Devill into the heart p. 106. It calls for wages p. 110 The greatness of Sin should be no barr against believing in Christ p. 401 406. No Sin overtops the value of Christ's blood ibid. Encouragemets for Sinners to come to Christ page 401 c. Sin not discovered thorowly but by the spirit p. * 364. Sin may be cast away and yet no true Conversion p. * 392 Sin is only a Privation and no positive being p. * 399 * 400 Sins not pardoned before they be committed p. * 403. The guilt and punishment of Sin taken away in Justification p. * 418 c. Spirit of Bondage what p. * 365 Spirit of Prayer see Prayer T A Temporary Faith how far it may go p. * 388 c. How to know it from true faith p. ibid Temporary beleevers desire Christ only in affliction p. * 388 389 They do but only tast of Christ p. * 393. They desire mercy but not grace p. * 394. They do nothing out of love to God p. * 395 The sinfulness of thoughts p. 102 103. The end of Gods Threatnings p. 7. U UNregenerate Men See Natural Our unworthiness should not keep us from coming unto Christ p. 397. W THe Will wrought by God as well as the deed p. * 371 The Will more then the Deed 372. How God takes the Will for the Deed p. * 374 He that hath a Will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404. God alone inclines the Will to receive Christ ibid. A wofull thing to be suffered by God to have our own Wills in this world p. 355. Our Wills must be crossed here or for ever hereafter ibid. The Willingness of Christs sufferings rendred them the more meritorious p. 374 The Word presented to our faith under a double respect viz. 1 as a true Word p. 403 2 as a good Word p. 424 Works spiritually good cannot be performed by an unregenerate man and why p. 67 68 71. In what sense we are said by James to be justified by Works p. * 398 Wrath a Consequence of sin p. 98 Y YOuth the fittest time to Repent and break off sin in p 25 22 29. FINIS Male dum recitas c. * Lord in special forgive my sins of omission see Dr. Ber. Life and death of the Arch. Bp. of Armagh p. 110 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Sheffeild in Yorkshire· James Meath Anagram I am the same See Dr. Bernard page 52. See Dr. Ber. Epist. to the Reader in his life and death c. * See the Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government Received in the Antient Church published by Doctor Bernard in a Book entituled The Judgement of the Late Arch Bishop of Armagh c. * 2 Sam. 1.22 * Isa. 50.4 * 2 Cor. 3.2 * Acts 11.21 * Dan 12.3 * Heb. 2.13 * Tim. 4.12 * Mark 6.20 * Acts 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Mat 7.29 * 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 1 Cor 14.24 25. * Acts 18.24 Collatis scripturae locis Probans nempe sicuti solent artifices aliquid Compacturi singulas partes inter se comparare ut inter se alia aliis ad amussim quadrent Bez. In Act. 9.22 Efficere condescensionem ut sic dicam id est argumentis propositis efficere ut aliquis tecum in eandem sententiam descendat Mr. Leigh Critic sacr In verb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Ser. before K. James Wansted June 20. 1629 page 34 35. * Ecl. 12.10 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * John 16.5 * Psal. 16.3 * Acts 13.12 * Psal. 119.63 * Math. 11 29. * Mal. 2.4.5 6 7 8 9. * Esay 43.27.28 * 1 Sam. 2 30. * Deut. 33 11. * Math. 5.12 and 10.25 * Math 21.44 * Rev. 11.11 * 2 Sam 6.22 * Calvino illustri viro nec unquam sine summi honoris prefatione nominando non assentior Bp Andrews De Vsuris * 3 John 12. * Declarat what books are his what not Dr. Ber. page 20 l 21. * See Dr. Ber. Loc. Citat * See their Epist to the Reader Ibidem * See Mr. Cottons Epist. to Mr. Hildersams Book on John 4. * See Capt. Bell. Narat before Luth. Mensal Colloq * Liber ille â—onvivalium sermonum non est Lutheri nec Luthero approbante aut etiam vivente editus sed est Rapsodia sine Judicio Intellectu consarcinata Polan syntag de canonic Authorit script page fol. 45. * Heb 11.4 * Bp. Andrews serm 7. of Rep. and Fast. * John 3.10.19 Obs. Obs. Obs. Obj. Sol. Obj. Sol. 1. Order of outward things 2. The nature of sin Sin is compared to cords To defer repentance hardens the more The folly of those that defer their repentance till death Obj. Sol. Impediments to repentance on our death-bed Trust not to death-bed repentance It will be hard to prove death-bed repentance to be ound Gen. 6.3 What use to make of Election and Reprobation It 's our wisdom to arm against Satans fallacy and hearken to God in his accepted time 1 Glass Self-love 2 Glass Others good opinion 3 Glass When a man compares himself with others 4 Glasse Partial Obedience· Obj. Sol. Another false Glasse The Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light Superficial repentance will not change the nature of man No morality nor external change of life will do without quickning grace and a new life wrought Quest. Ans. Obj. Sol. Doct. Obj. No natural man doth judge himself so bad as he is The best works of a natural man cannot please God Look to the oginal of duties Look to the end of duty It 's necessary to preach the Law before the Gospel This is the 1 Instance 2 Instance 3 Instance Noâ—e Well Our Remedy or our Redempâ—ion by Christ. Christs humiliation in life and death The second degree of his humiliation that he might become a servant Christ accounted as a bâ—ndman Exam. Joseph for the calcu 14400000. drachms (x) Which were 120000. (z) Have the quotient 120 Drachms Four Drachms went to a Shekel so divide 120. by 4. your quotient is 30. shekels for each man which was the ordinary rate c. Gen. 9.25 John 13.21 Now this Obedience is two fold 1. Active 2. Passivâ— 1. For his active obedience in the whole course of his life 2. For his active Obedience after his Death