Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	believe_v	faith_n	unbelief_n	3,235	5	10.7449	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03501	The mystery of faith opened up: or Some sermons concerning faith (two where of were not formerly printed.) Wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulness of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed. Whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning the great salvation, one of these not formerly printed, and a third concerning death. / By that pious and worthy servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1668 (1668)	Wing G1616; ESTC R177630	121,416	225

maketh mention of a Fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness which may intimate unto us that although we have washed our selves with our own tears yet there is use of the blood of Christ and that we must be washed in that fountain even from our own rightousnesses which are but as filthy rags Thirdly consider that great and monstrous sinfulness that is in this sin of unbelief we will strain at a gnat but many will easily swallow down this Camel We will tithe mint and annise and fast twice in the week but neglect faith and love and judgement which are the weighter things of the Law And indeed there are these things which speak out the sinfulness of unbelief 1. That when the holy Ghost is sent to convince the world of sin John 16.9 he pitched upon this sin as though there were no other sin of which the World had need to be convinced He will convince the world of sin because they believe not on the Son of God no doubt there is more sinfulness in that sin then in many breaches of the Moral Law it being a sin against matchless love and against that which is the remedy of sin 2. That it is called by way of eminency disobedience as is clear from Heb. 4.11 Lest any of you fall under the same example of unbelief or as the word may be tendred lest any of you fall after that example of disobedience Eph. 2.2.3 That amongst all these that shal be eternally excommunicate from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power those that are guilty of this sin of unbelief they are put in the first place Rev. 21.1 And 4. That unbelief doth contradict deny these three precious and cardinal attributes of God 1. Doth not unbelief contradict his faithfulness and make him a liar 1 John 5.10 2. Doth it not contradict the infiniteness of his power And 3. the infiniteness of his love and supposeth that there is something too hard for him which his power cannot reach nor his infinite love overcome We may reduce many of our questions and disputings of his good will to this original viz. to the disputing of his power No doubt if we belong to him we shal once sing that note of lamentation over our unbelief This is our infirmity for changes are from the right hand of the most High And lastly to inforce this precious command of Faith consider that it is his command which speaketh forth this that we must not take an indulgence or dispensation to our selves to believe or not to believe at our pleasure and is it not a strange thing that Christians are less convinced of the breaches of the Commandment of Faith then of other commands They think misbelief to be but a Zoar a little sin and it proceedeth either from this that the convictions of other sins as the neglect of prayer or the sin of swearing or committing adultery do arise from a natural conscience for there is somwhat of natures light to make us abominate and hate them when yet the light of nature will not lead us to the convictions of the sinfulness of misbelief it being a Gospel more spiritual sin Or it proceedeth from this that unbelief doth ordinarily pass vail'd under the vizard of some refined vertue as humility and tenderness though that rather it may be said that it is pride and ignorance cloathed with the garments of humility And no doubt Christ doth account obedience to this commandement of Faith the greatest act of humility as is clear from Rom. 10.3 where it is called submission they submitted not to the righteousness of God Or else it proceedeth from this that we conceive that the commandement of Faith is not of so large extent as other commands and so doth not bind us to the obedience of it but know this that it shall be the condemnation of the world that they have not believed on the Name of the Son of God and no doubt but it is Satans great design and cardinal project to keep us back from obedience to the commandment of faith that we should not listē to the precious promises of this everlasting Gospel but should reject the counsel of God against our selves and refuse his precious and divine call The second previous consideration that we would give shall be to show you what are the causes that there is so much disputing of our interest so little believing that we are unstable as water marring our own excellency spending so much of our time in walking under a cloud and are so seldome admitted to read our names in these precious and eternal records of Heaven No doubt these things have influence upon it viz. 1. That we are more judging of God by his dispensations then by his Word supposing ever the change of dispensatiōs to speak for the change of our state this is misbeliefs Divinity that when sense cannot read love in hi● face but he appeareth to frown and to cast a clou● over it then it is presumption saith sense to rea● love in his heart or in his Word but know it was self-denying practice of believing Job to cry out Though he should kill me I will believe in him therfore make not dispensatiōs your Bible otherwise ye will stumble at the noon tide of the day shal halt in your way knew you never what such a thing as this meaned to ascend in overcoming thoughts of his love notwithstanding any thing that his dispensations might preach We conceive that if the eyes of our faith were opened we might see infinite love engraven on the darkest acts and most dismal-like dispensations of his to us though it be often-times written in dark and dim characters to sense 2. There is this likewise which hath influence upon our so much disputing and misbelieving viz. a guilty conscience and the entertainment of some predominant lust which oftentimes occasioneth our walking in darkness and having no light This is clear from 1 Tim. 1.19 where that precious jewel of Faith can be holden in no other place but in a pute conscience that is that Royal place wherein it must dwel and no doubt if once we make shipwrack of a good conscience we will erre concerning our Faith A bosom-Idol when it is entertained doth exceedingly mar the vigorous exercises of these graces which are evidences of our faith and certainly Grace rather in its degrees then in its sincerity or simple being only is that which giveth the clear evidence of Faith Therefore when we find not love in its high and eminent actings we hardly win to make it any clearly-concluding demonstration of our Faith 3. As likewise a bosom idol when it is entertained maketh us to lose much of our high esteem reputation of Jesus Christ which doth exceedingly interrupt the sweet and precious actings of faith For it is certain that if once the immortal soul be united to Jesus Christ by the

ladder that reacheth betwixt heaven and earth by the steps of which a Christian doth dayly go up to heaven and converse with the higher House Faith is that grace as the Apostle speaketh by which we have access to the Throne of his grace Faith ushers in the believer to the Throne and without it he can have no access there nor joy when he is there V. Here is this advantage that attendeth the exercise of Faith a believing Christian is a praying Christian according to that word in Mark 9.24 where these two are conjoined together Lord I believe and then he falleth to his prayer presently after that confession Help thou our unbelief And it is clear from Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul Christeth for thee And sometimes Faith is a most impatient grace but we may alwayes say of it that it is a most diligent grace Oh! is not the neglect of this precious exercise of Faith and of the duty of secret prayer that makes our lean●ness testifie to our face and maketh our souls as a barren wilderness I am perswaded of this that sinc0e Ch i st had any followers and since ever this everlasting Gospel was preached in Paradise the exercise of secret prayer was never so much neglected we have turned over all our prayers into complements with God We know not what it is to rise at mid-night and call upon God and to enquire after our Maker under the silent watches of the night O but it is a sweet diversion from sleep to retire our selves in the silent seasons of the night from all thoughts about worldly matters and to converse with that invisible Majesty IV. There is this sixth consideration to point out the advantage of Faith that Faith is that grace that doth facilitate a Christians obedience and maketh it most pleasant and easie this is clear from Heb. 11.8 By faith Abraham when he was commanded to go to a strange land obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went The word may be rendered he did chearfully obey And vers 17. By faith he offered up his only son Would ye know the reason why his commands are your burden And why his preceps are your cresses It is because of this ye do not believe And so it is most certain that it is impossible for a Christian to attain to a pleasant way of obedience without the exercise of faith Faith holdeth up the crown to a Christian and this crown maketh him to obey Faith gathereth strength from Christ and that strength maketh obedience very easie Faith taketh up the excellency of Christ and this maketh a Christian to look upon his duty more as his dignity then his duty And we are perswaded of this that our chariot-wheel should move more swiftly like the chariots of Aminadab if we were more in the exercise of the grace of Faith Would ye know an answer to that question what is first more requisite for a Christian while here below Faith And what secondly is most requisite Faith And what thirdly is most requisite for a Christian Even Faith Faith above all things and above all things Faith VII There is another advantage of it that by Faith our services and prayers are accepted of God Would ye know what is the prayer of a Christian that is not in Faith It is a smoak in his nostrils and a fire that burneth all the day The unbelivers sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. This is clear from Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered up unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain And we conceive that there are many unanswered prayers which we do put up because we want that noble exercise of Faith VIII And lastly we shal likewise add this that faith is the grace by which a Christian hath that pefect and immediate sight as is were of great things that are promised to him Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of Heaven and Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of God according to that word Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen And that noble Paradox that is said of Faith Heb. 11.27 By faith Moses saw him that is invisible Is it not an impossible thing to see that which cannot be seen But the meaning of it is this that Faiths discoveries of God are as certain and sure as the discoveries of our bodily eyes are Faith is an intelligent grace yea it is a most sure and infallible grace What will Faith not do And what can you do who want Faith Now to enforce the advantages and excellencies of Faith a little more we shal propose to you the disadvantages of that woful sin of unbelief 1. There is this disadvantage of the sin of unbelief that all the actions that proceed from an unbeliever they are impure and defiled according to that in Tit. 1.15 But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled their prayer is unclean yea as Solomon speaketh their plowing in sin yea their going about the most excellent duties for matter is an abomination to God according to that word Rom. 14.23 What ever is not of faith is sin So the want of Faith is the great polluter of all our actions and of all our performances 2. There is this second disadvantage of misbelief that it is impossible for one in the exercise of unbelief to mortifie a lust or idol and we may allude unto those words in Matth. 17.20 when his Disciples came to him asked him this question Why could not we cast out this devil Tha● was given as an answer Because of your unbelief Unbelief is that which taketh up arms for out idols and doth most strongly defend them for there is nothing that will kill corruption so much as the exercise of Faith and when that is laid aside we have laid by our weapons and have in a manner concluded a treaty of peace with our idols that we shal not offend them if they do not offend us 3. There is this disadvantage that waiteth upon the sin of unbelief that such an one cannot win to attain to the grace of establishment but is alwayes as the waves of the sea tossed to and fro until once he win to the exercise of Faith as is clear from Isai 7.9 Except ye believe ye shal not be established 4. There is this disadvantage that waiteth on it is the mother of hardness and stupidity of heart according to that word in Mark 16.14 where he upbraideth them because of their unbelief and then that danger followeth to with hardness of heart this is clear also from Acts 19 9. where these two sister-devils are conjoined and locked together unbelief and hardness of heart because it is unblief indeed that hindereth all the graces by which the grace of Tenderness must be maintained 5. There is this disadvantage in the sin of unbelief that it is big with child of apostasie from

THE MYSTERY OF FAITH OPENED UP Or some SERMONS concerning Fa●… two whereof were not formerly printed Wherein the Nature Excellency and Usefulness of that noble Grace is much cleared and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed Whereunto are added three other Sermons two concerning the Great-Salvation one of these not formerly printed and a third concerning Death By that pious and worthy Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Andrew Gray late Minister of the Gospel in GLASGOW All these Sermons being now carefully revised and much corrected John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God Glasgow Printed by ROBERT SA●… and are to be sold at his shop 〈…〉 CHRISTIAN READER AMongst many weighty and soul piercing sentences that ye will find in these following Sermons this is one That the professors of this age whether they go to Heaven or Hell they will be the greatest debtors that shal be in either place the one to the free grace of God and the other to his Justice And certainly if we speak of these in this time whose blessed lot it shal be to inherit the Kingdom they cannot but acknowledge themselves indebted to his love above all that have gone before them for washing them from such ugly pollutions as this generation hath been defiled with for bringing thē through such great tribulations preserving them in the midst of so great tentations and dangerous snares and have encompassed them yea and still keeping in the light before them notwithstanding of so many blasts if we may so speak from all the four winds of Hell to blow it out And on the other hand if we shal speak of these who in this generation shal perish assuredly their debt unto Divine Justice must be exceeding great above all who are gone down to the pit before them because the rod of their mercies will be found to have been many Cubits longer and many Cubits broader then theirs who lived in the preceeding ages and the great things that the Lord hath wrought in our days have born a greater testimony against the wickedness hardness and atheism of this time then of many former But above all the great measure of Gospel light that he hath no less plentifully offered then wonderfully preserved to this generation beyond all our Ancestors hath undoubtedly made the sin of these who shal utterly reject their own mercy so out of measure sinful and their unbelief so exceedingly inexcusable that their guilt must needs justifie Corazin and Bethsaida or Sodom and Gomorrah in that day when every man shal give account of himself to God And amongst the many preaching-witnesses that alace we are afraid shal compear in that day against many yet living in their pleasures and dead while they live This now glorified Author cannot but be one whose testimony must be very condemning especially to the vain loose negligent and time wasting youth in this age For when he was first drawn forth to the Ministry he was but a youth indeed scarce twenty years compleat for within that age that by the Constitutions of this Church except in case of more than common abilities which indeed he had is required for entring in that great and holy Calling And for the space of two years after which was all the time that the Church enjoyed his labour he was helped to press the truths and threatnings of God so home upon the consciences of his hearers that as it was observed of him by one of his most learned and pious Colleagus Master Durham who is now in glory with him he did many times cause the hair of their head to stand up The Lord not only hereby verifying his Word that he can take the weak things of the World to confound the strong and out of the mouths of babes can perfect his own praise but designing also as would seem of purpose to send a boy out of the school for a reprover of the sluggishness of his people that thereby the aged might be the more ashamed and the younger more afraid Neither do we think that this was all but truly when we consider what measure of graces gifts and experiences the Lord did bestow upon so young a person and then with what humility self-denial gravity prudence diligence authority and moderation he was helped to manage these Talents during that short time of his Ministry It may be justly conceived that the Lord brought him forth to be a great conviction even to many of us in the Ministry who came into our Masters Vineyard long before him and will go out behind him And indeed to us it looketh somewhat like the Lords taking up of the little child and setting him amongst the midst of his contending Disciples in th●se times that even they who would be greatest amongst us might be the least and see somewhat of their own weakness As to the little Piece whatever ye shal find in it it hath this to say for it self that whereas many writings in the World do intrude themselves upon the Press yet this the Press hath violently thrust into the world For some young Student from his good affection to the edification of the Lords people and no doubt from his high esteem of the precious Author his memory having given into the Press a copy of some of these Sermons being only notes taken from his mouth when he preached them no sooner were they seen abroad but all the Presses in the Nation fell a laboring about them so that if we mistake not in less then two or three months time three or four Impressions were cast of yet all of them so imperfect and maimed that howbeit the excellency of the matter and the fresh remembrance of the worthy Author his name made him very sweet to many especially those who had heard him preach yet the unsuitable dress wherein they appeared and their mistakes of the first Writers they being hard lyable to take up every thing as it was spoken occasioning diverse material failings in the sense besides lesser faults could not but be a trouble to those who were acquainted not onlie with the singular graces but parts also of the eminent Youth This gave occasion to some friends to speak a little what way these prejudices which both the Truth and the Authors name might ly under by these uncorrect Impressions And finding that the Copy which by providence the worthie young Gentlewoman who was his wife had lying by her though it was but Notes taken from his mouth yet was the most correct that could be found And that it also did contain the whole purposes that had been preached upon the Texts Yea the whole purposes concerning Faith that he had preached according to that method proposed in the first of the Sermons formerly published This was undertaken to be revised by some who albeit none of the fittest for the imployments yet rather or nothing should be done in the business were

bond of love and respect then our faith will increase with the increase of God Our entertainment of a bosom idol is ordinarily punished with the want of the sensible intimations of his peace and of our interest in him so that sometimes his own are constrained to cry out God hath departed from me and he answereth me not neither by dreams nor visions 4. There is that likewise that hath influence upon it our not closing absolutely with Jesus Christ but upon conditions and suppositions We make not an absolute and blank resignation of our selves over to Christ to hold fast the Covenant notwithstanding he should dispense both bitter and sad things to us but we conceive that Christs Covenant with believers is like that Covenant that God made with Noah that there should be Summer and Winter seed time and harvest night and day unto a Christian A Christian must have his night as well as his day he must once sow in tears before he reap in joy he must once go forth bearing his precious seed before he can return bearing his sheaves in his bosom and that this hath influence upon our instability may be seen from this that often a Christian after his first closing with Christ he meeteth with desertion in point of tenderness in point of joy and in point of strength so that his corruption seems now to be awaked more then formerly that he wants those seeming enjoyments of him which formerly he had and that much of his softness of his heart hath now evanished which is clear somewhat from Heb. 10.32 And after they were enlightened they endured a great fight of afflictions For the word that is there rendered afflictions signifieth inward troubles through the motions of sin as well as outward afflictions Gal. 5.24 And God useth to dispense this way to his own not only to take tryal of the sincerity of your closing with him but to make our Faith more stedfast and sure And no doubt if we close not absolutly with Christ when under these temptations and tryals we will reject our confidence as a delusion and suppose it to be but a morning dream therefore it were a noble and divine practise of a Christian to close with Christ without reservation seeing he doth dispense nothing but that which might tend to our advantage And we would say to such as are under these temptations that if ye endeavor to resist them it is the most compendious and excellent way to make your hearts which now are dying as a stone to be as a watered garden springs of water whose waters fail not and to make you strong as a Lyon so that no temptation can rouse you up but ye shall be enable to tread upon the high places of the earth and to sing songs of triumph over our idols 5. There is this likewise which hath influence on it our building of our Faith more upon sense then upon Christ or his word and therefore it is that Faith is so unconstant and changeable as the Moon we not knowing what such a thing means To hope against hope and to be strong in Faith giving glory to God And we would only say unto you that erect your cōfidence upon so sandy a foundation that when the wind and storm of temptation shal blow that house shal fall to the ground As likewise building of your Faith upon sense doth not abate much of your joy and much of your precious esteem of Jesus Christ It being Faith exercising it self upon an invisible object that maketh the Christian to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 6. There is this last that hath influence upon it even our sloathfulness in the exercise of our spiritual duties by which Faith should be entertained Faith is a tender grace and a plant that must not be rufled but nourished through the sap of other precious graces but we grow remiss in our spiritual duties and do turn our selves upon the bed of security as the door upon the hinges And doth not our drowsiness cloath us with rags and make us fall into a deep sleep while as if we were diligent our souls should be made fat and rich Yea sloathfulness doth not only imped assurance of this that it hindereth the divine communications of his love and respect by which assurance may be kept in life Cant. 5.2 but also it maketh our poverty come on us as an armed man and our want as one that travelleth And withal it letteth loose the chain by which our corruptions are tyed and maketh them to lift up their head by which our assurance is much darkned and impaired and our hope is much converted into diffidence and despair And we would only say this it is the diligent Christian that is the believing Christian and it is the believing Christian that is the diligent Christian there being such a sweet reciprocation betwixt these two precious graces that they die and live together Now thirdly we shal shut up our discours with this in pointing out a little what are those things that do obstruct a Christians closing with Christ and believing in his precious Name I. We conceive that this woful evil doth spring and rise from that fundamental ignorance of this truth that there is a God as is clear from Heb. 11.6 where that is required as a qualification of a Comer That he should believe that God is and assuredly till once this precious truth be imprinted upon our souls as with a pen of iron and point of a diamond we will look upon the Gospel as an U●opian fancy and a deluding notion to teach unstable souls who know not the way to attain unto real blessedness And truly it is a fault of many that they begin to dispute their being in Christ before they know there is a Christ and do dispute their interest in him before they believe his being and that there is such an one as is called Christ II. Our coming unto Christ is obstructed from the want of the real and spiritual convictions of our desperate and lost estate without Jesus Christ and that our unspeakable misery is the want of him which is clear from Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more to thee And it is evident from Revel 3.16.18 that such a delusion as this doth overtake many that they can reign as Kings without Jesus Christ and that they can build their happiness and establish their carnal felicity upon another foundation But O that we could once win to this to believe what we are without Christ and to believe what we shal be in the enjoyment of him with the one eye to descend and look upon these deep draughts that the mystery of iniquity hath imprinted upon our immortal souls and withal to reflect upon the wages of sin which is death and be constrained to cry out Wo is me for I am undone and with the other eye to ascend and look to that help that is laid

Christian when he is much in the exercise of secret Prayer and of much conversing and corresponding with God in that duty as is clear in that word from Dan. 2.21 When Daniel was praying at the evening oblation ●n the 23 verse he meets with a divine intimation of his peace with God O man greatly beloved of God as the Original hath it O man of great desires for he was desireable indeed and precious to him who holdeth the Saints in his right hand IV. This is also a fealing time to a Christian when he is called to the exercise of some great work and is to be put upon some eminent holy imployment this is clear Jer. 1.5 where Jeremiah being called to preach the Gospel unto such a rebellious people then he hath his eternal election declared unto him Before thou wast formed in the womb I knew thee Christ as it were giveth them that to be meat to them for fourty dayes and that in the strength of it they may go many a days journey V. There is also another sealing time when a Christian is first begotten to a precious and everlasting hope for when at first Christians begin to be acquainted with Christ even then sometimes 〈◊〉 declareth to them his boundless everlasting love And this is the ground why some of those who a●… but babes in Christ are so much in the exercise 〈◊〉 diligence so much in the exercise of the grace 〈◊〉 love and so much in the exercise of the grace 〈◊〉 tenderness it is even because of the solemn impresion of their interest in Christ that as it were they are dayly taken in to read their own names 〈◊〉 legible letters in the lambs book of life VI. And there is that last time that is a sealing time to a Christian and that is when he is p●… under some sad and afflicting dispensation Wh●… the furnace is hot seven times more then ordinary Then doth God condescend to manifest himself 〈◊〉 his own When was it that John met with mo●… of the revelations of heaven Was it not wh● he was in the I le of Patmos for the testimony 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ his Kingdom and patience of our ble●sed Lord Rev. 1.9 And that place 2 Cor. 4 1● Though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renewed day by day Now we would press you to be more serious 〈◊〉 the exercise of this precious grace And I shal 〈◊〉 you the cōpend of Christianity in these few words 1. By faith to solace your selves in Christs invisible vertues and excellencies And 2. by hope to b● viewing that precious crown and those everlasting dignities that are to be given to the Saints And 〈◊〉 by mortification to be crucifying your idols And 4. by patience to be possessing your souls unti● once ye shall pass through that dark land to the valley of everlasting delight And as for those that contemn and undervalue the blood of this everlasting Covenant and I would have all those that delight not in closing with Christ and those who have not misbelief as their cross to consider this The wrath of the living and eternal God doth abide upon them who do not believe according to that word John 3.36 He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him It is a remarkable phrase because of this the wrath of God will not be a pilgrim to a misbeliever that will turn aside to tarry but for a night but the wrath of God to them who will not believe shal be their houshold companion and shall dwell with them And wo wo to them eternally who have this sad and everlasting companion to abide with them the wrath of a living God There is one thing we would have those knowing that amongst all those who are eternally to be debarred from Jesus Christ mi●believers are put in the formost rank Revel 21.8 There he is to put away the the fearfull and unbelieving And from 2 Thess 1.18 When Christ shall come from Heaven with ten thousand of his Saints What to do It is even to execute vengeance on those that obey not the truth of the Gospel That is who do not believe and I pose your own hearts with this whether or not your names be written there in that roll amongst those who shall be cut off And that word 2 Thess 2 12. That they might be damned wh● be believed not but took pleasure in unrighteousness O but the wrath of a dying Christ and of a crucified Saviour is drea●ful It is more sad and terrible then the wrath 〈◊〉 God should have been if Christ had not die● I will tell you O hypocrits in Zion the wor● news that ever was published in your ears and 〈◊〉 is this Christ died and rose again and to tho● that are begotten to a lively hope they are gla●tyding of great joy and therein they may comfo● themselves but ye may wear a rough garment 〈◊〉 deceive and go to heaven in your own apprehensions but O the sad disappointments that is wa●ting on many such And to close with this w● would obtest you as you would answer to you terrible and dreadful Judge that shal stand o● day upon his Throne which he shal fix in th● clouds we obtest you by all the joyes of heave● and we obtest you by all the everlasting pains 〈◊〉 hell and we obtest you by all the curses that a●… written in the volume of this book and by a● the sweet and comfortable promises that are i● the everlasting Gospel and by the love that yo● own to your immortal souls and as you would not crucifie Christ afresh believe and embrac● the offers which are presented now unto you● Know ye whether or not this shall be the las● summons that you shal get to believe That so● if ye do reject it Christ shal come from heaven and pronounce that sad and lamentable Sentence to you Depart from me ye cursed I know you not Now to him that can bless these things unto you we desire to give praise SERMON III. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ c. IT was a command that Solomon gave unto his son Prov. 22.26 That he should not be surety for debt nor be one of those that striketh hands But O! what spotless breaches of that command hath our blessed Lord Jesus committed when he did condescend to be surety for our debt and to pay that which was impossible for us to satisfy Hath not Christ made a precious exchange with sinners He wreathed about his own precious neck that bond and yoke of our iniquities and hath given to us that unweariable easie and portable yoke of his commandments amongst which this is one That we should believe on him spotless Christ was made sin for us that sinful we might be made the righteousness of God in him And is not this the condemnation of the World that we will not believe on him That

God and of defection from him according to that word Heb. 3.12 Beware lest their be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and there the fruit of it to depart from the living God And certainly it is no wonder that unbelief travels in birth till that cursed child of apostasie be brought forth not only because of this that an unbeliever looseth the thought of the excellency of Christ but also because he increaseth in his thoughts of love towards his Idols for Christ doth decrease in those who misbesieve and their Idols do increase in their love and in their desires and in their estimation 6. There is this sixth disadvantage in the sin of unbelief it hindereth the communication of many single workings and tokens of the love and favor of the most High according to that sad word that is in Matth. 13.58 at the close He could not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief Unbelief as it were laid a restraint on Christ that he could not effectuat those things which he was willing to perform And to shut up our discourse at this time I would only add these two aggravations which may somewhat enforce what we have spoken I say there are these two aggravations in the sin of unbelief even in his own who have a right also his call to believe 1. That after that Christ hath given most sensible discoveries of himself Wherein we have seen him as it were face to face yet ye will not believe This is clear from John 6.36 Though ye have seen me saith Christ yet ye do not belive in me There is not a manifestation of Christs presence but it i● a witness against you of your unbelief Woul● you hear the voyce of sense that is rectified It i● this believe on the Son of God 2. That notwithstanding of the signal demonstrations of the power of Christ yet though it were the mortifying of some lust and Idol within them yet they will not believe but upon new temptations will doubt of his love to them Christ preacheth Faith by his Word he preacheth Faith by his sufferings he preacheth Faith by his dispensations he preacheth Faith by his promises he preacheth Faith by his rods and if these five instruments will not ingage your hearts to believe who can move them Doth not his two wounds in his precious hands preach out this point of Faith Believe him Doth not that hole opened in his side preach this doctrine That we should believe in him And these two wounds that he received in his precious feet do they not preach this That we should believe on a crucified Saviour And we would only say this that sometimes it is the ca●e of his own that after the convictions of this that it is their duty to believe and also after some desires to close with Christ yet they find inability to close with him Is it not certain that to will to believe is sometime present with you but how to perform you know not And I would have a Christian making this fourfold use of such a dispensation as that which is most ordinarily when convictions of our duty to believe and some desires to close with Christ is not followed with actual performances 1. To study to have your convictions more ●eeply rooted within you for it doth sometimes ●…llow that resolutions and mints to believe are ●ot blest with actual believing because the con●iction of our duty to believe is not deeply im●rinted upon our conscience 2. Be convinced of that desperate enmity and ●hat mystery of iniquity that is within you that ●e can have some will to do without ability to ●erform We confesse it is not an ordinary dis●ase in these dayes to have such a contrariety betwixt a Christians will and his practice our will ●or the most part being no better than our prastice but somtimes it is which may make you ●ry forth O wretched man that I am who shall de●iver me from this body of death 3. That ye would be much in the imploying of Christ that as he hath given you to will so also he might make you to do Christ is about to convince his own in such a dispensation as that That Faith is the gift of God Faith is so noble a grace that it cannot be spinned out from our resolutions not from our endeavors Faith is such a divine plant as the Fathers right hand must plant in our souls 4. Let it convince you of the excllency of the grace of Faith for the difficulty of the attaining to any thing may speak out the excellency of that thing there is no sin but it may be easily win at there is an easinesse and facility to overtake the paths of our Idols but the graces of the Spirit are so excellent things that we must figh● before we attain them And you who are stra●gers to Christ Jesus and have never know what it is to close with him we would reque● you in Christs name to be reconciled to him What know ye O men or rather Atheists be this shall be the last summons that ye shal get 〈◊〉 believe And that because ye disobey this precious summons there shal be one presented t● you that ye cannot sit I remember of one ma● who looking upon many thousands that we●… under his command weeped over them whe● he considered how that within a few years all these should be laid in their graves and should be in eternity O but it were much of our concernment to be trying our selves how it is with us we are not afraid that it is a breach of charit to wish that but one of each ten that are within these doors were heirs of the grace of life and had the solide and spiritual expectation of heaven I think if Christ were to come presently to speak to us He might not only say to each twelve that are here One of you shal betray me but we are afraid that he should say to each twelve that are here Eleven of you shal betray me and but one only shall passe free O doth it not concern you to enquire where you shal rest at night when the long shadows of everlasting evening shal be stretched out upon you I think there are some that are so setled upon their lees that if they were one day in hell and saw all the torments that are there and were brought from it the next day to live on earth they would ●ot repent And more there are some that take ●hem up on day to see the joyes of Heaven and bring them back again they would not pursue after these blessed and everlasting enjoyments O is not Christ much undervalued by us But I must tell you this One wo is past but behold another wo is coming O the searchings of those spirits who are entered into their everlasting pri●on house out of which their is no redemption What shal be your choise when Christ shall come in the clouds I am

And ye shal then b● confounded because this is your sin Believe me there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel and of Christ in it made unto you that shal not at death before or after it be brought to your remembrance And O how sad and doleful will it be to you when Christ shal open the Book where your sins are written and begin with the sin of slighting the great Salvation Thus I invited you when you were twelve years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were thirty years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were sixty years old and ye would not come What will ye answer to this Have ye any thing to say Or must ye not stand speechless before your Judge when he shall put home this challenge unto you Therefore think seriously upon it how ye will answer to it 6. Challenge Will be for your sinning oftentimes against light And O how painful and sad a challenge will that be at the day of death when it will be said Thou sinned with a witness in thy bosom that thou wast doing wrong Thy conscience will say Oftentimes I did tell thee this is sinful yet wouldest thou not abstain from it And what will ye answer to this 7. Challenge Oftentimes ye sinned upon very small temptations and what will ye answer to that Must ye not then confess it and say Oh how often have I deserted Christ and embraced my idols upon a small temptation Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material challenges which certainly shal be presented to you at death I assure you ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ else ye will not get them well answered Therefore I would exhort you to embrace the Gospel and Christ in it that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ye may answer them all as David did viz. God hath made with me an everlasting covenant And that will answer all your challenges Though my house be not so with God yet I have the everlasting covenant to ●il● my salvation upon Now to press you to make use of Christ I shal give you these four considerations Consideration 1. If ye embrace not Christ now death will be very unpleasant to you O what else can comfort thee when going through the region of death but this I am Christs I am Christs Is there any other thing can comfort● thee in that day but only this I am Christs and he is mine Consideration 2. If ye embrace not Christ and the great Salvation now it will be an hundred to one if ever ye get time or liberty to do it when ye are going to dye For although many delay their closing with Christ till death yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favor to grip Christ at death Therefore think on it for you will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine nor all things done as ye suppose therefore now embrace the great Salvation Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ till death seize upon you ye shal never be able to make up that loss For will the dead rise and praise God Or shal any one come from the Land of forgetfulness to take hold upon a crucified Savior Therefore O will ye take him for your Salvation Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now he shal be your guide when ye are going thorow the valley and shadow of death And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word Psalm 48.14 This is my God he will be my guide even unto death If ye can sing that pleasant song O how may ye be comforted when your eye-strings shal begin to break O how happy is he who can say Though I walk thorow the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill for I know that the Lord is with me Now this is the acceptable day and the year of Salvation therefore do not delay but embrace Christ lest death surprise you ere ye be aware and so the acceptable day be lost But unto these who think they may delay till death I say surely there are many damned Atheists in hell that sometimes did think as ye think I will make all wrongs right when death and I shal meet I hope that three days repentance will satisfy for all my wrongs for I am sure there are many in hell who did never get three days to think upon their former wayes Therefore O come come and embrace Christ presently Now are ye all perswaded of this truth that ye shal once see death Then study a tender walking for believe me there are many of us that shal go thorow death with many bruised bones because of untender walking before God We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to embrace Christ for many of you never minded the thing but believe me death will preach these things unto you in a more terrible manner then we can do at this time Therefore I say to each of you O prepare to meet thy God for if death find you in an estranged estate from God I defie the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate and the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out O slighter of the great Salvation that I am I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once he●… wherein Christ was freely offered to me when th● shalt be tormented without hope of remedy therefore while it is to day harden not your heart● for your late wishes shal not be granted when are gone if ye make not haste O therefore has● haste in time and come out from the land of your c●ptivity and from the house of your bondage a● take Christ for your Redeemer the guide of yo● youth and old age Now unto him who can le●… you thorow all these steps betwixt you and Heven be eternal praise Amen FINIS