my Prayer returned into mine own Bosom There was an answer but not a particular answer to what he Prayed for yet he had an answer so God may answer our Prayer and we should pray hoping and waiting and expecting an answer for Faith doth help us so to act to look up and wait In Psalm 5.3 saies David My voice shalt thou hear in the morning Oh Lord in the Morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up I will look after it says he and wait for some answer or other There are many that commonly put up their Prayers Morning and Evening and turn their Backs and never mind what answer God will give them this is not to pray in Faith Faith doth help a Soul to look up and wait for an answer one way or other at one time or another In Habakkuk 2.1 He had been making his Prayer unto God in the former Chapter and now saies he I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I be reproved and then verse 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it Ah! Brethren there is more in this than we are aware of namely to wait in hope and expectation of an answer of our Prayers one way or other in the Lords time this we may expect God having revealed and made known himself to be a God hearing Prayer and he hath not said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Now the Soul may draw near to God in Prayer with hopes and expectations that God being a God hearing prayer will one way or other hear and answer my Prayers look for it and expect it And Brethren this waiting and expecting an Audience and answer of our Prayers from God doth as it were lay an ingagement upon God to answer our Prayers As now if a man knows that another trusts in him for a thing it does lay an ingagement upon him to be the more careful to do it So now when a Soul doth trust in the Lord and rely upon him expecting Audience because he hath declared himself to be a God hearing Prayer now God is ingaged as it were to answer thee saies David in Psalm 9 10. Thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee The Lord will not forsake them that seek we may forsake our Prayers when we have made them but the Lord will not forsake them that seek him as he saies again in Psalm 34. the last Verse None of them that trust in him shall be desolate God is a God hearing Prayer therefore none that trust in him shall be desolate thus we are to wait for and expect an answer of our Prayers and God will hear us And thus now you have had some few Directions given and laid down to help us to pray in Faith and Brethren by thus Praying in Faith we shall avail much this is the prevailing Prayer and without Faith we cannot expect to prevail Quest But you will say to me The Truth is I hope I have Prayed in Faith I have been perswaded that what I have Prayed for hath been according to the Will of God and I have Prayed out of Obedience to the Command of God and I have had an eye to the promise c. And yet I do not find any answer of my Prayer and therefore I have cause to question whether ever I have Prayed in Faith or no How shall I know whether my Prayer have been a Prayer of Faith or no This question is of very great concernment I shall briefly speak something to it First Negatively To pray in Faith is not for a Soul to be perswaded and assured that the particular thing that I pray for I shall have though many do mis-apprehend it and think this is to pray in Faith to pray with an assurance that I shall have the particular thing I pray for no there may be a great delusion in this as I knew a professor once a Woman and I hope a godly Woman she was carried away with this delusion and conceit I know saies she that I shall have this thing and the other thing I know I shall have my Father and Mother come to me from another Country why said the Party to her why said she the promise is that whatsoever I ask in Prayer believing I shall receive and says she I have Prayed for it and I do believe I shall have it They perswaded her it was but a deceit no no saies she I am confident of it But a short time after she fell into a frenzy and madness but yet she recovered again afterward and I hope she was a godly woman possibly yet living but I speak of it for this to shew you that this is not to pray in Faith to be assured that what I pray for shall be given me a Man or Woman possibly may not have the thing they pray for or may not have a perswasion of the thing to be granted and yet may pray in Faith I pray did not our Lord Christ himself pray that the Cup might pass from him And did not he pray in Faith and was not he heard Father I thank thee saies he that thou hearest me always John 11.46 He prayed that the Cup might pass from him he had not the particular thing that he Prayed for and yet he was heard and did pray in Faith for all that so that I say people may delude themselves and think this is to pray in Faith when we are perswaded that we shall have the paritcular thing granted we pray for no this is not to pray in Faith a man may pray in Faith though the thing be not granted at present nay though it never be granted You will say then How shall I know whether I pray in Faith or no though the thing be never granted that I pray for I shall briefly speak three or four things to this and so wind up all First of all Observe I pray when the Heart is brought to be subject to the Will of God and to submit to his dispose when the Heart is brought after Prayer or upon Prayer to submit to the Will of God possibly the Soul hath met with some great Cross and affliction or some great loss possibly of a near and dear Relation the Soul it may be is mightily troubled about it and now goes to God in Prayer and commits its self and its case to God by Prayer and possibly now the Soul is made to submit to the Will of God the Soul comes to argue and reason thus The Lord is wiser than I and the Lord hath an absolute power over me and he may do every thing and it is fit that his Will should be done and hereby the Heart comes to be quiet and made submissive to the Will of God this argues now that
Therefore trust in the Lord in all difficulties Say as David Psal 62.1 Truly my Soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my Salvation Vers 2. My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him You can speak it by experience that Power belongeth unto God and that also unto the Lord belongeth Mercy You have had experience of both in his calling you out of darkness into his marvellous light therefore wait upon him and trust in him to perfect all that doth concern you both for Soul and Body Lastly Be willing to do or suffer any thing for Christ 1. Be willing to live to him The Apostle shews that it is but reasonable that we should live unto the Lord not only as we are Creatures but also upon the account of Grace 2 Cor. 14.15 Because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again Those that live by Christ it is but reasonable that they should live to him We must not of all others live to our selves besides our old obligation to obedience which we owe to God as our Creator and Soveraign Lord Grace lays a further obligation upon us to live to him 2. Be willing to dye for him if he call us to it Paul had heard the voice of Christ speaking from Heaven to him as all that are called do though not in such a manner as Christ spake to him and so he was made alive and now how precious was Christ to him he was willing to suffer any thing for his Name and Glory Act. 21.13 I am ready not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus He was sensible that Christ had given him spiritual Life and therfore thought it a small matter to lay down his bodily Life in a way of bearing witness to his Name SERMON III. John III. 33. He that hath Received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is True THe words before going John says No Man received his Testimony though he testifie nothing but what he had seen and heard in Heaven and no man received his Testimony and yet here immediately it follows that He that hath received his Testimony says that God is True He that hath implying there was some that did receive it that is none few or none None in comparison of those that did not receive it some few there were that did receive it And here in this Verse John doth declare the Commendation of those that did receive Christ and what matter of encouragement to those that do receive Christs Testimony Why he says they do exceedingly Honour and Glorifie God they do subscribe as it were with their Hand and set their Seal to the Truth of God that what the Lord speaks and Christ speaks and what God the Father speaks is Truth and in doing this they Honour and Glorifie God by subscribing and setting to their Seal that God is True As he says he that set to his Seal that God is true doth Testify of what is Truth But how doth it appear that the Spirit is given unto those that Testify of him You may see it cleared in the opening of the Proposition So that the proposition is this taking up the words of the Text. Propos Whosoever he be that doth receive the Testimony of Christ doth set to his Seal that God it True You heard before in the opening of the former clause what we are to understand by the Testimony of Christ and then what we are to understand of the receiving the Testimony of Christ By the Testimony of Christ we are to understand the Gospel of Life and Salvation held forth to poor Sinners that you heard cleared from Scripture and for the receiving of it what is it to receive it it is not only a receiving it into the understandings and also into the affections and receiving it with some kind of Joy and Gladness but also a receiving it into the Heart and Soul in a way of Faith and Believing Believing is receiving the Testimony of Christ I shall not stand to speak of these things but shall now shew you that that Testimony that every believing Soul doth give of Jesus Christ doth set to his Seal that God is true First To shew that God is Truth Secondly what we are to understand by this setting to the Seal that God is true Thirdly To shew by what and wherein and how it doth appear that every believing soul that doth receive the Testimony of Christ doth believe that God is True First To shew you that God is Tru◠〈◊〉 that God is true and faithful in his Word in whatsoever he speaks in his Gospel as that which the Evangelists in the Gospel speaks of in the Testimony of Christ is true When God proclaimed his name by Moses he says of him He is abundant in goodness and in truth he is as abundant in his truth every way as in his goodness And in another place its said God is not as Man that he should lye hath he spoken it and shall he not do it And so I might multiply Scriptures to that purpose the Truth of God is from everlasting to everlasting whatsoever he speaks it shall be what he hath spoken with his mouth he will fulfil Every man says the Apostle are Lyars Let God be true and every man a Lyar in respect of God it is even so And so in the New-Testament God is a God that cannot Lye It cannot stand with his infinite Nature He cannot Lye yet it is impossible for God to Lye He must cease to be God were it ever so But it must needs be so Brethren that God is a God of Truth for God is the Author of all truth He is the Fountain of Truth and you know a Fountain cannot contain sweet waters and bitter He is Light and in him is no darkness at all He is Truth it self and no Lye there can be no falshood at all in him He is the Author of Truth the Devil is the Author of Lyes and the founder of them the Devil is the Father of Lyes and therefore God cannot be the Father of them but he is the Author of 〈◊〉 But â—gain it cannot be that God should speak that which is not truth which he doth not intend for God is an unalterable God an unchangeable God He don't speak and unspeak again but he is Immutable and unchangeable the same to day and forever without any shaddow of turning In our speaking there 's change and shaddow of turning but there is no shaddow of change or turnings in God He says not one thing and intends another If God should promise Life and Salvation unto all those that lay hold of Righteousness and Life and then they fall short of it here were change and shaddow of turning but there 's no shaddow
people righteous before God Christ was sent to fulfill the Law for his people by his Active and Passive obedience He came to do and procure all that is required to the compleat and perfect salvation of his people In a word Jesus Christ was sent into the World not meerly as a Prophet to teach the Mind and Will of God or to be an example of holiness but he was sent to be a Priest in a proper sense to make atonement and satisfaction for the sins of his people and to obtain eternal redemption for them Application Use 1. We may see here that the work of Redemption was a great work Not the highest Angel of Heaven nor all of them put together were able to perform this but God sent his Son about this work Use 2. We may see here that the heart of God the Father was in this great work of redeeming and saving the elect The Father himself loved them for he sent his Son he gave his only begotten Son that they might live through him Use 3. We may see here the love of Christ unto those that the Father had given him That he was willing to be their Mediator for as he is often said to be sent of the Father so he is said to come Heb. 10.7 Lo I come to do thy will O God Christ was so sent as that he came freely came with alacrity and chearfulness for his delight was with the Sons of men his heart was in this work Lastly Let this encourage sinners to come to Christ to venture their souls upon him Do not question whether God will accept of you by anothers righteousness discharge you by a payment made by a Surety deliver you from going down to the Pit upon a ransom given by another for all this was the contrivement of the Lord himself to glorifie both his Justice and his Mercy for ever Therefore let sinners cast themselves upon Christ and fear not this Rock will never fail that Soul that is built upon it I come now to the next words where it is said that Christ speaketh the words of God for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him Doct. 2. That Jesus Christ our Mediator hath the spirit given him by the Father without measure This is a great and glorious truth and very sweet and comfortable to the Saints that the Lord Jesus their Mediator hath a fulness of the spirit Psal 45.7 Anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows Christ hath the spirit above what any of the Saints have and see Isa 61.1 Isa 2.11 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of council and might the spirit of knowledg and of the fear of the Lord. And you have a visible fulfilling of those Prophecies John 1.32 And John bare record saying I saw the spirit descending from Heaven like a Dove and it abode upon him And so Acts 10.3 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed with the Devil for God was with him And in another place It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell All fullness of the Spirit all fullness of Grace dwells in Christ Three Things for the opening of this point 1. What is here meant by the Spirit 2. How the Spirit is said to be given to Jesus Christ seeing he is God How can any gift be said to be conferred upon him seeing he is God and infinite in himself 3. How it may be said that the spirit is given unto him without measure 1. What is here meant by the spirit 1. The Gifts and Graces of the Spirit these are given to Christ not by measure but without measure 2. The Spirit it self Luke 4.14 And Jesus returned in the power of the spirit full of the Holy Ghost Believers have not only the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you v. 11. And if the Spirit be in Believers and dwells in them much more in Christ himself 2dly How can Christ who is God and so infinite and uncapable of addition be said to have the spirit given unto him I answer briefly in a word or two It is true that Jesus Christ as God is infinite and as God he is not capable of having the spirit given unto him but the spirit was given unto Jesus Christ as man the spirit was given to his humane nature which he took upon him 3dly If the spirit was given to the humane nature of Christ how can the humane nature hold the fullness of the spirit the humane nature is finite how can it receive an infinite how then is it said that God hath not given the spirit by measure unto him I answer The expression in the Text is not to be understood without any limitation as if the Spirit were given to the humane nature of Christ in an infinite manner and as if the humane nature were of an infinite capacity the Divine nature of Christ is infinite but though the Divine and humane nature in Christ are eternally united yet they are not confounded This then I say that the spirit was given to the humane nature of Christ beyond all comparison beyond all the Saints on Earth or in Heaven and above all the Angels put them all together The spirit is given to Christ as man incomparatively and transcendently beyond what ever men or Angels have had or shall have It pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell which cannot be said of any other Object It is said that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man Luk. 2.52 How had he such a fullness of the Spirit and yet is said to increase in Wisdom I Answer The Word being made Flesh he was full of Grace full of the Spirit from his very birth but he is said to increase in Wisdom in respect of the effects and opperations expressions and declarations of his Wisdom One Question more How comes it to be so that the Lord Jesus is so filled with the spirit in his humane nature Answer 1. One reason is taken from the nearness of his humane nature to the Divine Brethren Jesus Christ is the Son of God the natural Son of God he hath the very essence of God the nature of God and the humane nature of Christ is brought very near to the God-head It is brought as near as our Bodies to our Souls and therefore it is said that in him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily that is personally The Sun is the Fountain of light and the nearer we come to the Sun the more we partake of light so the humane nature of Christ being brought so near to the God-head as to be taken into
them a City and in enjoying God they enjoy all And then observe that the Happiness of Believers is for ever they are not freed from all evil for a time only and enjoy all good for a time only but for ever And so they have everlasting Life 2. Let us enquire what is this believing what this Faith is upon which a man or woman comes to have everlasting Life I answer 'T is not a bare assent to the Truth of the Gospel 'T is not a meer Historical Faith Yea though you should be somewhat affected with it and hear the Word with Joy and do many things as Herod did But this believing is a Receiving of Christ himself in some word of Grace wherby the humbled Sinner doth wholy rely upon Jesus Christ for Life and Salvation Although we are to believe all that is Written in the Law and the Prophets and the whole Word of God yet Christ as a Saviour and Mediator is the object of justifying Faith Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Faith is wrought in us by the hearing of the Gospel by some word of Grace wherein Christ is held forth as a Saviour either Explicitly or Implicitly The Text saith He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life And Paul bids the Jaylor believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved So that whatsoever word the Lord hints to us to work and beget Faith in our Hearts yet the Soul doth not stay there but Ventures and Casts it self wholy upon Jesus Christ as the Saviour and Mediator Thirdly To give you some Demonstrations or Arguments to prove that whosoever believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life 1. God the Father promised this to Christ the Mediator in the behalf of his Ransomed ones Tit. 1.2 In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began God promised to Christ no less than Eternal Life for his Seed Rom. 6. last The Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Joh. 2.25 This is the Promise which he hath promised us even eternal Life This was promised to Christ that by his Obedience all his People should be made Righteous and have Eternal Life 2. Christ as Mediator prayed for no less than Eternal Life for his people and the Father always heareth him Joh. 17.24 Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me 3. Jesus Christ hath purchased Eternal Life for his People Hebr. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance Christ having made Satisfaction for the Sins of his People and brought in an everlasting Righteousness for them What should now hinder them of Everlasting Life who believe on his Name 4. One thing more to shew you in what sense it is said in the Text That he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life not only shall have it but hath Everlasting Life Seeing that Believers have Sin dwelling and remaining in them and are liable to Temptations and Buffetings of Satan and liable to all kind of outward Sorrows and Afflictions and have this Earthly Tabernacle yet to put off How can it be said that a Believer now hath everlasting Life I answer 1. In regard of the certainty of it As when it is said Babylon is fallen 'T is as certain that Babylon shall fall as if it were fallen already So it is as certain that Believers shall have everlasting Life as if they had it already And so it is said 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us We are saved already 2. In regard that everlasting Life is begun to a Believer Every Believer is in a justified estate his Sins pardoned and the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him and Holiness and Communion with God is begun already in this Life his Fellowship is now with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ 3. In regard of Christ our head Ephes 2.6 He hath raised us up and made us sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ. The members of the mystical Body are now in Heaven though not in their own Persons yet in Christ their Head Heb. 6.20 Whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus He hath taken up Heaven for them and appears in the presence of God for them Application Use 1. From what is said here That he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and he that beleiveth not on the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth on him Learn that there is an everlasting estate appointed for every one either everlasting Life or everlasting Death An eternity there is for every one of us and we are near it we are upon the brink of it we are near Heaven or Hell The Lord knows that we mind these present things too much and eternity very little But O! That when we come to dye to go into eternity that we may be in Christ that so when the Earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved we may have a Building of God an House not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens O! that we may remember our eternal condition more that the thoughts of Eternity may be with us in our Callings and Business all the day long and that we may make sure of our interest of Christ that we may have everlasting Life Use 2. Wonder at the Lord's Grace in Christ that he should give everlasting Life to any of us fallen sinful men God doth not give everlasting Life to any of the Angels that sinned but cast them all down to Hell And you that live under the Preaching of the Gospel bless God that you hear of these glad tidings of everlasting Life through Christ and hearing this way of Life Preached and Declared to you O! that you may receive Christ That you may believe on him that you may have everlasting Life Use 3. Heere is matter of strong consolation to those that have believed on the Son O! Let such rejoyce in the Grace of God the Lord hath abounded towards them in his kindness through Christ Jesus It is true you may meet with many sorrows here in this world but rejoyce in this that there is no Condemnation to you because you are in Christ Jesus And not only no Condemnation but you have everlasting Life You may lose Estate Name Liberty and Life in this World but you can never lose everlasting Life for he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life Use 4. Here is Direction to those that are convinced of their sins that are weary and heavy laden whose consciences are pressed with the burden of their sins as if they had a heavy mountain lay upon them
wrath of God Can you endure to have the wrath of God to abide upon you Let me beseech one thing of you even for the Lord's sake and for your own Souls sake that when you come home that you would retire a little get alone and seriously ponder these words He that believeth not the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ask your own hearts whether you believe what is spoken here and that it shall be fulfilled upon all those that reject Christ And when you are alone put it upon your hearts to consider seriously what it is to have the wrath of God abide upon you what a miserable condition that will be If you had but a Sentence of Death passed upon you by a Judge of Assize how terrible is it to most men But then how dreadful will this be to you when the Lord shall say Depart from me ye Cursed when the Lord shall say that you shall never see Life but the wrath of God shall abide on you for ever Did you never see one under a deep sense and apprehension of Gods wrath O how such an one will cry out And yet it is but some drop or so that falls upon the Conscience here in this Life in comparison of Hell If you have not seen any under the sense of God's wrath consider what the Scripture saith of Cain and Judas what Terrours they were under and read the Story of Francis Spira there you may see what amazing astonishing Expressions and Wishes came from him under a sense of God's wrath lying upon him he was so tormented that but he was watched by his Friends and could not get opportunity he would have killed himself Yea and consider our Lord Jesus Christ who never had any sin inherent in him yet standing in the room of his People and having their sins imputed to him that by his Suffering in their stead Justice might be satisfied for Sin How he was filled with Astonishment and Grief under the wrath of God due to our sins Mat. 26.38 Then saith he unto them My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death Luk. 22.44 And being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground And he cried out upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We must not think that the Captain of our Salvation was thus sorrowful and sweat drops of Blood and cried out so vehemently for the fear and pain of bodily death which many Martyrs and other men have endured without any great disturbance but Christ bare that in his Sufferings that was ten Thousand times more dreadful he had the Iniquities of all his people at once laid upon him and so bare the wrath of God due unto them Our Lord Jesus Christ the Mighty One being God-man soon made Satisfaction for the sins of his people and so was acquitted and discharged and is now in the same Nature wherein he Suffered at the right hand of God But I pray consider If we bear the wrath of God our selves what shall we do You see it is no light matter it will be a burden too heavy for us to bear it will make us wish again and again that we had never been born And truely if we do not believe on the Son who hath born wrath for Sinners and who alone delivers from the wrath to come it must abide upon us Think of these things between the Lord and your own Souls and let us call to one another and awaken one another and tell one another of the danger that we are in If this house where we are were set on fire and one were asleep here it were time to awaken them O! If you have Children Servants Acquaintance that are in an ignorant and prophane way call to them and endeavour to convince them of their sins and draw them to believe in Christ Quest But it may be some will say you press this believing in Christ very much and what is there in believing that those that believe should have Everlasting Life Answ There is nothing of Merit of Efficiency or Causality in our believing to free us from the wrath of God and to bring us to everlasting Life For everlasting Life is the Gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord so that we do not set up Faith to have any part with Christ in the Glory of our Salvation But I pray consider it that Faith is that Grace whereby we lost Sinners being convinced of our Sins and having no hope of any help and relief in our selves do wholy betake our selves to Jesus the Mediator for our Salvation So that Christ is all and doth all and by Faith we receive and embrace Christ our Justifier And so hath the Lord ordained that by going out of our selves and receiving Christ the Mediator we have the Gift of Righteousness even the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us to the Justification of Life So that it is not Faith as a Work but Faith as a Hand or Instrument whereby we receive Christ the Saviour that justifies us in the sight of God Quest But how shall I come to believe on the Lord Jesus Answ 1. You must be convinced of Sin You must see that you are guilty before God that you cannot stand before the Holy Lord God But alas Mens hearts are so taken up with the Cares and Pleasures of the world and think so little of Eternity and the Judgment to come that it is in the thoughts of few how they shall be discharged from the guilt of their Sins and have everlasting Life 2. You must see that there is no help for you in your own personal Righteousness How can there when you have sinned already And all the Righteousness that you can perform in this Life is defective and full of Imperfections You must know that there must be a perfect Righteousness to justifie you 3. You must know that Christ is he that is Ordained of God to be the Saviour That you can be saved only by his Blood and Righteousness and so cast your self wholly upon him This Faith is the Gift of God No man can come to Christ except the Father which hath sent him draw him And though some may think this believing in Christ a notion a fancy or however a common or easy thing yet as it is a real thing wrought in the hearts of the Elect by the Spirit of God so it is no easy thing to believe truly on Christ when a sinner is convinced of the Greatness of God the Holiness of his Law the revenging Justice of God and his own guilt and filth it is a great work of God to fix and stay the heart upon the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one from going down to the pit and bring the soul to everlasting Life Object I dare not come to Christ because I do not know I am Elected Answer You cannot
The Application 1. That by Nature we are spiritually dead You read of some that are dead whilst they live 1 Tim. 5.6 And saith Christ Let the dead bury the dead but follow thou me As the Body without the Soul is dead So we now being without Christ are dead men and women 1. We are dead men in regard of the Sentence of Death and Condemnation past upon us by the Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is Written in the Book of the Law to do it Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin for that all have sinned All our first Father Adam's house are but dead men before the Lord we are all guilty before God Though we are not executed yet we are under the Sentence of Death by the Law and the Sentence of the Law will be executed at last if we be not pardoned in Christ 2. We are dead men as to the life of Grace and true Holiness Our best works are but dead works Heb. 9.14 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Though indeed before Conversion we may do things that are good for the matter yet we do nothing from a right principle and to a right end Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing Except we have Spiritual Sap and Life from Christ we can bring forth no true fruit but are like a dead and withered Branch that hath no life in it 2. What that Life is that Christ gives to dead Sinners 1. The Life of Justification When we are united to Christ the Sentence of Death by the Law is taken off We use to say that of a Malefactor when the Sentence of Death is passed upon him that he is a dead man But if once a Pardon come that makes him a living man then he cannot be executed Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus There was a heavy Sentence of Condemnation passed upon us by the Law but now we are in Christ we are pardoned in Christ and now there is no Condemnation Now as Paul saith Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 2. We have from Christ the Life of Sanctification the life of Grace and Holiness too whereby the Soul hath a Spiritual Inclination and Disposition to act towards God according to that Hebr. 8.10 I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts Ezek. 36.26 27. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes The Preaching of the Life that Christ giveth is to them that perish foolishness Some are fit to make a mock at Life and Justification by the Blood and Righteousness of Christ And so likewise at Conversion at the infusing of Grace into the heart wherby we come to live unto God But as these things are plainly revealed in the Scripture so to them that believe these things are precious 3. Let us enquire what we are to understand here by the Voice of the Son of God 1. The Gospel may be called the voice of the Son of God as it is an Instrumental means to make dead Souls to live The Gospel is called The Word of Grace Acts 20.32 The Word of Christ Col. 3.16 The Word of Life Phil. 2.16 By the Dispensation and Preaching of the Gospel Christ conveyeth himself into our Souls The Letter the Law killeth seeing we are sinners the Law is the ministration of death to us 2 Cor. 6.7 It tells us we are dead men cursed men it revealeth the wrath of God due to us for our sins The Law through our default cannot give us Life because we have not a Righteousness that the Law requires in our selves But it is the Gospel that reveals to us the new way to Life that shews us an Attonement and Righteousness in another We can neither be justified by the Law nor be sanctified by it We cannot be justified by it because we cannot fulfil it We cannot be sanctified by it because it only commands us to obey but giveth no new strength now we have lost the Holiness we had in Adam 'T is the Gospel that reveals to us how we may be justified before God and may have the Image of God renewed upon us But to make us spiritually alive there must be more than a bare Declaration of the Gospel many hear the Gospel Preached many years and yet never hear the voice of the Son of God and Live Therefore here is more to be understood 2. By the voice of the Son of God is meant the Secret Efficacy and Power of the Spirit of Christ so put forth as to turn the heart to the Lord. As the Lord Jesus did say to Lazarus when he was Dead Lazarus come forth and at the same time put Life into him So when the set time is come for the conversion of any of the Elect people there goes forth such a Power of Christ as to put Spiritual Life into them Ministers may speak and spend their strength in calling to dead Souls to come forth but except the Lord put in with them so as to effect the work men will still abide in death Object Hearing presupposeth Life Therefore how is it said That they that hear the voice of the Son of God shall live Can they hear before they live Answer This hearing the voice of the Son of God and living Spiritually are both at the same time As Lazarus when Christ bad him come forth he heard and lived at the same time Christ speaking to the heart with such Power as to turn the heart to himself goes before Spiritual Life in order of Nature but not in order of Time Conversion is a work of Spiritual Creation and so is not like other things The Lord saith live and the Soul liveth 4. Let us enquire what the Lord works upon a man dead in trespasses and sins to make him live Spiritually I shall not stand to speak of what the Lord doth by way of Preparation for the Souls receiving Christ this must be supposed that the Lord doth set our sins in order before us convince us of Sin and of Judgment to come But the very thing by which we are translated from Death to Life is the Lords giving us his Spirit to unite us to Christ whereby we receive the Life of Justification and Sanctification from him The Lord gives the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Ephes 1.17 God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The Sinner was convinced of his lost estate before
and now there comes a powerful Light into the heart to reveal Christ so as to enable the Soul to see Christ held forth in the Promises and to receive him The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Now the Soul saith It is so indeed 't is worthy of all acceptation the Soul now is wrought by the Spirit to approve and like this way of Salvation and heartily close with it Now the Understanding is enlightned and the Will rectified and brought to embrace Christ It is the Lord that makes this change He worketh in us to will and to do Phil. 2.13 Every one that is converted receives Christ Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed on his Name Though it may be that the Souls receiving Christ at first is scarce discerned but afterwards by renewing acts of Faith upon Christ and by the effects of Union with Christ we may come to see that we have received Christ and are made partakers of Spiritual Life There is a certain moment of time when a man hath Spiritual Life put into him he heareth the voice of the Son of God and liveth But the work is so secret and mysterious that it is hard for us to say that just such a day such an hour we heard the voice of the Son of God and lived Though some may be able to know the time yet not all that are made alive by Christ But we find by degrees the acts and effects of Spiritual Life whereby we may know that we have heard the voice of the Son of God and live When we receive Christ then we are made alive indeed for wheras we were under the sentence of death by the Law now we are forgiven all trespasses and have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us And those that receive this gift of Righteousness are not only freed from Hell but shall reign in life by Jesus Christ Rom. 5.17 When we truly receive Christ we are sanctified also Together with the Faith that the Lord gives us to receive Christ for our Justification he also gives his Spirit to work in us a Principle of Holiness and new obedience that we may be both in repect of Justification and Sanctification alive from the Dead Application Use 1. Here we may see the miserable estate that every man and woman is in that hath not heard the voice of Christ. Brethren and beloved do you believe this that dead sinners are made alive by hearing the voice of the Son of God Then those that never yet heard the voice of the Son of God they are yet dead in Trespasses and Sins If you never yet heard the voice of Christ then you are dead men all your sins are upon you you are under the sentence of death by the Law and if you never come to hear the voice of the Son of God this sentence of Death will be upon you for ever And if you never yet heard the voice of Christ to put spiritual life into you then you are dead also as to any Life of Grace and Holiness Those works that you are ready to be proud of and glory in they are all but dead works and you do not truly serve the living God But you will say we hope we have heard the voice of Christ we have heard many able Ministers many good Sermons we have had the Word opened to us Answer This is a Priviledg indeed to have the Word Preached to you but it is not the voice of a man no nor of the Angels of Heaven if they should speak to you that can put Spiritual Life into you except withal you hear the voice of the Son of God Therefore If you never yet heard the voice of Christ to make the Preaching of the Gospel effectual to your Souls I say unto every such person as God said to Abimilech Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man thou art a Sinner and the wages of Sin is Death thou art a condemned man and thou hast no Life of Holiness neither Therefore consider your case and condition Examine your selves Whether the Word Preached hath had that power upon your hearts to draw you to Christ and to turn you from your Iniquities Objection If that we hear the Word Preached by men yet you say that except we hear the voice of the Son of God we cannot live then to what purpose should we attend upon the Preaching of the Gospel Answer It is your Duty to hear what God the Lord speaketh by his Servants and Ministers and though the Word Preached cannot Convert you without the Voice and Power of Christ yet it may please the Lord at one time or other to make the Preaching of the Word effectual upon your hearts as he hath done to others Use 2. See the exceeding greatness of Christ's Power He is able to make dead Souls to live he is able to quicken those who are dead in Trespasses and Sins a work which neither Men nor Angels can do Yea know and take notice That it is no labour no difficulty to Christ to make dead Souls live He can do it easily and suddenly He can do it with a word He can do it as easily as you or I can speak a word The Text saith That the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Use 3. Of Direction to those that have heard the voice of the Son of God and are now quickned and are made alive 1. Bless and praise the Lord stand and wonder at what the Lord hath done for you If any of you had been dead and in the Grave and Christ had said to you as he did to Lazarus come forth and so you had been raised but from a bodily death to live again this had been a great wonder But this is a far greater wonder O! therefore bless the Lord say this my Soul was Dead and is alive I was under the Sentence of Death for the Breach of the Law and now I am pardoned I was without any life of holiness and now the Lord hath given me a new Heart a new Spirit Thus when I lay in my Blood the Lord said unto me Live 2. Love the Lord Jesus who hath delivered your Soul from Death Love him because he first loved you and said to you when you lay in your Blood Live Love him and love the word of his Grace by which he quickened you Never forget his Word the Word of his Grace by which he hath quickned your Souls Love his Word and Ordinances wherein he hath put forth the Power of his Grace to youâ— Souls 3. Trust in the Lord to perform all things for you If you have heard the voice of the Son of God and Live then you have had experience of the Power of Christ indeed
go and eat and drink with gladness with a merry heart it 's true the men of the World can be jovial in their Cups eating and drinking and carousing and none seem to be so merry and jovial as they are but they have no cause for it it is just like a Condemned person that may be jovial and eating and drinking and he know not how soon he may be called to Execution this is the case of every Man and Woman in the World if God do not accept of their Works But now saies Solomon Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works 3. Is it not a desirable thing to have the Creatures ready to be serviceable and officious to a man or woman that there is never a Creature in the World but is ready to be Officious and Serviceable to him though possiby they may seem to be averse and contrary and cross to him yet they are all Serviceable and Officious to him to have every thing turn to good to a Man or Woman whatever any Creature do to him it turns all to his good though the Creature may intend otherwise The wicked men may intend to persecute and persecute them as Enemies but when a man or woman please God and his ways please God all his Enemies shall be made his Friends Proverbs 16.7 When a Mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him They shall be Friends to him they shall do Offices and services of Friendship and kindness to him though possibly against their wills all the creatures shall be officious and serviceable to them and they shall not be able to do them any hurt what a desirable thing is this 4. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to have an audience of all their prayers in Heaven for God to be ready to hear our requests and petitions that we put up to him is not this a desirable thing You will say Oh that I were but sure that God did but hear any one Prayer that ever I made what a desirable thing is this now those whose ways are pleasing to the Lord God do hear their prayers They have access to the Throne of Grace with boldness to find grace and mercy to help in the time of need Heb. 4.16 and mark the Apostles expression in 1 John 3.22 And whatsoever we ask we receive of him Why so because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight If we be sure we do those things that are pleasing to God Now saies the Apostle we know that whatsoever we ask we receive of him we have now an audience of our prayers and petitions in Heaven Oh! what a desirable thing is this 5. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to be a Favourite in the Court of Heaven to be in special favour with the King of Heaven you count it no small matter to be a Favourite in the Kings Court to be in favour with the King you count it a very desirable thing Truly to be a favourite in the Court of Heaven is much more desirable to be in favour with the great King of kings I tell you the favour of God in Heaven is as Life to a mans Soul David could say it that knew it by experience in Psalm 30.5 In thy favour is Life nay he adds a greater word than that in Psalm 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life There is nothing in the world to a Man better than life but to know that a man or Woman is in favour with God he hath that which is better than life Brethren and Friends there are but two great things that a Man or Woman should desire in this World which are the general and comprehensive of all things to be desired one is to enjoy peace with God and the favour of God here and the other is to enjoy the favour and see the face of God in Heaven hereafter What can a man desire more than to be at peace with God and have the favour of God whilst he live and then to know that he shall see and enjoy the face and presence of God for ever in Glory Here is as much as can be desired and these two things we should look after Now here is one of them To know that God is well pleased with a poor Creature now such a person is a Favourite of Heaven and he may be sure of it if he be in favour with God here then he shall see the face of God and enjoy the presence of God hereafter That is the 5th 6. And Lastly to add but that Is it not a desirable thing for a Man or Woman to be able to look Death in the face with comfort when Death comes to stare him in the face when he shall have a sentence of Death past upon him What would you then desire above all the things in this World what not a great Estate not this and that that you can think of in the World but Oh that I might have the Favour of God! and that I might know that God is well pleased with me c. Then a Man or Woman may look Death in the face and may draw near to God with a holy Boldness as I remember Hezekiah when he had the sentence of death upon him in Isa 38.3 Lord saies he Remember how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect heart He could appeal to God that his ways were pleasing to him and now he could resign up his Soul to him though he was troubled that he had not finished the Work that he had to do in the World and so he could have desired to live longer and upon his prayer the Lord did reverse the sentence of Death that was upon him yet when he had the Sentence see how he took it Lord saies he remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is the things that he had been doing had been pleasing to the Lord So a Man or Woman whose ways pleased God whilst he lived in the World when he comes to die he may look Death in the face with comfort What a desirable thing then is it for a man or woman to please God in what he doth That is the Second thing propounded That to please God is a most Desirable thing 3. But in the Third place you will say what is that Faith whereby a man or woman comes to please God Truly it is Faith that is the principle and ground and Foundation whence a man and his Works and Services and Performances come to be pleasing to God A Man or Woman may be diligent in the performance of Duties and Services and yet God may not be pleased with them As for example take two persons that come and joyn together in prayer they pray the same Prayer or two Persons
the Blood of Christ upon us and that by the Eternal Spirit the Spirit of God This is the way and the only way whereby a man or woman comes to be habitually clean and holy by Faith in Christ whereby the Soul is not only justified from the Guilt of sin but there is the Spirit of Christ conveyed and communicated to the soul whereby there is a principle of Holiness of Habitual Holiness put upon the Soul Well this is now the first general Rule and therefore I say Brethren and Friends it is of great concernment to us to look to that if we would act Faith in our Duties so as to please God we must first of all look that there be a work of Faith wrought in our hearts that we do truly believe on Christ and to that end we should be venturing to lean the weight of our Souls upon Christ and upon his Blood and Righteousness as it is tendred and held forth to us in the Gospel and to this end also let us wrastle with the Lord and beg for the Spirit of Faith to be given out to us Christ hath promised that our Heavenly Father will give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him This is the first Rule to look that we be true Believers 2. Secondly As Faith does possess the Soul with Habitual Holiness so it is by Faith also that a Soul comes to be cleansed from actual Guilt Therefore the Second Rule to act in Faith in our Duties and Performances is to put away all Guilt all sinful Uncleanness from us when we come to perform any Service or offer up any Sacrifice to the Lord If a Man or Woman come before the Lord in the guilt of any known sin that he lives in if he do not put that away it makes all his Duties unclean and not pleasing to God A man cannot act in Faith so long as he comes knowingly with any guilt upon his Conscience living in the neglect of any known Duty or living in the commission of any known sin if he live in it he cannot act in Faith Faith will purge and cleanse the Soul from sin that he will put away all guilt when he comes to draw near to God See what is said in Job 11.13 14 15. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him If Iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot c. When you come to stretch out your hands towards God in Prayer or when you come to draw near to him in any Duty Then saies he if there be Iniquity in your hand put it far away Do not come to God in Prayer or in any Ordinance in any known Sin that you do allow your selves in for if you do you cannot perform those Duties in Faith and so they cannot be pleasing unto God Therefore be sure that you put away all evil from you As now for Example to shew you the Application of this Rule that you may know how to make use of it for every Duty suppose now you go to prayer if you would pray in Faith so as to please God you must not allow your selves in any known sin No says David in Psal 66.18 If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me I cannot make a Prayer in Faith If you have made a thousand Prayers though you be a Believer in the main yet all those Prayers that you have put up in such a way with the guilt of any known sin upon you that you allow your self in and go on in your Prayers have not been put up in Faith and so God will not regard them Therefore be sure of that when you come to pray see that you do not allow your self in any known sin So if you come to hear the Word if you would hear in Faith so as to please God in it you must put away all evil out of your hands In Jam 1.21 says the Apostle there Lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Do you desire to hear the Word in Faith so as it may be a saving Word to your Souls Then Lay aside all Filthiness and Superfluity of naughtiness Allow your self in no known sin when you come to draw near to God in any Ordinance So the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2 1 2. saies the Apostle there Laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisie and envy and evil-speaking as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Do you desire to hear the Word so as you may please God in your hearing Then let there be no Envy nor Malice nor Hypocrisie allowed in your hearts for else you cannot receive the Word so as to be milk to your Souls so as to grow and profit by it And so also if you come to any other Ordinance as to the Lords-Supper you must come in Faith to it and partake in Faith or else we cannot please God by it Now this is one way whereby we come to partake in Faith namely by cleansing our selves Saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 8. speaking by way of Allusion to the Passover Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us let us therefore keep the Feast not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth If we draw near to God in this Ordinance we must cleanse our selves in Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and God will draw near to you And how shall we draw near to God so as God may draw near to us Mark what follows Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Here is the way for us to draw near to God in a way of Faith for it is properly the work of Faith to purge the Heart and to purge the Hands That is the second Direction that may serve as a General Direction to help us to draw near to God in any Duty or Ordinance so as to please God 3. The Third way to perform Duties so as to please God is this It is the proper work of Faith to empty the Soul of it self Now if you will draw near to God in any Duty or Ordinance so as to please God then come with Self-emptyings for Faith is a self-emptying Grace that is the proper work of Faith to empty the Soul of it self Now there are two things that Faith does empty the Soul of in the performance of holy Duties The one is It empties the Soul of the sense of its own Sufficiency and Ability to perform holy Duties and also it empties the Soul of the sense of its own worthiness to receive any Mercy from the Lord in any Duty or Ordinance These two things Faith doth empty the Soul of and so you shall find it that where Faith hath been acted and
exercised there hath been Self-emptyings The Apostle Paul was a man that did live much in the excercise of Faith and he professes it Gal. 2.20 That he Lived by the Faith of the Son of God and you may observe how the Apostle emptied himself of Self-sufficiency and Self-worthiness for Self-sufficiency says he in Rom. 8.26 We know not how to pray nor what to pray for as we ought The Apostle Paul that was such a great proficient in the School of Christ such an eminent person yet saies he We know not how to pray he was empty of Self-sufficiency and saies he in 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Saies he I am so insufficient that I cannot so much as think a good thought What was he sufficient for then And saies he in another place I cannot so much as will or desire any thing that is good It is God saies he that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure And saies he in 2 Cor. 12.11 though I be nothing What a word is this The Apostle Paul that was one of the eminentest Saints that lived upon the face of the earth in his days yet says he I am nothing Paul living by Faith was emptied of the sense of his own sufficiency and truly so also he was emptied of Self-worthiness of receiving any Mercy from God For all his Duties and Services saies he I am less than the least of all Saints and Ephes 3.8 To me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given c. And in 1 Cor. 15.9 saies he I am the least of the Apostles that am not worthy to be called an Apostle So if you observe it you may find it in all those that lived in the exercise of Faith how they have been emptied of the sense of their own worthiness Abraham the Father of the Faithful see how he lay low and even crept in the dust before the Lord and acknowledged himself not worthy to speak to the Lord in Prayer for Sodom that he was fain to Apologize for himself at every turn Let not the Lord be angry that I who am but dust and ashes have undertaken to speak unto the Lord Gen. 18.27 30 32. I am unworthy saies he to speak unto the Lord for any Mercy either for my self or Sodom And so Jacob Lord saies he I am less than the least of all thy Mercies Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least Mercy from thee Thus Faith does empty the Soul both of self-sufficiency and also of self-worthiness Now then to shew you how you should make use of this Rule It will serve for every Duty that we perform when we come to pray we should draw near to God with this sense of our insufficiency to lift up a Prayer unto God we should come to God with a sense upon our hearts of our inability to perform the work and also with a sence of our own unworthiness that God should hear our Prayers when we have prayed never so well as others may judge yet we must come with self-abasing and self-emptying So if we go to hear the Word if we would hear in Faith we should make use of this Rule Lord I am unworthy to be admitted to hear thy Word I am unworthy that thou shouldst speak to me and I am insufficient to hear thy Word as I ought to hear it Thus come with self-emptying and self-abasement So when we come to the Lords-Supper Lord I have no strength now to partake of this Ordinance as I ought to do I cannot prepare my self for it I have no strength to partake of it I have no sufficiency at all to partake of this or any other Ordinance as I ought to do and I am unworthy that the Lord should draw near to me to let me have any Fellowship or Communion with himself This is the Third general Rule Fourthly If we would perform all Duties and partake in all Ordinances in Faith so as we may please God in what we do Then let us do all that we do in the Name of Christ for there is all our worthiness and all our acceptance You know the Apostle gives us this Rule iâ— Col. 3.17 Whatever ye do in word or in dâ—ed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ For if we do not what we do in his Name it is not accepted Look as it was under the Law if a man under the Law were to bring a sacrifice he was to bring it to the Priest or else it was not accepted but it was to be an Abomination in Levit. 17.3 4. Whatsoever man of the house of Israel there be that killeth an Oâ— or Liamb c. And bringeth it not unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation unto the Priest that soul hath shed blood and shall be out off from among his People Though he brought never so good a sacrifice in it self yet it must be brought unto the Priest And so they were to bring their sacrifices and have them laid upon the Altar or else they were an Abomination and not acceptable to God Now Brethren Jesus Christ is our great High-Priest and Jesus Christ is our Altar too by whom and upon â—â—â—m all our services and sacrifices must be â—â—â—ered or else they are not accepted of God therefore whatever you do whatever Prayer you make whatever Ordinance you partake 〈◊〉 do all in the Name of Jesus Christ or else you do not do it in Faith and it will not be pleasing unto God Quest You will say What is it to perform a Duty in the Name of Jesus Christ so as it may be acceptable and pleasing to God Answ For answer Brethren It is not enough for us to make mention of the Name of Christ in our Prayers and to say Through Jesus Christ our Lord as you commonly conclude your Prayers I do not blame you for this But it is not the naming of the Name of Christ that is this doing of it in the Name of Christ What is it then you will say for me to pray or hear the Word or partake of any Ordinance in the Name of Christ Briefly for I would not inlarge there are these Three things implied in it First That we do look for our access into the presence of God through Christ and for his sake says the Apostle in Ephes 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father Through him we both that is both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit unto the Father we have access into the presence of the Father through Christ You know Brethren after Adam fell and transgressed he was driven out from the presence of God Before indeed he had communion with God and access into the presence of God but after he had broken the Covenant that God had made with him he was
and pleasing unto God because it is not done in Faith it must be a Prayer of Faith as the Apostle James calls it so to pray as to be perswaded to believe and rest upon God that so far as my Prayer is according to his Will he will hear and answer in his own time and in his own way And so for hearing of the Word you may make use of this Rule namely to rest and wait upon the Lord and expect something to be given out from the Lord in that very Ordinance for which the Ordinance was appointed namely to hear something spoken from God to me that I may be further acquainted withal In Acts. 10.33 see what Cornelius speaks to Peter Peter was sent from God to speak to him saies he We are all here present before God to hear what God shall speak We are all here present before the Lord expecting to have something spoken from the Lord. It is the Lords Ordinance and we are to wait upon God in it with an expectation to have something from God Alas we come to hear the Word and we may go away as we come if we do not hear in Faith we should come with an expectation to hear something from God I will hearken to hear what God the Lord will speak to me it is his Ordinance and the way and means which God hath appointed to communicate of himself to us and so we must rest and rely upon the Lord by Faith for something to be spoken that may be of concernment to us And so for receiving the Lords-Supper this general Rule will help you in that Come to that Ordinance resting upon God in a way of Faith expecting something from the Lord to be given out in that Ordinance for which the Ordinance especially was appointed And what is that To have communion with Christ and a communication and participation of the Blessings of Christ of the Grace and Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 saies the Apostle there The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ It was procured and purchased by Christ's Death and Bloodshed Now then I say here is the Rule When we come to a Duty and Ordinance come in a way of resting and expectation to have something communicated to us from the Lord of the Ordinance something of that which God hath appointed the Ordinance and Duty for So now you see here are five General Rules that may help us in the performance of Spiritual Duties in a way of Faith so as we may please God in them And O Brethren and Friends should any of us be willing to perform Duties and enjoy Ordinances in vain from day to day Why as you have heard if we go on not to act Faith in what we do all will be in vain And are you willing to be the worse for the Duties that you perform and the Ordinances that you enjoy Truly if we do not act Faith in them we shall instead of being the better be the worse for them we cannot please God but shall displease him more and more And so are we willing to meet with disappointments at last when we come to lie down upon our Sick-bed and Death-bed and expect that we have been pleasing God by what we have done and we shall meet with a Disappointment because we have done nothing in Faith and so have not pleased God but displeased him And are you willing to deceive your own Souls as you have heard We may go on in the performance of Duties and Services and steer a wrong Course missing of Christ if our Duties and Services be not touched with the Loadstone of Faith Therefore I say Brethren it is of concernment to us to consider these general Rules that have been given to direct us how to perform Duties and enjoy Ordinances in a way of Faith that so they may be pleasing unto God There are particular Rules that I shall desire if the Lord please to lay down How we may so pray in Faith that our Prayers may be pleasing unto God and then shew you how we may hear the Word in Faith that thereby we may please God and profit our own Souls And so come afterward to some other things as the Lord gives opportunity But thus much for this time SERMON VII Hebrews XI 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please him Doct. THis is the truth and proposition before us That it is impossible for any Soul to please God without Faith The last time we came to enter upon some directions how we might so exercise Faith in the performance of Duties and in the enjoyment of Ordinances that so what we do might please God some general Directions were laid down that may serve for all Duties I shall now go on through the Lords assistance and give you some more particular directions how we may perform particular duties in Faith that so they may be pleasing unto God 1. And in the first place we shall begin with the duty of Prayer and shew you how we may so pray in Faith as we may please God for that is the Prayer that God doth accept That is a prayer of Faith Therefore it is said in James 5.15 That the prayer of faith shall save the sick That is there must be Faith exercised in our prayers or else our prayers are not true prayers such as God accepts Suppose a man be a Believer and have a habit of Faith he prays yet if he do not exercise Faith in his prayer he prays not the prayer of Faith and it will not avail James 1.6 If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God He must pray to God for it but says he Let him pray in faith for else if he do not pray in faith his prayer will not avail And he speaks to those that are faithful for he writes to the Twelve Tribes amongst whom were many faithful and believers If any of you lack wisdom let him ask it of God but let him ask it in faith nothing wavering for else his prayer is not pleasing to God as the Apostle says in another case 1 Cor. 14.19 I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue So I may say in this Case a man had better put up five prayers in Faith than Ten thousand prayers without Faith and though we speak but a few Words in prayer if it be mixed with Faith it is more available than if we speak never so many words never so largely without Faith Quest Well you will say How shall we so act faith in prayer that our prayers may be pleasing unto God Answ For Answer Besides what was presupposed before that the person must be a Believer and also passing by those general Rules of direction laid down before I shall give you four or five particular directions how we should so pray in Faith that our prayers may be pleasing unto God Namely First
But now Faith will help a Soul to go over all these Objections it is my Duty and I will do it in Obedience to the Will of God notwithstanding this or that or the other Temptation God hath commanded me to pray evermore and Pray without ceasing and that I should pray and not faint possibly Satan will come with his Temptations and Objections Do you not see that God seems to be angry and offended with your Prayers God seems to answer you contrary to your Prayers then to what end is it for you to pray Yet Faith will help a Soul to answer all with this It is my Duty it is Gods command and therefore I will do it For Faith does carry a Soul beyond Difficulties and Objections As you see it was with Abraham his Faith carried him beyond all his carnal reasonings and objections As when God called him to go out of his Native Country into a place that he knew not and it may be scarce ever heard of in all his Life Flesh and Blood now and the Devil would be ready to make Objections What! shall a Man venture to go he knows not whither But now Faith helped him to go on therefore it is said in Hebrews 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went He went because of the Command of God in obedience to the call of God So when Abraham was called to a hard piece of Service to offer up Isaac here might have been a Temptation What shall I go and cut the Throat of him in whom all the promises are to be performed From Isaac Christ was to come and God had told Abraham that in him all the Families of the Earth should be blessed yet go saies God and sacrifice your Son Here was the command Abraham goes notwithstanding all the Cavils and objections of carnal reason Abraham goes about it in obedience to the command of God Brethren take this as another direction to help us to pray in Faith notwithstanding the objections and Temptations that may take us off it is our duty here is the Command of God for it and out of obedience to Gods Command I will do it whatever come of it You read in the 5th of Luke the beginning that Peter had been Fishing all Night and had Caught nothing in the Morning Christ stood upon the shore and called to him saies he Cast your Net on the Right side of the Ship Sir saies he we have been labouring and toyling all Night and have caught nothing it is but a vain thing But yet he did recollect himself nevertheless at thy Command we will do it and thereupon casting out the Net upon Christ's command they had a very great Draught in so much that they were Amazed Well this is the second direction to help us to pray in Faith to pray in Obedience to the Lords Will. Thirdly The third Direction is this namely to be eying of the Lords Promise and to pray by vertue of some promise or other and this will mightily strengthen and help Faith in Prayer If a Soul have but a promise to encourage him in Prayer by this means the Soul will come to see as through a Crevice the Willingness of God to hear him and answer him The Soul may possibly scruple and Question But if I pray will the Lord hear me But if the Soul comes in the vertue of a promise he comes with a great encouragement and perswasion that God will hear him Now Brethren for your help in this thing in praying by vertue of some promise understand and know that there are two sorts of promises there are some more general promises concerning Gods hearing Prayer and then there are some more particular promises concerning some particular Mercy or Blessing that we pray for Now as for the general promises the Scripture is full of them that God is a God hearing prayer in Psalm 65.2 O thou that hearest Prayer unto thee shall all Flesh come God is a God hearing Prayer for the encouragement of all Flesh to come unto him So in Psalm 86.4 5. Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and Plenteous in Mercy unto all them that call upon thee Here is a general promise so in Psalm 102.17 He will regard the Prayer of the Destitute and not despise their Prayer And in Psalm 145.8 The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him that call upon him in Truth He is nigh them to hear their Prayer So in the New-Testament saies Christ in Matt. 7.7 8. Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asketh receiveth c. And so you have such expressions frequently up and down in the Scripture that are general promises to encourage the Soul in Prayer as the Apostle saith in Rom. 10.12 The same Lord over all is Rich unto all that call upon him Such general promises you have frequently in the Scripture and then there are some more particular promises about Gods hearing Prayer as now for some particular Mercy or Blessing that a Man or Woman may stand in need of there are some particular promises that suits them more particularly As you know Jacob he makes use of that Lord saies he Thou hast said that thou would'st do me good When he was in danger by his Brother Esau in Gen. 32.9 10 11. Lord saies he Thou hast said that thou would'st do me good God had promised to bless him and he makes use of that promise and strengthens his Faith in his Prayer by that Argument And so David in 2 Sam. 7. there you may read how the Lord made a gracious promise to David and his House to establish the Throne to him and his posterity that his Posterity should succeed him in his Throne David would have built God a House Well saies God wilt thou build me a House I will build thy House for thee There was a Gracious promise well David makes use of this promise in the latter end of the Chapter verse 27 For thou Oh Lord of Hosts God of Israel hast revealed unto thy Servant saying I will build thee an House therefore hath thy Servant found in his Heart to pray this Prayer unto thee c. So Jehoshaphat in 2 Chron. 20. having his Land invaded by a Foreign Enemy he goes to God in Prayer but mark how he eyes a promise in his Prayer vers 8 9. And have built thee a Sanctuary therein for thy name saying If when evil cometh upon us as the Sword Judgement or Pestilence or Famine we stand before this House and in thy presence for thy Name is in this House and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou wilt hear and help c. He takes hold of the promise of God and pleads that in
his Prayer and so prevails So I might instance in others sometimes God casts in a promise gives some secret hint of a promise in Prayer As Paul he had that promise when he was afflicted with the Thorn in the Flesh and a Messenger of Satan to buffet him God told him that his Grace should be sufficient for him 2 Cor. 12.9 And he makes use of that and gathers strength from it But Suppose now a man or woman have no particular promise to strengthen his Faith in Prayer then let him eye some general promise or other and this will be a mighty encouragement and strengthning and help to Faith in prayer to encline the Heart to be perswaded that God is willing because of such general promises Or suppose that any Man or Woman have no promise to lay hold upon or to act Faith in Prayer upon then Fourthly In the Fourth place take a fourth direction and that is to eye the Name of God the Attributes of God they are called the Name of God thereby God doth discover himself and his nature to us and plead by vertue of some attribute of God the Name of God for sometimes a Believer may be in the dark and may not have the light of so much as any one promise to make use of Now you know what the Holy-Ghost saith in Isaiah 5.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in Darkness and sees no light not the light of any Promise let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon hâ—s God let him make use of the Name of God to strengthen his Faith The Saints and People of God have been wont to plead for the Name of God and the Glory of Gods Name that you find frequently in the Scripture in Jeremiah 14.7 O Lord though our iniquities testify against us do thou it for thy Names-sake So in the Psalms frequently in Psalm 25.11 For thy Name-sake Oh Lord Pardon my iniquity for it is great But more particularly eye some Attribute of God some particular Name of God as I may so call it for God is made known and discovered to us by his attributes and the properties of his Name now let us eye some Attribute of God that may be helpful to us in Prayer as now the Power of God it is very useful to eye the Power of God in Prayer and so you will find the Saints have made use of the power of God that was put forth in the Creation of the World I remember Jeremiah Chapter 32. when the Children of Israel were to go into Captivity for seventy years the Lord bad Jeremiah to buy the Field of his Uncle for an evidence that God would bring his people back again Jeremiah when he had done he would fall to Prayer and he makes use of the power of God at the 17th verse Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the Heavens and Earth by thy great Power and stretched out Arm and there is nothing too hard for thee It is a hard thing for Flesh and Blood to believe that I and my posterity shall have this Land again but there is nothing too hard for thee God can easily bring them back again from their long Captivity so you may see how Moses did eye the Power of God in Numbers 14.17 18. And now I beseech thee let the Power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken c. He urges the greatness of Gods Power and so Jehoshaphat in that Prayer of his 2 Chron. 20.6 Oh Lord saies he art not thou God in Heaven and rulest not thou over all the Kingdoms of the Heathen and in thine Hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee And so Asa when he also was in the like distress when his Land was invaded 2 Chron. 14.11 he cried to the Lord and mark how he eyed the Power of God And he said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with a many or with them that have no power help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name we go against this Multitude And so if you observe when Christ gives us directions to pray in that which is called the Lords Prayer still in our prayer we are to eye the Power of God For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory Still eye the Glory of Gods Power and this is more helpful to Faith than we are aware of you know when many came to Christ in their distresses when he was here upon Earth for help the poor Leper when he came to Christ he came with this Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Mat. 8.2 And saies Christ to the Father of the Child that was possest when he came to him to cast out the Devil Canst thou believe saies Christ that I am able to do this because he questioned the Power of Christ Mark 9.22 Lord if thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us saies Christ if thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth Verse 23. He would have him to eye his Power and the eying of the Power of God doth wonderfully strengthen Faith and enable us to pray in Faith And so again eye the mercy and goodness and kindness and grace and compassion of God in Prayer and that will help us in our prayers strengthen Faith in the Mercy of God You read of it frequently in the Psalms how David made use of that in his Prayer For thy mercy sake deliver me and have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies Psal 51.1 So Moses in Numb 14.17 18. He argues the Cause with God in his Prayer upon the account of his Mercy Let the Power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying the Lord is long suffering and of great Mercy forgiving iniquity c. Verse 19. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this People according to the greatness of thy Mercy This is now the fourth direction to help us to pray in Faith namely to eye the Name of God the Glory of his Name some of his Glorious Attributes and plead the vertue of them To name but one more Fifthly To pray in Faith is to pray with a hope and expectation of an audience of our prayers there is much lies in this many pray and pray and never look after their Prayers they pray without any hope or expectation of Gods hearing and answering their Prayers Now I say we should pray with hope and expectation waiting for an answer of our Prayers from the Lord one way or other in the Lords own way for sometimes the Lord may answer us in a way that we could not expect not in that particular thing that we pray for As David saies in Psal 35.13 But as for me when they were sick my cloathing was Sackcloth I humbled my Soul with fasting and
the Soul hath been praying in Faith and God hath heard his Prayer though he give him not the particular thing he prays for yet he is made to submit to the Will of God This was just the case of Christ Christ prayed that the Cup might pass from him the Cup did not pass from him yet in his Prayer he was brought to submit to the Will of God Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done So possibly the Soul could not be satisfied with the dispensation of God he comes and commends himself and his case to the Lord and upon Prayer the Soul is brought to submit to the Will of God and to say not my will but thy will be done This is the first Secondly When the Soul is brought into a composed frame upon Prayer possibly the Soul was all in a hurry and royl before it met with something that was matter of affliction and perplexity and it was like the raging Sea the Soul could not rest night nor day well when this Soul comes and commits its self and case and condition to the Lord in Prayer and now there is a great calm and quiet in the heart and all is allayed on a sudden here is now the Power of Faith the spirit of Faith hath prevailed and God hath come in and answered that Prayer tho' not in the same kind and way that the Soul desired yet it is a sign it is a Prayer of Faith and God hath answered it because now the heart is quieted and composed after such a storm This was the case of Hannah Hannah was in a royle at first when she was upbraided for barrenness she goes and commends her Case to the Lord before she told Ely she was a woman of a troubled spirit 1 Sam. 1.15 I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. And when she had gone before the Ark and commended her self and case to the Lord by Prayer it is said at Verse 18. That she went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more sad And so likewise this was David â—s case David was exceedingly troubled and perplexed and disquieted because of the sickness of his Child 2 Sam. 12. He fasted and prayed earnestly a long time and though the Child died yet David's spirit was calm and composed and when he heard the Child was dead then he anointed himself vers 20. and went into the House of the Lord and worshipped and he went also into his own House and did eat and drink as he used to do to the wonderment of his Servants about him God had composed his heart and though he had not the thing he prayed for yet he had his Prayer answered and his Prayer was a prayer of Faith Object But you will say May not another that hath no faith at all pray and find his spirit quiet how is this then the work of faith one that never had any faith at all possibly he may pray and have his spirit quiet and is never troubled at all wherein lies the difference Answ Mark I pray such a one that is not at all troubled about his condition he is after Prayer just as he was before Now I say this is an evidence that Faith hath been at work upon the heart namely when the spirit was all in a royle and commotion like the raging Sea and then upon Prayer it is calmed and quieted this is an argument that this Prayer is a prayer of Faith Thirdly It is an argument that a Soul prays in Faith when as the Soul is made to persevere in Prayer notwithstanding the discouragements and difficulties it meets withal for this is the proper work and effect of Faith to go on against discouragements and not to be taken off by difficulties As now the woman that had the bloody Issue she would fain have come to Christ but she met with impediments there was a great throng about him that she could not tell how to get near him but her Faith did carry her on against all the discouragements and impediments that she met withal she would press into the throng and if she could but touch the Garment of Christ she would be satisfied the throng should not keep her from Christ Mark 5.28 And so the blind man in Mark 10.46 c. that sate by the way-side begging he heard that Jesus was passing by and he cryed out Jesus thou son of David have mercy on me and he made such a noise that the people were offended at him and charged him to hold his peace and it is said vers 18. That he cried out a great deal more and Christ took notice of his Prayer and called him to him and said What wilt thou that I should do to thee verse 51. Lord said he that I might receive my sight Go thy way says Christ thy faith hath made thee whole It was a prayer of Faith and Christ did hear it and he was kept on praying against discouragements and impediments that he met with And so the woman of Cannaan came to Christ for her Daughter Matt. 15. she intreats Christ to have Mercy upon her Christ turns a deaf ear to her and and answers her never a word she goes on still and Christ denies her I am not sent says he but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Here was discouragement upon discouragement she goes on still and says Christ It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and cast it to dogs Yet she would not be discouraged but went on till she had obtained the Mercy So I say when a Soul is drawn out to go on in Prayer notwithstanding discouragements and objections and temptations to the contrary it is an argument that it is a Prayer of Faith and God will hear it and answer it in his own time 4. I might have added a fourth which is this namely when a Soul is made to wait upon God still for an answer and return of his Prayer though the Soul have not yet an answer and doth not meet with a return yet notwithstanding the Soul is made to wait and to go on in waiting to wait and to persevere in waiting truly this is an argument that that Prayer is a prayer of Faith when the Soul is made willing to wait the Lords time and the Lords way for an answer of that he prays for and expects this is an argument of the exercise of Faith Says David when the Lord had promised him to give him the Kingdom Saul was then alive and he sought David's life David sometimes had Saul at an advantage as in 1 Sam. 26. and one of his Worthies that was with him said to him at ver 8. God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day now therefore let me smite him I pray thee with the spear even to the earth at once c. No says David stay the Lords time vers 9.10 11. Destroy him not As the
Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descend into battel and perish The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lords annointed And so for a deliverance out of danger Faith doth help a Soul to go on to persevere in waiting for it till the Lords time Says David in Psal 40.1 2. I waited patiently for the Lord and he enclined unto me and heard my cry he brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock Here was a prayer of Faith he was willing to wait the Lords time and the Lord did hear him And thus now you see here are some symptoms whereby we may discern whether we pray in Faith or no. Now Brethren you have heard this particular thing spoken to namely how we should so pray in Faith that our prayers may be pleasing unto God What shall we think then of those that do not pray at all Nay what may they think of themselves if those that pray and do not exercise Faith do not please God what do those do then that neglect prayer that cast off prayer and restrain prayer or else do it by fits and starts when they have nothing else to do They restrain Family-Prayer and Closet-Prayer what shall we think of them do these please God or do they not go on in a way of displeasing God from day to day provoking the Lord to pour out his wrath upon them If there be any such here let them not go on any longer thus to provoke the Lord. But Brethren and beloved now that we have heard these directions about praying in Faith let none of us satisfie our selves with the hearing of these things but let us now endeavour to walk according to the Directions presented before us Do you not desire to please God in your praying or else what do you pray for Well would you not have your Prayers displeasing unto God day by day then be careful to pray in Faith and to that end remember these Directions that I have now laid before you And thus now I have done with this particular concerning praying in Faith It remains that we give you some Directions about exercising Faith in hearing of the Word and then to shew you how to partake of the Lords-Supper in Faith and then I may speak something by way of direction how we may exercise Faith in the businesses and concernments of this life in the matters of our particular calling for every thing must be done in Faith For without faith it is impossible to please God But thus much shall suffice for this time SERMON VIII Hebrews XI 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please him Doct. IT is impossible for any Soul to please God without Faith This is the Subject we have been about and shall now through the Lords assistance proceed in The last time I gave you some Directions how we should exercise Faith in Prayer so as we may please God I shall now through the Lords assistance proceed and come to lay down some directions how we may come to exercise Faith in hearing the Word of God that so we may please God For though we should hear the Word of the Lord never so often yet if we do not exercise Faith in our hearing we do not please God in it It is not enough that a man or woman have Faith in the habit the Grace of Faith in his heart whilest he is hearing the Word but it is requisite unto our pleasing of God in hearing his Word that we act and exercise Faith Says the Apostle in Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them Why not why did not the Word Preached profit them He gives this as the Reason of it not being mixed with faith says he in them that heard it They did not exercise Faith in hearing the Word therefore they did not profit by hearing for want of mixing Faith with it The word that is translated mixed it signifies an incorporation or a Composition as it were as there is in putting ingredients into a Potion As now suppose in a Potion if there want some special ingredient that is requisite to it the Potion will do little good nay possibly it may do a great deal of hurt it may not only not profit but it may prejudice it may be very hurtful Truly so this Faith is a special ingredient to our hearing the Word of God now if this be wanting this acting and exercising of Faith in hearing the Word we may be much prejudiced it is of great concernment for people to be acting and exercising of Faith in hearing the Word I do not deny but God may sometimes and doth ordinarily by the Word work Faith in those that were not Believers before for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 Yet notwithstanding we cannot say though God may please to work Faith in those that have no Faith by hearing the Word yet we cannot say that their hearing the Word that have no Faith is pleasing unto God or that they do please God in their hearing no the Text seems to speak the contrary the Text says that without faith it is impossible to please God And truly this may be the great wound the great sore upon people the great impediment and hindrance and reason why people hear much and profit so little for want of exercising Faith in hearing Quest You will say then How shall we so act and exercise faith in our hearing the word that our hearing may be pleasing unto God and profitable unto us Answ In answer to this I shall come directly to lay down some Directions about hearing the Word of the Lord in a way of Faith that so our hearing the Word may be pleasing unto God And first of all we must be sure of this to be perswaded upon good grounds that those that we do hear dispensing the Word be called and sent by Christ to Preach or else we cannot hear them in Faith some may Preach and yet were never sent as the Lord saith in Jer. 23.21 I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they Prophesied A man may come that hath good parts and Preach the Word and yet may not be sent by the Lord and if he be not sent by the Lord truly then we cannot hear in Faith and if we be not perswaded that he is sent by Christ and called by Christ to Preach and dispense the Gospel we cannot depend upon it as an Ordinance of God we cannot expect the presence of Christ we cannot expect the blessing of Christ upon his Preaching There are Two things therefore that we are to attend to here 1. That those that we hear Preach the Gospel be sent and called by Christ to Preach And 2. We
will do it Your heart was not right says he ye pretended and said whatever the Lord our God shall say we will do but ye did dissemble This is one kind of hypocrisy and guile when a Soul doth dissemble with God and seem to worship God and yet the heart is far from God pretend to come to know the Mind of God and yet have not a full purpose and resolution of heart to do what God shall reveal and make known to be his Will And then there is another kind of hypocrisy and guile which is towards men when as a man doth pretend love to his Neighbour and kindness and friendship in Word and Lip and yet there is no reality at all in the heart The Apostle John speaks of this very thing says he 1 Joh. 3.8 My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth It is not a love in deed and in truth when as our Brother or Neighbour stand in need of supply and help and we shut up our bowels towards him here is dissembling we pretend love and there is no reality Now says the Apostle if you will hear the Word so as to profit by it you must lay aside all guile and hypocrisy this may be another great cause and reason why people do come and hear much and profit little because they harbour guile and hypocrisy in their hearts therefore this you must be careful also to lay aside Thirdly Another impediment which the Holy-Ghost also points at in Scripture which doth hinder us from profiting by the Word is this when we come to hear with our hearts royled with passion and anger and wrath when we come to hear and have our spirits in a storm as it were with passion then we may hear and hear but shall not profit by our hearing for now the heart and spirit is like a joynt or bone out of the Socket now it hath no ability to act its part to do what lay upon such a Member to do So 't is in this case when the heart and spirit is in a royle it is put out of joynt and frame by passion and being disturbed now 't is unfit to attend upon God to hear what God shall speak Now a mans passion may be disturbed one of these two ways so as to be put out of frame to attend upon God to hear the Voice of God in his Word 1. Sometimes by some pinching Providence of God some afflicting Hand of God upon him which doth pinch and disturb the spirit and put it into a royle now a man or woman being thus disturbed in his spirit is unfit to hear what God speaks though he speak to him in a way of mercy and grace you have an instance for this in Exod. 6.9 And Moses spake so unto the Children of Israel but they hearkned not unto Moses How did he speak to the Children of Israel See vers 6.7 8. Wherefore say unto the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians and will rid you out of their bondage and I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a God and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God which brought you out from under the burden of the Egyptians and I will bring you in unto the land which I did sware to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it you for an heritage I am the Lord. And Moses spake so unto the Children of Israel but they hearkned not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage Through the Providence of God it came to pass that they were oppressed under Egyptian power and when Moses came to speak of inlargement and deliverance they were oppressed and their spirits were filled with anguish and trouble and now let the Lord speak in never such a gracious manner by his Prophet they could not attend to him for anguish of spirit 2. And so sometimes the spirit may be put into a royle and passion for some small petty cross some kind of vexation which others do occasion when they cross them and vex them and thereby their spirits are put out of order and now they are unfit to attend upon God You have an instance for this in 1 Sam. 1.6 7. concerning Hannah it is said there that her adversary provoked her sore for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb and she went up to the House of the Lord and she wept and did not eat she could not tell how to keep the Feast to wait upon God in his Ordinances Why because her spirit was vexed and did fret So you may observe it if your spirits be put out of order as sometimes they are upon a small occasion observe it the Devil is wont to take such opportunities when you are about to draw near to God in any Ordinance then to minister some occasion or other to put you into a fret possibly a little thing out of the way will do it sometimes the misplacing of a Pin will disturb the spirit and sometimes the Husband may take some offence against the Wife and the Wife against the Husband or against the Servants or Children and the Spirit is royled and now you come to hear you shall not profit because now your spirits are royled with passion and this is another impediment and here may be also one great reason why people come and hear and hear and profit little because many times their spirits are royled with passion and this also must be removed Fourthly Another Impediment that must be removed if you will hear the Word to profit then take heed that your hearts do not go after covetousness be not inordinately set upon the riches of this world bent and resolved to be rich in the world truly this will be an impediment and will hinder you from waiting upon God in his Word this will be like Thorns to choke the Word for now the Word is that which doth cross and thwart us in our reaches after the riches of the world The Word tells us of other riches that are more true Riches now when a mans heart is set upon the riches of the world he cannot then yield to what is spoken just like the rich man we read of in Matt. 19. The rich man comes to Christ to know what good thing he shall do to inherit eternal life Go says Christ in ver 21.22 sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven And it is said he went away sorrowful because this was contrary to his grain his mind and heart was set upon riches and he could not yield to this Word of Christ And our hearts are ready to scorn and slight and despise what is spoken if our hearts be set upon the riches of the world as you may read in Luke 16.14 't is
yielded to them yet that doth not make it to be warrantable and lawful for us But in a word do we believe are we perswaded that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin If we be not fully perswaded of the lawfulness of a thing and yet do it it is sin And do we believe what the Text saith here That without faith it is impossible to please God Then if so be that we have not Faith to perswade us that such as do Preach are sent by Christ then I think we cannot act Faith in hearing the Word from them This is the first Direction about hearing in Faith namely that we be perswaded that those that we do hear be called and sent by Christ 2. A second Direction how to act Faith in hearing the Word is this namely we should be careful to remove all impediments that may hinder us in our hearing from enjoying the presence of Christ and our profiting by the Word for this is the work of Faith to put us upon the use of all lawful means to attain an end Faith will not expect the end but upon the use of means And so on the other side as it is the work of Faith to put us upon the use of means for the attaining of the end so to avoid all the impediments and hindrances that lye in the way to the attaining of the end when the Lord called Jacob to go to Bethel Gen. 35.1 2 3. that he might worship God there now Jacob that he might enjoy the Presence of God and Communion with God in Bethel in his drawing near to God there Jacob he removes impediments now he calls upon his houshold and all that were with him to put away the strange gods from among them and be clean says he and change your garments and let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make an Alter unto God c. And so at Mount Sinai God gave order to Moses that the people should be sanctified and purified when they should come to draw near to God and God should draw near to them Exod. 19.10 11. And so now when we are to draw near to God in the hearing of his Word we are to be careful to remove all impediments that may hinder our profiting by our hearing and this is the work of Faith Faith doth set a Soul a work to endeavour to remove all impediments Now there are divers impediments to be removed which will certainly hinder our profiting by the Word I shall name some few special ones which the Scripture hints to us As First This is one Malice in the heart to have the heart possessed with Malice towards one or another this will hinder us from profiting by the Word The Apostle Peter therefore expresly calleth upon us in 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice c. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby As if he should say if you harbor malice in your hearts when you come to hear the Word you will not grow and profit by it if you entertain and allow malice in your hearts towards one another this malice may break out in the envy of the good and welfare of another and so the Apostle brings in that branch of malice envy and sometimes it breaks out in reviling and evil-speaking and therefore says the Apostle Lay aside all malice and envy and evil-speaking and so receive the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby As in Prayer if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayer so in this case if we allow any sin in our hearts any malice towards one or another when we come to hear the Word God will not listen to us and we shall not profit by the Word this may be one cause why people hear so much and profit so little If so be they do allow malice and envy in their hearts and allow themselves to speak evil of others they cannot hear the Word to grow and profit by it no we are to exercise love in our drawing near to God love to God and love to the Word and love to the Saints and love to one another for if so be that we do not love them that we have seen or do see says the Apostle how can we be truly said to love God whom we have not seen 1 John 4.20 Therefore this is one thing Let us be careful to lay aside all malice and envy and evil-speaking if we do desire so to draw near to God in the hearing of the Word as to profit by it Secondly Another impediment that the Apostle hath in the same place of Peter is hypocrisy and guile this also must be laid aside or else we shall not receive the Word so as to grow and profit by it if we come to the hearing of the Word and do maintain guile and hypocrisy in our hearts and allow of it then we cannot profit or grow by the Word The Apostle Peter doth plainly hold forth that all guile and hypocrisy must be laid aside and so receive the Word as new born babes that ye may grow thereby Guile and hypocrisy doth hinder our profiting by the Word for this is now a kind of stumbling-block we draw near to God and have a stumbling-block in our hearts and says the Lord in Ezek. 14.7 If any man setteth up Idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answer that man by my self Some do expound that place the word stumbling-block for the separating and withdrawing the heart from God Now there are two kinds of hypocrisy or guile that are to be laid aside in hearing the Word one is in respect of God the other is towards man the guile and hypocrisy towards God is this namely when as a man or woman doth seem to draw near to God in his worship attending upon his Word and yet notwithstanding the heart is not near God but afar off from him here is hypocrisy and dissimulation towards God This people says God draw near to me with their mouth and lips but their heart is far from me Isa 29.13 And so Christ tells the Scribes and Pharisees in Matt. 15.8 when as a man doth pretend to draw near to God as if he would know the Mind of God that he may do the Will of God and have no such intendment in his heart he comes to hear the Word what doth this hold forth but that he intends to do the word which he hears Now when the heart is not set to do the Will of God here is hypocrisy I remember Jeremiah speaks to that purpose in Jer. 52.20 For ye dissembled in your hearts says he when ye sent me unto the Lord your God saying pray for us unto the Lord our God and according to all that the Lord our God shall say to us we