withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned A branch may be in a tree two wayes One is by a meer corporeal adherence by cleaving and sticking to the body of the tree and so every dead branch is in the tree as well as those that live such branches have no union they are dead and cut off and cast away into the fire Another is by a real participation of the life sap and influence of the root That which makes us to be in Christ any kind of way is Faith and according to the differences of faith are those differences of being in Christ You may read in Scripture of a dead faith James 2. 26. This dead faith takes in an external profession of Christ and a self aiming dependance on Christ to keep us from Hell and get us to Heaven But for all this there is no real union with Christ And we read too of a lively and unfeigned faith of a faith which joynes us and Christ in one Spirit which graffs us indeed into Christ and makes us partakers of the life and grace of Christ O where is this faith this living faith this ingraffing faith this uniting faith is the only precious faith and the only faith which brings us into the Covenant and the only faith which can look on God as our God and promising mercy and salvation unto us If you have not this faith you have no interest in Christ and if you have no interest in Christ you have no interest in God nor in the Covenant of God You cannot own God for yours nor can you own the promises of God as yours as made unto you But here now occurre two serious questions 1. One is How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union which unites Two serious Questions us to Christ 2. The second is How we may attain unto the faith of union which only brings us into the Covenant SECT V. 1. Quest HOw we may know whether our Faith be a Faith of real union with How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union Christ a faith which unites us to Christ indeed Sol. This is a most pertinent question because our real interest in the Covenant of grace depends upon it all depends upon it out of Christ and out of Covenant in Christ and in Covenant And if your faith be an uniting faith then Christ is yours and God is yours and all the good of the Covenant is yours Now there are five things which are to be considered about the faith of union or the faith which indeed unites us to Christ Five things about the faith of union 1. The manner 〈◊〉 it is wrought in the heart 2. The peculiar operations of it upon the soule in relation to this union 3. The very act or acts by which and upon which the soule is indeed brought into union 4. The qualities of this union by faith 5. The choice influences or effects which do alwayes attend that union with Christ by faith 1. If your faith be a faith which unites you to Christ Then it is the work and The manner how it is wrought in the heart It is the work of the Spirit of Christ fruit of the spirit and it is wrought by the Spirit in an uniting way 1. It is the work of the Spirit of Christ None doth or can raise and produce this faith but the very Spirit of God Col. 2. 12. Ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead His mighty power is put forth to produce it Ephes 1. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 5. Your faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith In all these places the Apostle speaks of that faith which interests your persons in Christ This faith he calls the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. and the power of God and the operation of God and the Spirit of Faith and in Isa 53. 1. The revealing of the Arm of God Consider this Faith in all the parts and degrees of it you shall finde that every one of them comes from the Spirit of God Faith is sometimes stiled knowledge and believing knowing why the right knowledge of Christ is a fruit or work of the Spirit of God Matth. 11. 25. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Faith is sometimes stiled acknowledgment Col. 2. 2. The acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ And no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. Faith or believing is sometimes stiled a coming unto Christ and saith Christ himself No man can come to me except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44. It is called a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which ability to receive Christ depends only on the will of God verse 13. Well then uniting faith is the sole work of the Spirit of God if any man be brought into Christ and joyned unto Christ this work is wrought by the Spirit of Christ 2. The spirit works this uniting Faith in an uniting way or manner how is that The Spirit works this in a uniting way will you say Thus it is when the Spirit doth work this faith in us he doth it in a Gospel manner the Gospel way is the uniting way accompanying it all along 1. By Evangelical light 2. By Evangelical offers 3. By Evangelical promises 4. By Evangelical efficacy 1. He lets in such a Gospel-light into the soule of a broken and troubled sinner that The Spirit lets in a Gospel light into the soule be is now able to see and to discern the wonderful grace of God in Christ even the glories of Christ the sealing and anointing oâ— him to be the Mediator and Redeemer and Saviour of sinners and the life of the world the Prince of peace the only help and hope of them that are lost Joh. 3. 16. The Gospel saith so and the Spirit makes him to see it so The people that walked in darkness have seen great lâ—ght Isa 9 2. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. When he hath let in such a light that the sinner is convinced of the infinite Enables the soule to apprehend the singular kindness of God in the offers of Christ mercy and grace of God in Christ Then he further enables the sinner to apprehend the singular kindnâ—ss of God in the offers of this Christ unto him unto you is the word of this salvation sent Acts 13. 26. and verse 38. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And the â—pirit accompanies the Gospel in this offer As the Gospel outwardly offers Christ to sinners so doth the Spirit
inwardly offer Christ to the heart and secretlâ—â—alls there Come unto Christ you are poor and you are thirsty and you are brâ—â—â—h and bruised in heart And such sinners as these doth Christ call to come unto him and live for ever He was anointed for you and is sent to you 3. The Spirit backs these offers and calls with expresse promises for though the He backes these offers with Promises sinner be exceeding glad to finde out Christ the Saviour yet he is exceeding doubtful whether he may close with Christ thus offering himself unto him therefore herein likewise doth the Spirit appear towards the working of faith viz. he doth clear up the promises of the Gospel so that the poor sinner may be convinced and satisfied that Jesus Christ is contented and willing to be his and that he may come and be kindly and graciously accepted of Christ Those passages Him that comes to me I will in no wise reject Joh. 6. 27. And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Rev. 22 17. And a bruised reed will he not break Matth. 12. 20. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11 28. All these and other promises and encouragements are set home by the Spirit upon the heart of the poor sinner so that he deemes that he hears Jesus Christ himself speaking alluring comforts unto his soul 4. The Spirit rests not here but proceeds further For notwithstanding all this The Spirit carries on the work further yet the poor sinner findes himself without all strength and saith he I am not able to believe though I see this Christ and his goodness and his love and his kindness and his graciousnesse yet I cannot believe yet I cannot come to him c. Now upon this there are two things more wrought by the Spirit in the heart of the poor sinner 1. One is Earnâ—st desires for faith O Lord give me faith He works earnest desires for faith perswade my heart bring in my heart draw it to Christ for Christ his sake 2. The other is The very gift or work of faith The Spirit by his mighty power gives an ability unto the heart of the sinner to come to him to receive him and thuâ— uniting faâ—th is wrâ—ught namely by the Spirit of Christ accompanying and blessing the Gospel as you have heard unto the soule of a sinner Therefore look well to your selves in this If your faith be not a faith which the Spirit of God works by the Gospel it is a false faith it is a faith of delusion and not of union it is a presumption of your own making a meere imagination of your own No faith will bring you to Christ but that faith which comes from the Spirit of Christ He works saiâ—h it self 2. That Faith which unites to Christ hath alwayes some particular operations upon the soule in relation to that union with Christ For the faith which is The peculiar operations of faith about this union wrought by the Spirit of Christ is no base quality nor is it any dead quality but it is Noble High and Active Now there are three things which this faith doth work in every one that hath it 1. An exceeding appreciation or esteem of Christ 2. A fervent desire to enjoy Christ 3. A separation of the heart It works from every thing that would hinder it from union with Christ 1. If your faith be this saith of union then it hath raised your hearts to exceeding An exceeding esteem of Christ high estimation of Christ other people have no high nor great thoughts of Christ What is thy beloved more than another beloved said they to the Church Cant. 5. 9. There is no beauty in him that we should desire him said they Isa 57. 2. Not this man but Barabbas said the Jews Joh. 18. 40. The Farme and the Oxen are preferred before him Luke 14. 18 19. But unto you who believe he is precious saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 7. Pretious faith makes us to look on Christ as pretious How did the Church look on Christ in that Cant. 5 why As the chiefest of ten thousand verse 10. As altogether lovely verse 16. How did those Believers look on Christ in Joh. 1. 14 We beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father full of Grace and Truth How did Paul look on Christ Phil. 3. 8. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Beloved Never was there unbeliever â—â—o had high thoughts of Christ and never was there sound believer but he hâ—â— precious thoughts of Christ the Apostle tells us as much 1 Cor. 1. 23. We preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness verse 24. But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God O sirs The excellencies of Christ are hidden excellencies from the men of the world and no eye can see them but the eye of faith there must be a light shining in the heart to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. When faith is wrought then a light is wrought to see the beauties of Christ the beauty of his Person the beauty of his Offices the beauty of his Love of his Death of his Righteousness of his Holiness of his Peace c. the vaile is removed and we do with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. c. So that none like Christ he is the Pearle of great price and nothing like Christ no love like his no enjoyment like the enjoyment of him c. 2. If your faith be this Faith of union Then it hath raised in your hearts Exceeding desires to enjoy Christ exceeding desires to enjoy Christ I must have this Christ I cannot live without this Christ O Lord give me Christ I have nothing if I have not Christ There is nothing in heaven or earth that I desire in comparison of Christ I desire to be found in him saith Paul He is the desire of all Nations Hag. 2 7. You never had such desires towards Christ untill faith was wrought in you such high desires such longings such hungrings such thirstings nor such busie and stirring desires saw you him whom my soule loveth and I sought him whom my soule loveth and I will seek him whom my soule loveth Nor such unsatisfied desires Nothing satisfies you or puts an end to your desires but Christ desired by you 3. If your faith be this faith of union Then it did work in your hearts a A separation from all things which hinder union separation from all things which otherwise would have hindred yâ—u from union with Christ You know that whatsoever keeps things at
tender offer We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God why If a sinner did seriously meditate on this offer of Christ by the Gospel me thinks it might much conduce towards a bringing in of his heart to Christ by faith 5. It is an Offer worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. As to the making of a match when you report unto the party there is such a person every way desirable An offer worthy of all acceptation and lovely there is no exceptions to be taken He is perfectly beautiful singularly wise affectionately loving exceedingly rich every way suitable and you cannot live unlesse you have him And besides all this he dâ—res and offers himself to match with you Surely all this conduceth much to the making of a match So when a poor sinner hears of Christ and of so much good in and by Christ and withall findes Christ offering himself unto him I am willing to be yours I am content to take you as I find you I know your sins and wants and unworthinesse I know what it must cost me to adorn you c. yet I offer my self to be yours and I charge you that you do not neglect and refuse my offer Truely this conduceth very much to perswade the heart and to draw the heart to close by faith with Christ c. 3. The Gospel offers Jesus Christ upon very gracious and reasonable terms In â—f the terms of the Gospel the Gospel you shall finde Jesus Christ propounded unto sinners under several notions and expressions and in all of them you may discern the admirable condescentions of Christ he cannot fall in with you upon lower and easier terms so as to become yours than he doth propound Sometimes he is propounded as a Gift and all the terms that he stands for that you may be possessed of him as a Gift is that you receive him giving and receiving are correlatives Sometimes he is propounded as a Match as a Husband and all that he stands for to make him yours is only that you be willing that you give your consent to be his Sometimes he is propounded as a Bargain to be bought and all that he imposeth on you is this that you buy without money and without price Sometimes he is propounded as a Guest and a friend who would come into your house and sup with you and all that he insists with you for is only this that you open the door and let him in 4. As the Gospel reveales Christ unto you and offers Christ unto you and The promises of the Gospel offers him unto you upon most gracious terms so likewise it holds out unto you abundance of promises which are as so many Adamants to draw your hearts to Christs and are as so many cords of Love There are promises which respect you and Christ If you will come and be his he will certainly be yours he will not reject you And there are promises which respect you and your good estate by Christ As that he will marry you to himself in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercies Hosea 2. 19. And that he will be Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption unto you 1 Cor. 1. 30. And that there shall be no condemnation to you Rom. 8. â— And that whosoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. And that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10. 43. 5. Besides all this the Gospel gives you instances of the performance of all these promises The instances and examples iâ— the Gospel and likewise of the gracious reception of as great and unworthy sinners as your self 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. It shews how that when sinners have by faith come to Christ he hath accepted of them hath receâ—ved them graciously hath bestowed himself upon them hath given righteousnesse and remission of sins and his Spirit and his Peace and everlasting life unto them Every true believer who came to Christ did enjoy Christ and all saving good with and by Christ Mary Magdalen Paul the Corinthians Ephesians and all others are witnesses of it c. they became Christs and Christ became theirs and he was their Attonement Redemption Reconciliation Righteousnesse Life c. why A serious and solid consideration of all these Evangelical passages they cannot but work on the hearts of broken sinners to look towards this Christ at least to pant in humble and earnest desires of him and for faith that they may be united unto him 3. The third means which I would present unto you for the obtaining of this uniting faith is earnest supplication or prayer As Christ spake unto the woman of Samaria if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Earnest supplication give me drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Joh. 4. 10. So sayâ— if you did but know the excellency of this faith of union with Christ and what Christ is and what union with Christ is and how far it interests you in the Covenant of grace surely you would earnestly be enlarged in your supplications and requests unto God for it and you would not be denied this request Ephes 3. 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith draw me and I will run after thee Well pray the Lord to give this faith unto you which will unite you to Christ I say pray the Lord to give it you For 1. You cannot give it to your own hearts it is not in your power to make your hearts to believe 2. None can give it but God no created power is sufficient for this work 3. God is able to make your hearts to believe to break all the chains of unbelief To set out Christ as most desirable and to work faith that so you shall come to Christ He is able to enlighten your minds and to convince your judgements and to overcome your wills and to perswade your hearts 4. He hath promised to give this faith He hath promised that the dead shall hear the voice of his Son Joh. 5. 25. He hath promised that they shall be all taught of God and he that heareth and learneth of the Father shall come to Christ Joh. 6. 45. He hath promised to allure us unto Christ Hosea 2. 14. And to perswade Japhet Gen. 9. 27. and to make us a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110. 2. and to send the rod of his strength out of Zion verse 3. Object We do hear and we do pray and yet we are not able to believe Sol. 1. O but pray that God would make the Gospel which you do hear to be the savour of life unto you and that his Spirit may accompany the Gospel which you do hear
1. Because he works where and on whom and when and how he himself pleaseth he blowes where he lists Joh. 3. 8. 2. And he is a â—ree Spirit in as much as all spiritual freedom and liberty is received of us from him hence the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 17. where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 4. The good Spirit by Spirit is good â—sa 143 10 Thou gavest them of thy good Spirit The good Spirit Neh. 9. 20. The Spirit is essentially good and counsels good he is indeed a good Spirit unto us All the good thoughts in us and all the good desires in us and all the good we have or shall receive from God in Christ is handed to us by this good Spirit yea and all the sweet sights of God himself that ever we enjoyed and all the tasts that ever we have had of Jesus Christ and all the joyes and contentments in our souls we are beholding unto this good Spirit for every one of them though in some respect you are not beholding unto the Spirit for dying and suffering and satisfying and reconciling and purchasing for you yet this I may safely affirme that for all the enjoyments of all the sweet comforts depending on the sufferings of Christ you are singularly beholding to the good spirit for them you never could have partaked of Christ nor of any one good purchased by Christ had it not been for this good Spirit 5. The powerfull or mighty Spirit The Spirit of the Lord is called the Spirit of The powerful Spirit might Isa 11. 2. The power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. the power of the Spirit of God verse 19. the power of the Highest Luke 1. 35. It was the power of this Spirit which did convince you of your sins and which did break your heard harts and did rescue and deliver you from the power of darknesse which doth subdue your iniquities and pull down your strong bolds It was and is this powerfull Spirit by whom the Ministrations or Ordinances of the Gospel have been and still are of power with you The Word is called the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 17. The Ministrations of them selves are weak it is the concomitant presence of the Spirit which makes them powerful and lively for your conversion comfort and salvation you had laine in the same condition and darknesse and bondage and death with other men had not the powerful and mighty Spirit of God put forth the greatnesse of his own strength to the alteration of your hearts by his own grace 2. The Spirit is yours in respect of his gifts and fruits You read in 1 Cor. 12. The Spirit is ours in respect of his gifts or fruits 14. of diversities of gifts of the Spirit for edification or to profit withall ver 7. and you read of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. and of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. The Spirit of God as to these gifts and fruits is called the Spirit of grace Zach. 12. 10. and the Spirit of wisdome Isa 11. 2. and the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord and the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. and the Spirit of love 2 Tim. 1. 7. and the Spirit of supplication Zach. 12 10. the fruit of the Spirit saith the Apostle in Gal. 5. 22. is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith and ver 23. meeknesse temperance There are six things which I would briefly observe concerning the graces or fruits Six things concerning the graces of the Spirit They are the beauties of a Christian They are necessary to salvation of the Spirit 1. They are the Beauties Glories Ornaments Chains Pearls Jewels of a Christian you have no excellencies till you partake of them but are dead loathsome polluted and vile These are the very image of God 2. They are necessary unto salvation No man can be saved without them They are the way to the kingdom though they be not the cause of reigning in the kingdom without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. 3. They are pledges of salvation therefore called the first fruits which were They are pledges of salvation the beginnings and the pledges of the full harvest and also the earnest of the Spirit which he leaves with us to assure us of that glorious happinesse which we are to receive shortly in fulnesse 4. They are given to none but unto such as shall be saved There are the common gifts of the Spirit which are for the edification of others These they may have They are given to none but such as shall be saved who shall perish like those who helped to build the Ark and yet were drowned But there are the special gifts of the Spirit which are for Renovation of the soule and for the preparation of it for glory These are given to none but unto such who are elected unto salvation As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Act. 13. 48. Matth. 11. 25. Hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes 5. Every gift or grace which accompanies salvation is by the Spirit given Every grace accompanying salvation is given to every child of God to every child of God to every one who hath God to be his God in Covenant every one of them hath every saving grace of the Spirit 1. The spirit of grace I will poure upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace Zach. 12. 10. 2. The Spirit of knowledge They shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them Jer. 31. 34. 3. The Spirit of wiâ—dâ—me The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ give unto you the Spirit of wisdome Eph. 1. 17. 4. The Spirit of faith We have the same Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. You are all the children oâ— God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 26. To them that have obtained like precious faith with us 2 Pet. 1. 1. 5. The Spirit of love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Ye your selvâ—s arâ— taught of God to love one another 1 Thes 4. 9. What should I speak of godly sorrow repentance humblenesse meeknesse patience c. whatsoever gift is necessary to our salvation the Spirit doth certainly work in every one of the people of God although not in the same measure proportion and height yet to the same truth and for the same efficacy unto their salvation Every child of God hath the same Spirit of grace and faith and love and though one Christians graces may fall short of anothers for the quantity yet they do not fall short for the present quality nor for the future glory The weakest grace of the Spirit is able to change the heart and save the soul 6. The Spirit doth cherish and preserve and keep all those saving gifts of his The Spirit doth cherish and prese ve all those saving gifts in
To open the Gospel 2. Thy ear 3. Thy heart for it is by his Spirit that the Gospel proves to be unto you the word of Faith Our Gospel came in power and in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1. 5. If the Spirit of God did but reveale his Arm if he would but breath through the Gospel it would certainly be the power of God for faith in you 2. Again you must pray with all importunity and diligence and watchfulness and observation what God answers and spiritual violence and resolution and never cease wrestling with God I tell you it is one of the greatest requests that you can make to God O Lord unite me to Christ give me that faith by which I may be Christs and Christ may be mine And take this for thine encouragement That if the Lord hath given such a spiritual and steadfast frame of spirit as to pray he Patiently wait upon God in the use of meanes will at length give thee this faith 4. Patiently wait upon God in the use of Evangelical means untill he doth come in with his Spirit upon your Spirits to enable you by faith to close with Christ lye at the Pool do not limit God to this Sermon or to that Prayer and do not wrangle and murmure against God regard what concerns your self to do and trust God with his work and with his time never did any soule seek him or wait on him in vain nor return ashamed there is not one Prayer that you make nor any one Evangelical Sermon that ye hear but it is making way in your hearts for this uniting faith Some more light gets in to discover Christs fulness and our want Some more hope is raised of a possibility at length to enjoy Christ Some more power is given against the powers and workings and reasonings and fears and doubts of unbelief they have not that despairing dominion Some more bewailings of thy Christlesse condition and strong unbelief with a resistance of it Sometimes more renewed resolutions and courage well whatsoever comes of it I will not yet give over my suite I will venture a few prayers more something more is getting in and winning upon the heart towards Christ But Why may I not believe on Christ what if I should venture on him upon his offers upon his entreaties upon his commands upon his promises do I not sin against Christ and offend him thus to fear thus to dispute thus to question thus to stand off well I will come and believe on him O I cannot Lord help me Lord work in me both to will and to do when Lord how long yet will I wait on thee till thou shewest this mercy to me SECT VII 3. Vse IS faith the condition of the Covenant of grace And is that faith an uniting Comfort and encouragement Faith a faith which unities us unto Christ The next Use then shall be for Comfort and Encouragement 1. To sinners in general 2ly To believers in particular to such as yet finde themselves out of Covenant and to such as finde themselves partakers of this uniting faith 1. That faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace this is a comfort and To sinners in general encouragement to poor sinners who as yet finde themselves out of Covenant If God had put any other condition upon that Covenant every sinner had been utterly hopelesse suppose he had annexed and imposed the condition of actual and perfect and personal righteousnesse bring that and perform that and then I will be your God I will accept of you I will own you I will love you I will pardon you I will save you why no sinner could upon this termes have found an entrance or admission into the Covenant because the performance of If faith be the condition this Covenant is impossible to a sinner as such a condition is inconsistent with the grace of God so such a condition is impossible with the state of sin which is a state of impotency and of death But now faith being the condition of the Covenant as there is a door open for grace to manifest it self so there is hope for a sinner to partake of that grace for if God will capitulate with us upon believing There is hope for in Christ Then 1. Our former sinnings do not absolutely exclude us One sin did break the Covenant Our former sinnings doth not exclude us of works but our many sins hinder not our reception into the Covenant of grace if yet we believe on Christ 2. A want of personal and perfect righteousness doth not exclude us for faith is not to look at our own righteousâ—ess but at the righteousnesse of Christ Nor want of personal and perfect righteousness Nor self unrighteousnesse 3. Our self-unworthinesse is no prejudice Faith looks for love and mercy and glory through Christ for the sinner who is in himself unworthy of love and mercy and glory 4. Our union with God is possible for though an immediate union there cannot Our union with God is possible be between God and a sinner yet a mediate union there may be viz. A union by Christ the Mediatour unto whom faith brings and unites the soule so that there is yet hope for the sinner to be brought into Covenant with God though not upon his own account yet upon the account of Christ unto whom faith joyns the sinner Object But it may be objected 't is true that faith is the condition of the Covenant And that faith is that condition it is therefore hopeful for sinners But yet this faith is as impossible to the sinner as the condition of perfect obedience for But this faith is as impossible to the sinner as perfect righteousnesse the sinner is no more able to make his heart to believe on Christ than he is perfectly to obey the will of God And then where is the comfort and hope that you speak of In the notion it is true that faith is a condition which advantageth a sinner But in practice it is such a condition unto which it is impossible for any sinner by his own strength to attain Answered Sol. 1. I grant that as to the â—eer consideration of the sinners self natural power the condition of Faith 〈…〉 â—mpossible as the condition of perfect obedience is he hath no more power â—or propensity to believe in Christ than he hath to obey and fulfill the Law and his heart is as full of unbelief as it is of disobedience 2. Neverthelesse though there be a self impossibility yet there is not an absolute Faith is possible and probable It is not imposed on us in our own strength impossibility nay faith is such a condition as is not only possible for a sinner but very probable for him to attaine it 1. Though it be the Condition of the Covenant yet it is not such a condition which God doth impose upon the sinner by his own strength or power
aright in a contrary grief and sorrow for his mistake 3. Nor be shamed of his own foolishness Secondly It is soul loss unless the Lord break down this false assurance It is soul loss in our hearts it will end in the eternal loss of our souls I told you the last day that that mans condition is more hopeful whose conscience is filled with terror for his sins than his condition is whose heart is filled with a false perswasion and assurance that his sins are pardoned as Christ spake to the self-conceited Pharisees Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdome of God before you Matth. 21. 31. Or as Solomon spake Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him Prov. 26. 12. So say I there is more hope of the salvation of the most doubting and most terribly dejected and distressed sinner than of the confident and falsly assured sinner why so will you say my reason is this because 1. When a person is in a troubled condition he is rightly sensible of his condition he sees that it is ill with him but the falsly assured sinner doth not see in what an evil condition he is and certainly it is a worse matter to be in an evil condition and not apprehend it than to be in that evil condition and yet to discern it 2. When a person sees himself in an evil condition there may be and usually there are fears to remain in it and cares to get out of it Men and Brethren what shall we do spake those wounded in their hearts for their sins Acts 2. 37. And the Jaylor came in trembling and cryed out What shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. But when a person hath deluded himself with a false confidence that his estate is good and with a false assurance that his sins are pardoned and God is reconciled unto him this man is whole he minds not the Physitian looks not after Christ and mercy and so loseth his soul Beloved this is certain that false assurance breeds carnal security and carnal security breeds neglect of Christ and neglect of Christ breeds loss of mercy and loss of mercy will be the loss of the soul It is soul disappointment Thirdly It is soul-failure and disappointment what Solomon speaks in Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint He is of no use or service unto you that say I of a false assurance when you come to a time of need and then expect help from your false assurance and deluded confidence then you will finde that it will be of no more strength and service to you than a foot out of joint it will utterly fail you and deceive you When the winds and the waves arose then the house built on the sand did fall Matth. 7. 26 27. So when death comes and conscience is awakened and ariseth in exceptions and accusations and chargeth guilt as unpardoned upon the soul in that day what will become of all your vain confidences and of all your foolish and false excusations they will be swept away as the Spiders web and like a dream they presently vanish into nothing Now from all that hath been said you do see great reason as to strive for a right assurance so to take heed and beware of a false perswasion and assurance that your sins are pardoned SECT IV. 3. Vse DOth the Lord promise to sprinkle clean water upon his people i. e. to apply unto them in particular the pardon of their sins with the assurance thereof Hence let me inform two sorts of the people of God 1. Those who have found this sprinkling of assurance concerning the pardon of their sins how they may know that this is the very assurance which is given by God himself 2. Those who never yet have attained to this sprinkling of assurance from God what they should judge of their estate and what they should do to enjoy or partake of the same 1. Quest How may one know that the assurance which he hath found How one may know his assurance is true concerning the pardon of his sinnes be the right and true assurance which God himself undertakes to give by his Spirit unto his people Sol. I humbly conceive that this may be discerned partly 1. By some precedently preparing works 2. By some presently accompanying works 3. By some subsequently following works of the Spirit First You may know that the assurance which you have had or which you now have is indeed from the Spirit of God By these works or qualities which By some precedent works the Spirit alwayes laies in the soul before he gives this particular assurance And there are four works of the Spirit if I may so stile them qualifying and preparing the heart to receive this impression of assurance from the Spirit 1. Humbling and mourning 2. Reconciling and sanctifying 3. Believing and relying 4. Praying and wrestling First There alwayes goes an humbling and mourning heart before a revived heart about the pardon of our sins Luke 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is Humbling and mourning upon me saith Christ because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance unto the captive And Isa 61. 2. To comfort all that mourn Ver. 3. To give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness c. Mark here are broken-hearted sinners and these doth the Spirit heal and here are captivated sinners and these doth the Spirit deliver and free and here are mourning sinners and these doth the Spirit comfort Why it is not reasonable to imagine that the Spirit of God will do any thing which is impertinent or improper or repugnant to his own Word but all his works within us are pertinent and are consonant with the Word 1. They are pertinent he will comfort those to whom comfort pertains 2. They are proper he will comfort them that need comfort and in the times of their need 3. They are consonant he will apply comfort to them unto whom God promiseth comfort Now comfort pertains to the broken-hearted and unto mourners for sin and it is proper for them they stand in need of the voice of joy and gladness and God hath in a special manner promised to comfort them that mourn Therefore if the assurance which you find of the pardon of your sins be a gracious peace and quietation and perswasion after conviction and after godly sorrow for your sins this is no feigned nor deluding work of fancy nor of Satan but it is the very voice of joy from the Spirit of God O when a poor troubled soul hath been laid low in the sense of sin hath gone heavily all the day with that burden is even confounded and ashamed and is ready to fail and faint and
people and I will be your God Isa 56. 7. Even them especially of those that take hold of Gods Covenant ver 6. will I bring to my holy Mountain and will make them joyful in my house of prayer Isa 30. 19. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee Psal 35. 3. Say unto my soul I am thy salvation O what earnest wrestling prayer came from David before he could hear that voice of joy and gladness in Psal 51. And this is so experimented a truth that usually the sweetest assurances do attend our deepest tears and our highest prayers If therefore the assurance which you finde concerning the pardon of your sins be the perswasion given to you by the Spirit of God it doth alway follow mournfulness of heart for sin and an holy change of heart and faith in Christ and on the promises of Christ and earnest prayer if it be before or without any of these it is not the assurance of the Spirit of God but a delusion of our own spirits Secondly You may know that your assurance is the right assurance of the Spirit by those present appearing qualities which do always accompany the assurance By some presently accompanying works which comes indeed from the Spirit I will mention three of them First If it be the very assurance from the Spirit of God that your sins in particular Lâ—ve to God are forgiven this will immediatly kindle such a flame of love to God as you never found the like in all your lives We love him saith John because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. O Sirs when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5 5. Simile and so it is when he assures us that God for his great love and rich mercy hath forgiven us never was the heart of tender wife more knit to her husband than the heart of the assured sinner is to his forgiving God never did Jonathan delight more in David than this poor soul doth in his God why he loves him so sensibly so enlargedly that he meditates and meditates that he admires and admires and cries out Who is a God like unto thee O I love thee for this love for this mercy of mercies Mary had many sins forgiven her and Christ assured her of it therefore she loved much Luke 7. 47. Secondly If it be the very assurance of the Spirit of God that your sins are forgiven Softness of heart this will immediatly soften and melt your heart into such pure springs of tears that hardly you ever found the like for kind or degree There are tears which a man sheds before assurance for his sins and they are acceptable to God nevertheless they are something brakish and mixt with some trouble and distress but the tears of sorrow for sinning against God assuring us that he hath pardoned our sins they are so without all legality if I may phrase it so they flow from the soul so freely so tenderly so feelingly so abundantly I think that a man never wept more bitterly nor ever condemned himself more freely nor ever was more ashamed of himself and sinnings than at that time when God gave him his full discharge and pardon under the seal and witness of his own Spirit Ezek. 16. 61 63. Ashamed and confounded when God was pacified towards them The Prophet expresseth the quality and the quantity of their mourning in Zach. 12. 10. Object I but it should rather produce joy Sol. So it doth at the same time which is strange the greatest joy and the deepest sorrow Thirdly If it be the very assurance from the Spirit of God the heart thereupon Humbleness of heart becomes so humble and so lowly and so nothing the nearer that God draws to his people the more humble they are for when Gods Spirit assures us he doth cause us to see our own unworthiness and the exceeding riches of Gods grace Mark the men most eminent for assurance in Scripture of all men they were the most humble and lowly There are three men most high in assurance First Abraham was so He was strong in faith and he was fully perswaded and he was a most humble man Rom. 4. 20 21. Behold I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. Secondly David also was so Thou art my God Thou hast forgiven my iniquities and he also was a most humble man Who am I O Lord God! and what is my fathers house 2 Sam. 7. 18. Thirdly And Paul was so Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. yet this man was a very humble and lowly man The least of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15. 9. Less than the least of all Saints Eph. 3. 8. and not meet to be called an Apostle O Christian you who talk how much and how long you have been assured where is this high love where is this deep sorrow where is this humble lowliness did your assurance ever produce these in you if not assuredly you have mock't your souls all this while with vain delusions Thirdly You may know that your assurance is right and comes from the very By the effects flowing from assurance Spirit of God by these singular fruits and effects which consequently do flow from your assurance I will mention six of them 1. Quietation of heart 2. More care to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. 3. More regard unto and delight in the Word 4. More zeal 5. More fear 6. More height of heart First One effect which flows from a right assurance that our sins are forgiven is a Quietation of heart present quietation of heart all storms cease upon one word spoken from the Spirit There were many doubts and many fears and many disputes and many reasonings and many sad thoughts and restless motions in the soul but when assurance of forgiveness is given in by the Spirit of God to our spirits all these do cease and there ensues a gracious calme in the conscience even an excusing delightful and joyful rest When God lifted up the light of his countenance upon David he lay down in peace Psal 4. 6 8. Now this quietation differs much from that Stupidity in a man deluded with a false assurance for First This stupidity is not the quieting of a troubled soul but so is this Secondly Their quietness is the effect rather of ignorance because they do not know their miserable condition than of assurance that they do certainly know their pardoned condition Thirdly Their quietness is from a seared conscience but not from an assured and pacified conscience Fourthly It is a passive silence but in this conscience doth witness and the heart rejoyceth Well then spiritual and joyful rest or quietation is the proper fruit of true assurance and verily it cannot but be so for assurance in the very nature of it
Pet. 1. 10. and proving and trying your selves whether Christ be in you of a truth 2 Cor. 13. 5. and working out your salvation Phil. 2. 12. Secondly The comfort of sincerity that you are on the way to be assured not resting in the want of assurance nor in idle complaints but as you pretend an opinion and judgement rightly valuing it and that your hearts are set upon it so your souls are indeed drawn forth to the ways of enjoyment Thirdly The comfort of Gods presence for it is from the Spirit of God that your hearts do thus prize and thus long for and thus labour for assurance he begets those thoughts and those desires and those prayers you have the presence of the Spirit though not the assurance of the Spirit Fourthly The comfort of hope that at length you shall see the God of gods in Zion that you shall see his face with joy that he will create peace and assurance in your hearts for he never fills the soul and stirs and draws it unto himself for his gracious favour but at length he doth make his loving kindness known unto that soul and he doth thus prepare the heart because he will incline his ear Fourthly A fourth support unto you is this although you have not this assurance in your own hearts yet you have it in Gods promise who assures you that he will sprinkle it upon you and faithful is he who hath promised who will also do it Secondly But now I come unto the Direction which I would commend to weak Direction believers for the attaining of their assurance and they are these First Diligent attendance upon the Word of God that this is a good means to attain Dâ—ligent attendance upon the Word assurance may appear by three particulars 1. God hath instituted or ordained his Word not only for the conversion but also for the consolation of his people and the assuring of them Rom. 15. 4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 1 Joh. 1. 4. These things write we unto you that your joy may be full 1 Joh. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that you may know that ye have eternal life Mark written for our comfort written that our joy may be full written that believers may know they have eternal life why then unquestionably the Word is a means to attain assurance c. 2. The people of God have attended the Word for this very end to gain assurance Psal 48. 9. We have thought of thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people 3. They have found assurance upon the attending on the Word Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee Ver. 2. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Ver. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life He had seen experimentally the power and the glory of God in the Sanctuary i. e. the mercy and the loving kindness of God in Christ the assurance and feeling of it in the use of the Word c. Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Secondly Fervent prayer unto the Lord this is also a means to obtain assurance Fervent prayer Ps 119. 58. I intreated thy favour with my whole heart and two things demonstrate this unto us 1. Some special promises to this purpose viz. Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and will make them joyful in my house of prayer c. What is that which makes the heart of the people of God joyful David tells you in Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and Ver. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart c. and where is this joyfulness promised by what means I will make them joyful in my house of prayer Joh. 16. 24. Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Ver. 22. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Here is a fulness of joy and that certainly is in assurance and that fulness of joy is promised upon prayer 2. Some particular experiences Psal 30. 10. Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me c. Ver. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness Object But will some say We have heard the Word a long time and we have prayed and sought the Lord a long time and yet we cannot attain to this assurance of forgiveness Sol. Therefore be sure to take in three things when you pray for this assurance 1. Apious valuation of it Thy favour is life Psal 30. 5. Thy loving kindness is better than life Psal 63 3. O visit me with thy salvation Psal 106 4. 2. A believing perswasion that God will hear you in this Luke 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him and that Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption that witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. David hath a singular passage in Psal 119. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word where observe three things 1. The earliness of his prayer I prevented the dawning of the morning he could not sleep but must arise and pray 2. The earnestness of his prayer I cried he was solemn serious and fervent 3. The faith with his prayer and I hoped in thy Word in one of these our prayers do fail and so we get not our assurance 3. A patient expectation a continuance in prayer still importuning the Lord and waiting on him for this great testimony of his pardoning mercy Isa 30 18. Blessed are all they that wait for him Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace c. These Ingredients are still to be remembred and taken in if you would prevail for the assurance c. Thirdly A conscientious care in all our ways to walk before God in all well-pleasing A conscientious care to walk in all well-pleasing A godly walking brings most glory to God and most comfort to our own consciences there are two excellent places for this purpose Isa 32. 17. The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Joh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love
the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the â—ord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
Causally in us c. 3. Without faith no salvation He that believes not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. But without the spirit there can be no faith because that grace is the fruit and effect of his Almighty power So now you see plainly the infinite misery of being destitute of the Spirit of God Quest But how may we know whether the Lord hath put his own Spirit within How to knw that we have the Spirit of God us that the spirit of God is given to us indeed Sol. This may be known 1. By the works of the spirit 2ly By the qualities of the spirit 3ly By the properties of such who have the spirit in relation unto the spirit 1. By the works of the spirit The spirit of God is a vigorous and active and operative spirit and By the works of the Spirit when he is indeed put within any mans heart there he works in order unto the salvation of that man for unto that do all the works of God the Father as our Father tend and unto that do all the works of Christ the Son of God as our Redeemer tend and unto that do all the works of the spirit of God within us tend What are the works of Gods Spirit in them that shall be saved Now the works of the spirit in them which shall be saved are these .. Conviction 1. Conviction Joh. 16. 8. And when he is come that is the spirit whom Christ calls the Comforter ver 7. he will reprove the world he will convince the world of sinne Simile As when the light of the sun shines in a room this opens and discovers all the nastiness and sluttishness in the room so when the spirit of God comes into the heart he doth by his own light clearly discover and represent the sinful foulness that lies therein Here now I will briefly speak unto two Questions Quest 1. How the spirit convinceth a person of sin Sol. He doth convince of sin 1. By opening the Law of God unto us partly in the spiritualness of it as How the Spirit convinceth of sin reaching not only to our outward words and actions but also to our inward thoughts and affections both in the commands of it and likewise in the prohibitions of it that God doth not only command of us a Righteousness and holiness of conversation but also a righteousness and holiness of heart and nature not only that we do good but also that we be good not only that we hear him but also that we know and love and fear and trust upon him not only that we draw near unto him with our lips and bodies but also that we draw near unto him with our hearts and serve him in spirit and in truth That God in his Law doth not only forbid and condemn sinful words and deeds but also sinful desires and delights and motions not only murder in the hand but murder also in the heart not only adultery in the act but adultery also in the heart as Christ assures us himself in Matth. 5 28. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Perfection of it that it is so precise and exact that it expects from us not this or that particular duty but an universal obedience and full conformity unto all and every particular which is required and not for some little space of our life but constantly and invariably as to all the time of our lives and if we fail either in the fulness or in the continuance of obedience at any time in any particular presently the Law pronounceth a sentence of curse against us Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all these things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Secondly By opening our sins the transgression of the Law unto us Rom. By opening our sins to us 7. 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I died i. e. when the Law came accompanied with the Spirit of God now sinne revived now it appeared now I saw what a sinful creature and what a miserable creature I was This is certain that when the spirit of God doth convince any one of sinne he then doth by an invincible evidence or lâ—ght so set out a mans sinful life and heart that he cannot but confess and acknowledge the same and withall himself to lye under the curse of God as long as by unbelief he remains in his sinful estate Quest 2. Whether a wicked person may not be convinced of sin and if he may how then can this work of conviction be any distinguishing character that we have the spirit Sol. To this I answer First I do not make every work flowing from the Spirit a character of his What are not characters of the presence of Gods Spirit gracious presence not illumination not conviction solitarily considered by themselves alone but as concomitantly considered with other more powerful and effectual works of the spirit following them 2. But secondly there is a difference between that conviction of sin in wicked The difference between the convictions of the wicked and the godly men and that in the people of God and the difference lies thus First The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily levis mollis it is such an evidencing of their sins as doth not much afflict and distress them indeed they cannot deny but that they are sinners yet they hope to escape well enough for all this c. Secondly The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily semiplena imperfecta it is of some outward gross sins as swearing lying adultery drunkenness but for all these they think their hearts are as good as the best they are seldom convinced their sinful hearts and natures and that original sin which is the fountain of all sins and which pollutes the whole soul Thirdly The conviction in wicked men if it be full and strong it is but Judicialis it is not Remedialis it is not in salutem but proves only in perniciem for when they are so convinced either they sin more desperately against the convincing light of the Spirit or else they fall into despair as Cain and Judas and Spira crying out that their sinnes are greater than can or shall be forgiven But now the conviction of sin by the Spirit in the people of God is another kind of conviction For 1. It is deep and powerful it makes discovery of the very root and foundation What is the conviction of the Spirit in Gods children of all sins even of that corruption and vileness in the heart In sinne did my Mother conceive me said David Psal 51. 5. And I see another Law in my members said Paul Rom. 7. 23. And Ecce cor meum Deus meus ecce cor meum said Austin Ah Lord what a wicked heart had I c. 2. It is graciously effectual this work of conviction works graciously upon
and the Spirit of God likewise puts out his hand he puts his strength to our strength or rather to our weakness we are to pray to mourn to believe to obey and that we may do these he comes in with a new influence help and power assisting us unto all these Fifthly by way of Confirmation sustaining upholding carrying us on from path to path from work to work untill we have finished all our work he leads us on in the course of holy obedience all the dayes of our life from first to last till we come to our journeyes end Psal 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me unto glory 2. Quest Why the Spirit of God thus leads the people of God Sol. Because First Of our ignorance we cannot see but by his light Why Gods Spirit leads Gods people Secondly Of our own inability or weakness even when strongest their own graces of themselves alone are not sufficient strength unto them which appears in the great falls of the best of them when left but a little unto themselves Thirdly Of the difficulties of their work and in their way and journey to heaven their work is very great and the encounters which meet them are very sharp there was a red Sea and a wilderness to pass through and strong enemies to be fought with and conquered before they came to Canaan So is it with Christians in their way to heaven c. Thus you see that the Spirit of God leads the people of God he is given unto them for a Guide and Leader and they do hearken unto him willingly desirously carefully constantly and follow their Leader But where is this leading work to be found who amongst us is led by the Spirit of God Many First Are led by their own hearts lusts they are at the command of every sinful motion Many are led Secondly By Satan they presently follow every temptation of his and his will and works they will do Many are Thirdly Led by the world by the example of it they will do as most men do by the fashions of it they will not be like no body but will attire themselves as the world doth by the pleasures of it by the profits of it as Balaam was led for reward even to curse the people of God Many are led Fourthly By their own judgement and by their own wills and they will not be controlled And many are led Fifthly By the spirit of error and not by the Spirit of truth They are led away with the error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3. 17. And follow their pernicious wayes 2 Pet. 2. 2. If all the men in the world were drawn out and stood under their proper Colours and Leaders how thin how few would be found to follow this best this only safe Leader the Spirit of God! but remember what the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye as it is a sure sign of salvation when we walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. and 4. so it is a sure sign of damnation when we walk after the flesh and not after the Spirit Thus have you the discoveries of the Spirit of God by his works Now follows the second way of discovery by which we may know whether we have the Spirit of God viz. 2ly By the qualities of the Spirit There are many qualities by which the Spirit of God is set forth unto us in scriptures Having the spirit may be known by the qualities of the Spirit all which virtually every one who hath the Spirit doth or may find in himself in some measure I should be too tedious if I should discourse upon every one of them therefore I will fix upon some of them e. g. 1. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of judgement and of burning 2. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of knowledge 3. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of power 4. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of liberty 5. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth 6. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love 7. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of glory 8. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of goodness First The Spirit of God is the Spirit of judgement and of burning Isa 4. 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the mid'st thereof by the Spirit of judgement and by the Spirit of burning In the former verse God doth make a promse unto the Reliques of Zion and unto the Remnant of Jerusalem that they shall be holy In this verse he declareth when this shall be namely In the day when he shall wash them from their filth and purge them from their blood Lastly he shews how this should be caused and that is by the Spirit of judgement and by the Spirit of burning Some by the Spirit of judgement do understand that Spirit by which God judgeth and punisheth the wicked others by it do understand a mind and power given to execute judgement or righteousness for the deliverance of the people of God from their enemies but with submission I conceive that by the Spirit of judgemen is meant â—â— judicial or Judge-like condemnation such a Spirit as enables us to sit in judgement upon our sinful lusts in the arraigning of them censuring disallowing and condemning of them even to death it self And so by the Spirit of judgment may be meant the efficacious fruit of the Spirit which in a way of execution separates sinful lust from the heart and by degrees consumes as the fire doth the dross And certainly this is a truth that such a Spirit as this is the Spirit of God in every man unto whom he is given viz. He is a Spirit of 〈◊〉 he sets up as it were a Judges seat into the heart and makes our selves to be the judges to give a righteous sentence that all our sins and lusts are such evils as are not to be endured not to be harboured any longer nay not fit to live but presently to dye and to be destroyed And he is also a Spirit of burning like as fire to the dross which separates it from the mettal and wastes and consumes it in like manner doth the Spirit work in our hearts a separation from our sinnes and a daily mortification of them Hose 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I any more to do with idols Isa 31. 7. Every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold Ch. 30. 22. Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Rom. 8. 13. If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body c. Beloved as this is one special end why Lord gives his Spirit unto his people viz. that they may judge and condemn and mortifie their sinful lusts so it is
obedience is still accepted that which God principally looks at in our services of him is our Sincerity is ever accepted heart My son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. and the uprightness of our hearts his eyes are upon the truth and he is a God that takes pleasure in uprightness 1 Chron. 23. 19. A man is sincere in obedience when 1. He intends the glorifying of God Who are sincere in obedience in what he doth 2ly When he serves God with a willing heart 3ly When he puts out all the present strength and might of his soule in doing the will of God Now although this person falls very short of perfection in his works of obedience and many failings accompany his duties yet God passes by them and God is the Father of such as are upright takes no notice of them will not reject but will accept of them and of his weak services And there are three Demonstrations of this 1. God whom he serves with his spirit is his Father and of a very merciful and gracious nature Psal 103. 13. Like as a Father pities his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him 2. He hath made many indulgent promises to him Isa 30. 19. He will be God hath made many promises to such very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee Chap. 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt-offerings and their sacrifice shall be accepted upon mine Altar c. 3. Jesus Christ bears away all the iniquities of our holy offerings and by his Christ bears away all the iniquities of such merits procures the acceptance of all our services Rev. 8. 3. He is that Angel that stood at the Altar having a golden censer who had much incense given unto him that he should offer it with prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which is before the Throne Ver. 4. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Now this is a singular Encouragement unto us to hold on stedfast in our walking in Gods statutes never to be weary in well doing For our labour is not in vain in the Lord not any work of obedience is lost not a Prayer not a tear not any one work performed with sincerity of heart but it is graciously accepted Fifthly There is no safety in going back from walking in Gods stautes and there is no hazard in going forward and holding on unto No safety in going back â—â—e end First There is no safety in going back from walking in Gods statutes For â—â—â—s only is the path of life and the path of salvation he that turns from it â—â—â—iseth his own soul he is lost he is out of protection out of blessings out 〈◊〉 promised good and shall be sure to meet with curse and wrath and â—â—â—â—ction â—â—condly There is no hazard in going forward and holding out un to the 〈◊〉 end You cannot hazard 1. Your souls by it for he that keepeth the Commandement keepeth No hazard in going forward his soule 2. The recompence you expect by it for he that continues to the end shall be saved 3. Your safety by it for God is a Sun and a Shield unto them that walk uprightly Psal 84. 11. The Lord is with you whiles you are with him 2 Chron. 15. 2. 4. Your honour by it Those that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2. 30. 5. Any outwardly blessing by it For Prov. 3. 23. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just Prov. 28. 10. The upright shall have good things in possession And ver 20. A faithful man shall abound with blessings There is no death but life no curse but blessing no danger but safety no loss but gain in walking in c. Sixthly Though we meet with many oppositions in the stedfast walking Many higher encouragements yet you have higher and greater encouragements to the certainty of that way There are four things which do shew that the walking on in Gods statutes is the true way to heaven 1. The holiness of it 2. The warrantableness of it 3. The aim of the traveller 4. The universal opposition made against it by Satan by all ungodly men and by the remaining corruptions in every mans heart it is the opposed and discouraged way Nevertheless you have higher and greater Encouragements to hold on your walking in the way of Gods statutes e. g. 1. The excellency of the way itself it is the way of God and the way It s an excellent way of life and the way of holinesse the way of Christ the way of peace and rest 2. The company of travellers The best men that ever were upon earth did The company of travellers chuse this way to walk in Enoch walked with God so did Noah and so did Abraham and so did all the excellent Kings mentioned in Scripture David Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Josiah and so did all the faithful Prophets of God and so did Christ and all the faithful Disciples and so do all the Saints of God who are the excellent on earth and so did all the souls which are now glorified in heaven should not this encourage you to hold on your course in walking in Gods statutes all that are now in heaven have gone on in this course and all that shall come to heaven do so It is the path of the just still the living walk in it The delight of God 3. The delight of God The Lord himself loves you and owns you and takes pleasure in you approves of you and commends you there was no King like Josiah c. Seest thou my servant job c. Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him And 149 4. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people And Prov 11. 20. Such as are uprigh in their way are his delight 4. The promise of God O how many and how choice and how sweet The promise of God Isa 41. 10. Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Ver. 11. Behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word Ver. 9. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee 5. The actual comforts encouragings and refreshings from the Lord Acts Actual