formerly No but his Light is greater his eyes are open'd and now he sees more clearly what sinne is When the Sunne shines and its rayes come in what a number of motes do we discover which before we saw not Not as if the Sunne-beames made them or the Sunne raised the dust no there are here as many motes and as much dust flying about as if the Sunne shined here What 's the matter then Why this the Sunne discovers them to us So that here 's the point Our sinnes in our souls are as motes in the ayre and are not more than they were before conversion but we cannot see them till the glorious beams of Gods Spirit shine upon us The sight of sinne and of the danger that comes by it is the work of Gods Spirit The Spirit discovers sinne unto us John 16.8 When the Spirit cometh he shall convince the world of sinne the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit shall convince them and the same word is used Heb. 11.1 where Faith is said to be the evidence of things not seene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretofore we had a slight imagination of our sinnes but to have our mouth stopped and to be convinced is not a work of flesh and blood but of Gods Spirit Rom. 3.19 Till we are awakened by his Spirit we cannot see nor feele the mountains and heaps of sinnes that lie upon our souls Thou art dead in sinne Rom. 8. Thou art in bondage and to know it is a work of the Spirit not of nature The spirit of bondage what is that Why however we are all bondmen untill the Son hath made us free in a woful estate slaves to sinne and Satan yet till Gods Spirit convince us and shew it us and make us know it we sleep secure are not afraid but think our selves the freest men in the world and see not this to be a time of need This therfore is the first preparative when God brings his people by Mount Sinai Heb. 12.18 For you are not come unto the Mountain that may be touch't and that burned by fire nor unto the blacknesse and darkness and tempest so Gal. 4. Mount Sinai is made a figure of the Law which begets bondage Not that Mount which might be touch't and that burnt with fire where was the sound of the Trumpet and voice of words such a sound as never before was heard nor never will be till one day we shall hear the same The sound of the Trumpet which sounded at the delivery of the Law Exod. 19.19 where it is described for when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder that Moses heard it was such a noise a great noise at first but it grew higher and and higher and at last it came to that heighth that it was almost incomprehensible then Moses spake And what spake he The Holy Ghost sets not down what he spake in that place Look in Heb. 12.21 So terrible was the voice that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Such a kind of lightning and loud voice this was the Lord commands such a voice as this Esay 58.1 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins When God shall sound with the voice of the Trumpet of his holy Word of his Law and shew thee that thou art a trayterous Rebel and that there is an Execution gone out against thee body and goods when God sounds thus to the deaf ear of a carnal man then cometh the spirit of bondage of necessity on him which shews that we have a time of need The Law must have this operation before thou comest to the Throne of grace None will flie to the City of Refuge till the revenger of blood be hard at his heels Nor any to Christ till he sees his want Thus the Lord makes us know our need by turning the edge of his Axe towards us Offenders when they are brought to the bar at Westminster for Treason have the edge of the Axe turned from them but when they have received the sentence of condemnation and are carried back to the Tower the edge of the Axe is turned towards them Thus is it here The Law turns the edge of Gods Axe towards us and therefore it 's said of St. Peters hearers Acts 2.38 That they were pricked to the heart The Law puts the point of Gods sword to our very brests as it were and brings us to see that we stand in great need of heaven This is the first preparative when God enlightens our minds to see our dangerous estate and then there must of necessity follow fear and desire to be rid of this condition for the will and affections alwayes follow the temper of the minde And hence when a man hath a false perswasion that he is in a good case that he is safe and well what works it but pride presumption confidence and security So on the contrary contrary effects must follow If a man be in health and jollity and on a sudden be proclaimed a Traytor that he must lose his life and goods is it possible it should be thus and he not wrought on nor have any alteration So when news comes from the Law that thou art a dead man and everlastingly must perish the Law then works wrath that is it manifests unto us the wrath of God When it is thus there follows a shaking and a trembling and it 's impossible but with Moses thou shouldst exceedingly quake and tremble 2. For all this there is a Throne of grace erected God hath not forgotten to be merciful though thy sins be never so great This is the next preparative for faith namely the discovery and acknowledgement of the Gospel of Christ Jesus We see in Ezra 10.2 We have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing we have trespassed What then must we be the subjects of Gods wrath No Yet notwithstanding though we have committed this great offence there is hope in Israel concerning this thing What though we have provoked God to indignation must we be the matter for his wrath to work on No There is balme in Gilead Jer. 8. ult Is there no balme in Gilead Is there no Physitian there Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered What though then we are sick to death yet there is an help in time of need And this knowledge of the people that there is a Throne of grace is the first comfort comes to a miserable and sinful soul. A man that hath a deadly disease though the Physitian do him no good which he hath made use of yet this he comforts himself in when he sees a Physician that hath cured the same disease he sees then there is some hope Thus it is with a sinful soul. When the
upon our selves with false glasses because there is naturally in every one self-love and in these last and worst times men are apt to think better of themselves then they deserve If there be any beginning of goodnesse in them they think all is well when there is no danger in the world then being but half Christians He thinks that if he hath escaped the outward pollutions of the world through lust and be not so bad as formerly he hath been and not so bad as many men in the world are therefore he is well enough whereas his end proves worse then his beginning This superficial repentance is but like the washing of a hog the outside is onely wash't the swinish nature is not taken a way There may be in this man some outward abstaining from the common grosse sins of the world or those which he himself was subject unto but his disposition to sin is the same his nature is nothing changed there is no renovation no casting in a new mould which must be in us For it is not a little reforming will serve the turn no nor all the morality in the world nor all the common graces of Gods Spirit nor the outward change of the life they will not do unlesse we are quickned and have a new life wrought in us unlesse there be a supernatural working of Gods Spirit we can never enter into Heaven Therefore in this case it behooves every man to prove his own work Gal. 6. A thing men are hardly drawn unto to be exact examiners of themselves Coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Heathen himself could say to know a mans self is a heavenly saying and it 's an heavenly thing indeed if we have an heavenly Master to teach us The Devil taught Socrates a lesson that brought him from the study of natural to moral Philosophy whereby he knew himself yet the Devil knew morality could never teach him the lesson indeed All the morality in the world cannot teach a man to escape Hell we must have a better instructer herein then the Devil or our selves the Lord of Heaven must do it if ever we will be brought to know our selves aright St. Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel one of the learnedst Doctors of the Pharisees and yet he could not teach him this When he studied the law he thought himself unblameable but coming to an higher and better Master he knows that in him that is in his flesh dwells no good thing Rom. 7. By self examination a man may finde mâ—ny faults in himself but to find that which the Apostle afterwards found in himself to see the flesh a rottenness the sink of iniquity that is within him and to find himself so bad as indeed he is unlesse it please the Lord to open his eyes and to teach him he can never attain it Now we come to this place of the Apostle wherein we see the true glasse of our selves the Spirit knows what we are better then our selves and the Spirit shews us that every man of us either was or is such as we are here set down to be We are first natural before we can be spiritual there is not a man but hath been or is yet a natural man and tâ—â—â—efore see we the large description of a natural man before he is quickned before God which is rich in mercy enlivens him being dead in sins and saves him by grace in Christ. Thus is it with us all and thus must it be and we shall never be fit for grace till we know our selves thus far till we know our selves as far out of frame as the Spirit of truth declares us to be In this place of Scripture consider we 1. Who this carnal man is what they are which the Apostle speaks of to be dead in sins and that walk after the course of the world led by the Devil and have their conversation after the flesh children of wrath These are big words and heavy things Consider therefore first the subject of whom this is spoken Then follows the Pâ—aedicate or 2. What thâ— till newes is which he delivers of them We begin with the first 1. Who they are of whom this is spoken and that is you You hath he quickned who were dead and ye in the words following that in times past walked after the course of the world and in the third verse more particularly Among whom we had our conversation also in times past He speaks now in the first person as before in the second so that the subject is we and ye all Not a man in this Congregation but is or was as bad as the Holy Ghost here makes him But 2. To come to that which is delivered of him he is one not quickned dead in sins no better then nature made him that corrupt nature which he hath from Adam till he is thus spiritually enlivened Now he 's described 1. By the quality of his person 2. By his company Even as others Thou mayst think thy self better then another man but thou art no better never a barrel the better herring as we say Even as others thou art not so alone but as bad as the worst not a man more evil in his nature then thou art When thou goest to hell perhaps some difference there may be in your several punishments according to your several acts of rebellion but yet you shall all come short of the glory of God And for matter of quickning you are all alike 1. First then concerning their quality And this is declared 1. By their general disposition they are dead in trespasses and sins Dead and therefore unable and indisposed to the works of a spiritual living man Besides not onely indisposed and unable thereto but dead in trespasses and sins He lies rotting in his own filth like a rotten carkasse and stinkking carrion in the nostrils of the Almighty so loathsome is he all which is drawn from original sin Not onely dis-enabled to any good but prone to all sin and iniquity 2. By his particular conversation And that appeares in the verse following Where in times past ye walked How Not according to the word and will of God not according to his rule but they walked after three other wicked rules A dead man then hath his walk you see a strange thing in the dead but who directs him in his course these three the world the flesh and the Devil the worst guides that may be yet if we look to the conversation of a natural man we see these are his Pilots which are here set down 1. The World Where in times past ye walked after the course of the world He swims along with the stream of the world Nor will he be singular not such a precise one as some few are but do as the world doth run amain whither that carries him See the state of a natural man He 's apt to be brought into the slavery of the world This
is Heb. 10.5 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body thou hast prepared me then said I Io I come in the volumn of thy book it is written of me to do thy Will O God As if he should have said Lord I am not able to accomplish thy Will or to be subject to thee in thy nature therefore thou hast made me a man that in the form of a servant I might shew obedience which I could not while I was in nature equal unto thee Now consider how great this person is that hath suffered all for thee Rev. 1.5 Jesus Christ who is the faithfull witness the first begotten of the Dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth to have a great Prince bound like a thief araigned and executed the consideration of this state of the person would move a stony heart Rev. 17.14 He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Amongst men the Father is more honourable then the Son and the Son is but a servant untill he be emancipated but it is not so in the Divinity but the Father and the Son are both alike honourable Among men the Son hath the same specifical nature with the Father but not the same individual but it is not so in the Divinity the Father and the Son there have the self same individual nature I and my Father are one therefore there must be an equality The Pharisees themselves could draw this conclusion that if he were the Son of God he was equal with God John 5.18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him because he said God was his Father making himself equal with God A man would think how could that follow He was but Gods Son but Gods Son must be equal to the Father In making himself Gods Son he made himself equal with God and therefore know upon this and by this stands the point of our Redemption If a pure and holy Angel had suffered never so much it would not have availed for our Redemption It is a price no man nor Angel must meddle with all It will require a greater Price It was God himself that suffered in his assumed nature He and no other person for we must understand though Christ took on him the nature of a man yet not the person of a man here stands the point the second person in the Trinity is the Suppositum of all this humiliation and therefore observe when the point of suffering comes there 's a remarkable speech Zach. 13.7 Saith the Son to the Father it was against his heart to smite him the expression is a lively one it went to his heart to smite one that was his equal that did him no wrong Awake O sword against my Shepherd and against the man who is my fellow You know of whom it is spoken by Mâ—thew Mat. 26.31 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered The Lord is ready to break him Isa. 53. The sword was as it were unwilling to smite The man that is my fellow A blow lighting on Gods fellow equal with God of what value is it Consider the difference betwixt a man and a man The State of a Prince makes great odds between that is done to him and that is done to another man When David would adventure himself into the battel Thou shalt say they go no more with us least they quench the light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17 and more fully 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us they would not hazzard the person of the King in the battel Why because thou art worth ten thousand of us The dignity of a Prince is so great that ten thousand will not countervail the loss of him If this be the esteem and worth of David what is the worth of Davids Prince If thus with a King what with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is a great ground of the sufficiency of Christs suffering Heb. 9.13 If the blood of Buls and Goates sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh how much more verse 14. shall the blood of Christ who through his eternal Spirit offered himself to purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God It is not the offering of the body only but he did it through his eternal Spirit When the Martyrs and Saints offered themselves a sacrifice they offered it through the flames of their love and therefore embraced the stake and love is described as strong as death but Christ did not offer his sacrifice with the flames of his love though love was in him the greatest that ever was but with the everlasting flames of his God-head and Deity with that fire from heaven which is a consuming fire He did the deed that will purge our Consciences from dead works Act. 20.28 Take heed unto your selves and to the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseeâ—s to feed the Church of Gâ—d which he hath purchased with his precious blood God hath purchased the Church with his own blood Who 's blood Gods blood The blood of God must be shed He who thought it no robbery to be equal with God must shed his own blood As Zippora saith to Moses A bloody husband hast thou been to me Exod. 4.25 So may Christ say to his Church a bloody Spouse hast thou been to me that my blood must be shed for thee 1 Cor. 2.8 Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory that is they would not have crucified God He that was crucified was the glorious Lord God Acts 3.15 You denyed the holy one and killed the Prince of life Here 's the matter unless the Prince of life had been killed thou couldst not have life This the Apostle sets down as the ground of all before he comes to the particularities of his humiliation and sets down who it was who was thus humbled He whom the Heaven of Heavens could not contain he must descend unto the lower-most parts of the earth that 's a descent indeed His Humiliation appears in this that he who was thus high became a man and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. In this humiliation consider I say these two Points 1. The person who was humbled 2. The point of his humiliation Some things hath regard to the whole course of his life others to the conclusion or period of his life All his life from his incarnation to his passion was a continual thred of humiliation from his Cradle to his Cross from his womb to his Tomb so here is set down the humbled life of our blessed Saviour For I would not have you think his humiliation consisted only in coming to the Cross when they so mercilesly handled him it cost him more then so as sinners have the curse of God on them in their life as well as in their death so Christ must have a
not nor begs so hard because he hath but little hope to attain any thing from him But I say let both these meet together first that the beggar is in great need then that he of whom he begs is very liberal it makes him beg hard but now cannot he pray without book Think not that I speak against praying by the book you are deceived if you think so but there must be words taken to us besides which perhaps a book will not yield us A beggars need will make him speak and he will not hide his sores but if he hath any sore more ugly or worse than another he will uncover it good Sir behold my woful and distressed case he layes all open to provoke pity So when thou comest before God in confession canst thou not finde out words to open thy self to Almighty God not one word whereby thou mayst unlap thy sores and beseech him to look on thee with an eye of pity I must not mince my sins but amplifie and aggravate them that God may be moved to pardon me till we do thus we cannot expect that God should forgive us A great ado there is about auricular confession but it s a meer bable It were better to cry out our sinnes at the high Crosse than to confesse in a Priests eare Thou whisperest in the Priests eare what if he never tell it or if he do art thou the better Come and poure out thy heart and soul before Almighty God confesse thy self to him as David did for that hath a promise made to it Psal. 51.4 Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mayst be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Why so Why one main cause why we should confesse sinne is to justifie God When a sinner confesses I am a childe of wrath and of death if thou castest me into hell as justly thou mayst I have received but my due when a man does thus as the Kings Atturney may frame a Bill of Inditement against himself he justifies Almighty God Thus did David Against thee against thee c. Now when we have thus aggravated our misery comes the other part of begging to cry for mercy with earnestnesse and here 's the power of the Spirit It 's one thing for a man to pray and another thing for a man to say a prayer 'T is the easiest thing in the world to say a prayer but to pray and cry for mercy as David did in good earnest to wrestle with God to say Lord My life lies in it I will never give thee over I will not go with a denial this is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the work of Gods Spirit I named you a place in Jude ver 20. where the Apostle exhorts but ye beloved build up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost there 's the prayer of the faithful to pray in the Holy Ghost And in the Ephesians we read of an Armour provided for all the parts of a mans body yet all will not serve the turn unlesse prayer come in as the chief Ephes. 6.18 Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance c. This is the prayer of faith that procures forgivenesse of sinnes we must pray in faith and in the Spirit that is the language which God understands He knoweth the meaning of the Spirit and knoweth none else but that Many men are wondrously deceived in that which they call the Spirit of prayer One thinks it is a faculty to set out ones desires in fair words shewing earnestnesse and speaking much in an extemporary prayer This we think commendable yet this is not the Spirit of prayer One that shall never come to heaven may be more ready in this than the childe of God for it is a matter of skill and exercise the Spirit of prayer is another thing The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 What shall we think then that the Holy Ghost groans or speaks in prayer No but it makes us groan and though we speak not a word yet it so enlarges our hearts as that we send up a volley of sighs and groans which fit the Throne of grace And this is the Spirit of prayer when with these sighs and groans I beg as it were for my life This is that ardent affection the Scripture speaks of A cold prayer will never get forgivenesse of sins it 's the prayer of faith which prevailes The prayer of the faithful availeth much if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fervent In the Ancient Churches those that were possessed with an evil spirit were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that caught them up and made them do actions not sutable to their nature Prayer is a fire from heaven which if thou hast it will carry all heaven before it there is nothing in the world so strong as a Christian thus praying Prayers that are kindled with such a zeal are compared to Jacobs wrestling with the Angel Hos. 12.4 whereby he had power over the Angel The Prophet expounds what this wrastling was he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with him This is the wrestling with God when thou fillest heaven with thy sighs and sobs and bedewest thy couch with thy tears as David did and hast this resolution with Jacob I will not let thee go except thou blesse me God loves this kinde of boldnesse in a beggar that he will not go away without an answer As the poor Widow in the Parable that would not give over her suit so that the Judge though he feared not God nor cared for man by reason of her importunity granted her desire Mark the other thing in the Apostle he bids us pray with the Spirit and with perseverance and he that cometh thus hath a promise made to it He that calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Call on me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee it 's set down fully Matth. 6.7 Ask and you shall have seek and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened One would think this were idem per idem but it is not so He bids us ask and it shall be given seek and you shall finde c. There is a promise annexed to asking seeking and knocking but it is also proved by universal experience for every one that asketh c. It 's every mans case never any man did it yet that hath lost his labour in not attaining what he asked If thou hast it not yet thou shalt have it in the end it is so fair a petition to
This being an accident we must have a subject for it Now there is a certaine kind of people that have supernatural workings some that are drawn up and down with every wind of Doctrine these are they that have this cold and temporary faith temporary because in the end it discovers it self to be a thing not constant and permanent We read in John 11.26 That they that are born of God never see death shall never perish eternally but yet we must know withal that there may be conceptions that will never come to the birth to a right and perfect delivery And thus it may be in the soul of a man there may be conceptions that will never come to a ripe birth but let a man be borne of God and come to perfection of birth and the case is cleare he shall never see death He that liveth and believeth in me shall not see death And this is made a point of faith Believest thou this There is another thing called conception and that is certain dispositions to a birth that come not to full perfection True a child that is borne and liveth is as perfectly alive as he that liveth an hundred years yet I say there are conceptions that come not to a birth Now the faith that justifies is a living faith there is a certaine kind of dead faith this is a feigned that an unfeigned faith The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Dost thou think a dead faith can make a living soule It 's against reason A man cannot live by a dead thing not by a dead faith Now a dead faith there is A faith that doth not work is a dead faith Jam. 2.22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by his works was faith made perfect for verse 26. As the body without the spirit is dead or without breath is dead so faith without works is dead also See how the Apostle compares it as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also The Apostle makes not faith the form of works as the soul is the forme of the man but as the body without the spirit is dead so that faith that worketh not that hath no tokens of life is dead but then doth not the other word strike home Faith wrought with his works It seems here is not as the Papists say fides informis and works make it up as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it Compare this with the other places of the Scripture 2 Cor. 12.9 where the Apostle pray'd to God that the messenger of Satan might be removed from him and he said unto him My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse What does our weaknesse make Gods strength more perfect to which nothing can be added No it is My strength and the perfection of it is made known in the weaknesse of the meanes that I made use of for the delivery of mans soul from death So here the excellency and perfection of our faith is made known by works when I see that it is not an idle but a working faith then I say it is made perfect by the work when it is a dead faith that puts not a man on work never believe that will make a living soul. In St. Judes Epistle ver 20. it hath another Epithite viz. the most holy faith not holy only but most holy That faith which must bring a man to God the holy of holies must be most holy It 's said that God dwells in our hearts by faith Now God and faith dwelling in a heart together that heart must needs be pure and cleane Faith makes the heart pure It were a most dishonourable thing to entertaine God in a sty a filthy and unclean heart but if faith dwell there it makes a fit house for the habitation of the King of Saints therefore it purifieth the heart Well then doest thou think thy sinnes are forgiven thee and that thou hast a strong faith and yet art as prophane and as filthy as ever How can it be It is a most holy faith that justifieth it is not a faith that will suffer a man to lie on a dunghill or in the gutter with the hog There may be a faith which is somewhat like this but it is but temporary and cometh short of it But now there is another thing which distinguishes it it is the peculiar work of faith In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but the new creature Gal. 6.15 and againe Gal. 5.6 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but faith which worketh by love It 's twice set down Now what is a new creature why he that hath such a faith as works by love not a dead faith but a faith that works but how does it work it not only abstaines from evil and does some good acts which a temporary may do but it s such a faith as works by love The love of God constraines him and he so loveth God as that he hates evil for Gods sake the other does it not out of love to God all the love he hath is self-love he serves his own turn on God rather than hath any true love to serve him Now that we may the better distinguish between these two I shall endeavour to shew you how farre one may go farther than the other I know not a more difficult point then this nor a case more to be cut by a thread then this it being a point of conscience therefore First I declared unto you the nature of faith How God first works the will and the deed and that there is a hungring and thirsting after Christ. First I say there is a will and desire to be made partaker of Christ and his righteousnesse then there is the deed too We are not only wishers and woulders but do actually approach unto the Throne of grace and there lay hold on Christ touch the golden Scepter which he holdeth out unto us but Object Now you will ask Is there not an earnest and good desire in a temporary faith a desire unfeign'd Sol. Yes there may be for a time a greater and more vehement desire in a temporary then in a true believer then in the elect themselves all their life Object Where 's the difference then I thought all had been well with me when I had such a desire as I could scarce be at rest till it were accomplished Sol. I answer beloved It is a hard matter to tell you the difference but you must consider 1. From whence this desire flowes whether it come from an accidental cause as if by accident my heart be made more soft and I more sensible of my condition or whether my nature be changed to give you an instance in iron when iron is put into the forge it is softened and as soon as it 's taken forth we say 't is time to strike while
not an instrument at all faith only is the instrument â—aith justifyeth me from sinne hereafter as well as before The case is this faith brings life The righteous shall live by his faith as the Prophet Habakkuk speaks What doth then new sinnes do There are two sorts of sinnes one of ordinary incursion which cannot be avoided these break no friendship betwixt God and us these only weaken our faith and make us worse at ease But there are other sinnes which waste a mans conscience A man that hath committed murder adultery and lives in covetousnesse which in the Apostles is Idolatry as long as a man is in this case he cannot exercise the acts of faith we must know faith justifieth not as an habit but as an act applying Christ to the comfort of the soul. Now a wasting sinne it stops the passage of faith it cannot act till it be opened by repentance Physitians give instances for it Those that have Apoplexies Epilepsies and the Falling sicknesse are thought to be dead for the time as it was with Eutichus yet saith Saint Paul his spirit was in him Every one thought him dead yet his spirit is in him however in regard of the operation of his senses it did appear he was dead So if thou art a carelesse man and lookst not to thy watch and to thy guard but art overtaken in some grosse and grievous sinne thou art taken for dead I say not a man can lose his life that once hath it but yet in the apprehension of others and of himself too he may appear to be so As in Epilepsies the nerves are hindred by obstructions so sinne obstructs the nerves of the soul that there cannot be that life and working till these sinnes be removed Now what is repentance why it clears the passages that as faith could not act before now it gives him dispositions unto it As a man in a swound cannot do the acts of a living man till he be refreshed again so here its repentance which clears the spirits and makes the life of faith passe throughout Now when repentance clears the passages then faith acts and now there is a new act of faith faith justifies me from my new sinnes faith at first and at last is that whereby I am justified from my sins which I commit afterwards But this forgivenesse of sinnes what doth it free us from In sinne we must consider two things the fault and the punishment Now consider sinne as it is in it self and as it respects the sinner as acted by him as respecting the fault of the sinner it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law The punishment is death as it respects the sinner it is guilt The sin is not guilt but the guilt the sinners For instance a man that hath told a lye or sworn an oath the act is past but a thing remains which we call the guilt As if a man commit murder or adultery the act is past but yet if he sleep or walk or wake the guilt follows him If he live an hundred years he is a murderer still and an adulterer still the guilt follows him and nothing can take away the murder or adultery from the soul but the blood of Christ applyed by faith First God takes away the punishment There is now saith the Apostle no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit what nothing in him worthy condemnation God knows we are worthy of a thousand condemnations There are two Judges there is a double guilt when a man is brought to the barre first the Jury judge the fact and then the Judge that sits on the Bench he judgeth the punishment one saith guilty or not guilty the other saith guilty then he judgeth him Now when we are justified we are freed from both these guilts sinne when it is accomplish't it bringeth forth death You know the natural work of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it labours with death now God will stop the acts of it that it shall not do that which it is apt to do which is as good as if the sinne were taken away when there were wilde guords sliced into the pot 2 Kings 4.31 it 's said the Prophet took that venemous herbe away i. e. though the thing were there yet it is as if it were not there it shall do no manner of hurt Bring now and poure out and there was no evil thing So in respect of us though there be an evil thing in punishment and if we had our due would bring condemnation yet when we are sprinkled with the blood of Christ it can do us no evil no hurt it 's said in the Scripture that the stars fell from heaven why the starres are of that bignesse that they cannot fall from heaven to the earth but they are said to fall when they give not their light and do not that for which they were put there so though I have committed sinne yet when God is pleased for Christs sake to pardon it it is as if it were not there at all This is a great matter but I tell you there is more we are not only freed from the guilt of the punishment but which is higher we are freed from the guilt of the fact I am now no more a murderer no more a lyar when I have received a pardon from the blood of Christ he frees me from that charge the world is changed with me now Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect If the Divel lay any thing to thee thou mayst deny it Such a one I was but I am justified but I am sanctified A man hath committed High Treason against the King and the King gives him a pardon for the Treason if I call him a Traytor he can have no remedy against me for he is one the pardon takes not away the guilt But if his blood be restored unto him by Act of Parliament then if I shall call him Traytor he may have remedy against me because he is restored fully and is not lyable to that disgrace This is our case though our sinnes be as red as scarlet yet the die shall be changed it shall not be so bloody Thou hast the grace of justification and this doth not only clear thee from the punishment but from the fault it self See in Jer. 50.20 the place is worth gold In those dayeâ— and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve what is the matter what a sinful man and no sinne what when there is search made for sinne in such a man shall it not be found you will say this is meant of the grace of sanctification no I will pardon them that pardoning of sinne makes the sin not to be found What a wonderful comfort is this
fancy then to peirce the Heart to tickle the Ear rather then wound the Conscience or save the precious the Immortal Soul At that time when we lay thus weltring in our Bloud and Vanity was the Lord pleased to Cause this star to arise and shine in our Horizon and by his light and influence to guide us to Bethlehem A time of love it was an accepted Time a Time never to be forgotten specially by those who through grace can from thence date the Aera of their sound Conversion The persuasion of Armaghs incomparable Learning the Observation of his awfull Gravity the Evidence of his Eminent and exemplary Piety all improved to the heigth by his Indefatigable Industry drew students to flock to him as Doves to the windowes It joyes us to recollect how multitudes of Scholars specially the heads of our Tribes throng'd to hear the sound of his silver Bells How much they were taken with the voice of this wise Charmer How their ears seemed as it were fastened to his lips that were like Lillies dropping sweet smelling Myrrh How did many very many at that time Galatians-like receive this Aged Paul as an Angel of God yea even As Christ. Surely if ever t was then that the Gospel ran and was glorified in Oxon. Then then it was that the Lord seem'd to lay the foundations of his spiritual Temple there with saphires and the Corner-stones thereof with Agats Here might you have seen a Sturdy Saul changed into a submissive Paul a persecutor transformed into A preacher There A tender hearted Josiah lamenting after the Lord and with Ephraim smiting on his thigh saying what have I done Others with the penitent Jews so stabd at the Heart as that they are forced to cry out in the Bitternesse of their souls Men Brethren Fathers oh what shall we do These were some of the blessings from on high which attended These Sermons when preached to the ear oh that a like or a greater might follow them now they are printed to the eye These Notes t is true were taken by such who All had the pens of ready writers and after that compleated by A strict comparing of several distinct papers This is the Body the Bulk of these Heavenly sermons The gloss the Spirit The Energy of them was and must be wholly from Above We Trust the publishing of these Notes will not be interpreted by any in the least to reflect on the unparalleld worth of the Preacher to whose very Dust we owe A sacred Reverence If any thing seems not to speak him let it be charged not on him but the Publishers who have only this to add viz. Their fervent prayers That these sermons may find the like influence on the hearts of others in the reading that they had on their own in the hearing then will Both have Abundant Cause to bless the Lord. Thy Servants for Jesus sake Jos. Crabb Will. Ball. Tho. Lye Imprimator Edm. Calamy A PREFACE Concerning the Author and these NOTES THough I might be silent concerning either the most famous Preacher of these Sermons or these notes now published which were taken after him yet such is the high esteem I have of him and the due respect I hear to them for his sake cheifly that I could not withstand the request of divers who Importuned some Lines from me upon this occasion both concerning the one and the other First I commend unto the Reader a diligent perusal of the life and death of the most Reverend and Learned Father of our Church Dr. Jam. Usher late Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland put forth by Reverend and Learned Dr. Bernard where he shall meet with many delightfull passages concerning His Stock and pedigree Great parts Gifts and Graces Ingenious Education Admirable Proficiency Timely Conversion Rare Learning Indefatigable Industry Strict and holy Conversation Pious Government of his Family Amicable correspondence with Forreign Churches Prophetick Spirit Learned writings Comfortable Visitation Dying words never to be buryed Blessed Death Ever to be lamented Losse Fit Parallel to Samuel among the Prophets to Augustine amongst the Fathers with many other things worthy Observation and when he hath pondered these well he will the lesse wonder that his name hath filled the Christian world as much as ever did Augustine or Athanasius of old or Whitakers and Reynolds of later times Secondly I tender these spices gathered to the Embalming of this Rare Phoenix out of his own ashes holding my self engaged as much as any to cast my mite into the treasury of his blessed memory as having had my Bene esse most from him First by him I was examined and admitted into the Vniversity near Dublin in Ireland his native City and Countrey above fourty years ago Secondly whil'st I continued there which was the space of eight years he took special care of me and account of my studies there Thirdly by him I was ordained or to use the Apostles word put into the ministry and the same day admitted his Chaplain in ordinary now two and thirty years ago though then able to do him little service being called to a Congregation in another nation which call his Grace did then approve of Having given this account to the Reader I shall only mention three things Concerning him and forbear many more that might be added First to the testimonies concerning him from Spanhemius Ger. Vossius Buchartus Simplitius â—ud de dieu Paulus Testardus Blessensis Arnoldus Bootius Mr. Selden Dr. Prideaux Bp. Davenant Bertius Mr. Cambden Sir Rog. Twisden and the whole University of Oxford beside the forced testimony of his adversaries Moranez Beaumont Alias Rookwood Challoner Hen. Fitz-Symonds for all which I refer to the book aforesaid give me leave to add the testimony of Dr. William Chappel sometimes fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge and afterwards Provost of Trinity Colledge near Dublin which from such an acute man as he was may amount to the like equivalent testimony from the Universitie of Cambridge He gave me once three reasons why he thought Doctor Usher then Bishop of Meath was in his esteem the greatest Scholar in the Christian world 1. One was because of his rare natural parts the foundation of his other Learning having a quick Apprehension a prompt Wit a strong Memory a clear Understanding a piercing Judgement and a ready utterance Seldom said he shall you meet all these in an Eminent degree in the same person but in him they so concurred that it is hard to say in which he most excelled 2. Another was because few men though they had such parts were either able or willing to make so rich improvement of them by choice Libraries unwearied studying in them and searching out the Rarities of any other few mens bodies and brains he beleeved would bear it 3. The third was because he was so esteemed both in these Universities and in those beyond the seas and indeed whosoever conversed with him
suppresse while he was living so it was his fear to be injured in it after his death For First These are no sermon notes taken from him printed under his name but under the names of those that took them after him Secondly there is no fear he will be injured by this publication when the publishers are so Candid and ingenuous to give unto him that which is his viz. That he preached these sermons and to take to themselves that which is theirs viz. any thing that seems not to speak him in the publication Thirdly if in his life time when he endeavoured to his utmost to suppresse such publications there came out without his knowledge and against his mind That book entitled The sum and substance of Christian Religion some of the materials with the Method only his collected by him in his younger yeers for his own private use but the rest Transcribed out of Mr. Cartwrights Chatechisme and Mr. Crooks and some other English Divines dissonant in divers places from his own judgement he was yet very well content any industrious person that would cut off what is weak and superfluous therein and supply the wants thereof and cast it into a new Mould of his own framing should make what use he pleaseth of the materials therein and set out the whole in his own name Because he perceived it had done much good Then I say it may be supposed had he yet been alive as I hope his good name will never dye he would have been contented upon the same account to let these notes go forth The publishers were high honourers of him men of Learning and Judgment and though all be not taken which perhaps he spake and somthing perhaps also himself would have pared off as it is scarce possible for any man but himself to publish either sermon or any thing else came out of his mouth in that exactnesse himself would have done it yet is here nothing added of their own here is only as they say the body the bulk not the Glosse the spirit the energy of them These things considered it is hoped which they trust the publishing of these notes will not be interpreted by any in the least to reflect on the unparalleld worth of the preacher to whose very dust they professe to owe a sacred reverence I rather think it were a kind of sacriledge had they not done it if these three things be well and duely weighed First that much good hath been done to very many by such notes taken from other eminent Divines and otherwise published then the Authors themselves would have sent them abroad Witnesse the works of Dr. Preston Mr. Bolton and many others some of their sermons printed by themselves look not like those of their sermons printed by others yet Learned men and Godly have blest God that they were published Mr. Cotton wisheth that such sermons or Letters as happily have layen by many yeers might be brought to light such little things as the Author would hardly acknowledge under his own name might be of special use and esteem unto others And his reason is why should any talent be buryed in a napkin or candle lye hid under a bushel which being set on a Candlestick might give light to all that are in the house yea those divine discourses at Luthers table c. More loose than these sermons did much good in Germany as their translator testifyeth and being by strange providence preserved to posterity and made to speak English was judged by a great Prelate of Canterbury a work worthy of eternal memory and that he had never read a more excellent divine work and that the more he did read them the more desire he had to go on therewith and that he would make it known to the then King what an excellent peice of work was translated and that he would procure an order from his Maiesty to have the book printed and to be dispersed throughout the whole Kingdome as it was in Germanie Yet is that book censured by Polanus to be neither Luthers nor published by any approbation of his but a rapsody patched together without understanding or judgment and printed after his death None such will be found in these sermon notes something of Luthers spirit may be discerned in these Colloquies But much more of the Gracious and heavenly spirit of this unparalleld Bishop The Reader will misse in these notes indeed the exactness of his Immanuel or the incarnation of the son of God so accuratly couched that you cannot find a word defective or redundant nor will he find these notes like the two sermons published by himself but yet they may meet with acceptance by reason of the diligence of those that attest them Secondly That if God blesse the reading as he did the preaching of them none of his surviving friends but may rejoice that in them he being dead yet speaketh Indeed those worthy men do it upon an higher account then some others perhaps did like them from the Rhetorick Language or Learning Couched in them It was the heavenly Art the spiritual Efficacy and power the soul-searching soul-saving vertue that took with them they found them to peirce the heart and Conscience more then tickle the ear or fancy of their hearers The true praise of a sermon saith one of note is some evil left some good done upon the hearing of it one such fruit were a more ample commendation then many mouths full of good words spent and copies taken and printing c. and sure it is on whom a sermon works aright it leaves him no leisure to say much or use many words but makes him rather full of thoughts Thus did these sermons the hearers if you read the epistle prefixed so that were it but for this to let the world see how much this Master of all learning condiscended and sought to profit rather then please it were reason enough for their publication Some testimonies are left behind him under his own hand how he could both speak and write and preach let these notes taken after him be testimonies how much he condiscended and let them serve for patterns to such as think it below them especially in such Auditories to preach as he did a Crucifyed Christ in a Crucifyed style I have heard Dr. Hoyle my learned Tutor who dyed professor of Divinity in Oxford after he had many years been the like in Dublin say when this Famous Bishop proceeded Doctor of Divinity He thought Tully himself could not have excelled him had he been alive in eloquence at that time which appeared not only in his set speeches but those which occasionally fell from him upon the By and he was one that could well judge But now that he preacheth ad populum though in Oxford you have this Eagle stooping as low to prey upon souls to win them to God proclaiming all along I am not the bridegroom but the friend
out his own sins in their weight and number Psal. 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me The continual multiplying of them adds to their heap both in number and weight Thus I have shew'd you what the Law does in respect of sin the benefit of being under the Law that it makes sin appear in its own colours and sets it forth to be as indeed it is exceeding sinful But the Law does not yet leave sin nor let it scape thus But as the Law discovers our sinfulnesse and accursednesse by sin its wretchednesse and mans misery by it till his blessednesse comes from the hands of his Jesus so it layes down the miserable estate befalls him for it If he will not spare God with his sins God will not spare him with his plagues Let us consider of this accursednesse sin brings on us God will not let us go so but as long as we are under the Law we are under the curse and till we are in Christ we can expect nothing but that which should come from the hand of a provoked God Assure thy self thou thâ—t pleasest thy self in thy abominations that God will not take this at thine hands that by so base a creature as thou art so vile a thing as sin is should be committed against him But of the woful effâ—cts of sin which is Gods wrath we will speak the next time LAM 5.16 Woe unto us that we have sinned I Declared unto you heretofore what we are to consider in the state of a natural man a man that is not new fashioned new moulded a man that is not cut off from his own stock a man that is not ingrafted into Christ he is the son of sin he is the son of death First I shew'd you his sinfulnesse and now Secondly I shall shew you his accursednesse that which follows necessarily upon sin unrepented of I declared before what the nature of sin is And now I come to shew what the dreadful effects of sin are the cause the consequence that follows upon sin and that is woe and misery Woe unto us that we have sinned A woe is a short word but there lieth much in it Doct. Woe and anguish must follow him that continueth sinning against God And when we hear this from the Ministers of God it is as if we heard that Angel Rev. 8.13 flying through the midst of heaven denouncing Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth The Ministers of God are his Angels and the same that I now deliver to you if an Angel should now come from Heaven he would deliver no other thing Therefore consider that it is a voice from Heaven that this woe woe woe shall rest upon the heads upon the bodies and soules of all them that will not yeild unto God that will not stoop to him that will be their own masters and stand it out against him woe woe woe unto them all Woe unto us It 's the voice of the Church in general not of one man but woe unto us that we have sinned That I may now declare unto you what these woes are note by the way that I speak not to any particular man but to every man in general It is not for me to make particular application doe you doe that your selves We are all children of wrath by nature In our natural condition we are all alike we are all of one kind and every kind generates its own kind 'T is an hereditary condition and till the Son make us free we are all subject to this woe By nature we are all children of wrath as well as others Eph. 2.3 Now that I may not speak of these woes in general I have shew'd how two woes are past and a third woe is coming God proceeds punctually with us And are not our proceedings in Judiciary Courts after this manner The Judge when he pronounceth sentence doth particularize the matter Thou shalt return to the place from whence thou camest thou shalt have thy bolts knockt off thou shalt be drawn to the place of execution thou shalt be hanged thou shalt be cut down and quartered and so he goes on And this is that which is the witnesse of Justice Thus is it here the Spirit of God thinks it not enough to say barely the state of a sinner is a woful estate but the woes are punctually number'd and this shall be my practice Now 1. The first thing that followeth after sin is this After the committing of sin there cometh such a condition into the soul that it is defiled polluted and becometh abominable And this is the first woe 2. The soul being thus defiled and abominable God loaths it for God cannot endure to dwell in a filthy and stinking carrion-soul he startles as it were and seems afraid to come near it he forsakes it and cannot endure it And that 's the second woe First sin defiles it then God departs from it there must be a divorce 3. When God is departed from the soul then the Devil enters in he presently comes in and takes up the room there will be no emptinesse or vacuum And this is a fearful woe indeed for as soon as God is departed from a man he is left to the guidance of the Devil his own flesh and the world There will be no emptinesse in the heart no sooner God departs but these step in and take Gods place 4. Then in the fourth place after all this is done comes sin and cries for its wâ—ges which is death That terrible death which comprehends in it all that beadroll of curses which are written in the Book of God and not onely those but the curses also which are not written Deut. 28. which are so many that they cannot be written Though the Book of God be a compleat Book and the Law of God a perfect Law yet here they come short and are imperfect For the curses not written shall light upon him which are so many as pen and ink cannot set down nay the very pen of God cannot expresse them so many are the calamities and sorrows that shall light upon the soul of every sinful man Now let us take these woes in pieces one after another 1. The first woe is the polluting and defiling of the soul by sin A thing it may be that we little think of but if God once open our eyes and shew us what a black soul we have within us and that every sin every lustful thought every covetous act every sin sets a new spot and stain upon the soul and tumbles it into a new puddle of filth then we shall see it and not till then for our eyes are carnal and we cannot see this If once we did but see our hateful abominable spots that every sin tumbles us afresh into the mire did we see what a black Devil we have within us we would hate and abhor our selves as Job did It would be
so foul a sight that it would make us out of our wits as it were to behold it A man that is but natural cannot imagine what a black Devil there is within him But though he seeth it not yet he that hath eyes like a flame of fire Rev. 1.14 seeth our stains and spots Our Saviour shewes the filthinesse of the heart by that which proceeds out of the mouth Mat. 15.18 Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart And v. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. Observe Of all evils we account evil thoughts the least This we think strange what thoughts defile a man what so light a matter as a thought Can they make any impression Yes and defile a man too leaving such a spot behind them which nothing but the hot blood of Christ can wash away So many evil thoughts so many blasphemies so many filthy things come from the heart every one being a new defilement and pollution that a man is made so nasty by it and filthy that he cannot believe that it is so bad with him as indeed it is The Apostle having shewn the Corinthians their former life and exhorted them against it 1 Cor. 6. goes on cap. 7. v. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Mark then there is a double filthinesse a filthinesse of the flesh and a filthinesse of the spirit The filthinesse of the flesh that every one acknowledgeth to be filthy carnality Fornication and Adultery c. These bestial lusts every one knowes to be unclean But then there is a filth of the Spirit too and such are evil thoughts They are the filth of the Spirit Corruptio optimi est pessima The corruption which cleaves to the best thing is worst The soul is the Best thing the most noble thing the filthinesse which cleaves to it therefore must needs be the greatest Fleshly filthiness as Adultery is filthy but contemplative Adultery to dwell thereon is worse however such a man may be pure from the filth of the flesh yet if he delight himself in filthy thoughts his spirit is abominable in the sight of God there is a stain by every one of thy impure thoughts left behind However an actual sin be far greater then the sin of a thought yet if that be but once committed and these are frequently in thee if thou alway lie tumbling in the suds of thy filthy thoughts thy continuing therein makes thy sin more abominable then Davids outward act which he but once committed So that we see there is a filthinesse of the spirit as well as the flesh In James 1.21 we have a word sets out the filthinesse of it which is Superfluity Lay apart saith he all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse First it 's expressed by the name of filthinesse â—hewing there 's nothing so defiles a man as sin Then 't is call'd superfluity of naughtinesse But what is there any naughtinesse to be born with and what exceeds that is it superfluity No that 's not the meaning of the place By superfluity is meant the excrements of sin Excrements are the refuse of meat when the good nourishment is taken away from it And 't is as if the Apostle had said Lay aside filthy nasty or excrementitious sin The word was used in the Ceremonies of the Jewes and thereby we may see what was taught concerning sin Deut. 23.12 13. Thou shalt have a place without the camp whither thou shalt goe c. Though the comparison be homely yet it shews the filthinesse of the sin that it is as a very excrement Thou shalt have a paddle and it shall be that when thou wilt ease thy self thou shalt dig therewith c. and thou shalâ— cover that which cometh from thee But what did God care for these things No it was to teach them a higher matter As the reason following implies For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp God would thereby shew them that those things at which every man stoppeth his nose are not so filthy to man as sin is unto God So that you see how the case stands with a sinful man sin defiles him it pollutes him 2. And then in the next place It makes Gods soul to hate and abhor him It 's true some sins there are that every man imagineth to be shameful and filthy but we see all sin is so to God 't is filâ—hinesse of flesh and spirit A man may hate carnality fleshly filthinesse peradventure also he may hate covetousnesse but pride and prodigality that he may get as he thinks credit by that he cannot maintain the reputation of a Gentleman without them A miserable thing that a man should account that a garnish of the soule which doth defile and pollute it If a man should take the excrements of a beast to adorn himself would not we think him an ass Well when we thus defile our selves by sin God cannot endure us he is forced to turn from us he abhors us And that 's the next woe 2. When thou hast made thy self such a black soul such a dunghill such a sty then God must be gone he cannot endure to dwell there It stands not with his honour and with the purity of his nature to dwell in such a polluted heart there must now be a divorce Holinesse becomes his house for ever His delight is in the Saints He is King of the Saints he will not be in a sty When thou hast thus polluted and defiled thy soul God and thee must presently part God puts thee off and thou puttest God off too We read in that place before alledged Eph. 2 12· that before they knew Christ they were without God in the world c. Atheists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in cap. 4. v. 18. Having your understanding darkned and being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them The presence of God is the life of our soules and we having through sin and ignorance banish't God we become strangers until the time of our ingrafting into Christ we are aliens to the life of God whereupon comes a mutual kind of abhorring one another God abhors us and we vile and filthy wretches abhor God again There is enmity betwixt God and us and between all that belongs to God and all that belongs to us There 's an enmity betwixt God and us and observe the expression of it Levit. 26.15 If you shall despise my statutes or if your soules shall abhor my judgments so that you will not doe my commandements c. See here how we begin to abhor God and then for judgment on such persons v. 30. My soul shall abhor you We are not behind hand with God in this abhorring Zach. 11.8 My soul loathed them and their soul abhorred me When we begin to abhor God Gods soul also abhors us When a man hath such a polluted soul he becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the variety of the curses belonging unto a man unreconciled are so many that the ample book of God cannot contain them Deut. 28.61 All the curses which are not written c. We read v. 27. The Lord shall smite thee with the botch of Egypt and with Emralds and with a scab and with itch See the diversities of plagues All these are made parts of the curse The very itch and scab is a part of the payment of Gods wrath in hell Lev. 26.26 I will send a sword amongst you which shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant the sword which shall destroy you that when you shall hear of war of the coming of the sword which the children of God need not fear all is alike unto them it shall be to avenge the quarrel of Gods Covenant The Book of God comprehends not all the curses that are to light on the wicked And therefore we find in Zachary a Book a great Folio-book every side whereof was full of curses Cap. 5.2 He said unto me what seest thou And I said I see a flying roll the length whereof is 20 cubits and the breadth thereof is 10 cubits Here 's a big Book indeed but mark what is in it Sure it is not for nought that the Holy Ghost sets down the dimensions of it there is something questionlesse in it the length thereof is 20 cubits and the breadth 10 cubits a huge volume Nor is it a Book but a Roll so that the crassitude goeth into the compasse and this is written thick within and without and is full of curses against sin Now for the dimensions of it compare this place with 1 Kings 6.3 and you shall find them the very dimensions of Solomons Porch A great place where the people were wont to come for the hearing of the Word and not onely in that time but it was continued to the time of Christ and the Apostles For we read how our Saviour walked in Solomons Porch and the Apostles were in Solomons Porch Acts 5. So large then was this Roll that it agreed in length and breadth with Solomons Porch and so many curses were written in it as were able to come in at the Church door It is as if we should see a huge book now coming in at the Church-door that should fill it up Such a thing was presented unto him and it was a Roll full of curses and all these curses shall come on those that obey not all the Commandements all shall come upon them and overtake them Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed shalt thou be in the field cursed in thy basket and in thy store cursed when thou comest in and when thou goest forth Deut. 28. Till a man come to receive the Promises till he come to be a son of blessing till he be in Christ he is beset so with curses that if he lie down to sleep there is a curse on his pillow if he put his money in his cofer he lays up a curse with it which as rust eats it out and cankers it if he beget a child he is accursed there 's a curse against his person and his goods and all that belongs unto him there 's still a curse over his head The creditor in this world by the Laws of the Realm may choose whether he will have his debtors person seâ—zed on or his goods and chattels But not so here this writ is executed against his person and goods and all that belongs unto him So that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God If this be the condition of a wicked man that his very blessings be curses what a woful case is it There 's nothing till he be reconciled to Christ but hath a curse at the end of it Consider that one place in the Prophesie of Malachy where the very blessings are accurs'd not onely when God sends on him the itch or botch or scab or sword but in blessings cap. 2.2 he 's accursed If you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord I will even send a curse upon you But how See how this curse is threatned I will curse your very blessings yea I have cursed them already because you doe not lay it to heart Mark is it not a great blessing that God yet affords the Word that we yet enjoy it but if we come to hear but formally to hear it onely and lay it not to heart God curseth this blessing yea I have cursed it already saith the Lord. When thou prayest in hypocrisie thy prayer is a curse to thee If thou receive the Sacrament unworthily the cup of blessing is a cup of poyson a cup of cursing to thee Stay not therefore one hour longer quietly in this cursed condition but fly unto Christ for life blessing run to this City of refuge for otherwise there is a curse at the end of every outward thing that thou enjoyest I have cursed these blessings already It is as sure as if already pass't on thee What a woful thing then is it think you to be liable to the curse of God! 2. But what 's become of the soul now why if thou didst but see the cursed soul that thou carriest in thy body it would amaze thee These outward curses are but flea bitings to the blow that is given to the soul of an unregenerate man that deadnesse of spirit that is within didst thou but see the curse of God that rests upon the soul of this man even while he is above ground it would even astonish thee 1. Consider there are two kinds of blows that God gives unto the soul of an unregenerate man The one is a terrible blow The other which is the worst of the two is an insensible blow The sensible blow is when God lets the conscience out and makes it fly into the face of a man when the conscience shall come and terribly accuse a man for whâ—t he hath done This blow is not so usual as the insensible blow but this insensible is fâ—r more heavy But as it falls out that as in this world sometimes before the glory in heaven the Saints of God have here a glimpse of heaven and certain communion with God and Christ certain love tokens a white stone a new name in graven which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it And this is the tâ—stimony of a good conscience which is hidden joyes Privy intercourse is between Christ and them secret kisses And as Gods children doe as it were meet with a heaven upon earth sometimes and are as we read of Paul caught up into the third heaven which to them is more then all the things in the world besides So the wicked have sometimes flashes of hell in their consciences If you had but seen men in the case that I have seen them in you would say they had an hell within them they would desire
from his body those two loving companions that have so long dwelt together are now separated It takes thy soul from thy body This man doth not deliver up his spirit as we read of our Saviour Father into thy hands I commit my spirit or deliver their spirits as Stephen did But here it 's taken from them it 's much against his mind it 's a pulling of himself from himself This it doth 3. But then again when thou art thus pulled asunder what becomes of the parts separated 1. First The body as soon as the soul is taken from it hastens to corruption that must see corruption yea it becomes so full of corruption that thy dearest friend cannot then endure to come near unto thee When the soul is taken from the body it 's observed that of all carkasses that are mans is most loathsome none so odious as that Abraham loved Sarah well but when he comes to buy a monument for her see his expression Gen. 23 8. He communes with the men and saith if it be your mind to sell me the field that I might bury my dead out of my sight Though he loved her very well before yet now she must be buried out of his sight It is sown in dishonour and it 's the basest thing that can be Therefore when our Saviour was going near to the place where Lazarus lay his sister saith Lord come not near him for he smells Job 17.14 I have said to corruption thou art my father saith Job and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister As in the verse before The grave is my house I have made my bed in the darkness Here then he hath a new kindred and though before he had affinity with the greatest yet here he gets new affiniâ—y He saith to corruption thou art my father and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister The worm is our best kindred here the worm then is our best bed yea worms thy best covering as Esay 14.11 Thus is it thy Father thy mother and thy bed nay it is thy consumption and destroyer also Job 26. Thus is it with thy body it passeth to corruption that thy best or dearest friend cannot behold it or endure it 2. But alas what becomes of thy soul then Thy soul appears naked there 's no garment to defend it no Proctor appears to plead for it It is brought singly to the bar and there it must answer It is appointed for all men once to die But what then And after that to come to judgment Heb. 9.27 Eccles. 12.7 The body returns unto the earth from whence it was taken but the Spirit to God who gave it All mens spirits assoon as their bodies and souls are parted goe to God to be disposed of by him where they shall keep their everlasting residence Consider when thou hearest the bell rung out for a dead man if thou hadst but the wings of a dove to fly and couldst fly after him and appear with him before Gods Tribunal to see the account that he must give unto God for all things done in the flesh and when no account can be given what a state of misery and horrour wouldst thou see him in and this is a silent kind of judging The last day of judging shall be with great pomp and solemnity This is a matter closely carried between God and thy self but then thou must give an account of all that thou hast received And then when thou canst not give a good account then is thy talent taken from thee Why saith God I gave thee learning how didst thou use it I gave thee other gifts of mind how didst thou imploy them God hath given thee wisedome and wealth Moral vertues meeknesse and patience c. these are good things But mark whatsoever good things thou hadst in this world is now taken from thee If a man could but see the degrading of the soul he should see that those moral vertues in which his hope of comfort lay even these though they could never bring him to heaven yet they shall be taken from him As when a Knight is degraded First his sword is taken from him then comes one with a hatchet and chops off his golden spurs and then go Sr. Knave This is the degrading of the soul before the judgment is received the moral vertues are taken from him and then see what an ugly soule he hath he had hope before now he 's without hope he had some patience in this world but he made no good use of it and now his patience is taken from him And when thou shalt come to a place of torment and thy hope and patience be taken from thee what case wilt thou be in then Patience may stay a man up in trouble and hope may comfort a man up in torment but both these are taken away This is a thing we very seldome think but did we seriously consider of this first act of the Judgment before the sentence we would not be idle in this world 3. Then lastly he is put into an unchangeable estate So soon as ever death lays Gods Mace upon him he 's put into an estate of unchangeblenesse Such is the terriblenesse of it that now though he yell and groan and pour out rivers of teares there is no hope of change Consider now what a woful case this is If some friend of this mans should now come to him would he not tell him we have often been very merry together but didst thou but know the misery that I am in thou wouldst be troubled for me Half those teares that I now pour forth would have put me into another place had I taken the season but now it is too late Oh therefore doe thou make use of teares a little may doe it now hereafter it will be too late That 's the thing we should now come to speak of the second death But think not that I am able to speak of it now no that which is everlasting deserves an hour in speaking and an Age in thinking of it Therefore that everlasting torment horror and anguish which God hath reserved for those that make not their peace with him which is easily done God knows I shall speak of the next time REV. 21.8 Buâ—â—he fearful and unbelâ—â—â—â—ng and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death THe last day I entred you know upon the miserable estate of an unreconciled sinâ—er at the time of his dissolution when his soule shall be taken from him and be presented naked before Christs Tribunal there to receive according to the works which he hath done in the flesh And I shew'd that the wofulnesse of that estate consisted in two acts done upon him The one before he comes to his place before he is thrust away from Gods presence into hell fire which I
up the chief of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the Priest and the Levites and all them whom the Spirit of God had raised up to go up Observe here though the proclamation were general yet the raising up of the Will was from the Spirit of the Lord. We must not by any means take our will for a ground the Will cometh from God but if thou hast a Will thou hast a warrant Who ever will let him take the water of life freely without covenanting say if thou had but a measure of faith and such a measure of humiliation for that were to compound with Christ away with that Whosoever will let him come Christ keeps open house Whosoever will let him come whosoever comes to him he will not shut out John 6. If thou hast a heart to come to him he hath a willing heart to receive thee as it was with the Prodigal son the Father stayes not till he comes to him but runs to meet him he is swift to shew Mercy and to meet us though we come slowly on towards him But this is not all there is a second gracious Word that is preacht to a man not yet in the state of Grace A man that keeps open house he seldom invites any particularly but if he come he shall be welcome Christ he keeps open house but some are so fearfull and so modest that unless they have a special invitation they are ashamed to come to Christ they reason thus if my case were an ordinary mans I should come but I am so vile and wretched that I am ashamed to come my sins have been so many and so heavy that I am not able to bear so great a weight they are more in number then the hairs of my head and yet alas they are crying ones too But hearken here a second word Dost thou think thy case more heavy because thou art out of measure sinfull Lo it pleaseth God to send thee a special invitation who findest thy self discouraged with the great bulk and burthen of thy sins It pleaseth God I say to send thee a special invitation See Mat. 11.28 Though all apply it not to this use Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest You of all others are they that Christ looks for Those that can walk bolt upright in their sins that desire to live and die in them they will not look upon me and I will not look upon them they scorn me and I scorn them but you that are heavy laden and feel the burthen of your sins are invited by Christ. Let not Satan then couzen you of the comfort of this word that which Christ makes the latch to open the door to let himself in we do usually by our foolishness make the bolt to shut him out Let thy wound be never so great thou hast a warrant to come and be cured be of good comfort then as it was said to blind Bartemeus so is it to thee Loe he calleth thee When Christ bids thee come and gives thee his Word that he will heal thee Come let not the Devil or thy corruptions hinder thee or make thee stay back hast thee to this City of Refuge he hath engag'd his Word for thee and he will ease thee But now after all this there is a Third Word that though Christ keeps open house so that who will may freely come and though he sends special invitations to them that are most bashfull because their case is extraordinary What do you think now that Christ will come with his souldiers and destroy those that do not come in He might do it when he is so free and invites thee and thou turnest it back again into his hand but yet here 's another Word of comfort Christ doth not only send a Messenger to invite thee who hast no goodness in thee but he falls to beseeching and intreating thee and that 's a third word whereby faith is wrought in an Unbeliever 2 Cor. 5.10 Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us observe the place We pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God This is the most admirable word that ever could be spoken unto a sinner Alas thou mayst say I am afraid that God will not be friends with me why he would have thee to be friends with him do not then with the Papists make such an austere God as though he might not be spoken unto as though thou mightst not presume thy self but must make friends unto him We have not an high Priest that is not touched with our infirmities Will the Papists tell me I am bold if I go to God or lay hands on Chrst I am not more bold then welcome Let us go with boldness to the Throne of grace We are commanded to do it do not think but that he had bowels to weep over Jerusalam and he carried the same with him into heaven when thou liest groaning before him he will not spurn thee We pray you and beseech you to be friends therefore in this case make no doubt its Gods good pleasure to entreat thee and therefore thou hast warrant enough Christ wept over Jerusalem and he is as ready to embrace thee You have now three words to make a man of an Unbeliever a Believer Is there or can there be more then these Open house-keeping special invitations Entreaties and Beseechings yet there is more then all this which if thou hast not a heart of stone it will make thee believe or make thee rue it And that is 4. When God seeth all these things will not work with us but we are slow of heart to believe then he quickens us and there comes a word of Command God chargeth and commands thee to come and then if thou breakest his Command be it to thy peril It is the greatest sin that can be committed Thou wilt not draw near to God because thou art a sinner thou now committest a greater sin then before thou returnest back Christ unto God thou bidst him take his commodity into his hand again thou wilt not believe and this is an hainous crime John 16.8 9. And when the Spirit shall come it shall reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of judgement of sin because they believe not in me this is that great sin he shall convince the world of because they believe not in him Of all sins this was the most notorious this makes us keep all other sins in possession It is not only one particular sin but it fastens all other sins upon us be they never so many When faith comes it will out them but till then they remain in thee where there is no Commandment there is no sin How could it be a sin in not believing if I were not commanded so to do but you shall here more then so When the Apostle speaks of excluding Rejoycing under the Law Rom. 3.37 Where is boasting
and feet But that which he shed in the garden in the cold winter time when he shed great drops great clots of blood thickest blood that pierc'd his garment and ran down upon the ground Consider how much blood he lost when he was whipped and lashed when the spear came to the very Pericardium thus let us weigh his torments and it will be a means to make us much affected with his sufferings for us But this is not all there is another thing yet in the blood this was but the outward part of his sufferings Yet some there are who are against Christs sufferings in his soul If it were so say they then something either in the sacrifices of the old Testament or in the new Testament should signifie it What ever such persons object against it I am sure there was as much in the sacrifices of the old Testament as could possibly be in a Type to signifie it Now that I may make this to appear know that in every sacrifice there were two parts or two things considerable and those were the Body and the Blood the whole was to be made a sacrifice viz. both Body and blood the body was to be burned the blood to be poured forth Now nothing in a beast can signifie the sufferings of Christ in soul better then the pouring out of the blood Lev. 17.11 The blood was the life and this is that which had a relation to the soul and was therefore as in the same place appears poured out as an attonement for the soul And to this in our common prayers there is an allusion viz. Grant us gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy dear son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood And in Isa. 53.12 The Metaphor holds He poured out his soul unto death for us So that whatever some have fondly thought its evident and manifest that Christ suffered both in soul and body both soul and body were made an offering for sin who knew no sin I should have gone further but the time cuts me off FINIS HEB. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly ùnto the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to help in time of need IN handling heretofore the Doctrine of the conversion of a sinner I declar'd and shew'd you what mans misery was and what that great hope of mercy is that the Lord proposeth to the greatest sinner in the world I shew'd unto you the means whereby we may be made partakers of Christ and that was by the grace of faith which doth let fall all other things in a mans self and comes with an open and empty hand to lay hold on Christ and fill it self with him I shew'd you also the acts of Faith as it justifies And now because it is a point of high moment wherein all our comfort stands and in which it lies I thought good to resume it all again so farre as may concerne our practice that we may see what the work of Gods Spirit is from the first to the last in the conversion of a sinner from the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh in which he wallowed and to this purpose have I chosen this place of Scripture wherein we are encouraged by Gods blessed Word that what ever we are though accursed and the greatest sinners in the world and that whatever we want we should come to Gods throne of grace And we are to think that whatever sinnes are or have been committed and though our sinnes are never so great yet that they are not so great as the infinitenesse of Gods mercy especially having such not only an Intercessor but Advocate to plead the right of our cause so that Christ comes and he pleads payment and that however our debts are great and we runne farre in score yet he is our ransome and therefore now Gods justice being satisfied why should not his mercy have place and free course This is the great comfort that a Christian hath that he may come freely and boldly to God because he comes but as for an acquittance of what is already paid As a debtor will appear boldly before his creditor when he knows his debt is discharg'd he will not then be afraid to look him in the face Now we may come and say Blessed Father the debt is paid I pray give me pardon of my sinnes give me my acquittance And this is that boldnesse and accesse spoken of Rom. 5.2 In whom we have accesse by faith Now that I may not spend too much time needlesly come we to the ground and matter in the words Wherein there is 1. A preparative for grace 2. The act it self whereby we are made partakers of the grace of God First the preparatives are two The law and the Gospel and wrought by them The first preparative 1. Wrought by the Law The Law works in a time of great need this is the first preparative for a man to be brought to see he stands in great need of Gods mercy and Christs blood so that the sinner cries out Lord I stand in great want of mercy His eyes being thus opened he is no longer a stranger at home but he sees the case is wondrous hard with him so that he concludes Unlesse God be merciful unto me in Christ I am lost and undone for ever This is the first preparative and till we come to it we can never approach the throne of grace The second is 2. Wrought by the Gospel I see I stand in great need but by this second preparative we see a Throne of grace set up and that addes comfort unto me If God had onely a throne and seat of Justice I were utterly undone I see my debt is extreme great but the Gospel reveals unto me that God of his infinite mercy hath erected a Throne of grace a City of refuge that finding my self in need my soul may flie unto And now to fit us for this Gods blessed Spirit works by his Word to open unto us the Law and our wants to enlighten our understandings that we stand in great need to win our affection and open the Gospel and its comforts Therefore first for the time of need the Law reveals unto us our woful condition to be born in sin as the Pharisee said and yet not able to see it Every man may say in generalities I am a sinner yet to say and know himself to be such a sinner as indeed he is to stand in such need that he cannot do This one would think to be a matter of sence but unlesse Gods Spirit open our eyes we can never see our selvs to be such sinners as we are or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sinne and the weight thereof after his conversion than he did before What are his sinnes greater or more than they were
ask to have thy sinnes pardoned that God would be friends with thee and that Christ would make thee love him and that God would be thy God that God delights in it This is the point then Suppose God answer not presently yet knock still seek still that is perseverance the thing whereby it is distinguished from temporary asking The hypocrite will pray in a time of need and adversity but his prayer is not constant Job 27.10 Will the hypocrite alwayes call upon God If they come and seek God and he will not answer as Saul did they will try the Divel God would not answer Saul and he presently goes to the Divel It 's not so with Gods children they pray and pray and wait still they pray with the Spirit and with perseverance God deals not alwayes alike with his children but differently sometimes he answers presently sometimes he makes them wait his leisure Psal. 32.5 I said I would confess my sinne sayes David and my transgressions and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne so Dan. 9.21 When he set himself to seek God even while he was speaking and praying the man Gabriel appeared unto him and touch't him about the time of the evening Oblation Before the word was out of his mouth God was at his heart and presently sends him a dispatch The like we see in Esay 65.24 Mark what a promise there is It shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear This is a great encouragement but it may be God will not alwayes do this and what 's the reason Why he hath a wonderful great delight to be wrestled withall and to hear the words of his own Spirit nothing is more delightful to him than this when the Spirit is earnest and will not give over I will not let thee go unlesse thou blesse me It 's said in the Canticles honey is under the lips of the Church why so it's because there is no honey sweeter to the palate than spiritual prayer to God And therefore God delayes to answer thee because he would have more of it If the Musitians come and play at our doors or windows if we delight not in their Musick we throw them out money presently that they may be gone but if the Musick please us we forbear to give them money because we would keep them longer for we like the Musick So the Lord loves and delights in the sweet words of his children and therefore puts them off and answers them not presently Now Gods children let him deny them never so long yet they will never leave knocking and begging they will pray and they will wait still till they receive an answer Many will pray to God as prayer is a duty but few use it as a means to attain a blessing Those who come to God in the use of it as a means to attain what they would have they will pray and not give over they will expect an Answer and never give over petitioning till they receive it ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. HAving declared unto you heretofore the nature of faith and that point which concernes the practice of it in our near approach unto God I am now come to shew unto you the fruits and benefits Christians receive from this Mother-grace and that the Apostle sets down in these words He sets down 1. The Mother-Grace Justification that whereas we were afarre off we are made near and of enemies made friends of God Then 2. There are the daughters or hand-maids of this grace For when we are justified by Faith then 1. We have peace with God that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding then 2. We have free accesse by faith unto the Throne of grace so that we need not look for any other Mediators Christ hath made way for us to God so that we may go boldly to the Throne of grace and find help at any time of need 3. There follows a joyful hope that a Christian hath by it a taste of Heaven before he come to enjoy it We rejoyce in hope saith the Apostle hope being as firme a thing as faith faith makes things absent as present hope hath patience with it and would have us wait We shall be sure of it but yet we must wait patiently 4. Not only rejoycing in hope but even that which spoils a natural mans joy as crosses troubles afflictions and these are made the matter of this mans joy not delectable objects only Not in time to come after afflictions but in afflictions so as that which spoils the joy of a natural man is fuel to kindle this mans joy Now concerning justification by faith though it be an ordinary point yet there is nothing more needs Explication than to know how a man shall be justified by Faith It 's easily spoken hardly explicated Therefore in this mother-Grace I shall shew you 1. What faith is that doth justifie And 2. What this justification is For it is not so easie a mattâ—â— neither 1. Concerning the nature of faith I have spoken sufficiently already wherein it consists but yet notwithstanding there is a certain thing as like this faith as may be and yet comes short of it Many there are who are like the foolish Virgins that thought they were well enough and thought they should come time enough So many think verily they have faith yea and perchance go with such a perswasion to their very graves and think they have grace and that they labour after Christ and lay hold on him and are free from worldly pollutions so as that they have a taste and relish of the joy of the world to come and yet are carried all this while in a fooles Paradise and think there is no feare of their safety never knowing that they are cast-awayes till they come to the gates of hell and find themselves by woful experience shut out of heaven And their case is woful that are thus deceived Know then that it is not every faith that justifies a man a man may have faith and yet not be justified The Faith that justifies is the Faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1.1 there is a faith that may belong to them that are not Gods elect but that faith does not justifie In the Epistle to Timothy that faith which justifies must be a Faith unfeign'd 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.5 Now here 's the skill of a Christian to try what that faith is which justifies him Now this justifying faith is not every work of Gods Spirit in a mans heart for there are supernatural operations of the Spirit in a mans heart that are but temporary that carry him not thorow and therefore are ineffectual but the end of this faith is the salvation of our soules We read in Scripture of Apostacy and falling back Now they cannot be Apostates that were never in the way of truth
the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity it 's the most blessed condition as can be it is set down by way of Exclamation O the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity For justification see what it is the Scripture in St. Pauls Epistles speaks of justification by faith and in St. James of justification by works Now it will be useful for us in this point to know whence justification comes it comes from justice Tsedeck as the Original hath it and to justifie so that justification and righteousnesse depend one upon the other for what is justification but the manifestation of the righteousnesse that is in a man and therefore in Gal. 3.21 they are put for one and the same thing For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse had been by the Law that is justification had been by the Law Again If righteousnesse be by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. that is also if justification had been by the Law c. justification is a manifestation of righteousnesse and as many wayes as righteousnesse is taken so many wayes is justification which is a declaration of righteousnesse so that if there be a double righteousnesse there must be also a double justification Beloved I bring you no new doctrine be not afraid of that but I shew you how to reconcile places of Scripture against the Church of Rome and those things which the Papists bring against us in this point It stands by reason seeing justification is a declaration of righteousnesse that there must be so many sorts of justification as there be of righteousnesse Now there is a double sort of righteousness Rom. 8.4 That the righteousnesse of the Law may be fulfilled in us see then there is a double righteousnesse there is a righteousnesse fulfilled in us and a righteousnesse fulfilled by us that 's walking in the Spirit The righteousness fulfilled in us is fulfilled by another and is made ours by imputation so we have a righteousnesse without us and a righteousnesse inhaerent in us the righteousnesse without us is forgivenesse of sinnes and pardon of them which is a gracious act of God letting fall all actions against me and accounting of me as if I had never sinned against him all my life time then there is a righteousnesse within me an inherent righteousnesse And if a righteousnesse then justification for that is but a declaration of righteousnesse And so that which the Fathers call justification is taken generally for sanctification that which we call justification they call forgivenesse of sinnes that which we call sanctification they call justification so that the difference is only in the termes Justification we must know is not taken only as opposed to condemnation which is the first kinde of righteousnesse Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed from sinne if you look to the Greek or to the Margent it is he that is dead is justified from sinne this is not took in the first sense as opposed to condemnation but in the other sense as it hath relation to final grace The perfection of sanctification is wrought in me for where there is final grace there is a supersedeas from all sinne so Rev. 22.11 Let him that is righteous be righteous still the Greek is let him that is righteous be justified still See then the difference between Saint Paul and Saint James Saint Paul speaks of that which consists in remission of sinnes as in comparing the Apostle with David will appear Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Saint James speaks of justification in the second acception You need not flie to that distinction of justification before God and justification before men think not that Saint James speaks onely of justification before men Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac on the Altar What justified by killing his son this was a proper work indeed to justifie him before man to be a parricide to kill his sonne though it were not so before God So Psal. 106. we read how God accounted the act of Phine as for righteousness thus you see how works are accounted righteousnesse in the second kinde of righteousnesse In the former righteousnesse we are justified by faith for in righteousnesse inherent there is a goodly chaine of vertues Adde to your faith vertue c. adde one grace to another Adde to vertue knowledge faith is but one part of the Crown Now this justification in the first sense whereby my sinnes are forgiven is called the righteousnesse of God because of Christ which is God because it s wrought by Christ Dan. 9. he is called an everlasting righteousnesse which continueth for ever world without end for do not think the Saints in heaven have onely the second kinde of righteousnesse for they have the same covering by justification by Christ in heaven that they had before God covers their sins not here onely but there also justification follows them for ever Quest. But now what parts hath justification in it we are wont to say that there are two parts one imputation of righteousness the other forgivenesse of sinnes Sol. I answer for my own part I think Justification is one simple act of God and that it is improperly distinguished as parts but rather as terminus a quo is distinct from terminus ad quem And this I shall shew unto you both by reason and authority that faith is but one act Let none say that I take away the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ No the bringing in of light and the expulsion of darknesse is not two acts but one but there is terminus á quo and terminus ad quem We are accounted righteous and that is we have our sinnes forgiven And the reason is this if sinne were a positive thing and had a being in it self then the forgivenesse of sin must be a thing distinct from the imputation of righteousnesse Scholars know the difference between adversa and privantia white and black are both existent but darknesse and light are not but only a privation one of another Darknesse is nothing of it self but the absence of light The bringing in of light is the suppression of it you must understand sinne hath no being no entity it 's only an absence of righteousnesse the want of that light which should be in the subject which want is either in our nature and then it 's call'd original or in our person and actions and then it s call'd actual transgression Sinne is an absence of that positive being which is as I said either in our nature or works Then thus I will resolve you in another point viz. If sin were a positive thing all the world cannot avoid it but God must be the Author of it for there is nothing can have a being but it must derive its being from the first being God Now how can we avoid Gods being the
that is called a faith unfeigned And though it be in Scripture called the common faith yet it is with some restriction it is the faith of Gods elect There is a faith also which is but temporary that being touch't with the sense of sinne and seeing there is no deliverance from the curse due to sinne but by Christ and that there is no part to be had in Christ but by renouncing all corruptions the consideration of the desperatenesse of his case without Christ makes him long after him and since he cannot have Christ without leaving sinne he will resolve on that too he will make towards Christ and perhaps he comes to taste of the sweetnesse of Christ and feels the power of the world to come he forsakes sinne and thereby comes so near the true believer that a man must as it were cut a haire to divide between them And this is a thing very necessary to be considered of And I shew'd unto you also that these are not moral things not a faith that is wrought by the power of men but by a work of Gods Spirit for it humbles a man for sinne and makes him make toward Christ and seek him above all things and having laid some hold on him he escapes the pollutions of the world and yet this faith is but temporary a thing supernatural it is yet it is without root Now as I noted unto you this is not different in the circumstance of time for time alters not the thing A childe that liveth but half an houre doth as properly and truly live as one that liveth a hundred years But it is called temporary not that therein stands the difference but therein it is shewn and that proves the man to have something wanting Our being united to Christ and being nigh unto him is as a graft or scyons put into a Tree there are two grafts put into one stock and each of them have all the several things necessary done unto them as cutting binding c. yet time discovers that the one thrives and the other withers so that there was a fault unseen though he that put in the grafts never saw it yet time discovers it Now the difference is not in the time but in the foundation of the thing it self Now what the difference is between these I laboured to declare unto you the last day The use of it is in brief this faith is not in all these All have not faith yet some come so near and have faith so like that it will trouble a wise man to make the distinction These are like the foolish Virgins that lived very civilly and kept their maiden-heads in regard of the world none could accuse them for any evil they had done yet they are at length shut out Many think themselves in a good way and a safe condition yea and go out of the world in this conceit and think they are entring into the gate of heaven till they in a moment are cast down to hell Try we therefore search and sift our selves if this grace were as grasse that grows in every field it were something but it is a precious flower which if we have not Christ profiteth us nothing This is the means of Christs being applied unto thee how doth it therefore behoove every one of us to look to it and not to slubber over the matter slightly but to search and try and examine our selves And in the marks I shew'd you before that it was such a thing as may be likened to a conception which never comes to the birth such a thing is this temporary faith Among others let me adde the tokens of love it is twice set down in the Galatians neither circumcision nor uncircumcision c. but faith which worketh by love and again neither circumcision c. but the new creature They that have a temporary faith want nothing but the new creature what 's that its faith that worketh by love They that love God it 's a sure token that God hath loved them first and God never giveth this love but they have faith unfeigned The next thing is he is ever careful to try himself to prove himself The temporary cannot endure to be brought to the touch or tryal He accounts every beginning of grace in himself very great every Mole-hill to be a Mountain Now Gods children know that they may be deceived with counterfeits and therefore he tryeth himself Mark the speech of the Apostle Examine your selves prove your own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates us understand the words first we see then it is a thing that is possible to be known whether we are in the faith or no and this is flat against the Papists for they think a man can have but a conjectural knowledge that he hath grace and faith It may be probable they say but it cannot be certainly known but does not the Apostle say Examine your selves prove your selves know you not your selves c. No Papist can know it yet it is possible to be known Prove and try you shall not lose your labour If you take pains in it you shall attain it in this world Make your calling and election sure saith the Apostle on Gods part it is sure enough for the foundation of God standeth sure but make it sure unto your selves in respect of your own knowledge Know you not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates It is a thing may well be made sure of therefore search try examine c. Others are content with bare beginnings that never come to any maturity but those that have true faith are ever bringing themselves to the tryal and touch-stone But may some say I have tryed and examined my self and I do not finde that Christ is in me what am I a reprobate therefore No God forbid I say not the man is a reprobate that cannot discerne that Christ is in him See what that is that will explain this 1 Cor. 11.19 For there must be heresies among you that they which are approved might be made known there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that are approved such as have endured the dint and shot of the Musket such as have put themselves to the tryal and come off well these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are opposed to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are such men as take things hand over head do not search and try and examine and put themselves to the proof it 's a signe these have not true faith for what is the having of Christ so slight or poor a thing as that they will take no pains for him or care not for knowing whether they have him or no what neglect Christ so much as not to adventure on the tryal these are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he which hath this saving faith he is ever putting himself to the tryal
â—his Kingdome of grace before you come to the Kâ—ngdome of glory First here â—s set down the mother and radical grace of all the rest and â—hat is justification by faith and then followeth the blâ—â—sed fruit that issueth from thence 1. Peace wâ—th God 2. A graciâ—us accesse into his presence 3. A joyfuâ— hope arising from that great glory that we shall enjoy for tâ—e time to come 4. In the â—orst of our troubles and midst of our afflictions this â—oy is so great that it cannot be abated by any of them â—ea it is so far from being abated by them that they are a fuel to kindle it we rejoyce in affliction saith the Aâ—ostle that which would undo the joy of a carnal man is made the matter of this mans joy Concerning the first of these justification that is the ground or foundation of all the rest being justififyed by faith that 's the root and ground without which there is no fruit no peace no joy no hope much lesse any kinde of rejoycing in tribulation Faith is that which seasoneth all we must first be justified by faith before we have any other comforts for that 's the first ground the first rudiment of a Châ—istian in the School of Christ. Therefore I proposed unto you three things for the understanding of it 1. What that faith is that justifieth 2. What that justification is that is â—btained by faith 3. What relation the one of these hatâ— to the otâ—er Concerning the first of these I sheved you that it is not every faith that justifieth I shew'â— you that there is a dead faith whereupon the Apostlâ— saith The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God A dead thing cannot make a living maâ— it must be and I shew'd you how a living faith Again I shew'd that beside the trâ—e faith there was a temporary faith which is active 〈◊〉 and comes near the other It had the operations of the Spirit but it wanted root It had supernatuâ—â—ll works but it wanted the new creature There wâ—â— a conception that was but an abortive kinde of birth it came not to maturity not to a full growth it did not continue And I shew'd unto you how a man migâ—t discern one of these from the other for herein lyeâ— the wisdome of a Christian not to content himself 〈◊〉 be deceived with flashes therefore the Apostle exhorts us to prove and try and examine our selves it 's an easie matter to be deceived and therefore Gods people should be careful to examine themselves to have their senses exercised herein that however others may slight and slubber over the matter they must and will be careful in it and then they will not only do it themselves but they will crave the aid of God also Prove me O my God c. try me c. Then for the second thing concerning that justification that is obtained by faith I shew'd you that the word justification was derived from justice or righteousnesse and as many wayes as justice and righteousnesse may be taken so many wayes may justification be taken Sometimes for justification of righteousnesse in a man and sometimes it is opposed to condemnation so it s taken in Saint Paul and it signifieth an acquital sometimes it s opposed to hypocrisie and pollution in a mans soul so it signifies sanctification whereby God not only covers our sinnes past but heals our natures The first is perfect but imputed the second inherent but imperfect When the time cometh that God will finish his cure he will then make a perfect cure when final grace cometh we shall not need to think of a Popish Purgatory Death is the Lords refining pot then there is not a jot of sinne shall be left in a Christian Now when God hath taken away our drosse then to think we shall be put in a refining fire that an intire soul that hath no blot that one that hath no spot should be purged after final grace hath made him clear and whole this is against reason and common sense They might have learned better of their own Thomas all the fire in the world will never put away sinne without the infusion of grace This by the way concerning them I shew'd besides that these two being both righteousnesses the Church of Rome confounds them both together Saint James his justification wâ—â—h Saint Pauls They confound inherent righteousnesse which is begun and shall be perfected in final grace with the other so that the point is not between us and Rome Whether faith justifieth by works or no but Whether it justifieth at all in truth that is the state of it The question is this whether there be another justification that is distinguish't from sanctification or whether there be another grace besides justification Do not think that we are such block-heads as to deny faith and sanctification yet faith is but a piece or part of that traine of vertues There justification is taken for sanctification we acknowledge a man is justified by faith and works but the question is between us and them whether there be any justification besides sanctification i. e. whether there be any justification at all or no we say sanctification is wrought by the Kingly office of Christ he is a King that rules in our hearts subdues our corruptions governs us by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit but it is the fruit of his Priestly office which the Church of Rome strikes at i. e. whether Christ hath reserved another righteousnesse for us besides that which as a King he works in our hearts whether he hath wrought forgivenesse of sinnes for us we say he hath and so saith all the Church till the new spawn of Jâ—suites arose They distinguish not remission of sinnes from sanctification Bellarmine saith remission of sinnes is the extinguishing of sinne in the soul as water though it be cold yet the bringing in of heat extinguishes the cold and so remission of sinnes is the bringing in of inherent righteousnesse which extinguisheth all sinne which was before A strange thing and were it not that the Scripture does speak of a cup in the hand of the Harlot of Rome whereby she makes drunk the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornications except men were drunk it were impossible that a learned man should thus shake out an Article of their Creed which hath ever been believed by all the Churches When the Scripture speaks of forgivenesse of sinnes see how it expresseth it Ephes. 4.32 Be ye kinde one to another Brethren tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Observe in the Lords prayer we pray that the Lord would forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespasse against us Let him that hath common understanding judge Do we forgive our neighbours by extinguishing sinne in the subject I forgive you i.e. I take away the ill office you did me Doth he
forgive thus Alas no! forgivenesse is without a man I have an action against you perhaps an action at Law I will let fall my suit my charges I will forgive this is forgivenesse God justifieth who shall condemn Though God has just cause to proceed against me as a Rebel yet he is content to let fall his action to fasten it upon the Crosse of his Sonne there to fix the Chirographum the hand-writing against us He will let fall that which was the ground of a suit against us all that he could say against us That you may understand the thing the better there are two things two kinds of righteousnesse the one of justification the other of sanctification The Holy Ghost distinguisheth them by several terms 1 Cor. 1. ult Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption You see here are two distinct graces righteousnesse and sanctification they make them but one sanctification and remission of sinnes Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Here justification and sanctification is nothing else but justification and glorification Saint Paul speaks of a thing past not of the glory to come i. e. sanctification which is inchoate glory For what is the glory we shall have in heaven but the inlargement of those inherent graces God begins in this world Here is the seed there is the crop here thou hast a little knowledge but there it shall be inlarged now thou hast a little joy there thou shalt enter into thy Masters joy here some knowledge but there thou shalt have a full knowledge and a full measure Here glory dwelleth in our Land but there we shall with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 i. e. we are more and more conformed to the image of Almighty God by â—â—edience and holy qualities infused into us that we grow from one degree of sanctification unto another And so you see how these are distinguished by their termes Justification and glorification justification and sanctification There is another place in Saint John an hard place but yet as I take it these two righteousnesses that have the same name to be distinct in their termes It is said Joh. 16.8 That when the Spirit shall come he shall reprove or as we should translate it he shall convince the world concerning sinne righteousnesse and judgment Thus I say it should be translated for 't is no sense to say that God shall reprove the world of righteousnesse on what occasion this was spoken we must not stand to speak but righteousnesse and judgment is justification and sanctification And the drift of the place is this when the Spirit shall come how not upon me or thee but the Spirit here spoken of is that Spirit that should come upon the Apostles it shall begin at the day of Pentecost and these 1. should set forth like twelve Champions to conquer the world and to bring them unto the Scepter of Christ. He shall convince the world i. e. when the Spirit shall come on you and your tongues be tip't with that spiritual fire which shall be active it shall convince the world concerning three particulars of sinne righteousnesse and judgment Oâ— the point of humiliation for sinnes the point of justification by righteousnesse imputative and the glory of sanctification in judgment and righteousnesse inherent This method Saint Paul useth in the Romans to stop every mans mouth First He convinceth the Gentile which was easie to be done after he convinceth the Jew that there is righteousnesse to be had in another though none in my self He shall convince the world c. As if he should say To be shut up under unbelief is to be convinced of all sinnes Now consider what is the nature of unbelief it is to fasten all sinnes upon a man and when I have faith all my sinnes are put out of possession they are as if they were not but if we are shut up under unbelief we are dead The second work of Gods Spirit is the Ministry of the Word He shall convince the world that there is righteousnesse to be had by a communion with another though we are guilty in our selves yet he will set us free and the reason is because I go to my Father As if he should say though you be convinced of your sinnes that you are wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes and have no means in the world to put that away yet notwithstanding the second work of Gods Spirit is to convince of righteousnesse that there is a righteousnesse to be had in Christ because he was our surety arrested for our debt he was committed to prison where he could not come out till he â—ad paid the utmost farthing There is a justification to be had in me I go to the Creditor I have made no escape not like one that brake the prison and run away but I am now a free-man I have not made an escape before the debt is paid then I might be brought back again but the debt is discharged and therefore I go to my Father to maintain my place and standing I was given unto death for your sins but I am risen again for your justification and I now sit at my fathers right hand this is the second thing But is there not a third thing that the work of the Ministry must do Yes to convince the world that there is judgment or righteousnesse inherent There is a hard place I shall speak of it it is usual in Scripture to joyn righteousnesse and judgment together The words of the Lord are righteousnesse and judgment And the integrity of a mans heart which is opposed to hypocrisie is called judgement as God liveth who hath taken away my judgment Job 27.2 How did God take away his judgment is it meant that he had taken away his wits no but but he hath put his heavy hand on me that hath put a conceit in the minde of my friends that I am an hypocrite and therefore he falls on him ver 6. My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live His judgment was taken away i. e. the opinion they had of his integrity and this will expound another place in Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoking flax shall he not quench untill he send forth judgment unto victory what is that untill he send forth judgment This judgment signifies nothing but those inherent graces those infused qualities that God sends into the heart of a Christian. In a mans first conversion there are but beginnings of grace what is faith hope patience and fear it is like a smoaking flax i. e. like the smoaking wick
in the Accursednesse of it p. 384. in the shame of it p. 385. in the painfulnesse of it p. 386 Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. yet he suffered in his Soul immediately from God p. 389 Whether Christ takes away all the sins of the world p. 395. Christ's being offered for us no comfort unless he be offered to us p. 356 That Christ dyed sufficiently for all is an improper speech p. 356 To receive Christ what p. 399. Christ offered freely p. 397 402. He that hath a will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404 Christ the proper and immediate Object of justifying Faith p. 418. Christ loved and valued above all by true believers p. 427. Christ and the Cross go together in this life p. 426 Christ very compassionate p. * 368 Christ is our Peace p * 454 To be a Christian indeed is no easie matter p. 426 Civil Righteousness See Morality Men deceived by Comparing themselves with others p. 46. and with themselves p. 47 The Conditions of Faith and Obedience required hinder not the freedom of Gospel grace p. 389 416 Confession of sin necessary and why p. * 376 Carnal Confidence as to our spiritual estate dangerous the vain grounds of it discovered p. 43 c. Conscience one of the Tormenters in Hell p. 153 Peace of Conscience See Peace Conviction necessary to Conversion p. 39 80 Conviction a work of Gods Spirit p * 364 Two hindrances of Conversion p. 4 A limited time for it p. 9 10 Crucifying a Cursed Shameful Painful death p. 384. c. The manner of it p. 386. The Curse followes sin p. 98 The Curses attending an unregenerate man in this life p. 120 c. The Curses on his Soul p. 127 The Curses at his death p. 130 Custom in sin hardens the heart p. 28 D. DAy of grace limited p. 9 10 34 35. The folly and danger of neglecting it p. 16 17 Death the wages of sin p. 110. The comprehensivenesse of the word Death p. 119 Death terrible p. 112. The teriblenesse of Bodily Death set forth in three particulars p. 131 c. What the first and second Death is p. 141 The Death of Christ described p. 384 c. Death-bed-Repentance See Repentance Deferring Repentance dangerous p. 16 17. The reasons of Carnal mens Deferring Repentance p. 21 c. The vanity of them ibid. Desires after Christ may be stronger in Temporaries then in true Believers p. * 388 The Devil takes possession of those whom God leaves p. 106 107 The Reason of Christians Doubting p. * 438. E. WHat use to make of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation p. 35 Encouragements for sinners to come to Christ p. 402 Examination of a mans self See Self-Examination F FAith why required to the receiving of Christ since he is a free gift p. 398. Faith consists not in a mans being perswaded that God is his God and that his sins are pardoned p. 402.413 It 's proper and immediate object is not that forgivnesse of sins but Christ p. 418. Faith must have a ground for it out of the word p. 414. What Faith justifies p. * 384. c. Faith jusstifies not as a vertue but in respect of its object p. 419. Faith justifies not as a Habit but as an act p. * 417. The Acts of Faith p. 423. By what sins the Acts of Faith are hindred p. 417. How those obstructions are removed ibid. Faith an instrument to receive Justification not to procure it p. * 424 * 434 Why Faith chosen for an instrument of Justification rather than any other grace p. * 437. A weak Faith justifies as much as a strong p. * 435 yet a strong Faith is to be laboured for and why p * 436. How Faith alone justifies p. * 436 Faith may be certainly known p. * 407. There may be Faith where there is no feeling p. 412 425 * 373 Faith strongest when sense least p. * 451 Encouragements to Faith p. 402 Carnal Fear its sinfulness and danger p. 140 141 Men apt to Flatter themselves as to their spiritual estate 41 Five false glasses that cause this self Flattery p. 43 c. Forgivnesse of sins not a distinct thing from Imputation of righteousness p. 399 c. Forgivness is properly of sins past only p. * 403. It is one continued act p. * 414. and therfore may be prayed for by a justified person ibid. Forgivnesse frees from guilt and punishment p. * 418 419 God forsakes none till they forsake him p. 108 True beleevers forsake all for Christ p. 427 428. Free grace in bringing sinners to Christ p. 398 No Freewill to good p. 404 G TO be given up to our selves a more fearfull thing then to be given up to satan p. 108 109.128 The Gospel not seasonable nor savory till the Law hath been preached p. 80. How the Gospel differs from the Law p. 86 The fulnesse and freedome of the Grace of the Gospel not hindred by the conditions of Faith and Obedience p. 398.416 Guilt of sin taken away in Justification p. * 420. H HArdnesse of heart a hindrance to Conversion p. 2 3 4 Hell for whom provided p. 139 Hell described p. 143 c. That Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. Christians rejoice in Hope p. * 458. The Humiliation of Christ see Christ I IMputation of Righteousnesse See Righteousnesse To be given up to Insensiblenesse a wofull thing p. 129 130 Joy in the sense of Gods love surpasseth all worldly Joy p. 430. It is attainable p. ibid. The reason why many beleevers are strangers to it p. 430 431. Some Joy may be in a Temporary p. * 393. How to try true Joy p. * 360. Means to get it p. * 462 463 Justification what it signifies p. * 396. How the Fathers used the word p. * 732 Justification one simple act of God p. * 400 How we are said to be Justified by Faith and how by Christs blood p. 420. * 422. In what sense we are Justified by Faith according to Paul and in what sense by works according to James p * 398. Impossible to be Justified but by imputed Righteousnesse p. * 402 * 410 411. In the instant of Justification no sins are remitted but those that are past p. * 411 412. A twofold Justification p. * 409 Why a justified person may and must pray for the remission of sins past p. * 413 414. Justification frees from the punishment and guilt too p. * 418 419 420. Justification confounded by the Papists with sanctification p. * 422. The difference between them p. * 423. * 429. No Justification before Faith p. * 440 How we are Justified by Faith alone p. * 439. Judgment in Scripture sometime taken for Righteousnesse inherent p. * 433 How men are deceived in Judging of their spiritual estate p. 43 K KNowledge one act of Faith p. 423 L THe use of the Law p. 79.354 * 366. It is necessary to be
preached before the Gospel p. 80 * 366 Men are under the Law till they come to Christ p. 84 how fearfull a thing it is to be under the Law p. 84 85. the difference between the Law and the Gospel in three particulars p. 86. Love of God twofold p 415. No temporary beleever loves God p. * 396. To be given up to our own Lusts a more fearfull thing then to be given up to Satan p. 108 109 M WAnt of Meditation one cause why most beleevers have so little joy in God p. 430 431. Mistakes in judging our spiritual estates See Judging Morality too much trusted to p. 49. It 's insufficient to bring men to heaven ibid. N NAtural reason not to be trusted to p. 49 Too short to convince of sin thorowly p. 51 Mans condition by Nature described p. 59. The Natural man dead in sin p. 67. His best works cannot please God and why p. 68 69 The Curses attending a Natural man in this World p. 120 c. Two blowes that God gives a Natural mans soul in this life the one sensible p. 127 the other insensible p. 128. The Curses attending him at Death p. 130 c. O CHrists active Obedience mixed with his passive p. 372. Wherein his active Obedience consisted p. 375. c. Wherein his passive p. 378 Partial Obedience a false glasse to judge our estates by p· 48 To designe only our Old age for God is dishonourable to him p. 22 23. Old age most unfit for Repentance p. 25 27 Men apt to have too good Opinion of themselves p. 41. The causes of it p. 43 c. Men deceived in judging of their estates by the good Opinions of others p. 44 P PArtial Obedience see Obedience Passive Obedience see Obedience Peace a fruit of faith p. * 441 * 447. Why many Christians want the sense of it p. * 442 443. * 450 451 The differences between a true and a false Peace p. * 448 c. The Causes of a Carnal Peace p. * 449. * 452 Christ is our Peace p. * 454 Spirit of Prayer what p. * 377 378 1. The Importunity and efficacie of it p. * 379 380 Why a person already justified may and must Pray for the forgivnesse of sins past p. * 413 414 R NAtural Reason see Natural To Receive Christ what p. 399. What Reformation may be in a natural man p. * 390 392 Repentance prevents ruine p. 7 Repentance not in our own power but in gods gift p. 13 14. The sinfulnesse of deferring it p. 11 c. Death-bed Repentance the hindrances of it p. 30 Not to be trusted to p 31. Hard to prove it sound p. 32 Superficial Repentance is vain p. 57 Repentance in what respects necessary to justification p. * 417 Remission of sin See Forgiveness Resting or Relying upon God a proper Act of Faith p. 425 Righteousnesse two fold p. * 397. * 409 Imputative Righteousnesse what it is p. * 402 * 410. Impossible to be justified without it and why p. * 410 411 S. Sanctification a distinct thing from Justification p. * 423. p. * 429 Satan See Devil A difficult thing to be Saved p. 53 Sealing a distinct thing from Faith p. * 428 The Causes of Security p. * 449 Self-Examination necessary to Conversion p. 39.57 a mark of a sound believer p. * 407 Self-flattery See flattery Self-Love how it deceives men in judging their estates p. 43. Sin continued in hastens Gods judgements p. 3 4 5. Sin compared to a weight p. 26. to Cords p. 27. Sin gets strength by continuance p. 28. The Sinfulnesse of Sin set forth in 6. considerations p. 90 c The dreadfull fruits and consequences of Sin It pollutes the Soul p. 100. It makes men loathsom to God p. 104. It brings the Devill into the heart p. 106. It calls for wages p. 110 The greatness of Sin should be no barr against believing in Christ p. 401 406. No Sin overtops the value of Christ's blood ibid. Encouragemets for Sinners to come to Christ page 401 c. Sin not discovered thorowly but by the spirit p. * 364. Sin may be cast away and yet no true Conversion p. * 392 Sin is only a Privation and no positive being p. * 399 * 400 Sins not pardoned before they be committed p. * 403. The guilt and punishment of Sin taken away in Justification p. * 418 c. Spirit of Bondage what p. * 365 Spirit of Prayer see Prayer T A Temporary Faith how far it may go p. * 388 c. How to know it from true faith p. ibid Temporary beleevers desire Christ only in affliction p. * 388 389 They do but only tast of Christ p. * 393. They desire mercy but not grace p. * 394. They do nothing out of love to God p. * 395 The sinfulness of thoughts p. 102 103. The end of Gods Threatnings p. 7. U UNregenerate Men See Natural Our unworthiness should not keep us from coming unto Christ p. 397. W THe Will wrought by God as well as the deed p. * 371 The Will more then the Deed 372. How God takes the Will for the Deed p. * 374 He that hath a Will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404. God alone inclines the Will to receive Christ ibid. A wofull thing to be suffered by God to have our own Wills in this world p. 355. Our Wills must be crossed here or for ever hereafter ibid. The Willingness of Christs sufferings rendred them the more meritorious p. 374 The Word presented to our faith under a double respect viz. 1 as a true Word p. 403 2 as a good Word p. 424 Works spiritually good cannot be performed by an unregenerate man and why p. 67 68 71. In what sense we are said by James to be justified by Works p. * 398 Wrath a Consequence of sin p. 98 Y YOuth the fittest time to Repent and break off sin in p 25 22 29. FINIS Male dum recitas c. * Lord in special forgive my sins of omission see Dr. Ber. Life and death of the Arch. Bp. of Armagh p. 110 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Sheffeild in Yorkshire· James Meath Anagram I am the same See Dr. Bernard page 52. See Dr. Ber. Epist. to the Reader in his life and death c. * See the Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government Received in the Antient Church published by Doctor Bernard in a Book entituled The Judgement of the Late Arch Bishop of Armagh c. * 2 Sam. 1.22 * Isa. 50.4 * 2 Cor. 3.2 * Acts 11.21 * Dan 12.3 * Heb. 2.13 * Tim. 4.12 * Mark 6.20 * Acts 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Mat 7.29 * 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 1 Cor 14.24 25. * Acts 18.24 Collatis scripturae locis Probans nempe sicuti solent artifices aliquid Compacturi singulas partes inter se comparare ut inter se alia aliis ad amussim quadrent Bez. In Act. 9.22 Efficere condescensionem ut sic dicam id est argumentis propositis efficere ut aliquis tecum in eandem sententiam descendat Mr. Leigh Critic sacr In verb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Ser. before K. James Wansted June 20. 1629 page 34 35. * Ecl. 12.10 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * John 16.5 * Psal. 16.3 * Acts 13.12 * Psal. 119.63 * Math. 11 29. * Mal. 2.4.5 6 7 8 9. * Esay 43.27.28 * 1 Sam. 2 30. * Deut. 33 11. * Math. 5.12 and 10.25 * Math 21.44 * Rev. 11.11 * 2 Sam 6.22 * Calvino illustri viro nec unquam sine summi honoris prefatione nominando non assentior Bp Andrews De Vsuris * 3 John 12. * Declarat what books are his what not Dr. Ber. page 20 l 21. * See Dr. Ber. Loc. Citat * See their Epist to the Reader Ibidem * See Mr. Cottons Epist. to Mr. Hildersams Book on John 4. * See Capt. Bell. Narat before Luth. Mensal Colloq * Liber ille â—onvivalium sermonum non est Lutheri nec Luthero approbante aut etiam vivente editus sed est Rapsodia sine Judicio Intellectu consarcinata Polan syntag de canonic Authorit script page fol. 45. * Heb 11.4 * Bp. Andrews serm 7. of Rep. and Fast. * John 3.10.19 Obs. Obs. Obs. Obj. Sol. Obj. Sol. 1. Order of outward things 2. The nature of sin Sin is compared to cords To defer repentance hardens the more The folly of those that defer their repentance till death Obj. Sol. Impediments to repentance on our death-bed Trust not to death-bed repentance It will be hard to prove death-bed repentance to be ound Gen. 6.3 What use to make of Election and Reprobation It 's our wisdom to arm against Satans fallacy and hearken to God in his accepted time 1 Glass Self-love 2 Glass Others good opinion 3 Glass When a man compares himself with others 4 Glasse Partial Obedience· Obj. Sol. Another false Glasse The Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light Superficial repentance will not change the nature of man No morality nor external change of life will do without quickning grace and a new life wrought Quest. Ans. Obj. Sol. Doct. Obj. No natural man doth judge himself so bad as he is The best works of a natural man cannot please God Look to the oginal of duties Look to the end of duty It 's necessary to preach the Law before the Gospel This is the 1 Instance 2 Instance 3 Instance Noâ—e Well Our Remedy or our Redempâ—ion by Christ. Christs humiliation in life and death The second degree of his humiliation that he might become a servant Christ accounted as a bâ—ndman Exam. Joseph for the calcu 14400000. drachms (x) Which were 120000. (z) Have the quotient 120 Drachms Four Drachms went to a Shekel so divide 120. by 4. your quotient is 30. shekels for each man which was the ordinary rate c. Gen. 9.25 John 13.21 Now this Obedience is two fold 1. Active 2. Passivâ— 1. For his active obedience in the whole course of his life 2. For his active Obedience after his Death