of grace the thing that he doth is he presents unto the Father Christ bleeding gasping dying buried and conquering death and when he presents Christ to him he opens his case and confesses his sin to the full and says Lord this is my case As a beggar when he comes to ask an alms of you he will make a preface and tell you his extremity Sir I am in great want I have nor tasted a bit of bread in so many days and unless you help me by your charity I am utterly undone Now when these two concur that there is true need in the beggar and liberality in him of whom he begs it encourages the beggar to be importunate and he prevails you may know when the beggar hath need by his tone accent or language The needy beggars tone and accent is different from the sturdy beggars that hath no need but yet though the beggar be in great misery if he see a churlish Nabal go by him he hath no heart to beg and follows him 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 lays all open to provoke pity So when thou comest before God in confession canst thou not find 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 sins at the high Cross than the confess in a Priests ear Thou whisperest in the Priest's ear what if he never tell it or if he do art thou the better Come and pour out thy heart and soul before Almighty God confess thy self to him as David did for that hath a promise made to it Psal. 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou may be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Why so Why one main cause why we should confess sin is to justifie God When a sinner confesses I am a child 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 King's Attourney may frame a Bill of Inditement against himself he justifies Almighty God He gives God the honour of that justice which at the present he executes in pouring horrour into the conscience of the sinner and hath farther in store in providing the Lake of fire and brimstone for the impenitent 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 earnestness 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 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 God's 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 man's body yet will not serve the turn unless prayer come in as the chief Ephes. 6.18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance c. This is the prayer of faith that procures forgiveness of sins 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 earnestness 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 child 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 reach 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 forgiveness of sins it 's the prayer of faith which prevails The prayer of the people availeth much if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fervent In the Ancient Churches those that were possessed with an evil spirit were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 wrestling 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 thy resolution with Jacob I will not let thee go except thou bless me God loves this kind of boldness 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
all for Christ 96 97 Free grace in bringing sinners to Christ 84 No Free will to good 86 G. TO be given up to our selves a more fearful thing than to be given up to Satan 44 52 The Gospel not seasonable nor savoury till the Law hath been preached 33. How the Gospel differs from the Law 36 The fulness and freedom of the Grace of the Gospel not hindred by the conditions of Faith and Obedience 84 85 Guilt of sin taken away in Justification 133 134 H. HArdness of heart a hindrance to Conversion 2 3 Hell for whom provided 56 Hell described 157 c. That Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved 80 Christians rejoyce in Hope 151 The Humiliation of Christ v. Christ. I. IMputation of Righteousness See Righteousness To be given up to Insensibleness a woful thing 52 53 Joy in the sense of God's love surpasseth all worldly joy 98. It is attainable ibid. The reason why many believers are strangers to it 98. Some Joy may be in a Temporary 121. How to try true Joy 151. Means to get it 151 152 Justification what it signifies 123. How the Fathers used the Word 123. Justification one simple act of God 124 How we are said to be justified by Faith and how by Christ's blood 93 134 In what sense we are Justified by Faith according to Paul and in what sense by Works according to James 124 Impossible to be justified but by imputed Righteousness 125 129 130. In the instant of Justification no sins are remitted but those that are past 130. A twofold Justification 127 Why a justified person may and must pray for the remission of sins past 131 Justification frees from the punishment and guilt too 133 134 Justification confounded by the Papists with sanctification 125. The difference between them 135 137 No Justification before Faith 142 How we are Justified by Faith alone 141 Judgment in Scripture sometime taken for Righteousness inherent 139 How men are deceived in Judging of of their spiritual estate 18 K. KNowledge one act of Faith 95 L. THe use of the Law 33 65 112 It is necessary to be preached before the Gospel 33 112 Men are under the Law till they come to Christ 35. how fearful a thing it is to be under the Law 35 36. the difference between the Law and the Gospel in three particulars 36 Love of God twofold 91. No temporary believer loves God 123 To be given up to our own Lusts a more fearful thing than to be given up to Satan 43 44 M WAnt of Meditation one cause most believers have so little joy in God 98 Mistakes in judging our spiritual estates See Judging Morality too much trusted to 21. It 's insufficient to bring men to heaven ibid. N. NAtural reason not to be trusted to 21. Too short to convince of sin throughly 22 Mans condition by Nature described 25. The Natural man dead in sin 29. His best works cannot please God and why 29.30 The Curses attending a Natural man in this world 49 c. Two blows that God gives a Natural mans soul in this life the one sensible 51. the other insensible 52. The Curses attending him at Death 53 c. O. CHrists active Obedience mixed with his passive 73 Wherein his active Obedience consisted 74 c. Wherein his passive 75 Partial Obedience a false glass to judge our estates by 21 To design only our Old age for God is dishonourable to him 9 10 Old age most unfit for Repentance 11 12 Men apt to have too good Opinion of themselves 17. The causes of it 1â— c. Men deceived in judging of their estates by the good Opinions of others 19 P. PArtial Obedience see Obedience Passive Obedience see Obedience Peace a fruit of Faith 143 147. Why many Christians want the sense of it 143 144 147 The differences between a true and a false Peace 148 The Causes of a Carnal Peace 147 148 Christ is our Peace 149 Spirit of Prayer what 115 116 1. The Importunity and efficacy of it 116 Why a person already justified may and must Pray for the forgiveness of sins past 130 131 R. NAtural Reason see Natural To Receive Christ what 85 What Reformation may be in a natural man 120 121 Repentance prevents ruine 3 Repentance not in our own power but in Gods gift 6. The sinfulness of deferring it 5 Death-bed Repentance the hindrances of it 13. Not to be trusted to 14. Hard to prove it sound 14 Superficial Repentance is vain 24 Repentance in what respects necessary to justification 132 Remission of sin See Forgiveness Resting or Relying upon God a proper Act of Faith 96 Righteousness two fold 123 129 Imputative Righteousness what it is 125 129. Impossible to be justified without it and why 129 130 S Sanctification a distinct thing from Justification 127 Satan See Devil A difficult thing to be Saved 22. Sealing a distinct thing from Faith 137. The Causes of Security 149. Self-Examination necessary to Conversion 17. a mark of a sound believer 128. Self flattery See flattery Self-Love how it deceives men in judging their estates 18. Sin continued in hastens Gods judgements 2.3 Sin compared to a weight 11. to Cords 12 Sin gets strength by continuance 12. The Sinfulness of Sin set forth in 6. considerations 37.38 c. The dreadful fruits and consequence of Sin It pollutes the Soul 41. It makes men loathsom to God 42 It brings the Devil into the heart 43. It calls for wages 45. The greatness of Sin should be no bar against believing in Christ 85. No Sin overtops the value of Christs blood ibid. Encouragements for Sinners to come to Christ 85. Sin not discovered throughly but by the spirit 109 Sin may be cast away and yet no true Conversion 121 Sin is only a Privation and no positive being 124 Sins not pardoned before they be committed 115. The guilt and punishment of Sin taken away in Justification 133 Spirit of Bondage what 109 Spirit of Prayer see Prayer T. A Temporary Faith how far it may go 117 c. How to know it from true faith 120 Temporary Believers desire Christ only in affliction 120. They do but only tast of Christ 121. They desire mercy but not grace 122. They do nothing out of love to God 122 The sinfulness of thoughts 42 The end of Gods Threatnings 3 U. UNregenerate Men See Natural Our unworthiness should not keep us from coming to Christ. 84 W. THe Will wrought by God as well as the deed 112. The Will more than the Deed 112. How God takes the Will for the deed 113 He that hath a Will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him 86 God alone enclines the Will to receive Christ ibid. A woful thing to be suffered by God to have our own Wills in this world 66 Our Wills must be crossed here or for ever hereafter ibid. The Willingness of Christs sufferings rendred them the more meritorious 74 The Word presented to our faith
be married to me if we refuse the Son takes it wonderfully ill Therefore Psal. 2.12 he says Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all those that put their trust in him So in the Hebrews God swore that because of infidelity those unbelieving Jews should never enter into his rest All the rest of the threatnings of the Law were not backed with an oath there was some secret reservation of mercy unto them upon the satisfaction of Divine Justice but here there is no reservation God hath sworn such shall never come into Heaven Look not for a third thing in God now as a mitigation of his oath it cannot be he hath sworn that an unbeliever shall never enter into his Rest. These five things are the grounds of Faith even unto the worst and unworthiest persons that may be and by all or some of them he creates Faith in us which once wrought in the heart by the spirit of God secretly and we discerning the same this is the witness of our spirit Now our spirit having viewed all these things and the promises upon which they are grounded thus it witnesseth as if one should demand of a man Are these things presented to thy view true Yes will he say true as true as the Gospel then the next thing is is all good and profitable O yes says he all is very good and desirable then the upshot is I but is this good for thee If your soul answer now Yes very good to me if then thou accept of this and wrap and fold thy self in the promises thou canst not wind thy self out of comfort and assurance to be Christ Jesus for pray what makes up a match but the consent of two agreeing so the consent of two parties agreeing upon this message makes up the match betwixt us and Christ uniting and knitting us unto him There are also being now incorporated other means to make us grow up him by which time discovers what manner of ingrafting we have had into him for we see four or five scions are ingrafted into a stock yet some of them may not be incorporated with the stock but wither So many are by the Word and Sacraments admitted as retainers and believers of the promises who shrink and hold not out because they never were throughly incorporated into Christ but imperfectly joyned unto him But howsoever all that come to life must pass this way if they look for sound comfort And thus much shall suffice for the witness of our Spirit in Justification But the testimony of our spirit goes further wherein I might shew how in sanctification our spirit saith Lord prove me if there be any evil in me and lead me in the way everlasting he loves the Brethren and desires to fear God as Nehemiah pleads Nehem. 1.11 Be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and of thy servants who desire to fear thy name This is the warrant that I am partaker of that inward true washing and not of that outward only of the Hog which being kept clean and in good company will be clean till there be an occasion offered of wallowing in the mire again But when I find that though there were neither Heaven to reward me nor Hell to punish me if opportunity were offered yet my heart riseth against sin because of him who hath forbidden it this is a sure evidence and testifies that I am a child of God This is for the first thing in bringing of a man in to survey the promises belonging to Justification and Sanctification wherein our spirit seeing it self to have interest doth truly and on sound judgment witness the assurance of our Salvation Secondly when I find Christ drawing me and changing my nature that upon the former reasonings view and laying hold of Christ making me now have supernatural thoughts and delights for this a man may have then certainly my spirit may conclude that I am blessed for saith the Scripture Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come unto thee But some like Dreamers do dream of this only I know not on what grounds but do I this waking with my whole soul doth my spirit testifie it upon good grounds why then I may rest upon it it is as sure as may be Thus much is the testimony of our spirit Now it is clear how faith is wrought briefly two ways which the Lord useth to bring a man to the survey of those grounds upon which our spirit doth witness First he works upon the understanding Secondly On the will and affections It is a strange thing to consider how this work is begun and finished so that we may say hereof as the Lord poseth Job in Job 38.37 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts Or who hath given understanding to the heart And in another place Where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof First God enlightens the understanding with the thunderings of the Law when he shews a man such a sight as he could not have believed and convinceth hem in general that his estate is not good that without mercy Hell attends him this is a flash of Lightning from Mount Sinai Secondly comes a Thunder-clap laying all down laying flat the will and affections dejecting a man so that this first secret work of faith is a captivating of the understanding will and affections Now the act both of the understanding and the will is set forth in this case Hebr. 11.13 These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off were perswaded of them and embraced them c. In this Scripture is set down the two hands and arms of faith First believing Christ out of sight Secondly laying hold and embracing the promises They in the old Testament did not receive Christ in the flesh and so are said to look afar off as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom ye having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce c. But the Apostle adds they were perswaded of the promises and embraced them This is the work of the spirit upon the understanding convincing the soul of sin shewing there is a remedy tells the soul all is marvellous true that God hath revealed in his word and then draws to this conclusion Christ came to save sinners whereof I am chief therefore he came to save me Yet all this while the will may be stubborn and rebellious and the affections disordered therefore here comes in the second arm of faith not only being perswaded of the word as a word of truth but as a good promise of good things to me so that here is another degree of the working of the spirit to compel the will and affections so sweetly grace having removed that perversness and disorder which governed them before Now this gentle enforcing and often
5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. p. 136 Sermon XVIII Rom. 5.1.2 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God p. 145 Sermon XIX Rom. 8.15 16. For ye have not received the spirit of Bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Children of God p. 157 Sermon XX. Rom. 8.16 The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Children of God p. 167 Speedy Conversion The only Means to prevent IMMINENT DESTRUCTION HEBREWS 4.7 Again he limiteth a certain Day saying in David to day after so long a time as it is said to day if you will hear his Voyce harden not your hearts I Have entered on these Words in the other Vniversity on a day of Publick Humiliation as being suitable to the occasion the chief matter of them being the Doctrine of the Conversion of a sinner For as much as God's Judgments are abroad upon the Earth and hang over our heads the only means to prevent and remove both temporal and eternal is our speedy conversion and return unto God Else he will whet his sword bend his bow and make it ready to our destruction Psal. 7.12 God did bear a deadly hatred against sin in the time of the Psalmist and so he doth still for his nature cannot be changed If we return not we are but dead men The eternal weight of God's wrath will be our portion both here and in the world to come if we repent not In the Words there are three observable Points though not expresly named yet if we weigh the Context sufficiently implied 1. Continuance in sin brings certain death it hinders us from entring into God's rest and out of it there is nothing but death Or For sin God's Judgments are on particular Nations and Persons 2. If particular Nations or Persons turn away from their evil courses no hurt shall come near them or if temporal calamities surprize them they shall be made beneficial unto them God takes no delight in the death of a sinner nor that he should despair of his mercy but would have us turn out of the broad way which leads to destruction 3. It behooves every one speedily to set about the work of conversion Esteem not this therefore a vain word I bring you those things whereon your life depends Obeying it you are made for ever neglecting it you are undone for ever Unless you embrace this Message God will bend his bow and make ready his arrow against you or rather the arrows which he hath drawn to the head he will let fly upon you Know therefore 1. That continuance in sin brings certain death There will be no way of escaping but by repentance by coming in speedily unto God The words of this Text are taken from Psal. 95. Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation and as in the Temptation in the Wilderness If when God calls us either to the doing of this or leaving that undone yet we are not moved but continue in our evil ways What 's the reason of it It 's because we harden our hearts against him The Word of God which is the power of God to salvation and a two-edged sword to sever between the joynts and the Marrow The strength of the Almighty encounters with our hard hearts and yet they remain like the stony and rockie ground whereon though the Word be plentifully sown yet it fastens no root there and though for a season it spring yet suddenly it fades and comes to nothing We may haply have a little motion by the Word yet there 's a rock in our souls a stone in our hearts and though we may sometimes seem to receive it with some affection and be made as it were Sermon-sick yet it holds but a while it betters us not Why because it 's not received as an ingrafted word Therefore saith St. James Receive with meekness the ingrafted word James 1.21 Let the word be ingrafted in thee one sprig of it is able to make thee grow up to everlasting life Be not content with the hearing of it but pray God it may be firmly rooted in your hearts this will cause a softning To day if you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts against Almighty God If you do expect him also to come against you in indignation Hearken what he saith by his Prophet I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are settled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Zeph. 1.12 Mark I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish those that are settled on their lees When a man is thus settled and resolved to go on in his sins to put the matter to the hazard come what will come there 's a kind of Atheism in the soul. For what do's he but in a manner reply when God tells him by his Minister that he is preparing the instruments of death against him do you think us such fools to believe it What does this but provoke God to swear that we shall never enter into his rest What 's the reason of this It 's because men are not shifted they have no change they are settled on their lees Moab hath been at ease from his youth he hath been setled and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity Jer. 48.11 Consider we whether our security comes not from the same cause We have not been emptied from vessel to vessel we have always been at rest Why have we so little conversion There are two things hinder it the hardning of a mans heart against the Word and our setling our selves on our lees When we have no change in our condition we are secure we never see an evil day That makes us say with the Sensualists in the Prophet To morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa. 56.12 And this is that which slays the foolish person Wo to them that are at ease It were better for thee to be emptied from vessel to vessel to go into captivity For as long as a man continues thus in an unregenerate condition he can look for nothing but troubles certain Judgments must necessarily follow and as sure as God is in Heaven so sure may they expect misery on Earth and they shall receive the eternal weight of God's wrath treasured up against the day of wrath Therefore there is a necessity of our conversion if we will keep off either temporal or eternal wrath Our Saviour makes it the case of all impenitent sinners to be liable to wrath One Judgment befel the Galileans another
walk or speak or do any act of a living man so these cannot do the actions of men that are quickned and enlivened they cannot pray with the spirit they cannot love God c. They cannot do those things that shall be done hereafter in Heaven There 's not one good duty which this natural man can do If it should be said unto him Think but one good thought and for it thou shalt go to Heaven he could not think it Till God raise him from the sink of sin as he did Lazarus from the grave he cannot do any thing that is well pleasing unto God He may do the works of a moral man but to do the works of a man quickned and enlightned it 's beyond his power For if he could do so he must then have some reward from God for however we deny the merit of good works yet we deny not the reward of good works to a man that is in Christ. There 's no proportionable merit in a cup of cold water and the Kingdome of Heaven yet he that gives a cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward Here then is the point The best that a natural man doth cannot so relish with God as that he should take delight in it or reward it whereas the least good thing that comes from another root from a quickned spirit is acceptable and well pleâ—sing to him Consider for this end that which is set down Prov. 15.8 Tâ—ke the best works of a natural man his prayers or sacrifice and see there what is said The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. It s said again Prov. 21.27 where there are additions The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord How much more when he brings it with a wicked mind Suppose there should come upon this man a sit of devotion where he hath or should have some good motions is it then accepted no it is so far from being accepted that it is an Abomination to God how much more then if he brings it with wicked mind That is if he brings it not with a wicked mind it is an abomination how much more with it See the case set down in Haggai 2.12.13 14. If one bear holy flesh c. shall it be holy And the Priest answered no. Then said Haggai if an unclean person touch any of these shall it be unclean And he said it shall be unclean Then answered Haggai so is this people so is this nation before me saith the Lord and so is every work of their hands it is unclean A man may nor say prayer is a sin because it it is so in them no it 's a good duty but spoil'd in the carriage He marrs it in the carriage and therefore insteâ—d of doing a good work he spoils it and so in stead of a reward must look for punishment 1 Tim. 15. The end of the Commandment is love out of a â—ure hâ—art a good conscience and faith unfeigned Let the things thou dost be according to the Commandment Look what thou dost be in the middle end and beginning according to the Commandement If wrong in all these then though the work be never so materially good being faulty in the original middle or end it 's so far from being a good work that God will not accept of it and thou mayst rather expect a plague for spoiling it then a reward for doing it See then the beginning of a good work it must be from a pure heart A man not ingrafted into Christ is a dâ—filed polluted person his very mind and conscience are dâ—filed The conscâ—ence is the purest thing a man hath it holds out last and taketh part witâ— God that as Jobs messenger said I only am escâ—ped to tell theâ— Job 1 15. So conscience only remains to declare a mans faults to God and to witness against the man and yet this very light the eye of tâ—e soul is deâ—iled therefore if thou have a corrupt fâ—untain if the heart be naught the fountain muddy whatever stream comes from it cannot be pure Again the end of it is love Consider when thou dost any duty what puts thee on work Is it love doth constrain thee If love do not constrain thee it is manifest that thou dost not seek God but thy self and art to every good work a Reprobate Tit. 1.16 that is thou art not then able to do any thing that God will accept the best thing thou dost will not relish with God A hard estate indeed that when a man shall come to appear before God he shall not have one good thing that he hath done in all his life that God will own Some there be that take a great deal of pains in coming to the word in prayer publick and private in charity and giving to the poor Alas when thou shalt come to an account and none of these things shall stead thee not one of them shall speak for thee but all shall be lost How heavy will thy case be 2 John 8. Look to your selves that you lose not the thing that you have wrought By being indisposed to do the works of a living man we lose all that is to say God will never own nor accept them we shall never have reward for them So that here is the case thou being dead unable to perform the works of a living man canst have no reward from heaven at all until a man is quickned and hath life from Christ his works are dead as well as his person Without me saith our Saviour you can do nothing Ja. 15.5 St. Austin on this place observes that Christ saith not Without me ye can do no great matter No but unless you be cut off from your own stock taken from your own root and be ingrafted into me and have life from me and be quickned by me you can do nothing at all Nothing neither great nor small all that you do is lost So that if there were nothing but this being dead you could do no good action I know that in me that is in my flesh saith St. Paul there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 that is nothing spiritually good nothing for which I may look for a reward in heaven The Lord will say of such a man thou hast lived ten twenty forty or it may be fifty years under the Ministry and yet hast not done a good work or thought a good thought that I can own Cut down this fruitless tree why cumbers it the greund Luk. 13.7 And this is the case of every man of us while we continue in our naâ—ural condition till we be ingrafted into Christ and live by life God will own nothing we do But now we are not only dead and indisposed to the works of a living man though this be a very woful case and we need no more misery for this will bring us to be cut down and cast into the
birth begins our progress unto death A time a way we have but it leads unto death There is a way from the Tower to Tyburn but it is a way to death Until thou comest to be reconciled unto Christ every hour tends unto thy death there 's not a day that thou canst truly say thou livest in thou art ever posting on to death death in this world and eternal death in the world to come And as it is thus with us at our coming into the world so we are to understand it of that little time we have above ground our days are full of sorrow But mark when I speak of sorrows here we must not take them for such afflictions and sorrows as befal Gods children for theirs are blessings unto them Chastisements are tokens of Gods love For as many as I love I rebuke and chasten saith Christ. Revel 3.19 Affliction to them is like the Dove with an Olive-branch in her mouth to shew that all is well but take a man that is under the Law and then every cross whether it be loss of friends loss of goods diseases on his body all things every thing to him is a token of Gods wrath not a token of Gods love as it is to Gods children but it is as his impress money as part of payment of a greater sum an earnest of the wrath of God the first part of the payment thereof It 's the Apostles direction that among the other Armour we should get our feet shod that so we might be able to go through the afflictions we shall meet withal in this life Eph. 6.15 Let your feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace What is the shooing of the feet a part of the Armour Yes For in the Roman discipline there were things they called Galltraps which were cast in the way before the Army before the horse and men they had three points so that which way soever they threw them there was a point upwards Now to meet with and prevent this mischief they had brazen shooes that they might tread upon these Gall-traps and not be hurt As we read of Goliah amongst other Armour he had boots of Brass To this it seems the Apostle had reference in this metaphorical speech The meaning is that as we should get the shield of faith and sword of the spirit so we should have our feet shod that we might be prepared against all those outward troubles that we should meet with in the world which are all of them as so many stings and pricks all outward crosses I say are so And what is it that makes all these hurt us what is it that makes all these as so many deaths unto us but sin If sin reign in thee and bear rule that puts a sting into them It is sin that arms death against us and it is sin that arms all that goes before death against us Hast thou been crossed in the loss of thy Wife Children good friends c. why the sting of all is from sin sin it is which makes us feel sorrow What shall we then do Why get thy feet shod with the preparation of thâ— Gospel of peace Prepare thy self get God at peace with thee and then whatsoever affliction cometh howsoever it may be a warning piece to another that Gods wrath is coming yet to thee it is a messenger of peace Now these outward troubles are the least part of a wicked mans pâ—yment though all these are a part of his death so long as he remains unreconciled whatsoever comes upon him whereby he suffers either in himself or in any thing that belongs unto him they are all tokens of Gods wrath and are the beginnings of his death in the 26th of Levit. and the 28th of Deut. the particulars of it are set down But this is that I told you the last time how that the law of God is a perfect law and nothing is to be added to it yet 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 â—he botch of Aegypt and with hemeroids 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 that 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 seâ—st thou And I said I see a flying roll the length thereof 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 questionless 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 compass and this is written thick within and without and is full of curses against sin Now for the dimension 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 only in that time but it was continued to the time of Christ and the Apostles For we read how our Saviour walkâ—d in Solomon 's 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 Commandments 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. 28.16 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
were a Cable put in our hands to draw our selves out of this flesh and blood 5. The last thing is if keeping Open House Special Invitations Entreaties and Commands will not serve the turn then Christ waxeth angry What to be scorned wheh he profered Mercy and as it were invite all sorts and compel them to come in by his Preachers and by a peremptory Command Then he falls a threatning We are not of those which draw back unto perdition if thou wilt not come upon this Command thou shalt be damned Mar. 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Christ commands them to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature unto every soul this Gospel which I speak If you will not hear and believe if you will not take God at his Word you shall be damned Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Here is an iron scourge to drive thee thou that art so slow of heart to believe In Psalm 78. where is set down God's mercy unto the Israelites afterwards comes one plague upon another vers 22. it is said They believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation A like passage to this out of the 95th Psalm is applyed in Heb. 3.2 to Unbelievers And the reason of God's wrath mentioned in the 78th Psalm is said to have been the unbelief of the people The Lord heard this and was wrath a fire was kindled against Jacob and against Israel Why was this because they believed not in him because they trusted not in his salvation Nothing will more provoke God to anger than when he is liberal and gracious and we are straitned in our selves harden our hearts and not trust him never forget this Sermon while you live this is the net that Christ hath to draw you out of the world I shall hereafter tell you what faith is which is to receive Christ and to believe in his name but that will require a more particular explication And on that I shall enter the next time EPH. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise THE last time I entred on the declaration of that main point and part of Religion which is the foundation of all our hopes and comfort namely the offering of Christ unto us that as he did offer himself a Sacrifice to his Father for us upon the Cross so that which is the basis ground and foundation of our comfort is that he offereth himself unto us And here comes in thâ—t gracious gift of the Father which closes in with God That as God saith To us a child is born to us a Son is given c. So there is grace given us to receive him And as the greatest gift doth not enrich a man unless he accept it and receive it so this is our case God offers his Son unto us as an earnest of his love if we will not receive him we cannot be the better for him If we refuse him and turn Gods Commodity which he offers us back upon his hand then Gods storms and his wrath abides on us for evermore That it is his good pleasure that we should receive Christ it is no doubt we have his word for it All the point is how we may receive him and that is by Faith And in this Text is declared how Faith is wrought and that is by the Word of truth In whom also you trusted after you had heard the Word of Truth Now after this Faith there cometh a sealing by the Spirit of God In whom also after you believed you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise Now lest a man should through ignorance and indiscretion be misled and deceived there is faith and there is feeling Where this is not feeling I mean I say not that there is no faith No For feeling is an after thing and comes after Faith If we have Faith we live by it But after you believed you were sealed You see then Faith is that whereby we receive Jesus Christ and to as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to as many as believe on his name The blood of Christ is that which cureth our souls but as I told you it is by application A Medicine heals not by being prepared but being applied So the blood of Christ shed for us unless applied to us doth us no good In Heb. 12. It s called the blood of sprinkling and that in the 51. Psalm hath relation to it where he saith Purge me with hysop In the Passover there was blood to be shed not to be spilt but to be shed And then to be gathered up again and put into a Basin and when they had so done they were to take a bunch of Hysop and dip and sprinkle c. Faith is this bunch of Hysop that dips it self as it were into the Basin of Christs blood and our souls are purged by being sprinkled with it In Levit. 14.6 There was a bird to escape alive but see the preparation for it You shall take it and the scarlet and the Cedar wood and the Hysop and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed c. And then you shall sprinkle on him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird loose into the open field We are thus let loose cleansed and freed but how Not unless we are dipt as the living bird was in the blood of the dead bird there is no escaping unless we are dipt in the blood of Christ Jesus this dead bird and sprinkled with this Hysop we cannot be freed So that now to come to that great matter without which Christ profiteth us nothing which is Faith The Well is deep and this is the Bucket with which we must draw This is the hand by which we must put on Christ As many as are baptized put on Christ Galat. 3.27 Thus must we be made ready We must be thus cloathed upon and by this hand attire our selves with the Sun of Righteousness Malac. 4.2 Wherefore I declared unto you that this Faith must not be a bare conceipt floating in the brain not a device of our own The Devil taking hold on this would soon lead a man into a fools Paradise To say I am Gods Child and sure I shall be saved I am perswaded so this the Devil would say Amen to and would be glad to rock men asleep in such conceipts Such are like the foolish Virgins That went to buy oyl for their Lamps And were perswaded they should come soon enouoh to enter with the Bride-groom but their perswasion was groundless and they were shut out So such groundless perswasions and assurances in a mans soul that
he is the child of God and shall go to Heaven is not Faith thou mayst carry this assurance to Hell with thee This Faith is not Faith For faith comes by hearing and that not of every word or fancy but by hearing the Word of Truth Faith must not go a jot further then the Word of God goeth If thou hast an apprehension but no warrant for it out of the Word of God it is not faith for it s said After you heard the Word of Truth you believed So that we must have some ground for it out of the Word of Truth otherwise it is presumption meer conceipts fancy and not Faith Now I shew'd unto you the last time how this might be for while a man is an Vnbeliever he is wholly defiled with sin he is in a most loathsom condition he is in his blood filthy and no eye pities him And may one fasten comfort on one in such a condition on a dead man And this I shew'd you was our case When Faith comes to us it finds no good thing in us it finds us stark naked and stark nought yet there is a Word for all this to draw us unto Christ from that miserable Ocean in which we are swimming unto perdition if God catch us not in his Net Hearken we therefore to Gods Call There is such a thing as this Calling God calls thee and would change thy condition and therefore offers thee his Son Wilt thou have my Son Wilt thou yield unto me Wilt thou be reconciled unto me Wilt thou come unto me And this may be preacht to the veriest Rebel that is It is the only Word whereby faith is wrought It is not by finding such and such things in us before hand No God finds us as bad as bad may be when he proffers Christ unto us He finds us ugly and filthy and afterwards washes us and makes us good It is not because I found this or that good thing in thee that I give thee interest in my Son take it not on this ground No he loved us first and when we were defiled he washt us from our sins in his own blood Râ—v 1.5 Now there is a double love of God towards his Creatures 1. Of Commiseration 2. Of Complacency That of Commiseration is a fruit of love which tenders and pities the miserable estate of another But now there is another love of Complacency which ariseth from a likeness between the qualities and manners of persons for like will to like and this love God never hath but to his Saints after Conversion when they have his Image enstamped in them and are reformed in their Vnderstandings and Wills resembling him in both then and not till then bears he this love towards them Before he loves them with the love of pity and so God lov'd the World that is with the love of Commiseration that he sent his only Son that whosoever believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life And therefore he said in the Prophet Isaiah In his Love and in his pity he redeemed them chap. 63. ver 9. Now we come to the point of Acceptation The Word is free and it requires nothing but what may consist with the freest gift that may be given Although here be something that a man may startle at Object Is there not required a condition of faith and a condition of obedience Sol. Neither of these according to our common Understanding do hinder the fulness and freedom of the Grace of the Gospel 1. Not Faith because Faith is such a condition as requires only an empty hand to receive a gift freely given Now doth that hinder the freeness of the gift to say you must take it Why this is requisite to the freest gift that can be given If a man would give something to a Begger if he would not reach out his hand and take it let him go without it it s a free gift still so that the condition of Faith is such a condition as requires nothing but an empty hand to receive Christ. 2. Obedience hinders it not I am required may some say to be a new man a new Creature to lead a new life I must alter my course And is not this a great clog and burthen And do you account this free When I must crucifie lusts mortifie Passions c. Is this free when a man must renounce his own Will Yes It is as free as free may be as a I shewed you the last time The very touching and accepting of Christ implies an abnegation of former sinfulness and a going off from other courses that are contrary to him If the King give a pardon to a notorious Rebel for Treason so that now he must live obedient as a Subject the King need not in regard of himself to have given the pardon if he give it it takes not from its freeness that he must live like a Subject afterwards the very acceptance of the pardon implies it But now to declare Faith and to open the Mystery thereof Faith is a great thing It is our life our life stands in the practice of it That as in the offering of Christ for us there is given him a name above every name That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow As I say in the purchasing of Redemption so in the point of acceptation God hath given unto this poor vertue of faith a name above all names Faith indeed as it is a vertue is poor and mean and comes far short of love and therefore by the Apostle love is many degrees preferr'd before faith because love fills the heart and faith is but a bare hand it lets all things fall that it may fill it self with Christ. It s said of the Virgin Mary That God did respect the low estate of his hand-maid So God respects the low estate of Faith that nothing is required but a bare empty hand which hath nothing to bring with it though it be never so weak yet if it have a hand to receive it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 that of the poorest Believer and the greatest Saint Now that we may come unto the point without any more going backwards In the words read there is the point of faith and a thing God confirms it withal a seal In whom also after that you believed you were sealed Faith is of it a self a thing unsealed The sealing with the holy Spirit of Promise is a point beyond faith it s a point of feeling and not only of believing of Gods Word but a sensible feeling of the Spirit A believing in my soul accompanied with joy unspeakable and full of glory of which sealing we shall speak more hereafter Observe for the first 1. The Object of it In whom you trusted We speak of Faith now as it justifies as it apprehends Christ for its Object for otherwise Faith hath as large an Extent as all Gods Word Faith hath a
will die It will quickly perish by famin So it is here unless Christ be pleased to nourish that life which he hath breathed into me in baptisme and by his Ordinances â—o give me anew supply and addition of grace I am a dead man I am gone for ever upon this ground that I receive not the never perishing food that endureth as Christ who is himself that meat teacheth us unto Everlasting life Joh. 6.27 Therefore upon examination being conscious and privy to the weakness of my faith to the manifold imperfections of my spirit to my want of knowledge the frailty of my memony my often doubtings the dangers of relapsing and falling back in my Christian progress I cannot but apprehend that it is no needless thing for me to come both often and preparedly to the Lords Table 2. The next action requisite before my coming to the Sacrament is the whetting of my appetite and preparing of my stomach I must come with an hungry desire as a man that comes to his meat that would live and be strong We think meat very ill bestowed on him that hath no stomach Unless we eat Christs body and drink his blood we can have no spiritual life All the question and the main business is whether I come hungry thirsty or not as an hungry and thirsty man with an Appetite after his meat and liquor longing after Christ as the Hart after the water brooks Psal. 42.1 When a man comes dully and as Children that play with their meat cares not whether he eats or not when a man comes I say without an appetite its time for God to take it away from him It s an unworthy comming to come with an unprepared stomach and without whetting our faith to feed on Christ Jesus crucified 3. The third action requisite to a worthy Comer is cleansing of himself I would fain come may a man say to the Lords Table having such need of it as I have and having such an appetite and desire to feed on Christ but I am to come before a great King therefore I must wash mine hands in innocency Psal. 26.6 In the Gospel according to Saint Mark the Jews found fault with Christs Disciples because they came with unclean or common hands For so the word signifies and is so used by the Apostles as equivalent thereunto I have learned to call nothing common or unclean Rom. 14.14 Now when I come to meet the Lord in his Ordinances I must put off my feet for the place where I stand is holy Exod. 3.5 Wash your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded Jam. 4.8 The purifying of the soul is that which is required of every worthy Communicant We come now not to receive life but strength and that it may strengthen us we must of necessity cleanse our selves A stomach over-clogged with choler whatever meat be taken into it it turns it into iâ—s own nature so is it here unless the vessel be clean Quodcunque infundis acescit Christ Jesus the purest thing in the world is to come into my soul as into a sanctuary and shall not I fit trim and garnish it to receive him but leave it as a Pigâ—sty Know therefore that thou comest unworthily when thou comest with unwashed hands The people were to be sanctified when they came to receive the Law Exod. 19.10 And so must we if we will receive the benefit from the business in hand But I cannot stand on all I pasâ— from this therefore to the second thing I proposed and that was 2. Those things which were required of us in the action And there we have the acts of the Minister in the administration I must not look on these as idle Ceremonies but as real Representations otherwise we take God's name in vain I must look upon the Minister who represents the person of Christ and by the eyes of faith see Christ himself offered for me when I see the bread broken the wine poured out Whosoever therefore thou art who wouldst worthily partake of Christ at the holy Table behold him offered to thee when the Minister bids thee take and eat take and drink And when the Minister bids thee take know that in as good earnest as the Minister offers thee the bread and wine the Lord ofâ—â—rs thee his Son Christ Jesus Take Christ my Son dead and crucified for thee Consider when thou seest the Minister set the bread and wine apart how God from all eternity set apart his Son for us If we have not done this we must do it Exod. 12.3 See the manner of the setting apart of the Lamb which was a type of Christ In the tenth day of the month they shall take unto them every man a Lamb according to the house of their Fathers This Lamb was to be set apart and taken out of the flock And in the fifth verse It must be a lamb without blemish then you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month From the tenth day to the fourteenth it was to be kept This typified that Lamb of God that was so set apart Then was the Lamb to be killed by whom Vers. 6. by all the Congregation of Israel And thus was Christ to be singled out and to be slain Every mother's son had a hand in killing this Lamb of God He is set apart to suffer for sinners picked out as a singled deer which being designed to the game the hounds will follow only and no other Thus was Christ hunted to death by one sorrow after another till he gave up the Ghost upon the Cross. In the Gospel according to St. John we read how the people took branches of Palm trees and went forth to meet Christ cap. 12.12 13. and that was the day the Lamb was set apart and he was so set apart till the Jew's Passover This concerns me saith Christ. Christ saw himself typified in the Lamb that was set apart Observe then on that very day Father sath he Deliver me from that hour On that very day in the Lamb he saw himself to be sacrificed by all the Congregation of Israel We were all of us actors in the business not one here but had a hand in the offering up of the Son of God in killing Christ Jesus Thus for these actions of the Minister the setting apart of the bread and of the wine Then follows the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine At the breaking of the bread consider Christ's flesh torn asunder all the lashes which made such scratches in his flesh the ruptures which were made by the nails and the spear that pierced his side The breaking of him by his Father the word signifies crushing him to powder God would break him saith the Prophet even to powder Isa. 53.10 At the consideration hereof how should our faith be stirred and set awake Thou takest God's name in vain if with a dull eye thou canst see things and not take it to heart
The next action is The pouring out of the wine This is my blood saith Christ Drink you all of this Dost thou see the wine poured out at that very instant consider how much blood Christ spilt how much he poured forth and that not only in the very time of his passion when he hung upon the Cross when the spears pierced his sides when the nails bored and digged his hands 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 Christ 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 in the fashion of sin who knew no sin I should have gone further but the time cuts me off HEB. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need IN handling heretofore the Doctrine of the conversion of a sinner I declared and shewed you what man's misery was and what that great hope of mercy is that the Lord proposeth to the greatest sinner in the world I shewed unto you â—he means whereby we may be made partakers of Christ and thâ—t waâ— by the grace of faith which doth let fall all other things in a man's self and comes with an open and empty hand to lay hold on Christ and fill it self with him I shewed you also the acts of Faith as it justâ—fies 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 far as may concern our practice that we may see what the work of God's Spirit is from the first to the last and 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 God's blessed Word that whatever we are though accursed and the greatest sinners in the world and that whatever we want we should come to God's throne of grace And we are to think that whatever sins are or have been committed and though our sins are never so great yet that they are not so great as the infiniteness of God's 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 run far in score yet he is our ransome and therefore now God's 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 discharged 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 sins give me my acquittance And this is that boldness and access spoken of Rom. 5.2 In whom we have access 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 or rather by the operative power of the Law convincing us of sin we are made sensible of our need and deep poverty This is the first preparative for a man to be brought to see he stands in great need of God's mercy and Christ's 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 unless 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 adds comfort unto me If God had only a throne and seat of Justice I were utterly undone I see my debt is extremely 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 fly unto And now to fit us for this God's blessed Spirit works by his Word to open unto us the rigour and strictness of 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 sense but unless God's Spirit open our eyes we can never see our selves to be such sinners as we are or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sin and the weight thereof after his conversion than he did before What are his sins greater or more than they were formerly No but his Light is greater his eyes are opened and now he sees more clearly what sin is When the Sun shines and its rays come in what a number of motes do we discover which before we saw not Not as if the Sun-beams made them or the Sun raised the dust no there are here as many motes and as much dust flying about as if the Sun shined here What is the matter then Why this the Sun discovers them to us So that here is the point Our sins in our souls are as motes in the air and are not more than they were before conversion but we cannot see them till the glorious beams of God's Spirit shine upon us The sight of sin and of the danger that comes by it is the work of God's Spirit The Spirit discovers sin unto us Joh. 16.8 When the Spirit cometh he shall convince the world of sin 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 seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretofore we had a slight imagination of our sins but to have our mouth stopped and to be convinced is not a work of flesh and blood but of God's Spirit Rom. 3.19 Till we are awakened by his Spirit we cannot see nor feel the mountains and heaps of sins that lie upon our souls Thou art dead in sin 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 bond men until the Son hath made us free in a woful estate slaves to sin and Satan yet till God's Spirit convince us and shew it us and make us know it we shall 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 therefore 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 touched and that burned by fire nor unto the blackness and darkness and tempest so Gal. 4.25 Mount Sinai is made a figure of the Law which begets bondage Not that Mount which might be touched and that burn'd 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 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 there is an Execution gone out against thee body and goods when God sounds thus to a 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 whâ—n 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 God's Axe towards us and therefore it 's said of S. Peter's Hearers Acts 2.38 That they were pricked to the heart The Law puts the point of God's sword to our very breasts as it were and brings us to see that we stand in great need of a pardon 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 always follow the temper of the mind 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 when this perswasion appears to be delusion 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 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 acknowledgment of the Gospel of Christ Jesus We see in 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 God's 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 balm in Gilead Jer 8. ult Is there no balm in Gilead Is there
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 find 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 as 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 find 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 very man's 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 ask to have thy sins 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 always call upon God If they come and seek God and he will not answer as Saul did they will try the Devil God would not answer Saul and he presently goes to the Devil It 's not so with God's children they pray and pray and wait still they pray with the Spirit and with perseverance God deals not always 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 sins says David and my transgressions and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 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 touched 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 pass 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 always do this and what 's the reason Why he hath a wonderful great delight to be wrestled withal 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 unless thou bless me Gen. 32.26 It 's said in the Canticles honey is under the lips of the Church Cant. 4.11 Why so it's because there is no honey sweeter to the palate than spiritual prayer to God And therefore God delays to answer thee because he would have more of it If the Musicians 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 God's 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 the nature of faith and that point which concerns 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 it self together with its principal benefit Justification or reconciliation with God that whereas we were afar 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 access 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 firm 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 in that which spoils a natural man's joy as in crosses troubles afflictions for even these are made the matter of this man's 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 man's 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 is 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 matter 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 that 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 fool's Paradise and think there is no fear of their safety never knowing that they are cast-aways 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 of Timothy that faith which justifies must be a faith unfegn'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 souls 1 Pet. 1.9 We read in the Scripture of Apostacy and falling back Now they cannot be Apostates that were never in the way of truth This being an accident we must have a subject for it Now there is a certain 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 that is that live and believe in Christ 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 born of God and come to perfection of birth and the case is clear 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 born and liveth is a 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 certain kind of dead faith this is a feigned that an unfegned faith The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God Dost thou think a dead faith can make a living soul 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 works is dead also The Apostle makes not works the form of faith as the soul is the form 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 as the Papists say fides informis and works make it up as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it But compare this with the other places of the Scripture and the difficulty will be cleared for instance weigh that place 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 weakness What Does our weakness 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 weakness of the means 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 liâ—ing soul. In St. Judes Epistle ver 20. it hath another Epithete 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 Ephes. 3.17 Now God and faith dwelling in a heart together that heart must needs be pure and clean Faith makes the heart pure It were a most dishonourable thing to entertain 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 dost thou think thy sins 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 dunghil 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 again 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 abstains 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 constrains him 2 Cor. 5.14 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 far 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
he will forgive sins for the time before they are committed but what do we get nothing for the time to come yes yes when the sin is past by faith we have a new access unto God and having risen by repentance we get a new act not of universal justification but of a particular justification from this and that particular sin But if there be forgiveness of sins past already and I know that I am justified and my sin remitted may I now pray for forgiveness of sins past The Papists say it is active infidelity and as absurd as to pray to God to create the world anew or incarnate his Son again But there is no remission where there is no praying and there is need of praying for the remission of sins past and against sin for the time to come as I shall shew next time as also consider whether there be any interruption of the act of justification by falling into great sins There is no man hath a mind more against quierks and quillets than I yet for the opening of these things and staying and setling the mind and clearing the understanding give me leave the next time to clear these things unto you ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. IN this Chapter especially in the beginning thereof I shewed unto you that the Apostle sets down unto us those special comforts that a man receives after God hath wrought that supernatural grace of faith in his heart so that here is set down The Mother-Grace Justification by faith and then the blessed issues or daughters thereof and those are a free access to God a joyful hope of the glory to come and not only a patient but a joyful suffering of all afflictions that shall befall us in this life Concerning justification by faith I laboured to open it unto you the last day three things may well be considered therein 1. What that faith is whereby we are justified 2. What that justification is we have by faith 3. What relation the one of these hath to the other Concerning the first of these I told you that it was not every faith that justifieth nor every kind of faith that a man can live by There is a dead faith and a man cannot live by a dead thing And there is a living faith and that is called a faith unfeigned And though it be in Scripture called the faith yet it is with some restriction it is the faith of God's elect and common to none besides There is a faith also which is but temporary that being touch'd with the sense of sin and seeing there is no deliverance from the curse due to sin but by Christ and that there is no part to be had in Christ but by renouncing all corruptions the consideration of the desperateness of his case without Christ makes him long after him and since he cannot have Christ without leaving sin he will resolve on that too he will make towards Christ and perhaps he comes to taste of the sweetness of Christ and feels the power of the world to come he forsakes sin and thereby comes so near the true believer that a man must as it were cut a hair to divide between them And this is a thing very necessary to be considered of And I shewed 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 God's Spirit for it humbles a man for sin 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 child that liveth but half an hour 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 graâ—â—s never saw it yet time discovers it Now the difference is not in the time but in the foundation of the thing it sâ—lf 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 I mean the sâ—und faith is not in all these All have not faith the faith I say of God's 〈◊〉 yet some come so near and have faith so like it that it will trouble a wiâ—â— 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 grass that grows in every field it were something but it is a precious flower which if we have not Christ prefiteth us nothing This is the means of Christs being applied unto thee how doth it therefore behove 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 shewed 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 add 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 it's 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 to any 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 trial He accounts every beginning of grace in himself very great every Mole-hill to be a Mountain Now God's children know that they may be deceived with counterfeits and therefore they try themselves Mark the speech of the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.5 Examine your selves prove your own
do it for them i.e. though I have done it and intend to do it yet will I do it by the means of prayer Howsoever that God had promised Eliah that rain should come upon the face of the earth yet he goes upon the Mount and saw no shew of a cloud The Text saith not what he did but he put his head between his knees Saint James saith he prayed and â—he opened Heaven and brought down rain It was an humble secret gesture A man may be more free in private than in publick He prayed and the heavens opened God had promised it and would do it but yet he would be sought to So we see the mediate cause is prayer so though the Lord will do this yet for all this he will be enquired of It is not with God as with men men who have promised would be loth to be sued to not to break their promise they account that a dishonour to them but it is not so with God God hath promised yet thou shalt have no benefit of it until thou sue to him for it therefore thou must go to God and say Lord fulfil thy promise to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust God loves to have his bond sued out Lord make good this word perform that good word that thou hast spoken God would have his bond thus sued out And as thy faith repentance prayer is renewed so is thy pardon renewed When God will make a man possess the sins of his youth when a man is careless this way it pleaseth God to awaken him Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquity of my youth Job 13.26 When a man forgetteth the iniquities of his youth and reneweth not his repentance and hath not new acts of faith and petition then God maketh him to possess the iniquities of his youth he makes his sins stand up and cry out against him and by this means his old evidences are obliterated When a man hath a pardon and it 's almost obliterated the letters almost worn out that they cannot be read he would be glad to have it renewed to have a new exemplification Every sin it puts a great blur upon thine old evidences that thou canst not read them They may be firm in Heaven and yet perhaps be so blurr'd that thou canst not read them and therefore if thou wouldst get them clear'd again thou must go to God by prayer and renew them again so that whether our evidences be blur'd or whether it be that God will make us possess the iniquities of our youth it is necessary to pray for the forgiveness of those sins which have been before forgiven But now you will say when I have sinned afterward how come I then to be justified Then a man would think repentance only doth it and without repentance a man cannot be justified But you must understand repentance is not an instrument at all faith only is the instrument faith justifyeth me from sin hereafter as well as before The case is this faith brings lifâ— The righteous shall live by his faith as the Prophet Habakkuk speaks 2.4 What do then new sins do There are two sorts of sins 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 sins which waste a mans conscience A man that hath committed murder adultery and lives in covetousness 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 sin it stops the passage of faith it cannot act till it be opened by repentance Physicians give instances for it Those that have Apoplexies Epilepsies and the Falling sickness are thought to be dead for the time as it was with Eutichus yet saith Saint Paul his spirit was in him Act. 20.13 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 careless man and lookst not to thy watch and to thy guard but art overtaken in some gross and grievous sin 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 dead As in Epilepsies the nerves are hindred by obstructions so sin obstructs the nerves of the soul that there cannot be that life and working till these sins be removed Now what is repentance why it clears the passages that though faith could 〈◊〉 before yet now it gives him dispositions unto it As a man in a 〈◊〉 cannot do the acts of a living man till he be refreshed again so 〈◊〉 its repentance which clears the spirits and makes the life of faith pass 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 sins faith at first and at last is that whereby I am justified from my sins which I commit afterwards But this forgiveness of sins what doth it free us from In sin we must consider two things the fault and the punishment Now consider sin 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 At 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 applied 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 Rom. 8.1 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 bar 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 sin when it is accomplish't it bringeth forth death Jam. 1.15 You know the natural work of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it labours with death now God will stop the acts
from the Scepter of his Kingdome The one is without me the other within me The one receives degrees the other not As a man that is holy may be more holy but imputed righteousness doth not more forgive one man than another Imputation is without augmentation or diminution Those things which have divers contraries cannot be one and the same thing Justification and Sanctification have divers contraries The contrary to justification is condemnation but the contrary to sanctification is wickedness and false dealing c. Aristotle distinguisheth homonymous words and bids you consider their contraries thus you see the difference between these two I should now come and descend unto the dependence one hath on the other i. e. in what respect doth faith justifie Is faith an instrument to work justification or to receive it only The answer is clear it justifieth in regard of the object If you remember the two places I bid you compare Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood is that all compare this place with chap. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him we are justified by his blood and by faith in his blood here are two acts which signifie the same thing It is no more then to say I was cured by the Bath or by going to the Bath so that saith is the legs of the soul that bring a man to Christ. And so my faith is an instrument not to procure my justification but to receive it so then seeing faith is an instrument to receive justification and not to procure it then the weakest faith carrieth away as much forgiveness as the strongest A strong faith rids a great deal of work because it is an active instrument The stronger faith worketh the greater work but in the point of justification it is an instrument whereby my justification is wrought an instrument whereby Christ is received And the weakest hand may receive a piece of gold as well as the strongest we must know that in the point of receiving we live on Gods alms All our justification is his free gift and faith is that Palsie hand which receives all our comfort It is not then a strong faith that justifieth but faith it is called by Peter a like precious faith Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.1 It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the meanest Christian that hath a trembling hand to pitch on that and draw vertue from him it is a like precious faith in them as in the most great Apostle Peter and all the rest ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. I Have heretofore declared unto you that in these words and the words following there are set down the great graces and great blessings which you have in Christ in the Kingdom of grace before you come to thâ— Kingdom of glory First here is set down the mother and radical grace of all the rest and that is justification by faith and then followeth the blessed fruit that issueth from thence 1. Peace with God 2. A gracious access into his presence 3. A joyful hope arising from that great glory that we shall enjoy for the time to come 4. In the worst of our troubles and midst of our afflictions this joy is so great that it cannot be abated by any of them yea it is so far from being abated by them that they are as fuel to kindle it We rejoyce in affliction saith the Apostle that which would undo the joy of a carnal man is made the matter of this man's joy Concerning the first of these I shewed you that justification is the ground or foundation of all the rest Being justified by faith that is the root and ground without which there is no fruit no peace no joy no hope much less any kind 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 is the first ground the first rudiment for a Christian 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 obtained by faith 3. What relation the one of these hath to the other Concerning the first of these I shewed you that it is not every faith that justifieth I shewed you that there is a dead faith whereupon the Apostle saith The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.2 A dead thing cannot make a living man it must be and I shewed you how a living faith Again I shewed that bâ—side the true faith there was a temporary faith which is active too and comes near the other It had the operations of the Spirit but it wanted root It had supernatural works but it wanted the new creature There was a conception that was but an abortive kind of birth it came not to maturity not to a full gâ—owth it did not continue And I shewed unto you how a man might discern one of these from the other for herein lieâ—h the wisdom of a Christian not to content himself or be deceived with flâ—shes therefore the Apostle exhorts us â—o prove and try and examine our selves 2 Cor. 13.5 it is an easie matter to be deceived and therefore God's people should be careful to examine themselves to have their senses exercised herein that however others may slight and slubber over the matter they may 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. Psal. 139.23 Then for the second thing concerning that justification that is obtained by faith I shewed you that the word justification was derived from justice or righteousness and as many ways as justice and righteousness may be taken so many ways may justification be taken Sometimes for justification of righteousness in a man and sometimes it is opposed to condemnation so it is taken in St. Paul and it is taken as an acquital sometimes it isâ— oppose to hypocrisie and pollution in a man's soul so it signifies sanctification whereby God not only covers our sins 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 Lord's refining pot then there is not a jot of sin shall be left in a Christian. Now when God hath taken away our dross then to think we shall be put in a refining fire that an
mouth First He convinceth the Gentile which was easie to be done after he convinceth the Jew that there is righteousness 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 sins Now consider what is the nature of unbelief it is to fasten all sins upon a man and when I have faith all my sins 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 God's Spirit is the Ministry of the Word He shall convince the world that there is righteousness 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 sins that you are wholly dead in trespasses and sins and have no means in the world to put that away yet notwithstanding the second work of God's Spirit is to convince of righteousness that there is a righteousness to be had in Christ because he was our Surety arrested for debt he was committed to prison where he could not come out till he had 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 ran 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 plâ—ce and standing I was given unto death for your sins but I am risen again for your justification and I now sit at my Father's 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 righteousness inherent There is a hard place I shall speak of it it is usual in Scripture to joyn righteousness and judgment together The words of the Lord are righteousness and judgment And the integrity of a man's heart which is opposed to hypocrisie is called judgment 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 he hath put his heavy hand on me that hath put a conceit in the mind of my friends that I am an hypocrite though to confront the error of his mis-judging friends he was resolved to persist in his integrity vers 8. My righteousness 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 smoaking flax shall be not quench until he send forth judgment unto victory What is that until he send forth judgment This judgment signifies nothing but those inherent graces those infused qualities that God sends into the heart of a Christian which being produced in the children of God by the spirit of judgment through which they are eâ—abled to judge what is right and acceptable to God in Christ who is their wisdom are themselves called judgment You read therefore of washing away the filth of the Daughters of Sion and purging the blood of Jerusalem which is the sanctification of the Church by the spirit of judgment Isa. 4.4 In a man's 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 of a candle made of flax as when a candle burns in the socket it is now up now down you know not whether it be alive or dead so in the first conversion of a Christian infidelity and faith hope and despair mount up and down There is a conflict in the beginning of conversion but he will not give it over until he bring forth judgment until he get the victory of all opposition from the flesh And what is the reason Because the Prince of this world is judged He shall convince the world of an inherent righteousness in spite of the Devil's teeth because he is condemned He that before worked in the children of disobedience is now cast down The strong man is cast out and therefore upon that ground you have the third point Besides the grace of justification following upon Christ's death there is another the grace I mean of sanctification through which the Devil shall be dispossessed the Devil is strong where he doth wicked things but he shall be disarmed he shall not touch thee the wicked one shall not hurt thee thou shalt overcome him I now go forward The third thing I noted besides faith and justification was Thaâ— we must observe what relation one hath to the other and how it comes to pass that justification is attributed to faith there being more noble graces in us than faith I answer the reason is because faith is brought as the only instrument whereby we receive our justification purchased by the merits of Christ's death When we say faith is an instrument we must understand it right well we say not faith is an instrument to work my justification Christ alone must do that it is no act of ours nothing is in us faith is said to be an instrument whereby we get our justification in respect of the object it is a nearing us to Christ it is the instrument of application the only instrument whereby we apply the medicine and the plaister of Christ's blood whereby we that were strangers and afar off are made near faith is the only hand which receiveth Christ wâ—en the hand layeth hold on a thing it layeth hold on a thing without it self so is faith a naked hand not as a hand that gets a man's living but like a beggar's hand that receives a free alms given by the donor as the Apostle speaks Rom. 5.17 For if by one man's offence death raigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. There is abundance of grace and a gift of righteousness faith is the only means whereby we receive this gift Whereupon I inferred this which was of great consequence seeing faith did justifie not as an active instrument but as it did râ—ceive the gift of grace it did follow that the weakest faith that was did get as much justification as the strongest faith of any whatsoever because faith justifieth not as a work but as it did receive a gift therefore our Saviour saith O ye of little faith Matth. 8.26 yet as little as it was it was builded upon the Rock and though Satan desired to winnow them and fift them as
so evident yet it is most sure 2. Then there are other arguments which come from the fruâ—ts of faith à posteriori they are more evident but not so sure And thus have I declared unto you the first point of justification by faith it is so sweet a string that I cannot tell how to leave it and therefore harp so long upon it Now let us come from the Mother to the Daughter the eldest Daughter is peace with God then this is the first birth And we are at peace c. In this peace we will consider these three particulars 1. What is that peace which we have 2. With whom we have it 3. By whom and by whose means we have peace with God c. It is procured by Jesus Christ. What we have peace With whom God By whose means Our Lord Jâ—sus Christ. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. What this peace is You know the point of peace is a great matter it is the Apostolical Benediction Grace and peace in all the Epistles Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes. 1.2 and chap. 3.16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace by all means always This is a thing by all means to be desired you must labour to get it this was the Angels song when Christ was born Luke 2.14 Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men This peace is a thing by all means to be sought after and what it is you may know by the contrary you know what a miserable thing war is God grant you may not know it too soon You know what it is to have an enemy among us This is our case till we be justified we are at daggers drawing at point of hostility with God It is a foolish conceit for a man to think that by reason of God's predestination he is justified before he was this is a foolish conceit until thou art justified by faith thou art not justified at all God's predestination doth not make a change in the subject if I intend to inrich a beggar he is in rags still for all my intention till my intention be put in execution Paul was elected before the foundation of the world but till he was converted he was an enemy and a persecutor the chief of sinners as he speaks of himself Rom. 5.10 so the Scripture speaks in that point If when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Before the time of peace came we were unbelievers enemies in the state of enmity when as before God was thy enemy as soon as thou hast touched Christ by a lively faith presently all the actions he had against thee are let fall God is friends with thee this is a high and a deep peace and this comprehends all kind of blessings Amasa 1 Chron. 12.18 one of the valiantest Captains that David had speaks there of peace one would think it not so proper it belongs not to them to talk of peace but because peace comprehends all kinds of blessing it is said Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Amasa who was chief of the Captains and he said Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Jesse peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee This is a speech from a Soldier to a Soldier and this is done in a military way Peace is welcome though coming from a Warrior because it comprehends all manner of Blessings It 's said 2 Sam. 11.7 That when Vriah came unto David David demanded of him how Joab did and how the people did and how the war prospered Look unto the Margin according to the original and it is He demanded of the peace of Joab and the people and of the peace of the War A man would think it a contradiction that he should demand of the peace of the war so then this peace which we have with Almighty God after we are justified by faith is the comprehension of all manner of good This having peace with God is the fruit of the Spirit But with whom is this peace with God it is not peradventure so with thy self thou mayst have a turbulent conscience insomuch that thou wouldst give all the world to have it quiet to be assured that there is peace between God and thee that 's not the point The thing thou gettest by faith is peace with God When thou art troubled with thy self and hast but a weak act of faith yer if thou believest thou art more afraid than hurt thou art cock-sure and shalt be calm and quiet in God's good time Object But why should Christians be so foolish so troubled what 's the reason the children of God do disquiet themselves Sol. Because they are fools they stand in their own light are straitned in their own bowels God is liberal and free but there is some hope of worthiness in us and we do things we should not do We are always poring on our selves and do not bring a naked hand and this is the reason we are so full of distractions for he that seeks justification I mean remission of sins by his own performance will never attain it Observe what the Apostle speaketh upon this point Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law This was their stumbling stone as he there saith Rom. 9.31 32. Again it is the nature of many peevish people amongst us that they will not be comforted when news was brought to Jacob that Joseph was slain and lost it is said All his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning Gen. 37.35 They have a kind of pettishness and peevishness and wilfulness they will not be comforted and it may be there is some kind of pride in it too they would perhaps be thought to be the only mourners of Israel of the Kingdom As Rachel mourned for her children and would not be comforted Matth. 2.18 they shut up their eyes against all comforts God commands them to be comforted and they will not it is no marvel then that they eat the fruit of their own hands it is a part of our office to bring comfort we have an injunction to it Comfort ye Comfort ye my people saith the Lord we bring the tydings of peace and our feet should be beautiful Rom. 10.15 we bring good news all is well as Noah's Dove coming with an Olive branch in her mouth Comfort ye comfort ye cry aloud spare not If you stop your ears who can help it the Lord is gracious and chargeth us to comfort you and
testifie I answer In this place our Spirit is as it were an evidence of God from heaven as a loud token given assuring me upon good grounds that I have not mis-applyed the promises but though God do write bitter things against me yet that I love him still and cleave unto him that for all this I know that I still hunger and thirst after Righteousness that I will not be beaten off nor receive an ill report of my Lord and Saviour that I rest wait fear and trust in him still When thus our valour and faith is tryed then comes the same spirit and seals with our spirit that we are the children of God When our seal is first put then God seals with our spirit the same thing by his spirit To this effect is that in 1 Joh. 3.8 we read three Witnesses are set down the Spirit the Water aand the Blood and these three agree in one These three witness that we have everlasting life and that our names are written in heaven How do these three agree with these two Witnesses very well St. John he ranks them according to the order of their clearest evidence first the Spirit then the Water then the Blood the Apostle here he ranks them according to their natural being first our spirit in Justification and Sanctification and then God's spirit For the spirit of all other this is the clearest evidence and when this is bright and manifest there needs no more the thing is sealed So the Testimony of Water is a clear evidence whereby is meant Sanctification this is put next unto the Spirit for when the Spirit is silent yet this may speak for though I have many wants and imperfections in me yet if my spirit can testifie unto me that I have a desire to please God in all things that I resolve upon and set up his service as the pitch of all my utmost endeavours that with allowance I willingly cherish no corruption but set my self against all sin this Water will comfort and hold up a man from sinking as we see in all the sore tryals of Job Job 28.2 Still he stood upon the integrity of his own spirit and would not let that go though he were sore beaten of the Almighty and slandered for a wicked person But the water may be muddy and the strugling of the flesh and spirit so strong that we happily shall not be able to judge which is master What then Then faith lays hold of the blood in Justification which though it be the darkest testimony yet is as sure as any of the other Now in comparing of these witnesses together in St. John and in my text I rank the water and the blood with the testimony of our spirit And the Spirit mentioned in St. John and in my Text to be all one not as though we wrought them but we believe them to be so If a man ask how I know that I am sanctified the answer must be I believe and know it to be so the work producing these things in me comes of God but for the work of discerning this is certain how our affections stand in this case it comes of us but yet to come nearer the matter The testimony of our spirit I conceive to be when a man hath taken a survey of those excellent things belonging unto Justification and Sanctification when according to the substantial truths which I know in the Word I observe and follow as fast as I can what is there commanded when I take the Candle of the Word and with the bright burning lamp search into the Word what is there to be done and so bring it home to my self thereby mortifying my corruptions this is the ground-work of the witness of our Spirit First as in the blood with my spirit I must see what is needful to be done in order unto Justification what free promises of invitation belong thereunto I must see how God justifies a sinner what conditions on our part are required in Justification I must see what footings and grounds for life and what way of hope there is for a graceless man to be saved yea even for the worst person that may be In this case a man must not look for any thing in himself as a cause Christ must not be had by exchange but received as free gift as the Apostle speaks Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it may be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed I must there bring unto the receiving of Christ a bare hand It must be of grace God for this cause will make us let fall every thing before we shall take hold of him Though qualified with humiliations I must let all fall not trusting unto it as to make me the worthier to receive Christ as some think When thus at first for my Justification I received Christ I must let any thing I have fall to lay hold of him that then he may find us thus naked as it were in our blood and in this sort God will take us that all may be of mere grace Another thing the Apostle adds and that is that the promise may be sure If any thing in us might be as a cause or help to our Justification a man should never be sure therefore it is all of grace that the promise might be sure As though God should say I care for nothing else bring me my Son and shew me him and then all is well And in this case you see he doth not name hope or love or any other grace but faith for the nature of faith is to let fall all things in laying hold on Christ In Justification faith is a sufferer only but in Sanctification it works and purgeth the whole man and so witnesses the certainty and truth of our Sanctification and so the assurance of Salvation Hence from the nature hereof in this work the Apostle in 2 Pet. 1.1 writes to them who had obtained like precious faith In this case it is alike to all in vertue in this work whatsoever the measure be And I may liken it thus St. Paul you know writes With these hands I get my living Now though strong hands may work more than weak hands and so earn a great deal more yet a beggar who holds out his hand may receive more than he or any other could earn So faith justifies only receiving not working as we may see Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name Received him that is believe in him How Come and take him How as it is in Rev. 22. And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Now when I see that God keeps open house come who will without denying entertainment to any and when God's spirit hath wrought the will in me what lets me now to receive
Christ Now when the spirit hath wrought this will in me and I come and take God at his word and believe in Christ laying hold by degrees on the other promises of life winding and wrapping my self in them as I am able it is faith But that perswasion only which many have that they shall go to heaven is not faith but rather a consequent hereof The promise is made unto those that believe in Christ For in him says the Apostle all the promises are yea and Amen If a man weep much and beg hard for the remission of sins he may weep and be without comfort unto the end of his life unless he have received Christ and applyed his vertues home unto his trembling soul. A man must first receive Christ and then he hath a warrant to interest himself in all the promises So that now this being done if such a man were asked hast thou a warrant to receive Christ Yes I have a warrant says the soul for he keeps open house unto all that come wellcoming all and I have a will to come this is a good and sufficient warrant for me to come if I have a will wrought in me and then if I do come this is the first thing to be observed in the witness of our Spirit Now if a man do stagger for all the King keeps open house so as he will not or does not come then in the second place comes Invitation because we are slow to believe therefore God invites us as in Matthew 11.28 Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Many object O I am not worthy to come but you see here is invitation to encourage me to come yea the sorer and heavier my load is I should come so much the rather So that in this case if the question should be asked of such a one friend how came you hither What warrant had you to be so bold Then he shews forth his ticket as if he should say Lord thou gavest me a word of comfort a warrant of thy invitation in obedience to thy word and faith in thy promise I come hither Now this invitation is directed to them who as yet have no goodness in them when then my Spirits warrants this much unto me that upon this word of promise and invitation I have come in for releif and ease of may miseries unto Christ Jesus the great Physician relying on him for cure and lying as it were at his feet for mercy this is the testimony of my Spirit that I do believe and a ground for me to rest on that now I am in the way of life and justified by his grace Thirdly sometimes Christ meets with a dull and slow heart lazy and careless in a manner what becomes of it not knowing or weighing the dangerous state it is in making excuses here Christ may justly leave us for is it not much that the King should invite us for our good as he did these in the Gospel who for refusing to come to his Supper were excluded from ever tasting thereof strangers being fetched in in their places God might so deal with us but you see in 2 Corinth 5.20 God sends as Embassage to entreat us erects as it were a new office for our sakes saith he Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconcile unto God This may seem to be needless we being weaker than he Ambassadours for the most part are sent unto those that are stronger The Apostle reasons the matter are we stronger than he do we provoke the Lord to anger But here we see and may admire his infinite rich goodness that he comes and sues to us to be reconciled as we see it is a kind of indignity for a great Monarch to sue for peace to them that are far below him and his inferiours This dishonour God is willing to put up at our hands and sues unto us first when it rather became us upon our knees to beg and sue first unto him The effect of the Embassy is that we would be friends with him and receive that which is so highly for our advancement when therefore I see that this quickens in my heart so that as S. James speaks of the engrafted word that is able to save our souls I can bring it home having some sweet relish and high estimation of it in my heart that it begins to be the square and rule of my life then I am safe If this or any of these fasten upon the soul and thereupon I yield and come in it is enough to shew that I am a justified person And from hence our spirit may witness and that truly this is a third thing in the witness of our spirit Fourthly if none of all this will do then comes a farther degree a command from the highest you shall do it as in 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment In the Parliament of Grace there is a Law of Faith which binds me as strictly to believe as to keep any of the commandments Says the Apostle Rom. 3. Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of Faith So that if I will not believe on the Lord Jesus who eases me of the vigour of the Law and so is my righteousness I must perish for ever What may one object must I needs believe Yes thou art as strictly bound to believe as not to murder or not to be an Idolater not to steal or commit adultery nay I will add more that thy infidelty and contempt of that gracious offer thy disobedience to the Law of Faith is greater than thy breach and disobedience to the Law of Works when thou dost fling God's grace in his face again and as it were trample under foot the blood of the Covenant See for this John 16.9 What is that great sin which Christ came to reprove even this infidelity saith he because they believe not in me which in two respects is a great sin First because it is a sin against God's mercy Secondly because it is a chain which links and binds all sins together Thus our Faith is sure when it relies on the word otherwise all other thoughts are but presumption and will fail a man in the time of need for what is faith but my assent to believe every word of God he hath commanded me to believe and so endeavour the practice of it Fifthly if none of these prevail there comes threatning then God swears that such as refuse shall never enter into his rest If a Prince should sue unto a Beggars Daughter for marriage and she should refuse and contemn him do you think he would be well pleased So it is with us when the King of Heavens Son sends unto us Will you
beating upon the will again and again what the understanding hath rightly conceived this at last works upon the will and moves it for we see the wickedest man in the world lays hold on the worst things as good and profitable unto him so when the best thing is presented to the will as the best thing and the necessity thereof urged by dangers ensuing inevitably if I will not then it apprehends that and says of it as Peter at the Transfiguration It is good for us to be here and let us build Tabernacles Hence you see what faith is in this working An act of the understanding forcing in that way of conviction which we mentioned the will and affections And thus when the understanding is captivated and the will brought to be willing then the first act of faith is past From whence we proceed to the second which is the running to the City of Refuge the application and believing of the promises and so to the apprehending of Christ surveying of the promises belonging to justification and sanctification and bringing them home to the soul from whence comes the witness of our spirit Before we come yet to speak of God's spirit witnessing with our spirit because betwixt this work there may be many times and is an interposing trial ere the spirit of God witness with our spirit we will first touch that When our spirit hath thus witnessed in Justification and Sanctification God may now write bitter things against me seem to cast me off and wound me with the wounds of an enemy remove the sense of the light of his countenance from me what then is to be done why yet I will trust in him though he kill me sure I am I have loved and esteemed the words of his mouth more than mine appointed food as Job speaks I have laid hold of Christ Jesus by the promises and believe them I have desired and do desire to fear him and yield obedience to all his Commandments if I must needs die I will yet wait on him and die at his feet Look here is the strength of faith Christ had faith without feeling when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me When sense is marvellous low then faith is at the strongest Here we must walk and live by faith we shall have sense and sight enough in another world The Apostle tells us Now we walk by faith and not by sight and by faith we stand As we may see a pattern of the woman of Canaan Matth. 15.22 First she was repulsed as a stranger yet she goes on then she was called a dog she might now have been discouraged so as to have given over her suit but see this is the nature of Faith to pick comfort out of discouragements to see out of a very small hole those things which raise and bring consolation she catches at this quickly Am I a dog why yet it is well for the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their Master's Table Thus Faith grew stronger in her and when this trial was past Christ says unto her O woman not O dog now great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And thus have I done with the testimony of our spirit Then from our believing of God in general believing and applying the promises and valourous trustings of God and restings upon God taking him at his word comes the testimony of Gods spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God I say this being done and God having let us see what his strength in us is he will not let us stand long in this uncomfortable state but will come again and speak peace to us that we may live in his sight as if he should say what hast thou believed me so on my bare word Hast thou honoured me so as to lay the blame and fault of all my trials on thy self for thy sins clearing my Justice in all things hast thou honoured me so as to magnifie mercy to wait and hope on it for all this hast thou trusted me so as to remain faithful in all thy miseries Then the Lord puts unto the witness of our spirit the seal of his spirit as we may read Ephes. 1.13 Says the Apostle In whom also ye trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gopel of your Salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. Here is the difference betwixt faith and sense faith takes hold of general promises draws then down to particulars applies them and makes them her own lives and walks by them squaring the whole life by them in all things But sense is another thing even that which is mentioned Psalm 35.3 When there is a full report made to the soul of its assured happiness Say unto my soul I am thy salvation When a man hath thus been gathered home by glorifying him and believing his truth then comes a special evidence to the soul with an unwonted joy and saith I am thy salvation which in effect is that which Christ in another place speaks John 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him And as it is in the Canticles 1.2 Then he will kiss us with the kisses of his mouth so as we shall be able to say My beloved is mine and I am his When God hath heard us cry awhile till we be throughly humbled then he takes us up into his arms and dandles us So that a meditation of the word being past a man having viewed his Charter and the promises surveying Heaven the priviledges of Believers and the glory that is to come then comes in the Spirit and makes up a third with which comes joy unspeakable and glorious in such a measure that for the present we can neither wish nor desire any thing else the soul resting wonderfully ravished and contented This cannot nor shall not always continue but at sometimes we shall have it yet it remains always so as it can never finally be taken away as our Saviours promise is John 16 22. And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you This is the root of all consolation that God will not forsake for ever But will at last come again and have compassion on us according to the multitude of his mercies But here some may Object What Doth the spirit never seal but upon some such hard tryals after the witness of our Spirit I answer the sealing of Gods Spirit with our Spirit is not always tyed to hard foregoing tryals immediately for a man may be surveying Heaven and the glory to come or praying earnestly with a tender and melting heart applying the promises and wrastling with God and at the same time Gods seal many times may be and
is put unto the same For as the Wind bloweth where it listeth and no man discerneth the coming thereof So may the Spirit seal at divers times and upon divers occasions yea and why may it not seal in time of some great suffering for the truth as we read of the Apostles in 5 Acts 41. Who went away from the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Lastly for tryal we must now see how to distinguish this Testimony of the true Spirit from the counterfeit Illumination of the Anabaptists and some Fryars who will have strange suddain Joys the Devil no question then transforming himself into an Angel of light unto them This tryall therefore is made by three things going before and three things following after For the things that go before First see that the ground-work be true If a man be in the faith and do believe the word if upon believing and meditation there be an opening unto the knock of Christ at the first and not a delaying him like the lazy spouse in the Canticles if in this case the spirit come and fill the heart with joy then all is sure and well it comes with a promise for then Christ promised to enter but if a man have a dull dead delaying ear and therewith great fantastick Joys he may assure himself the right Spirit hath not wrought them they are but idle speculations but if this joy comes upon the surveying of our Charter and evidences it is sure we may build upon it Secondly A man must consider if he hath as yet overcome strong passions and tentations and passed thorough much hazard and peril for Christ having been buffeted with divers temptations of which he hath obtained mastery for the seal of Gods Spirit with our Spirit comes as reward of service done as you may see Revelat. 3.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Whereby he means he will give a secret love token to the soul whereby it rests assured of the unspeakable love of God and freedom from condemnation Now what was this white stone The Athenians had a custome when Malefactors were accused and arraigned to have black and white stones by them and so according to the sentence given those condemned had a black and the acquitted had a white stone given them unto this the Holy Ghost here alludes that this stone this seal shall assure them of absolute acquittance from condemnation and so free them of the cause of fear Again he tells us Christ will give a man a new Name that is write his Absolution in fair letters in the white stone with a clear evidence As if he should say when Christ hath seen a man overcoming and how he hath conflicted with tentations and yet holds out pressing for the Crown unto the end of the race Christ will come in then and stroak him on the head easing him of all his pains and sores with such a sweet refreshing as is unspeakable When a man hath won it he shews he then shall wear it Thirdly if the Spirit seal after Meditation on the word it is right the Apostle says in whom after that ye believed ye were sealed c. Examine the root of this joy the Spirit gives no comfort but by the word If a man do meditate on the promises and thereupon have a flame of love kindled this is sure a man may say the word did stir it up if it be Gods Comfort God will have his word to make way unto it some there are who find no sweetness in the word what is the cause thereof Because they chew not the word to imprint it on their memories and in their heart If comfort come whilst a man meditating on the promises doth wedge it home upon his heart it is of God otherwise it is counterfeit and false These are the forerunners to this seal In the next place there are three things that follow after this sealing which the Spirit leaves behind it As First humility as in his knowledge so in his sense it makes a man more humble There is naturally in all a certain pride which must be overcome says the Apostle What hast thou that thou hast not Received But by the contrary the nearer a man comes unto the glory of God he finds so much the more rottenness in his bones as we see in Job I have heard of thee say he unto God by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee his inference is therefore I abhor my self and Repent in dust and ashes Secondly another thing the Spirit leaves behind it if it seals rightly is a prevention of security for time to come In this case we must look for a new encounter a false perswasion makes a man to fall into security because Satan is then most malicious and busy a man must stand faster then ever The Devil hates them most that are most endued with Gods Image whom because he cannot reach he persecutes in his members And therefore in this case it must be with us as it was with Elias 1 Kings 10.8 After such an enlightning a man must now think that he hath a great Journey to go and so walk on in the strength of that a long time The Devil we see watcheth a man and when he is at the best then endeavours to overcome him As we may see in Adam and Eve no sooner were they placed in that estate of Innocency but he tempts them how much more a man having a sweeter tast of the Spirit and less strength now may he look to be set upon And therefore in these feasting days he had need to be more on his watch and pray more for we have more given us then Adam had we have a new Name given us a secret Love token further we see Christ says Rev. 3. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open unto me I will come in and sup with him and he with me Now in this case if we be such persons who let our hearts fly open to let him in we are safe as if he should say if you would be sure of reconciliation to be at peace with me sup with me and I will sup with you For we know if men who were enemies be once brought to keep company together and to eat and drink one with another we use to say all is done and wrapped up in the table cloath all old reckonings are taken away now they are certainly become friends But if like the spouse in the Canticles we let him stand knocking and will not let him in we also may have great and sound knocks and blows our selves before we find him again as we read it befel the Church there whom the Watchmen found beat and took away her veil as she was seeking