as well as others are for wallowing in their Lusts For all equally refuse the Lord Jesus and will have none of him for Life and Salvation but tread with like scorn and contempt the offered Son of God under-foot There 's not a Dram of Gospel-Holiness nor one Evangelical good Work but what flows from Faith in the Person and Righteousness of the once-crucified but now ascended Jesus at the Father's Right Hand Object 3. BUT for all my Reformation Duties and Profession I seek to Christ too Ans THAT is perhaps as the common Proverb runs You will set the Cart before the Horse Your Duties and Righteousness shall lead the Van and Christ and his Righteousness shall bring up the Reer You will put him to no other use than to carry the Train of your ragged Robes of Righteousness to patch up your Rags and make up what is wanting in your Duties But the Garment of Christ is seamless and cannot be divided but if it could be that his new Cloth could be pieced to your old the rent in yours would be the worse Mat. 9.16 Perhaps you are sensible of your inability to do therefore ye look to him for assistance to help you to do for Life But what says the Lord The Just shall live by Faith Rom. 1.17 You would have him be King over you to subdue your Iniquities that for your subdued Iniquities you may get to Heaven But you must look to him by Faith to be saved and then mortification of Sin and Holiness shall be given in unto you The High Priest under the Law had his Mitre and Crown on his Head and his Urim and Thummim on his Breast to typifie that the Lord Jesus executes his Kingly and Prophetical Office by his Priestly Office and all whom he instructs and subdues he does it by shedding in the Faith and Hope either more or less of their pardoned estate through his Blood into their Consciences Again Do not you seek Christ because of your Reformation Duties and Tears If so you bring your own Money in your Hands to buy Christ and that 's quite contrary to the Proclamation the Lord makes of Heaven's Market Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth that is after the Things of the World or their own Righteousness for 't is such thirsting as v. 2. calls spending Money for that which is not Bread and labour for that which satisfieth not These are summoned here to come to the Fair of the Almighty where glorious Commodities are put to sale Waters Wine and Milk But what price must the Buyers bring No price at all They that would speed in Heavens Market must come without Money and without price Heb. 12.13 Esau sought to buy Repentance with Tears but he found no place for it All buying in the meaning of Christ is but accepting and he gives the power to do that too Therefore come to Christ as poor blind miserable naked vile ungodly Wretches and and he will be Riches to the Poor Eyes to the Blind Happiness to the Miserable Cloathing to the Naked and Sanctification to the Vile and Ungodly The voice of the Gospel is for the present time 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation Heb. 3.15 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your Hearts The Gospel does not say Go home now and pray and mourn and weep and come to morrow or next week or next month after you have prepared and qualified your self with so much praying mourning weeping repenting and reformation then come to Christ but come now now is the accepted time now is the day and hour of Salvation But further some may be ready to ask me Quest WHAT is believing in Christ or Faith in him Ans IT would be too tedious now to answer the Question as it ought to be I shall only briefly thus define it and then make good my Definition Faith as strictly and properly taken is a powerful Conscience-Perswasion wrought by God concerning Christ and his Things their excellency and suitableness to the Soul and more or less concerning the Souls Interest in them according to the Word of God Faith in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to perswade and really signifies a perswading 'T is phrased in Old Testament-language in Noah's Prophecy concerning his Children Gen. 9.17 God shall perswade Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. And to the same purport 't is phrased in the New Testament 't is said to be 2 Cor. 4.6 A light shining into a dark Heart which is a perswasive Knowledge Called Rom. 1.17 the Righteousness of God in the Gospel revealed from Faith to Faith 'T is named Rom. 3.21 a manifestation without the Law of the Righteousness of God v. 25. stiled a declaration of his Righteousness for the remission of Sins and defined to be Heb. 11.1 The evidence of Things not seen which are Christ and his Righteousness which are wholly without us not seen by our bodily Eyes or natural Reason or Understanding The Spirit in working Faith is said to take of Christ and his Things and shew them to the Soul John 11.14 15. God the Father as the Worker of it so is said to reveal his Son in the Soul Gal. 1.16 Which Expressions evidently import a perswasive Knowledge 2dly This Perswasion is an inward Conscience-Perswasion and not only an Head Knowledge or notional Perswasion Gal. 1.15 but when it pleased God c. v. 16. to reveal his Son in me c. 1 John 5.10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself i. e. a Conscience-Testimony 3dly This Conscience-Perswasion is very powerful for it instantly works a great change on the whole Man Heart Lip and Life 'T is a creating Power 2 Cor. 4.6 an exceeding great Power Eph. 1.19 and 't is the Declaration of the King of Heaven to the Conscience and where the Word of the King is there is Power Eccles 8.4 c. And as Divines say in this the Soul is wholly passive like a dark Room that has light let into it from without The object of this Faith is Christ and the Things of Christ as in that fore mentioned place John 16.14 He shall glorifie me for â—he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you v. 15. All things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shew it unto you The Rule of Faith is the written Word of God 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. And this I take to be and Concomitants of this inward revelation of Jesus which are also called believing which is the Souls accepting of this manifested Jesus and his Righteousness venturing it self upon him and committing it self to him which Acts are set forth in Scripture by various phrases as Looking unto him Isa 45.22 Coming unto him John 6.37 Casting our selves and burden upon him Isa 55.22 Staying upon him Isa 5.10 Leaning upon him Cant. 8.3 Trusting
in him and many more And thus I have answered this Question with all the brevity and perspecuity I could as the Lord has enabled me and as time would give leave And now methinks some are ready to ask in the words of the blind Man whom Christ had restored to his Sight Quest BUT who is he that I might believe on him John 9.36 You say he must be seen and ventured on pray then who is he Answ I shall answer you from the Sermons of the Apostles preached by them after they were endued with Power from on high And first the Apostle Peter tells you who he is Acts 2.22 23. Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and stain comp with 32. This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we are all Witnesses 33. Therefore being by the right Hand of God exalted hath received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost Once more Acts. 5.30 The God of our Fathers hath raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a Tree 31. Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prinee and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins Add to these Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy set before him in the saving of Sinners enduring the Cross despising the shame and is now set down at the right Hand of God In short he that was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh Rom. 3. who yet is God over all blessed for ever Rom. 10.5 That mighty glorious God-Man who was born of a Virgin that lived and preached in Judea Rom 8.38 that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also ever lives to make intercession Col. 1.18 the first born from the dead Col. 1.15 and the first born of every Creature the despised Jesus of Nazareth 1 Col. 2.9 in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily And all the Glory Excellency Beauty and Majesty that shines on Jesus of Nazareth is the Glory Excellency c. of the Godhead This is he that blessed Object of your Faith this is he whom you must believe in When he lived on Earth the Faith of his Children was more dark about his God-head than his human Nature but now he is in Heaven their Faith is more at a loss about his human Nature and it is to be lamented that the glorified human Nature even Jesus of Nazareth is so little in the Preaching Profession Faith and Experience of Gods own Children But yet this is the Lord whom we through Grace have seen and tasted to be gracious Will not you too O Sinners come and taste and see how gracious he is Cant. 5.16 This is our Friend this is our Beloved O Daughters of Jerusalem He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.10 He is the chiefest among ten thousand He is able Heb. 7.27 to save you to the uttermost O come therefore and venture your Souls upon him commit them to him O that you would but try him you have tried his Patience to the utmost by your Rebellion and Obstinacy in Wickedness O that you would but try his boundless Grace by casting your selves into the Ocean of it You must venture on his Grace or you must be damned Mark 16.16 He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned If you accept not of this offered Jesus you despise this only Sacrifice and there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversary Heb. 10.26 I am now come to the second Branch the Believers triumphing over Death AND 1. the Believer triumphs over the Sting of Death and what else does concur to make it 2. THE Believer triumphs over every thing else in Death that is formidable First THE Believer triumphs over the Sting of Death He then can rejoycingly cry out O Death I fear thee not thou art very harmless unto me Thou comest indeed like a Dragon with open Mouth but where is thy Sting I dread not that open Mouth or that wide Throat I with Joy am swallowed up of it and pass through it up to the highest Heavens into my Redeemers Arms. Here at this dark Portal I undress my self of this mortal Flesh and fly with holy Confidence to the Presence of the Lamb upon the Throne and the Presence of God the Father in him and the bright innumerable Company above in this full Assurance that I shall not be found naked Wellcome Death to dissolve and pull down this earthly House of my Tabernacle that so I may go to my House not made with Hands the Building of God eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.2 Wellcome sweet Messenger that comest to fetch me home from this mad confused wicked raging tottering World into my Fathers House I thank thee O grim Porter who openest the Gates to eternal Happiness 'T is true the News of thy Approach did terrifie me as the Report of the Coming of rough blustering Esau with his armed Men did Jacob Gen. 32. But yet now thou art come to me I can say as he did I behold thy black and grisly Face as the Face of the Angel of God or the Messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ For in thy black Face I see Beauty in thy grisly Terrors great Glory In thy Dragons Mouth no Sting at all O Death where is thy Sting Thus the Believer in dying triumphs over the Sting of Death 2. THE Believer in dying triumphs over those things that go to make up the Sting of Death And 1. OVER Sin The Sting of Death is Sin says the Words of my Text. And 1. In its Guilt 2. in its Pollution And 1. OVER the Guilt of Sin Thus the Believer in dying glories over it O Guilt of Sin who in my Life-time since my Conversion notwithstanding I was washed with the Blood of Jesus and he had obtained an eternal Redemption for me didst often use to sting my Conscience and thereby to fill me with Dread and Horrour and so didst weaken my Faith and Confidence in the Lord Jesus didst strengthen the Hands of my Unbelief in making me depart from the living God Didst make me often come in Prayer to God as my angry Judge and not as to my Father reconciled to me in Christ And thereby didst bind up my Soul fetter my Spirits so that I had no freedom of Access to God through Christ Thou didst often deal with me as the Man that went from Jerusalem to Jericho didst wound me and strip me and leave me half dead Didst often force me to entertain hard murmuring and outragious Thoughts against my dear Lord and Master Jesus and my reconciled God and Father in him Didst often make me add Iniquity to my Sin and a carnal
loose vain Conversation to my inward Deadness and Enmity and when Death approached to bring me to a State of perfection in Glory didst represent him to me as a dreadful King of Terrors But now Death is come and has executed his Office I welcome him and laugh thee to Scorn Free Grace has disarmed him of the Sting that thou wouldst have given him against me I shall now no more be perplexed with thy Gripes I shall now plainly see my Redemption eternal and always the same without as much as a Cloud as big as a Mans Hand to interpose I shall never look off the Lord my Righteousness my Sanctification and Covering but always behold my Fathers reconciled Face in the Face of my beloved Jesus I shall never depart from him any more I shall now have perpetual Freedom and Enlargement of Soul before him I shall never have an hard Thought of him any more nor ever sin the least sin against him any more Farewell eternally O Guilt of sin thou canst not enter into Heaven where I am going Thus I spurn thee now mounting up into everlasting Glory DEATH triumphs over the Pollution of sin and makes a full End of Corruption and Iniquity Then may the Believer cry O filthy sink of Sin thou shalt defile me no more How often even since Conversion hast thou ravished my Virgin Soul How oftentimes a day hast thou scattered thy Filth in my Conscience and left an envenom'd Taint there How often when I was going to approach an holy God didst thou appear in my Soul in thy ugly Colours to terrify me and to turn me aside from the living God Yea and though I often saw the Righteousness of Christ covering me yet thou often filledst my Conscience with such a Cloud of Filth and Stench that that glorious Covering was hid from mine Eyes but now thou shalt blind mine Eyes no more I shall now have perfect uninterrupted Visions of that spotless beauteous Garment wrapping me round and that to all Eternity Not the least speck of thee shall enter into Heaven in my Father's House I am entring into there 's nothing but compleat Purity and Holiness There is not the least Atom of Dirt in the Streets of the Jerusalem above Here thou filthy Load I finally part with thee I shall never be defiled any more with thee Hallelujah Amen And thus the Believer triumphs over Sin that is the Substance of the Sting of Death Thirdly THE Believer triumphs over the Law which the Words of my Text call the strength of Sin and the Law or the Covenant of Works is the strength of sin though it be in it self holy just and good in a twofold Respect 1. It condemns the Soul and tortures the Conscience so drives the Soul farther from God and encreases the Enmity against him and thereby puts the Soul more under the Power of sin enlarging and strengthening sins Dominion over it Rom. 6.16 Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Where 't is evidently implied to be under the Power of the Law is to be under sins Dominion and this is exemplified and proved plainly and clearly in the former Part of the seventh of the Romans which I cannot now stay to open 2. The Law judicially delivers the Soul up to the Will and Power of sin by way of Punishment Thus the Son of God is said to come in the Likeness of sinful Flesh and for sin or sinning to condemn sin in the Flesh Sin by the condemning Law has assigned it penally as Executioner a Power of sinning in the Soul from which Sentence only a crucified Jesus can free the Soul The Law therefore as it is the strength of sin is a sore Exercise to the Believer and the strength of the old Man or the Body of Death in his Soul all his life time but in his Death he may thus glory over it Thou Covenant of Works thou Killing Letter in my Conscience though I was much freed from thee by the Law of Righteousness which is of Faith yet thou didst still work there Gendring unto Bondage opposing the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Gal. 4.29 Thou that wast born after the Flesh didst persecute that that was born after the Spirit Gal. 4.30 But now the Bond-woman and her Son shall be quite cast out Thou didst all my Life time endeavour all ways to keep up Guilt in my Conscience and if at any time removed to do it away by Obedience to thee by legal Sorrow and Contrition by Resolutions to amend and greater Watchfulness for the future Whilst I was thereby diverted from making first Applications to the Blood of sprinkling so that my sin was rather oftentimes compounded for than in Faith washt away in that Fountain that is opened for Sin and for Vncleanness Whence I was not only diverted from continual Believing into a bleeding Jesus but had my Conscience rather stupified than healed my sin made little harmless and familiar and rather encouraged than a real dying unto it and hence oftentimes my Soul cast into a deep Lethargy But now I am absolutely freed from that Yoak of Bondage Mount Sinai in my Conscience and shall be made for ever to Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in that Liberty wherewith the Son hath made me free indeed John 8.36 Thus will the Believer in Death triumph over the Law as it is the Strength of sin Fourthly THE Believer in Death may glory over the Justice of God as it is armed with Vengeance against Sinners Though Believers are fully delivered in their life time from the stroke of Divine Justice yet they do oft times not so fully apprehend it But after Death the Believer shall see as he is seen apprehend as he is apprehended and then be enabled to rejoyce thus Divine Justice whilst I lived though thou wast my Friend in Jesus yet many times I dreaded thee as mine Enemy but now I plainly see thou art my Friend indeed and that it is just with thee to justifie me in the Lord my Righteousness Thy Sword that was pointed at my Breast and should have now thrust me down to Hell was received by my crucified Lord into his own Bowels and I am now made for ever to escape Being made more than a Conqueror through him that loved me My dying Saviour in Falling wrested thy Weapon out of thy Hand and made his blessed Body a Grove planted from thy poisonous Quiver so that there is not an Arrow now left to spend upon me I now come O Justice in the Right of my Lord to sit for ever down in his heavenly Mansions to sing Hallelujahs to that righteous and true God for ever and ever Fifthly THE Believer in Death may triumph over Satan Satan though a Soul is Translated out of his Kingdom yet through his restless Enmity is always seeking to devour He has Wiles Methods and cunning Devices of Temptations to ensnare imperious Suggestions fierce