another poore heart cheared yet thy unfaithfull heart is like a barren heath no good shall come to thee in it there is no mercy nor consolation for that soule in all the meanes that God continues and vouchsafes this is the maine cause of all the inconveniences that come upon us that after all the meanes continued and multiplied there is almost no good at all done every family is 〈◊〉 a barren heath there is no good comes to such a childe nor to such a servant they are all infidels I doe not meane Pagans but unbeleevers and they receive not that mercy which Christ offers nay it is just that it should bee so that thou shouldst never get good though all the Angels from heaven should come and reveale Gods minde and though all the Devils should come from hell to terrifie thee because unbeleefe drawes away thy heart and pluckes away the soule and makes the power of the truth not to prevaile with it so that when the Lord would come in upon the heart unbeleefe pulls away the heart from the truth of God Rom. 11.20 The Iewes were broken off because of unbeleefe they were cut off from bâ—ing Gods people and from enjoying the meanes of grace that when the Lord would lay hold upon a poore soule unbeleefe plucks the soule from the word that it may turne from it Quest But some will say if unbeleefe makes all meanes unprofitable then an unbeleever should use no meanes at all Answ I answer Yes use all the meanes as may be because the word may take away thy unbeleefe and as thou usest all meanes so labour to have thy heart subdued and overmastered the word tampers thy tongue and thy fingers but looke thou up to the Lord and say Good Lord let thy word be powerfull to come in upon my heart and to take away my unbeleefe Thirdly it is unbeleefe that maintaines all sinne in the heart of a sinner in the strength and power of it so much as may be in this case unbeleefe is the mother of all corruptions and breeds many it nurseth and nourisheth them so that they are fat and well liking and they come up marvellous well that 's the meaning of the Apostles phrase 2 Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from the hands of unreasonable and absurd men how came they to bee so because all men have not faith that is he that wants faith will never want him and he that wants faith will ever be unreasonable and absurd drunkennesse stares men in the face and out-faces the officers and contempt of God and prophanation of the Lords day and the world carries all before them as if they were the only commanders of the world what 's the reason of it all men have not faith they doe not beleeve the word of God that condemneth those sinnes and which would direct them to cast away those sinnes and therefore they goe on with marvellous violence let the word of God come in publike or private they make nothing of all these but they will have their owne wayes I use to call unbeleefe the protectour of the estate of corruption as it is with some lower states and princes as in the Low-countries and in Germany they are not able to subsist of themselves and therefore they are in league with some other that they may be protected by them and receive succour from them and if they defend them they hope to make their parts good with any so this unbeleefe maintaines any sinne good in its rank and state indeed restraining grace may curbe corruption and keepe in the distempers of the heart but there is nothing that can kill corruption but onely the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of his grace Rom. 8.2 The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed mee from the law of sinne and of death sinne sets up a law and rules in the heart as you shall finde it in your owne hearts pride saith you shall bee proud there is a soveraigne rule and a tyranicall authority which pride expresseth in the heart now the Spirit of the Lord Iesus sets up another law and there is more commanding power in that than in the corruption of the soule and the law of the Spirit taketh away the power of sinne that would prevaile against a poore sinner the law of meeknesse in Christ takes away the law of anger in the heart and the law of patience in Christ takes away the law of impatience and the law of courage takes away the law of cowardize and the law of chastity takes a way the power of uncleannesse so that there is no sinne can be subdued but by the power of Christ and the work of his Spirit now unbeleefe keepes the heart wholly from Christ therefore it can receive no good from Christ and from hence it is that all sinne is maintained in the soule in the full vigour of it there is no unbeleever in all the world but he hath all sinne strongly in him and not one sinne that ever was slaine it is strange to see when unbeleefe previles but a little in the heart of a poore Saint how all other sinnes put out their heads and shew themselves a maine as Luke 22.32 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to sift thee as wheat but I have prayed that thy faith faile thee not Sathan laboured to shake the hold of Peters faith and thereupon many corruptions were expressed in his life because Peter did faile and did not beleeve that which Christ had said to him so soone as unbeleefe prevailes then false-heartednesse exprest it selfe and he presently denied his master and then base cowardlinesse sayes I know not the man and his want of reverence to the name of God discovers it selfe for hee fals to sweare that he knew him not and there was self-love in all these thus you see when a man will not beleeve every corruption breakes forth and that amaine and this unbeleefe will fat all corruptions in the soule and all cursed distempers and makes them fat and well-liking as it is of faith in the spirituall man so it is of flesh in the corrupt man 1 Pet. 2.11 The flesh lusteth against the soule there is a kinde of armour of the flesh and of corruption as well as the armour of the Spirit which procures comfort to the soule sinne hath its armour as well as grace now looke as it is in the spirituall armour of a Christian faith is a shield a shield defends not only the body but all the armour of the body so faith it defends not onely the body but the soule and all the graces of the soule so it is also with this infidelity in regard of a mans corrupt nature corruption it is maintained by infidelity as by a shield it is the shield of a mans corruptions as faith is the shield of the spirituall man I confesse that reformation and the meanes thereof out of the ordinances
the word and the seed of the promise which is sowne in our hearts by the vertue of the seed and the Spirit of grace accompanying that seed wee have power to receive Christ and the Spirit of Christ and so to become the Sonnes of God This is the reason of that phrase in Scripture We are not children of the flesh but of the promise also of this in Gal. 3. last verse We are made heires by the promise it makes us heires that is looke whatever ground or hope or hold of eternall life and glory blessednesse you hold it by the vertue of the promise all is by a promise grace and goodnesse is communicated to us by a promise this is our life and all our hold therefore the Gospell is made to be the testament of Jesus Christ as by ones last will and testament a man leaves his goods and lands to his posteritie so the Lord Jesus Christ out of his free good will leaveth one legacie of mercie and grace and pardon and strength to all humble broken hearted spirits Galath 3.15 though it be but a mans covenant saith hee when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it but if a man seale it and confirme it with his bloud then it is fully established no man will no man can disanull it So Christ leaves a Legacie of mercie to you and of favour and compassion to all broken hearted sinners by promise and therefore it is established nay it is the last promise the last Legacie and Testament therefore the promise no man can alter Ioh. 1.14 He doth not leave peace then as the world doth they wish it but cannot give it they wish it but cannot bestow it but Christ leaves a legacie of mercie and peace behind him nay he hath ratified it by his bloud and he will make it good to the soule for ever Partic. 3 The witnesse makes the soule yeeld unto what the spirit hath witnessed As the witnesses in open court in a matter of law they make the case cleare and evident the Jury they take it the Judge observes it you all know how the case goes the witnesse sufficient c. So when the witnesse of Gods Spirit comes bringing the hand of God the Father and the hand of the Sonne touching Gods acceptance it casts the cause clearely Now this judgement of the sinner yeelds and cannot but close and submit it selfe unto the truth this is the meaning of that phrase before the text they shall be taught of God they shall not only learne but they shall be taught they shall have their lesson without booke they shall be made to learne and therefore the tenor of the covenant is this I will write my Law in their inward parts and they shall all know mee from the highest to the least observe the 2 Pet. 1.3 it is a place of marvellous difficultie this I take to be the meaning there is enough to satisfie any man according to his divine power he hath given unto us all things that is the Lord by his almighty divine power hath given unto us all things either appertaining to this present life here or eternall life hereafter But how comes this to passe that God doth this the Text saith It is through knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue the word in the originall is through their acknowledgement of him that hath called us The soule doth not onely barely know that this is grace and mercy in Christ the eye of the understanding is not only opened but hee now comes to acknowledge the same and subscribeth thereby thereunto God saith I will save thy soule I will be thy God the soule saith It is true Lord I will deny it no more I will gain-say it no longer In a word then gather up the point if it be so that the Spirit by the witnesse thereof doth discover the interest we have in grace if it doth ratifie the interest which it doth discover nay if it makes the judgement yeeld to what it hath ratified it certifies effectually and undeniably the truths of grace and mercy thus prepared and ratified to the soule and the soule saith I confesse it Lord and closeth therewith Quest Why may some say if this bee so how then comes it to passe that many of Gods deare children how comes it that many humble hearted creatures never knew they were called never had any speciall intimation of Gods favour they cannot say in truth they are the Lords Answ I speake of him that hath had the work of preparation fully and substantially upon his soule I speake this that no scrambling hypocrite nor sinfull wretch may come and scramble for comfort and so goe away and deceive himselfe in this kind know therefore for answer thereunto There is a double knowledge the first is this A naked simple apprehension of a truth a meere closure of a mans minde with a naked plaine truth revealed so that the judgement saith it is so Secondly there is a reflecting act when a man lookes over his understanding and labours to discerne the worke thereof not only apprehending what was laid before him but when he doth apprehend that he doth apprehend when he knowes that he doth know it marke that place for wee will carry Scripture with us 1 Ioh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him saith the Text if wee keepe his Commandements A man may know a thing and yet not know that he doth know so then it is cleare every Saint of God hath the first knowledge that is every man that is truly called in truth doth apprehend and undoubtedly close with the worke of the Spirit making knowne unto him the mercie of Christ many may worke and most men doe the second worke they doe not know that they know the Scripture saith that the Devill himselfe rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience that is he casts in a seed of errour and delusion and corruption into the hearts of wicked men and by his delusions they entertaine those errours embrace base courses Now not one among a thousand can say that the Devill doth thus this is done by vertue of Satan and yet he doth not see it nay there is a veile of Satan upon the soule there is a seed of Satan in the soule and the soule closeth with it and yet hee apprehends it not so every faithfull soule is ruled by Gods Spirit and the seed of Gods Spirit is flung into his minde and closeth therewith but hee cannot discerne the worke of the Spirit working upon him the one governed by Satan the other enlightned by the Spirit but neither can apprehend nor know what they doe know in this kinde Reas 1 Because onely the Spirit of the Lord knowes the Lords minde it is only privie to Gods counsels and it only understands the secrets of Gods love and therefore it only can reveale them and communicate them Matth. 11.27 Now because the holy Spirit proceedeth from
me all my care is to leane upon my Saviour and this is my comfort he will looke to me though I cannot doe it for my selfe Act 4 The fourth act of reposing the Spirit which makes it up is this and this indeed is the nature of faith it drawes vertue and derives power from the Lord Jesus Christ for succour and supply here is the especiall life of faith and it is the very words of Scripture or else I durst not speake so much of it but that the Scripture sayes it open in this manner faith findes all in the promise and fetcheth all from the promise that it needs as when a man hath provision of meat and money in his house if any man say to him where shall we have such and such things Oh saith he I will goe fetch them so it is with the nature of faith it goes for mercy and grace and comfort in Christ it knowes t is to bee had from him and therefore fetcheth all from him it drawes and suckes the sweetnesse of the promise as it was with the woman that had the bloudy issue Mat. 9.21 22. Oh saith she could I but touch the hem of his garment I should be whole and so she did and vertue came from him and shee was healed of all her grievances that lay upon her so it is with a faithfull soule that toucheth the Lord Jesus Christ it layes hold but a little on the promise and there is sap and vertue communicated to the beleeving heart whereby it comes to be helped and comforted in the way of God Esay 12.3 it is said With joy ye shall draw water out of the wells of salvation the fountaine of salvation and all the waters of life and grace and mercy are in Christ now it is not enough to let downe the bucket into the well but it must bee drawen out also the waters of life are in Christ now it is not enough to come to and to looke to Christ but wee must draw the water of grace from Christ to our soule as Esay 66.11 They shall sucke and be satisfied with the brests of the consolation that they may milke out and be delighted with the abundance of her glorie the Church is compared to a childe and the brests are the promises of the Gospell now the elect must suck out and be satisfied with it and milke it out the word in the originall is exact upon the promise and oppresse the promise as the oppressoâ—â— grinds the face of a poore man and will have his goods what ever become of his wife and children so a man must wrest the promise for grace and power from the Lord Jesus Christ Ah beloved this is our misery we suffer abundance of milke to be in the promise and we are like wainly children that lye at the brest and will neither sucke nor be quiet so we suffer this to be in the promise and yet imploy not our selves to get it out and to sucke it out therefore brethren suffer not your faith to come to the promise and to lye at it but hale mercy from thence and with aâ— holy kinde of oppression exact upon it and get what good you may from it the Lord allowes it Quest But here it may bee asked how this is done how doth faith draw vertue from Christ Answ I answer It is an heavenly skill and yet marvellous hard and difficult Threefold Act. faith drawes vertue by a threefold act or faith improves the promise three wayes First faith doth appropriate the promise to it selfe and applies all that good and grace that is revealed offered in the Lord Jesus Christ home to it selfe the voices of faith in the Scripture are these my Lord and my God so Paul saith Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe he would be sure to have a share in the mercy as if a man should say I will cut something before the dish goe away Psal 48.14 when the Lord had so much care of his Church and how terrible he was to the enemies and how mercifull to his people c. in the end the Church saith This God is our God and he will be our God even till death she doth appropriate God to her selfe and engrosseth God and saith our God is not as the Heathens god and there David would have God all his owne and saith whatsoever God hath done for any of his people how terrible for them and how mercifull to them the same God hee is to my soule and he will bee my God for ever and hence the Scripture saith Esay 55.1 Come buy and eat c. all these places are nothing else but the act of faith to come is to repaire to the promise and to buy is to take possession of it and to eat is nothing else but to embrace it for our good and comfort it is not enough for mee to goe to the market and stand looking on the commodity there but I must lay downe my money buy it and take possession of it and beare it home so the Lord saith Come to the waters buy wine and milke c. the Lord sets open the shop of grace and salvation every day where the Gospell is preached and therefore not only cheapen but come to the agreement and buy offer like chapmen and stand not hagling but say I will lay downe all my lusts and part with all for Christ and when yee have done thus take mercy and comfort it is yours you have bought it so that now the faithfull soule enters upon the promise as his owne as a man that comes to take possession of house and land as his owne so the faithfull soule reads of all that mercie in pardoning of sinne and all that God effects to save and all that mercy offered to the poore man out of whom the Lord cast seven Devils then the soule saith all that mercie is mine Manasses was an idolater and a monster yet the Lord humbled saved him and all that mercy is mine Paul a persecutour and an oppressour and yet the Lord opened his eyes pardoned his sinne and hee is now a glorified Saint in heaven c. all that mercie is mine hence I take that phrase to be Iohn 3.33 where faith is said to set its seale to the promise He that beleeveth hath set to his seale that God is true now observe that as it is amongst men in their agreements it is not enough that the articles are drawne and made but they must be sealed if they are only made wee use to say they want nothing but sealing now when they are sealed every than takes his owne and the bargaine is thorow Just so it is betweene the Lord and the soule the Articles of agreement whereby God passeth over his promise to a poore sinner are these If wee will part from our selves and our sinnes the Lord Jesus saith all this grace and mercy is yours you that are thus
Adam could not seeke to another for a principle of life for hee had it in himselfe neither was â—t sinne in him for the Angels themselves doe not beleeve in Christ neither is it required of them Againe Adam had a kinde of trust and confidence in God but not this trust nor this faith but it was this so farre as the creature beâ—ng a second cause should stay and move it selfe according to the first cause and to concurre with the first cause unto any worke This Adam had â—nd the Angels have it in Heaven which beleeve not in Christ The blessed Angels have a power spirituall in themselves and they say that all power is firstly in God and that he doth governe them and all the Heavens too and stay themselves upon God firstly and so co-worke with God but this is farre different from saying thus the Angels stay themselves first upon God as being the first cause of all created substances and to goe to God to fetch a principle of life from God these are contraries Object 3 The maine objection of all is this If say they Adam never had power to beleeve and so beleeving in Christ was not in the state of his innocency then why doth God condemne 〈◊〉 for not beleeving seeing they have not this power and Adam had it not It is all the difficulty that lies upon the point The answer is plaine open and naked and therefore I answer it by distinction thus Answ 3 Infidelity and not beleeving doth imply two things thus the first is the meer want of the power of faith and the absence of ability to rest upon another and to fetch the principle of grace from another neither the Law nor the Gospell nor God himselfe doth condemne thee for this nay the Gospell doth not require this that a man should have power of himselfe to beleeve not God doth not require it but the promise breeds faith and feeds faith it begets faith and continues faith in the soules of all those that have it and this is all that God would have that the soule of a poore sinner should be contented to taked from him and bee under the Spirit that would inable him to beleeve and to goe to him for the which may make him beleeve that hee might be made strong in the power of the might of Jesus Christ as in that place of the Ephesians the Gospell saith thou art a poore miserable sinner her is mercy only be contented that I should worke upon thee for thy good and convey mercie to thee so that the bare want is not the cause why God doth condemne a man the Angels in heaven this day have not this saving faith and yet there is no sinne in them againe besides 〈◊〉 are want of this confidence there is an aversnes â—f heart and a crossenesse of soule to the meanes of grace and the Gospell and against the Spirit â—f grace that would worke faith and draw my â—â—ule out of my sinne and plucke my soule to my â—aviour 〈◊〉 sinfull soule is fastned to his folly and â—ettled upon his base corruptions and hee rests here with a kinde of resolution not to goe off â—om his distempers and he will hold his corrupâ—ons and maintaine his lusts so that when merâ—e is offered he saith I will not have mercie but â—y sinne and the Spirit of God shall not plucke â—y corruptions from mee but I will have my â—nne rather than a Christ thought I perish for it â—is resisting against the meanes of grace the proâ—ise and mercie and the most blessed Spirit of â—â—ace this flowes from originall corruption and â—â—refore Adam never had this and comming â—om sinne and being a fruit of sinne a man shall â—nd must justly bee condemned for it though â—dam had not faith yet he would not have oppoâ—d the Spirit of grace it would have wrought â—pon him this is the infidelitie which the Scripâ—ure so often makes mention of because the â—eart is proud and sturdy and setled upon his â—es and saith What shall Jesus Christ come to â—fer me grace and to plucke away my sinnes and â—rruptions and to give mee grace I will none 〈◊〉 this Christ not I if thou doest want grace beâ—use thou hast resisted grace thou art justly to â—e condemned as a sinner this is the whole â—urse of Scripture Ioh. 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse better than light because their wayes are evil that is they love their sinne lusts and corruptions and chuse them and fasten to them and will have them and will not have a Christ this is the ruine of a sinner and this is the infidelity which the Lord speakes of and this is nothing else but the resisting the grace and mercie which would worke grace in him and this is properly unbeleefe to see how unbeleefe bankes the way to heaven a man that is a covetous wretch close hearted the word reveales this and condemnes this and saith hee I will not forsake the world and the adulterer saith I will not forsake my lusts and the drunkard faith I will not forsake my companions hee is staked downe to his corruptions so that all the Angels in heaven and all the promisses of the Gospell cannot perswade him to forsake his corruptions but he is staked downe to his corruptions and hugs them and saith I will hug my sinne in despire of all the world and God himselfe this is a cursed fruit of originall corruption this is sinfull and fearfull and a man is justly condemned for it so then no man is condemned for want of power to beleeve but because he resists grace and mercie and will not receive power to beleeve Thirdly now I come to show how the Lord workes upon the heart this is easie for all of you to apprehend and you may the better see the order of Gods worke if yee observe these foure rules the maine weight lies upon the third and the fourth therefore we will onely propound the two former to make way for the rest First when God comes to worke upon a poore sinner hee findes him dead in sinne and hee hath no good at all in him no saving supernaturall good and hee is not able to worke any good in himselfe by all the meanes in the world and he is not able to receive any spirituall good in the use of those meanes so the Apostle saith I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and our Saviour Iohn 3.6 Whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh whatsoever comes from man from corrupted flesh is uncleane so Rom. 8.7 The carnall or the fleshly wisdome is not subject to the law of God so that a man not only hath no good in himselfe but he is not able to receive any good but rather oppose it Secondly hence it is cleare that all saving workes are the proper gifts of God and the peculiar operations of his good Spirit in the hearts
in shew but false in heart p. 279 Here are further to bee discovered foure sorts of Hypocrites 1 There is a whining Hypocrite p. 280 2 The wrangling Hypocrite p. 280 3 The glorious Hypocrite p. 280 4 The presumptuous Hypocrite p. 280 We are now come to the worke of the will p. 283 Doctrine VIII The will of a poore sinner humbled and inlightned comes to be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon the freenesse of God in Christ that it may be interested therein p. 284 The opening of this Doctrine consisteth in 4 particulars Particular I. That this worke must be in an heart humbled and enlightned p. 285 Particular II. The will must be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father p. 287 Particular III. By the power of this perswasion it casteth it selfe upon the rich grace free mercy of God in Christ p. 295 Now this resting of the soule upon the rich grace of God in Christ discovereth it selfe in a 5. fold Act. Act I. It doth imply a going out of the soule to Christ that the soule runs and reacheth after a Christ p. 296 Act II. Of resting is this it layeth fast hold upon Christ p. 298 Act III. Of resting is this it flings the weight of all his occasions and troubles upon Christ p. 302 Act IV. Of resting and reposing is this it doth draw vertue and derive power from the Lord Iesus Christ for succour and supply p. 305 Faith doth draw vertue from Christ by a three-fold Act. p. 307 Act I. Is this Faith doth appropriate and apply the promise to it selfe in particular ibid. Act II. Faith doth jog the hand of God and sets Gods power on worke p. 309 Act III. Faith urgeth God with his owne Word and presseth Gods promise and challengeth God on his faithfulnesse and truth not to be wanting unto him for the acceptation of his Person and the pardon of his sinnes p. 311 Act V. Of resting is this it doth leave the soule with the promise p. 312 Particular IV. Is the finall cause why it doth rest that it may be interested into all the good that is in the promise and to have supply of all Spirituall wants from the promise p. 315 The Spirituall wants of the soule which faith doth supply are of 3. sorts p. 316 Sort I. Of Spirituall wants are these that the soule is gone away from God and is estranged to God now faith bringeth the soule againe to God ibid. Want II. Is this the soule being departed from God hence the soule is deprived of all good grace and life now faith doth not onely bring a sinner to God but it doth communicate from God to a sinner p. 320 Want III. Is this the heart is fearfull lest it should lose that grace now faith it is that doth keepe a man grace p. 322 Question How doth the soule come to beleeve Answer There are three things in the promise where by the will of man is drawne to beleeve p. 327 Motive I. Is the All-sufficiencie of the freenesse of Gods love p. 328 Motive II. Is this that this mercy is intended for thee p. 329 Motive III. Is this that God doth earnestly desire thee to come and to take this mercy p. 330 Use I. Of information that saving faith is no part of that holinesse which Adam had nor no part of that Image to which wee are restored by Sanctification p. 335 Use II. â—t is an use of terrour to all that still remaine in unbeleefe p. 349 The fearfulnesse of this sinne of unbeleefe is laid open in foure Particulars p. 352 Particular I. Because unbeleefe it doth keepe off the riches of mercies from the soule that are in Christ that it cannot enjoy them p. 352 Particular II. Vnbeleefe it doth make all meanes to be unprofitable p. 356 Particular III. Vnbeleefe all sinne in the strength and power of it in the heart of a sinner p. 361 Particular IV. Vnbeleefe maketh the soule of a sinner to be in a desperate case and condition p. 366 The danger of unbeleefe doth appeare in these three Particulars p. 369 Particular I. Consider it seriously that whatsoever thou dost so long as thou art an unbeleever it is all unprofitable and to no purpose at all p. 369 Particular II. All the good things an unbeleever doth enjoy will prove uncomfortable p. 370 Particular III. Vnbeleefe is the breeder and maintainer of all the rest of the sinnes of an unbeleever p. 371 Use III. It is a collection concerning the difficultie of the worke of faith that the worke of faith is beyond the reach of all created power p. 374 Use IV. It is to shew the benefits that come by faith to the soule p. 390 What these benefits are in particular vid. p. 394. and p. 396 Use V. It is an use of consolation and great comfort to all the servants of God that through his mercy have received this grace p. 416 The knowledge of true saving faith from a false faith appeareth in these three trials p. 423 Triall I. Is this observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came p. 423 Triall II. Observe whether thy faith doth make choice wholly of Christ and doth resolve to match with Christ only p. 428 Triall III. Observe whether thy faith doth beare it selfe upon the promise in all its extremities and is satisfied with it p. 431 Use VI. It is a word of reproofe against all those that never yeâ— were made partakers of the blessed worke of grace p. 434 Most that live in the bosome of the Church want saving faith p. 437 The reasons of it vid. p. 440 There bee foure sorts in particular that have no faith p. 446 Sort I. The ignorant persons p. 447 Sort II. The carnall Gospellers that doe live scandalously and trade in their wickednesse p. 450 Sort III. The meere civilized or judicious professours that beare up themselves much upon their owne wisdome and judgement p. 455 Sort IV. The counterfeit that have a forged kinde of false faith they have their alcumie faith p. 464 Of these counterfeit beleevers there are three sorts p. 465 Sort I. The first sort of counterfeit beleevers are the temporarie beleevers p. 465 Sort II. The second sort of counterfeit beleevers are the sturdy hypocrites p. 483. Sort III. The third sort of counterfeits are the shifting stately hypocrites p. 500 Use VII It is an use of exhortation to desire you to labour to get this grace of faith p. 515 The hinderances of faith are of two sorts some are reall hinderances that doe hinder the soule from Christ others doe not hinder the soules interest in Christ p. 519 The reall hinderances are foure p. 520 The hinderances that doe not hinder the title to a Christ are three in particular p. 538 Sort I. The first kinde of seeming hinderances are those discouragements which oppresse the soule through carnall reasoning p.
redemption or redemption encreasing if misery sorrow and anguish be multiplyed there is multiplyed redemption also Then know it if you know your owne soules you see it if you see your owne lives that it is new sinnes new corruptions prevailing with you But here is the comfort of the soule as sinne increaseth so mercy increaseth as corruption multiplyes so redemption multiplyes therefore he is called the Father of mercy as who should say he begets mercy even a generation of mercies from day to day and it is a large generation of new mercies framed and made to incourage poore soules therefore it is said with the Lord there is a fountaine of life Looke as it is with a fountaine there is not onely water in it for the present but it feeds severall cocks and conduits and though it runnes out daily it enlargeth it selfe daily So with the Lord there is a fountaine of life If there be a fountaine of death in thy soule in regard of thy sinnes to kill thee so a fountaine in God to quicken thee Hence it comes to passe that the Lord speaking of his mercy calls it the exceeding riches of his mercy Ephes 2.7 I say the Lord hath not onely fulnesse of mercy but he is rich in all his fulnesse nay he exceeds in all the riches of the fulnesse of his mercy So that be we never so poore and beggerly these sins increase and those miseries increase why yet though thou bee a bankrupt in grace yet the Lord is full of goodnesse full of mercy yea he exceeds in his fulnesse to succour thy heart in all necessities nay our miseries and wants bee great yet haply thy feare is greater than all the rest thy soule is troubled many times more with the feare of what will be than with the feeling of what is already befalne thee But now how ever thy miseries be great and thy feare exceeds all misery that can betide yet mercy will remove and prevent those feares and Christ will doe more for thee than thou canst feare will fall upon thee Nay a man doth not feare what misery can befall upon him but his heart may imagine more than he doth feare But here is the fulnesse of mercy mercy full to the brim and running over mercy is able to doe more for thee than thou canst feare or conceive shall come upon thee Ephes 3.20 then saith the Lord exceeding excesse abundantly above that we can aske or thinke So then the words runne thus then winde up the point Thou seest thou findest thou feelest many sorrowes now assailing thee thou expectest more trouble to befall thee and thou dost conceive more than thou dost feare thy sorrowes out-bid thy heart thy feares out-bid thy sorrowes and thy thoughts goe beyond thy feares and yet here is the comfort of a poore soule in all his misery and wretchednesse the mercy of the Lord out-bids all these whatsoever may can or shall befall thee Gather then up briefly and shut up this first passage Many are the sorrowes of the righteous guilt of sinne perplexing the sinner and filthinesse of sinnes tyrannizing and domineering over the soule nay many feares and cares for future times for a sinner saith Sometimes my condition is marvellous poore my estate marvellous miserable what if small temptations what if small corruptions what if such a fall should betide me what then shall become of my soule Nay a mans imagination exceeds all feares The soule that thinks with it self Should the Lord deale in justice and should my sinnes get the victory over me which I hope will never be for what shall I then do for succour yet this is the comfort of a poore soule let it read this lesson The Lord is able and mercy can doe excessive exceeding abundantly above all thy sorrowes are abundant thy feares are very abundant thy imaginations are excessive exceeding abundant exceeding above all present sorrowes above all future feare and above the course of all imaginations This discourse shall serve for the first passage We will now adde the second The soule is not yet fully satisfied but replyes It is true there is bread enough in my Fathers house that I yeeld and that I confesse there is abundance of mercy in God a world of mercy that pardoned Manasses and saved Saul but what is that to me if there be bread enough in my Fathers house and I starve for hunger and get no benefit by this mercy of God But how shall a man starve in this mercy if a way can be conceived and a meanes can be propounded for another supply to the soule to fill up the necessity of it this will be seene in the next particular I say herein appeares more fulnesse of mercy It is not onely sufficient to releeve a man in all the miseries that can befall him but this is another thing considered mercy is able to make thee partake in the same mercy God doth not leave thee to thy selfe that thou shouldest buy it and purchase it and buy it and procure it but mercy is able to suffice thy soule that thou maist be refreshed thereby This is the tenor of mercy God requires of a man that he should beleeve now mercy doth helpe to performe the duty commanded The Lord as he requires the condition of thee so he worketh the condition in thee hee makes thee beleeve that thou shalt be saved as there is fulnesse of grace in himselfe to doe thee good if thou dost receive the same this is the difference betweene the two Covenants the Covenant of workes and the Covenant of grace The first covenant runnes Adam shall doe and live now it stood upon the use and abuse of his free will either to doe the will of God and be blessed or to breake the law and be cursed it was in his power to receive the life and thus either by breach or not doing the condition required Adam must performe But it is not so here the Lord in deed requires a condition no man can be saved but he must beleeve but here is the privilege that the Lord as he makes this condition with the soule so also he keepeth us in performing the condition for the Lord he requires that the soule should rest upon him and he make him also to doe it he requires the soule to cleave unto him Ezek. 36.26 27. There is the tenor of this covenant A new heart will I give you and a new spirit I will put within you and I will take away your stony heart and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes Or if they will walke in my wayes out of thine owne power then I will vouchsafe this mercy and favour Now the Lord requires this condition and workes it also in his children he requires this of them and he workes this in them for their everlasting good as Heb. 8.9 the Lord saith This is the covenant I
into the heart and by the over-piercing worke doth leave some dint of supernaturall and spirituall vertue on the heart The Spirit doth not onely with truth bring home the evidence to the heart but it iâ— stâ—ll whispering and calling and making knowne the same and forcibly soketh in the rellish of the freenesse of Gods grace and leaveth a dint of supernaturall vertue upon the soule We will expresse the points because it is somewhat difficult and is the scope of that place 2 Tim. 1.7 The Lord hath not given you the spirit of feare but of a sound minde The spirit of feare is the spirit of bondage in humiliation contrition When the Spirit sheweth a man his sinnes and sheweth him that he is in bondage and in fetters le ts him get out how he can this is the spirit of feare and of bondage In the second place there is the spirit of power But what is this spirit of power You must imagine this spirit of power doth not intimate any particular grace but as it were the sinewes and strength of the worke of the Spirit conveying it selfe through the frame of the heart and this I terme to bee the effectuall worke of the Spirit of God When the soule is humbled the Lord sweetly communicates into the soule a supernaturall and spirituall vertue Lastly as it is in nature take a knife if it be rubbed on a Loadstone it will draw iron unto it now it cannot doe that because it is a knife but because it is rubbed on a stone and receives vertue there from So it is with a heart humbled it is a fit subject for the grace of God to worke upon the love of God is like the loadstone and if the heart he rubbed thereupon and affected with the sweetnesse thereof it will bee able to close with that mercy and come to that mercy and goe to God from whence that mercy comes Quest 4 What is the behaviour of the soule when it hath learned this lesson from the Lord Answ I answer When these two things meet together in the soule then it hath learned this lesson The first is this when the soule having heard of that plentifull redemption that is in Christ as also having apprehended the revelation thereof it commeth to close with the worke of the Spirit revealing presenting and offering grace to the heart nay it comes to give entertainment to he riches of that mercy revealed to the soule There is in the mercy of God and in the blessed truth of the promises a great excellency Now when this is so plentifully brought home to the heart that it breakes through all oppositions which may hinder the worke of the Spirit upon the soule when it is brought home by the spirit of God and the heart gives way and closes with it so that there is nothing betweene that and the soule this I take to be the first frame of the soule that beginnes to learne this lesson it beginnes to close to the truth to give way to the sweetnesse that is in it and bids adieu to all delight and sinnes and whatsoever may be a hindrance unto it from receiving of this grace into the soule This is the first passage The second with which I will conclude is this that as the soule closeth with that mercy and welcommeth it and the heart is content to take up mercy upon those termes so in the second place there is an impression and disposition left upon the soule that it is framed and disposed there is a kinde of print which the soule hath with it so that as the mercy of God is revealed to the soule and communicated to the soule so there is a kind of impression frame and print which the heart retaineth and hath wrought upon it by this grace and free favour of God made knowne therefore that phrase Rom. 6.17 is a marvellous patterne to our purpose the Text saith they were delivered to this forme of doctrine Looke as it is with a seale if the seale be set to the wax and leave an impression just so many letters upon the wax as in the seale then it is wholly sealed So the Spirit of God through Christ in the promises doth reveale al the freenesse and grace of mercy in Christ Now when the Spirit doth leave an impression on the soule that man is delivered into the truth I conclude all in Acts 26.18 when Saul was sent to preach to the Gentiles the Text saith he was but to bring them out of darknesse into light mark when the Lord doth come to worke effectually upon the soule he brings men from under the power of darknesse whereas the understanding was darke and blinded when the Spirit comes it turnes it from the darknesse and power of sinne unto the power of light and grace Lastly the power of the heart doth these two things for not onely some of the heart must bee brought to God but the whole heart therefore in the precious promises of grace and savation there is fulnesse of all good to draw all the faculties of the soule unto the Lord and therefore the faithfulnesse and the truth of God is mainly revealed in the promises now that fits the understanding and makes it looke to God for pardon for power and mercy As the promise is a true word so it is a good word this answers all the will and affections there is a possibility in mercy to save a man hope expects it but then the soule must looke onely to Christ for mercy desire long for it for that there is a certainty that a man shall have mercy if he can desire it love doth welcome and delight in it nay the soule doth say The Lord hath said thou must be saved nay thou must looke to Christ for mercy it is no where else to be had nay if thou dost desire it thou shalt have it and then the Lord determines the point it is done mercy is thine and then the will addes full consent and sayes Amen Lord let it be as thou hast said Gather them up briefly When the Spirit of God doth so cleerly present mercy to the soule and doth leave by the over-powring worke thereof a supernaturall worke upon the soule that the spirit closeth therewith and receives the print and impression thereof now the lesson is fully learned this may suffice for the opening of the severall things now therefore we will addresse our selves to gather the doctrines out of the Text. And first for the generall in that the Father is said to teach Doct. That the teaching of the heart effectually is the proper taske and worke of God It is not you that can teach your selves neither can all the meanes and friends under heaven doe it no it is the work onely of the Father All these meanes and ministers are usefull but God is the chiefe master and all these are but underling ushers to convey the minde of God unto us but the master is God himselfe
dead letter It is true the Lord can worke above meanes we know also God can appoint other meanes for to call the soule but it is not our meaning we must not looke for revelations and dreames as a company of phantasticall braines doe but in common course Gods Spirit goes with the Gospell and that is the ordinary meanes whereby the soule comes to be called God can make the ayre nourish a man but he doth not If a man should expect to be fed by miracle hee himselfe would be a miracle Gal. 3.2 for there goes a spirituall power with it it raiseth the dead in sinne to life it is a living word and the word discovers also the secrets of mens thoughts Now that word which raiseth the dead and discovers the secrets of mens hearts it must needs have a marvellous power with it and accompanying of it For the opening of it observe two things first the manner secondly the reasons Point 1 After what manner doth the word and Spirit goe together and you must know I do not mean that the Spirit is in the word no otherwise than in all other things but in a more speciall manner and that conceive in three things First the Lord hath ordained and set apart the preaching of the word hee hath sanctified it and set it apart to call the soule Looke as it is with the brazen Serpent God appointed it to heale those that were stung now if 500. men should have made another Serpent it could not have healed one man though they had lookt their eyes out of their heads So it is with the Gospell there is no other usuall meanes to call the soule Hence it is casted the word of the Gospell Now if five hundred men make five hundred Gospels besides this they could never convert or comfort one soule Or as it is with a mint if a mint master coyne money it will goe currant but if twenty other coine money though the stampe were as good yet it is but counterfeit coine so it is here 1 Cor. 1.21 Let a man study all the arts and tongues that can be devised he never shall nay hee never can know one drop of Gods mercy and goodnesse in Christ Why but how then may a man know it saith the Text by the foolishnesse of preaching that is wicked men count it foolishnesse The Lord doth appropriate the saving worke of his Spirit to goe with the ordinance not that God is tyed to any meanes but he tyeth himselfe to this meanes Why doth not aire nourish all as well as meat because onely God hath set meat apart for this purpose Hence this Gospell is called the power of God to salvation because the power of God ordinarily and in common course appears therein the waters of life and salvation run only in the chanell of the Gospell There are golden mines of grace but they are onely to be found in the climates of the Gospell Nay observe this when all arguments prevaile not with corruption to perswade the heart to goe to God one Text of Scripture will stand a man in stead above all humane learning and inventions because the Spirit goes forth in this and none else God doth undoubtedly as he will when he will and how he will give successe to his ordinance Isay 55.10 11. The word of the Lord doth ever accomplish that for which it is sent For it is true many a man is called after the word is delivered a long time Why is that it sokes into the soule as the snow in December sokes into the earth but the fruit of it is not seene untill May. The word is a savour of life unto life it is a living savour of death to death it is a poison a deadly savour and though it hardens some yet the worke goes forward Reason 1 Because the Lord would not have any carelesse of his owne glorie and our good as he will humble the soule that he may doe good to it so hee will make him use the meanes If a gentleman should go after a begger with an almes how proud would he be and rather thinke himselfe a master than a begger So if God should follow us with mercy we would rather goe from him but he hath laid mercy in the myne of the Gospell that wee may dig for comfort in the cisterne of the Gospell that we may draw all our consolation from thence Reason 2 Because may not be cozened by our owne fancies the Lord to prevent all inconveniences and conceits of Eatonists and Familists that thinke they have the power of the Spirit in themselves whereas Gods Spirit goes alwaies with the word 1 Iohn 4.1 Every Minister preaches with a spirit some out of the spirit of envie some out of the spirit of sinceritie some heares out of the spirit of love some with the spirit of malice to carpe at the Minister try therefore the spirits and if they hold not with the word they are naught Reason 3 That we may be watchfull and carefull lest we lose the comfort that we have lightly come lightly goe got with little paine lost with lesse care therefore the Lord will make us seeke unto the meanes Vse 1 Instruction to teach us the worth of the Gospel above all other things in the world for it is accompanied with the Spirit and it brings salvation with it What if a man had all the wealth what if hee had all the policie in the world and wanted this hee were but a foole What if one were able to dive deepe into the secrets of nature to know the motions of starres and yet know nothing belongs to his peace what availes it what if a man could speak with the tongues of men and Angels yet without this he is a novice in knowledge Why doe we value a myne but because of the gold in it and the cabinet but because of the pearle in it oh this is that pearle wee sell all for 2 Cor. 2.1 2. Vse 2 For triall a man may know whether we have a spirituall heart or no Iudg. 19. he that hath not the Spirit is a fleshly sensuall man Wouldest thou know whether thou art carnall or spirituall this doctrine tells thee How came the Spirit If thou hast it it ever came with the Gospell therfore see now how thy soule stands affected with the Gospell and so it stands affected to the Spirit If thou wilt none of the Gospell thou wilt misse of the Spirit then Christ will none of thee Now reason with your owne soules Why unlesse I take the Spirit woe be to mee I may owne my selfe Christ will never owne me Is it so that I will not suffer the word to prevaile with mee remember the time will come that you must dye as well as your neighbours and then you will say Lord Jesus forgive my sins Lord Jesus receive my soule then Christ will say Away be gone you are none of mine I know you not Any man whether noble or
after the freenesse of grace in Christ yet the poore soule will ever be lingring after this Light looke as it is with a great torch carry it out of one roome into another by-roome and though the torch be gone yet it will leave such a glimmering so that a man may follow the torch so it is with the soule truly humbled it hath received the testimony of the Spirit though the torch the glory of the testimony of this witnesse goeth aside a little in temptation yet the Lord leaves such a kind of glimmering or inkling of goodnes that the soule looks after the lampe light in this kinde and followeth it for ever Ionah 2.4 Ionah was there stubborne with the Lord he was sent to Ninive he goes to Tarshish wel God sends a whirlewind after him and tosseth him into the sea and sent also a great Whale an unruly ferry-man to carry him to land Now being in the belly of the Whale hee begins to apprehend himselfe and then is joyfull and there he made a question of Gods everlasting love but yet when he was in the belly of hell and mountaines of water went over him yet marke how the holy man behaveth himselfe I will still looke towards thy holy presence He had some illuminations of Gods goodnesse in Christ and howsoever the glory therof was eclipsed yet there was some glimmering left behinde But now the flashes of the Hypocrite they are sudden the lightning of Gods love that is in his minde but it passes thorow the soule suddenly and leaves it in the same hazard ignorance and at a losse as formerly for howsoever an hypocrite may have a glimmering and a kinde of flash and take notice of the powers of the world to come yet it comes like lightning suddenly come suddenly gone and it draweth the minde for the while and the understanding for the present but in conclusion the soule is where it was before when this flash is gone and the lightning is over it is just at the same losse and danger it was before Differ 3 From this authority of the Spirit it is of great authority and of marvellous powerful command so that the whole frame of the soule comes to be ordered and the heart comes to be framed sutable and agreeable thereon Looke as it is with a mighty streame all the lesser streames runne that way so it is with the blessed streame of this evidence of truth what the Spirit of God lets into the minde of the Saints it carries all with it and beares all before it and makes the whole streame of the soule be answerable thereunto Take notice between the vision Saint Paul had and which Balaam had God let in a light into Balaams soule What wilt thou curse Iacob Oh the glory that I will bestow upon them This made his teeth water at the goodnesse of the Lord and he saith Let mee die the death of the righteous Numb 24.2 the Text useth the phrase The Spirit of God was upon Balaam the meaning is he intimated the happie condition of the Saints of the Lord and in stead of cursing he blessed them though this cursed Witch Balaam had this common enlightning to know the excellencie of the condition yet his heart was never the better was covetous and malicious still towards Iacob But looke Acts 26.19 Saint Paul saith hee was not disobedient to the vision as who should say The blessed truth that was revealed to me the voyce that spake to me from heaven my minde was framed thereby and answerably disposed thereunto and I submitted and came in at the voyce of the Lord. Hence the phrase in Scripture They that know thee will trust in thee as who should say Grounded knowledge brings in confidence So Ioh. 4.10 Christ saith Hadst thou knowne me it is not every knowledge that will doe the deed a man may talke of grace but hadst thou understood better the evidence thou shouldest have asked grace and received it this is the reason of Iobs speech when God takes a man in hand he will command a man to returne fron iniquitie there is a commanding power in the obedience of truth the Lord lets in a commanding power and turnes the heart from sin and makes it yeeld to the obedience of God Whereas the light of the hypocrite is like lightning in the evening a flash and away and leaves no heat behinde it The Sunne doth not only give light but it leaves a heat behind it so it is with the Spirit of God when the sunshine of the heavenly light comes into the heart it leaves a heat of holy affections behinde it framing and disposing the heart of a man to be at the call and command of God Observe when wee lay forth arguments before men and convince their consciences that their course is nought notwithstanding whatsoever we can speake they returne to their wicked speeches and base practices their lives are as wicked their tongues as prophane as ever but when the Spirit of God will take those arguments we propound out of Scripture and make knowne those troubles to the understanding it communicates unto thee and them that power to the soule that it comes to be disposed thereunto Differ 4 The testimony of the Spirit goes upon very good ground it is a wise Spirit and a Spirit of truth and therefore goes wisely to worke Now Hypocrites they beare up their hearts with admirable evidence of Gods love but aske them what reasons they have for it what arguments to maintaine it they have nothing at all to say this is an undoubted argument of a besotted befooled hypocrite Come to your ancient people and enquire of them in the time of their sicknesse aske them if ever they were perswaded of Gods favour they say they thanke God they never doubted of it they reply they were worse than Reprobates if they should but they have no ground at all to confirme this this is an undoubted argument of a soule that never had any sound evidence of Gods love for where the Spirit comes it goes upon good ground Vse 2 Direction and Exhortation hence wee learne what course wee must take what path wee must tread in what meanes we must use to get this notice and gaine this evidence of Gods love to our soules learne the ground get the witnesse of Gods Spirit get but the Spirit to seale it and all is thine It was the speech of Sampson when he propounded a Riddle to the Philistines they knew not how to answer it because they understood it not before he had told his wife and shee them then they related the Riddle to them hee confesseth their answer to be good But saith he had you not plowed with my Heifer you could not have expounded my Riddle I use the same comparison for our purpose use Gods meanes if you would know Gods minde take counsell of him that is privie Counceller of Heaven would you be perswaded of Gods love and affection
of those gracious promises which God hath made to poore humbled sinners Now if we be not able to cast the sense and meaning of the promise it is like an uncertaine sound though the witnesse bee good and plaine yet I cannot be comforted thereby 2 Cor. 6.16 17. This is the language of the Spirit Now let a poore humble hearted soule come and lay his heart levell to the promise one saith it is true if it were so with mee then God would be my God that promise is made to them that touch no uncleane thing but I am defiled with sins and abominations and carried aside by them therefore no share in this promise Now the meaning of the testimony is mistaken the witnesse is as good as can be and will cast the cause on your side but you understand not the meaning of the witnesse therefore we will spell the words what is it to touch no uncleane thing it is not to bee lightly acquainted with it therefore art thou content to sue out a bill of divorce to all thy sins how ever heretofore thou wert married to them yet now thou art resolved to bed with them no more art thou contented God should make knowne what ever is amisse in thy soule and subdue every distemper that is the meaning of the promise and if it be thus with thee the promise belongs to thee Meanes 4 Labour to keepe the promise by you for ever and have a readie recourse thereunto upon all occasions forget not the promise be not a stranger to it be not unacquainted be not unaccustomed to have daily trading with the promise which is so profitable to us Prov. 3.3 marke what counsell God gives by wisdome Let not mercy and truth forsake thee mercy and truth will forsake a man Satan would plucke them away but suffer them not saith the Text to depart from thy soule Iob 22.21 so the originall hath it have a daily intercourse to the promise meditate therein and muse thereupon see thou looke a ready way and have recourse to the Lord upon all occasions Motive 1 To perswade us to use these meanes is this because this most concernes our good if a man had all the good things the world could afford and his hearts desire if he had friends to respect him wealth to enrich him and honour to promote him yet if the Lord should send this heavie Message into his conscience God will curse those blessings and dam thy soule and person that newes from heaven of Gods indignation would take away the sweetnesse of all the comforts of this life but had a man good tidings from heaven were the Lord pleased to give notice of his love and mercie in Jesus Christ it would support us in whatsoever miseries or troubles should befall us nay when our owne hearts and consciences tell us hard tidings these evils thou hast committed and they will be thy plague and for this thou shalt be damned and frie in hell this is ill newes but this will beare up a mans heart if hee can but looke up to heaven and take good tidings and notice of Gods favour this will joy and refresh a mans soule Motive 2 As this most concernes us so Satan is most cunning to deprive us of the same if hee can stop any intelligence and take away any evidence of Gods love and mercie to the soule this is that Satan labours for for if the heart gets evidence this way and have notice under the hand of the Spirit what love what joy what power and vertue will be in the soule what courage and undauntednesse will be in the heart to walke in the wayes of godlinesse then learne from the Devill himselfe he labours to keepe from you what will doe you most good therefore be you as carefull to get this notice of Gods love to your soules from the Spirit in the promise as Satan is to hinder you from the same Vse 3 Instruction Hence I conclude that the poorest humbled sinner of the meanâ—st capacity doth know more of spirituall truths concerning grace and salvation and Gods love in Christ than the most wise and learned in the world that are not humbled In a word take the meanest Saint that ever breathed on the earth and the greatest scholler for outward parts and learning and reach and policie the meanest ignorant soule that is almost a naturall foole that soule knowes and understands more of grace and mercy in Christ than all the wisest and learnedst in the world than all the greatest schollers and most pompous Cardinals these were never humbled How doe I conclude this why thus if Gods spirit onely give notice of this favor to the humble then all other bee their parts what they will bee God doth not informe them the humble are informed they not instructed therefore the other know not what they cannot conceive As suppose one dull blocke and a quicke wit are both set to one trade yet if the dullard had an expert master and did beat into him the skill of the trade and the quicke spirit was with a master that could not teach him his trade wee see that the dull blocke is more wise in his trade than the other so it is here they have the Lord for their master Vse 4 To shew us the certainty of the assurance of faith if the spirit of God gives notice and certifie a thing it must needs be certaine and hence it is that the assurance of faith must needs bee infallible and undeniable in those that have it I ground it thus That which commeth from the notice of the spirit is most undeniable but the assurance thereof commeth from the notice of the spirit that faith is most undeniable hence commeth those triumphs I know my Redeemer liveth I am perswaded that neither height nor depth c. shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ The worke of God upon the understanding we have spoken of at large now wee come to the worke of God upon the affections as the understanding apprehendeth the truth of the promise so the heart looketh at the goodnesse of the promise Now therefore the Lord he must teach all the affections to come unto the promise and the first affection that commeth next in order is the affection of hope Doctrine The Doctrine is this The holy Spirit of the Father doth stir the heart of an humbled and inlightned sinner to hope for the goodnesse of the Lord The Lord calleth all the affections come joy come desire come love but the first voyce is to hope only observe this passage it must come from a heart humbled and inlightned for nothing commeth to the heart to be affected but onely by the head and understanding therefore before the soule can hope the heart must bee humbled and inlightned humbled in regard of preparation and inlightned in regard of the certification of Gods goodnesse Secondly it must be stirred up to doe it the spirit
a matter of complement and indifferencie No no I may call it the very wheeles of faith upon which faith is carried for all this while faith is a sowing into the soule Looke as it is with a waggon knocke off the wheeles and all lyes in the dust so take away this desire and faith is in the dust the tenour of all the promises run upon this the thirstie they are invited the hungrie they shall be satisfied nay not onely so but observe further the necessity of this when desire comes all good workes goe forward and our hearts are not only set upon the dutie but the dutie is crowned and credited by this desire It is like the mill damme the fuller the damme is the faster the mill goes so get but desire and all will goe forward the more desire the more paines in seeking after grace this gives a crowne and a credit to all our actions thou prayest haply halfe an houre it is not thy tongue that the Lord accepts but thy desire thou performest many duties outwardly God cares not for that he lookes only at thy desire to approve thy selfe to God in those duties this is the thing that gives credit to all our actions Meanes 3 The third meanes is this labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glorie that is in the promises of God Looke wisely daily and judiciously upon them as occasion serves and when thou seest that admirable and incomparable vertue and beautie that is in Christ and in the precious promises and canst but view them in their proper colours Oh they will even ravish thee and quicken up thy desire If a man carry a packe of never so rich commodities and never opens them no man will have a desire to buy Or if a man have a cabinet full of never so precious jewels if he doe not unlocke it no man will be stirred with a desire after them Even so it is with the promises all those unsearchable riches that are in the Lord Jesus and all the comforts both of this life and that which is to come they are all shut up in the promises Now set open the Gospell and unlock the cabbinet of the promises and then the soule will earnestly desire the same I tell you God is a God of comfort and all the promises are yea and Amen in the Lord Jesus Christ read them daily and examine the excellencie and beautie therein that so thy heart may be brought to prize them and the comfort arising thence Thy soule is discouraged there is mercie to comfort thou wantest grace there is grace to quicken thee See the worth thereof more fully Luke 24. When Christ came and walked with the two disciples that were travelling towards Emaus Luke 24.32 opened Did not our hearts burne within us say they while he opened the Scriptures the Latine word signifieth to burne with desire But how came this they did not talke a word and away but the Lord Jesus Christ opened the Scriptures to them the riches of grace and salvation were unlocked and by Christ opened and then their hearts burned againe with desire Oh that Christ and that mercie and that pardon c. So view thou the promises of Christ and grace and salvation you doe not see the value and riches that are therein but if you will but talke and conferre about them your hearts will burne with desire doe not cast an eye and be gone doe not looke over a promise and away no wonder though your hearts are not affected because the excellent things therein contained are not opened and propounded to you Meanes 4 In the fourth and last place after all this thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace thou canst not hammer out a desire upon thine owne anvill digge thy owne pit and hew thy owne rock as long as thou wilt that is a worke out of thy abilitie and strength Nay let all the Angels in heaven and all the Ministers on earth provoke thee yet if the hand of the Lord be wanting thou shalt not lift up thy heart nor step one step towards heaven therefore I beseech you marke and acknowledge this and goe to him who is onely able to worke this desire in thy soule It is the complaint of Christians and they mourne under it and it is a great miserie Oh they are troubled because they cannot fetch a good desire from their owne soules and one falls another sinkes and a third shakes and they are overwhelmed with discouragement And their complaint is this What a wretched heart have I Object Grace No no the world I can desire the life of my childe I long for that nay every trifling profit and pleasure my soule covets it and I say with Rachel Let me have honour or else I dye But I cannot buckle my heart nor worke this vile nature of mine to bee carried after and long for the unconceivable unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ And will the Lord shew mercie to me Shall I attaine any favour either here or hereafter Answ Marke the deceit in this case desires grow not in your garden they spring not from the root of your abilities you cannot frame your soules nor order your spirits to desire Christ no struggle while thy eyes sinke in thy head and thy tongue falters when thou prayest and yet thou shalt not procure any longing desire after Christ whiles the world stands desire comes from the quickning vertue of the spirit Therefore seeke to God and confesse In truth Lord I cannot it is not in my power I have not any sufficiencie to frame my heart to this desire I expect it not from my selfe it is not this vile and sinfull soule it is not this wicked base wayward heart of mine that can lift up it selfe it is earthly and heavie but it is thou O Lord from whom come all our desires it is thou that must worke it it is thou that hast promised it good Lord quicken thou this soule and inlarge this heart of mine thou only art the God of this desire none of thy Saints that ever panted after and longed for thy mercie David himselfe had it not in his owne power and sufficiencie it must come from thy power and thy promise and thy grace and blessing Now good Lord worke this in the heart of thy poore servant I would faine have a desire Lord from heaven thus hale downe a desire from the Lord and from the promise for there only you must have it this is the course whereby you may partake of this desire from the hand of the Lord. When the Church was lazie and sluggish and would not rise Cant. 5.4 the hands of her beloved dropped mirrhe upon the handle of the doore and this raised and pulled up the heart of the spouse and she lingred after him and followed him and pursued him and her heart was quickned and inlarged to
a poore miserable creature commend my love commend my mercy to such a poore soule and tell him though hee hath beene an enemy to me yet I am a friend to him tell him though he hath beene a traitor to mee I have beene a good King to him he hath beene a rebell to mee but tell him I have beene a good God to him commend my love to him and let him know that all his sinnes are done away for the Lord Jesus died for sinners when they were sinners This is the argument of Saint Iohn If God so loved us as that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for us how ought wee to love one another I collect from hence But how then ought we to love God himselfe It was this that kindled the frozen heart of Saul he had a heart almost as cold as ice and yet this did worke upon him Marke what the text saith When David had taken Saul on the hip 1 Sam. 24.19 and had him at advantage and might have taken away his life and yet would not when hee saw that David was so kinde and would doe him no hurt David knew Saul persecuted him and desired to kill him hee was the most profest enemy he had and was the onely man that stood betweene him and the kingdome Now when David had him in his hands and spared him this kindnesse of David wrought even upon the heart of a Saul and kindled a kinde of love in him as the text saith Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded mee good and I have rewarded thee evill and thou hast shewed this day that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered mee into thine hands thou killedst me not for if a man finde an enemy will hee let him goe well away wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day So that wee see a Saul is warned and his love is kindled towards David for his kindnesse So when the soule considers what is the Lord thus gracious to me who ever found an enemy and slew him not Had it not beene just with the Lord to take advantage against me Had it not beene just that I which lived in sinne should have perished for my sinne Had it not beene just that I which loved my corruption should have perished for my corruptions But that the Lord should finde an enemy and not slay him nay that the Lord should finde an enemy and send his Sonne to save him is wonderfull Let my soule for ever love that God and rejoyce in that mercy this would work almost upon a Devill If the soule had but the sap and sweetnesse of this it could not but warme the heart of an humbled sinner and kindle in him an abundant love to God who hath beene so loving to him Particular 3 Lastly the greatnesse of the sweetnesse of the mercy of God this inflames the soule the sweetnesse warmes it the freenesse kindles it and when the greatnesse meets with these it sets the soule all in a burning flame This is the ground the Apostle presseth to the Ephesians he desireth that they may be rooted in love that is stablished with mighty strong love how shall that be Why the text saith comprehending with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge as who should say can you but once comprehend the unmeasurable dimensions of Gods love and goodnesse this will kindle and inflame your hearts with admirable love to the Lord Jesus When the sinner thinkes thus with himselfe I that have done all that I could against so good a God that my heart even bleeds to thinke of it there was no name under Heaven I tore in peeces but Gods Name his wounds and heart and life I have torne all nay there was no command in the world that my soule so much despised as the command of the Lord Jesus There was no spirit that ever spake to me which I so much resisted as the Spirit of the Lord. Oh how many sweet motions hath the Lord let into my soule that he might plucke mee from my base courses and sinfull practices but I have flowen in the face of his blessed Spirit If I had lien in a dungeon and had beene plagued with torments all my life time yea though I had another world of misery to live in it is infinite mercy so the Lord would passe by these base dealings and pardon these rebellions of mine But that God should send his Sonne to love mee so incomparably so unconceivably that I could not hate him so much as he loved me I could not so exceed in unkindnesse towards him as he hath exceeded in kindnesse towards mee Oh the height of this mercy beyond my desire Oh the breadth of this mercy without all bounds Oh the length of this mercy beyond all times Oh the depth of this mercy beneath all miseries Were my eyes made of love I could nothing but weepe love were my tongue made of love I could nothing but talke love were my hands made of love I could nothing but worke love and all too little for that God that hath loved mee so admirably so unmeasurably What shall I love if I love not the Lord I love all things but I love God above all things Psal 18.1 I love thee dearly O Lord my strength saith David this is the last particular whereby the soule comes to bee all on a flame and hath a burning affection towards the Lord Almighty Vse 1 We come now to the application of the point that so wee may reape some good to our soules thereby First then it is a ground of instruction which I desire to presse unto you because it is both seasonable and profitable From the former Doctrine therefore wee collect and conclude undeniably that there is no sufficiency in a naturall heart to be carried to the Lord Jesus Christ or to the worke of grace wee have not this before God doth give it unto us nay we cannot move towards God or be carried in the least kind to love or delight in him further than the Lord will carry us himselfe and beare up our hearts by the hand of his Spirit It is true and wee finde it by wofull experience it is in our power to love the world it is in our power to delight in our lusts Nay being but naturall men it cannot be but that we should love our selves and love our honour and our ease and profit and applause in the world There is enough of this foolish wild-fire there is enough of this carnall selfe-love in every mans heart But to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to have a heart inlarged with joy to him this is a worke of grace which groweth not in our gardens there is not one sparke of this holy fire and spiritual delight in our hearts Nay we cannot buy it nor borrow it
nor receive it from any creature under Heaven further than the Father sends downe some beames of his love to kindle this in us further than the blessed Spirit of God is pleased to blow these sparkes when they are kindled further than the Lord Iesus Christ is pleased by the power of his merits to feed these sparkes of love thus blowne in our soules It is almost impossible that any man in his naturall estate should be so deluded as to thinke hee can love the Lord or delight in him 1 Tim. 1.13 14. opened The Apostle Paul tels us plainly hee was a persecutor and a blasphemer and injurious Paul could doe this and thou haply canst doe this thou canst be a blasphemer against Jesus Christ and thou canst be a persecutor of Jesus Christ but Paul cannot beleeve in Christ nor love the Lord Iesus how comes hee to this Why the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Iesus marke that As if hee should say it was Gods abundant grace that over-powerd my unfaithfull heart and made it faithfull It was Gods abundant grace that over-powerd my stubborne injurious heart and made it a loving heart But how comes this that the grace of the Lord was abundant in faith and love Why it is in Christ saith the text from Christ this faith was rooted from Christ this love was kindled As if he had said I could persecute and blaspheme and despise and cast off God and his grace I was a wretch a villaine that I could doe But that I should love the Lord being injurious and that I should beleeve the Lord being unfaithfull this was from Christ alone In experience we finde it the ball must first fall upon the ground before it can bound up againe and returne from the ground So the Lord Jesus must dart in and fling in this love of his into the soule before the soule can rebound in love and joy backe to him againe We must receive the Spirit of love from God 2 Tim. 1.7 before the Lord can receive any spirituall and holy love from us In a word what the Lord spake in some case to the Jewes is true of every man naturally I know that you have not the love of God in you Iohn 5.42 As if he should say you know not your selves you thinke you have hearts inlarged to God and you pretend great kindnesse to God but you are deceived in your soules and cozened in your corrupt natures for I know full well that the love of God is not in you I pursue the point the rather for these two ends First it discovers and confutes the carnall conceits of a company of carnall Gospellers that pretend they doe not delight to set out themselves in shew so much and they doe not heare and pray and fast so much as these and these doe But say they as for the soundnesse of our love to the Lord Jesus wee defie any man in the world that speakes against us they finde no difficulty in the matter to love the Lord they are certainly perswaded they doe that Therefore if the Minister shall presse upon them and challenge them of want of love to God and his grace they flie in a mans face presently What not love the Lord Jesus Christ why then it is pitie a man should live upon the face of the earth they doe love him and they will love him all the world shall not perswade them from the loving of Christ Oh poore silly creature it is a great argument that thou never hadst this love to God because thou sawest no hardnesse to get it It is an argument thou never didst expresse any delight in Christ because thou thinkest it an easie matter to delight in him Most men thinke it a matter of nothing what not love the Lord Jesus Christ why who cannot love Christ Who cannot I say neither thou nor I nor any man under heaven can love Christ by any power in himselfe Nay let me speake peremptorily thou art as able to save thy owne soule nay thou art as able to redeeme thy soule without Christ as thou art able unlesse the Lord by the Almightie helpe of his Spirit-inable thee to love the Lord Jesus Christ Nay marke what I say you that love Christ and yet doe nothing for him but pretend great kindnesse inwardly how ever you expresse not your selves in outward appearance I tell thee if a man might have happinesse by it if he might have heaven laid downe upon the naile as wee say if he could love Christ I say upon these conditions if thou hast but nature in thee thou wouldst never goe to heaven thou wouldst never be happie No no it will cost thee more than that comes to it will cost thee much paines it will cost thee many prayers and many teares before that day come It is not an easie matter to love the Lord Jesus the Father from heaven must learne you that you must goe to another manner of schoole than ever you have beene at yet if ever you learne this lecture thou mayst pray till thy eyes sinke in thy head and till thy heart failes and yet thou canst not love Christ unlesse the Spirit inable thee thereunto Thinke of this you that thinke it is nothing to love the Lord Jesus Christ If it were nothing but to talke of love and to complement with the Lord Jesus to make a cursie to Christ and to make a leg to the Lord and yet hate him inwardly then it were an easie matter indeed it is nothing to buckle to him in this fashion and in the meane time oppose him and the power of his grace but to entertaine and welcome a Saviour sutable and agreeable to the worth of him this nature will not cannot doe it is the worke of the Lord. Observe it I beseech you I say as nature cannot doe this so nature will not doe it first nature cannot doe it 1 Iohn 1.5 God is light and in him is no darknesse Ephes 5.8 saith the text at all and Ye were darknesse but now are light in the Lord A man naturally is nothing but darknesse and God is nothing but light a man by nature is nothing but unholy and God is nothing but holy Now darknesse will resist light and not give way to it and wickednesse will oppose holinesse and not give way to the same this is thy condition thou hast an ignorant carnall blinde heart and God is light pure and holy and thou canst resist a Saviour but not entertaine him doe what thou canst Nay further as a man cannot naturally doe this so in the second place I say he will not doe it The Apostle affirmes of the Thessalonians That they would not receive the love of the truth 2 Thess 2.10 opened that they might be saved he doth not say They would not receive the truth but they would not receive the love of the truth It is
so loathsome is because hee is so sinfull Now marke what the text saith this is the condemnation Iohn 3.19 that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse more than the light the Lord revealed light that is Christ to the world but the world loved sin and the temptations of Satan and the corruptions of their owne hearts more than Christ and more than mercy that was tendered to them in the Lord Jesus it is cleere therefore it was so it will be so and it is so to this day Men love their base lusts and sinfull corruptions more than the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of his grace which he expresseth to their soules and consequently they love the delusions and suggestions of Satan more than the motions of Gods Spirit and the comfort thereof Thus now we have laid downe the Inditement let us also plead it a little wee see there be many in the Church that doe not loâ—e the Lord Jesus Christ but who are they of that we will now speake for when we lay the charge we must name the man the Inditement in generall is nothing we will therefore referre these men that love not Christ to three rankes The first are open enemies to Christ The second are the glozing newters of the world The third are the fawning Hypocrites that are faire in shew but false in heart all these are guilty of this Inditement wee will therefore plead it against them desiring the Lord to convince their consciences thereof Ranke 1 First for the former and they are open enemies to the Lord Jesus we will not spend much time here but stand longest there where is most need First therefore there are open enemies to Christ and they are many such as Isaiah speakes of ye stiffe necked and hardhearted ye have resisted the Spirit of the Lord Those which set their mouthes against Heaven and stand in open defiance against the Lord Iesus and against the power of his Grace and the worke of his Spirit in the hearts of his and in the ministery of the Word and these we referre to two heads Sort. 1 First such as are profest opposers of the evidence of the truth those whereof Christ spake the Housholder let out his Vineyard to Husbandmen Matth. 21.33 and when the time of the fruits drew neere hee sent his servants to the Husbandmen that he might receive the fruits of it and the Husbandmen tooke his servants and beat one and killed another and stoâ—â—â— another at last he sent his sonne and said surely they will reverence my sonne nay when hee came they all combined and conspired together and said this is the Heire come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours this was an intimation of the Scribes and Pharisees the Chuch was the Vineyard and it was let out to them and God sent his Prophets among them they persecuted them then hee sent his Disciples they stoned them and when his Sonne came they conspired against the Lord Iesus with one open mouth with one joynt endevour Come said they this is the Heire let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours And doe you thinke that the Scribes and Pharisees are dead and have left none of their cursed brood and generation behinde them I tell you beloved there are many persecutors of Christ and his Gospell to this day which are the leaders of the campe which stand in open defiance of the God of Heaven but if you aske mee what entertainment their lusts have among these men they find all welcome possible temptations whisper not occasions come not corruptions stirre not so soone be the company never so base the course never so vile the practice never so wicked but these miserable sinfull creatures give audience and attendance and acceptance and entertainment to these base courses nay they invite them and provide for them nay they bestow a great deale of cost for the entertainment of their lusts they seeke out occasions to commit their sinnes the adulterer goeth in the twi-light to meet his queanes and the drunkard goes to the Ale-house to meet with his base companions thus they invite their lusts and provide for their lusts this is that the Apostle disswades us from Rom. 13.14 make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof yet these men make provision for their base lusts their mindes are plotting and their endevours labouring to provide all courses that may give entertainment to their lusts therefore no marvell they finde such long continuance in their sinnes because they make such provision for them but now if you will observe how these men entertaine Christ you may discover it by these two passages Passage 1 First observe how they entertaine the power of Christs Spirit in the ministerie of the word and secondly how they entertaine the presence of our Saviour in the graces of his children First concerning the ministerie of the word if it be so that the ministery of the word comes powerfully home to the conscience and would open the eyes and awaken the heart of ungodly men and would plucke them from their sinnes Oh what an uproare there is and how doe men take up armes against the truth and beat off the power of the word that it may not prevaile with the heart and awaken them and that it may not rule in their lives Christ notes such as these for opposers of goodnesse Luke 19.27 Bring hither mine enemies that would not that I should reigne over them and slay them before my face the word would plucke the cup from the drunkards mouth and the adulterer from enjoying his dalliances with his mate but their hearts swell and they groane to be under that truth and under the rule thereof and to be swayed thereby nay they doe not only withdraw themselves from yeelding obedience to the holinesse of the word but they will not so much â—s acknowledge the truth of the word which the Devill himselfe did when Paul was preaching the grace of life and salvation the text saith Acts 16.17 The damsell that had the spirit of divination met him and the Devill said These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation the Devill acknowledged that this was the word and the very truth the Devill acknowledged these were the services which God commands and these were the duties which ought to be discharged but wicked men will not be perswaded of this they will not beleeve that they must be holy as he is holy neither will they beleeve that they must be pure as he is pure these men doe not give God so much honour as the Devill did but die out and say I will never be of that opinion all the world shall not perswade mee to it five hundred Ministers shall not make me thinke so Beâ—oved this is profest opposition and desperate hatred against the Lord not onely to withdraw â—he
will overcome all corruptions that mercy that will pardon all our sinnes then saith the will content it shall be so and this makes up the match for now the match commeth to bee made when the will saith Amen to the businesse and this is that great worke of the will the spawn and the seeds of faith went before now faith is come to some perfection now the soule reposeth it selfe upon the Lord and Divines say that here commeth in faith what the minde hath knowne and hope expected and desire longed for and love embraced then commeth in the great wheel the great commander the will which saith I will have it Goe no further it is the best match wee can make you saw the seeds of faith before in the affections but now you shall see the root of faith and the full growth of faith in the will So from hence the point of Doctrine is this Doctrine The will of a poore sinner humbled and enlightned comes to bee effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ that it may bee interested therein and have supply of all Spirituall wants from thence For the better clearing of this Doctrine consider these foure particulars First the worke must be in an heart humbled and enlightned Secondly the will must be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father Thirdly by the power of this perswasion it casts it selfe upon the rich grace and free mercy of God in Christ Fourthly the end of it that it may bee interested into all the good that is in the promise For by faith wee come to have a title to all that ever Christ purchased and God hath prepared for his people and as by infidelity wee went from God so now by faith we come again to God Particul in the doctr 1 For the first passage this grace of faith the root whereof is seated in the will it is in an heart humbled and enlightened if either of these two bee wanting it is not possible that ever sound saving faith should be in the soule I doe not now dispute of the measure of these how farre a man must bee humbled and how much enlightened these I have handled before I abate a man of the measure and leave that to the good pleasure of God but the heart must bee truly humbled and soundly enlightened First The heart must be humbled that is loosed from sinne and from selfe if the soule be not thus truly humbled there is no roome for faith for the worke of humiliation cleeres the coast â—nd clenseth the roome for if the soule of a poore sinner be not loosened from sinne and made weaâ—y of it but takes fast hold of it as Ieremie saith Ierem. 8.5 They hold fast to deceit and would not returne so when a man will hold his pride and his corruptions that man is carelesse of Christ and not onely so but also opposit from going to Christ he will not goe to Christ that he may receive power for â—he subduing of his corruptions because he is resolved to keepe his sinne still and therefore know â—hat it is not possible to receive Christ and to â—leave to sinne too Secondly suppose the soule be truly burdened â—nd the heart be surcharged with sinne and the â—eart seeth an absolute necessity of a change and â—e saith if this be certaine then I am a miserable â—an and either I must reforme my way or else perish in my way now when the soule is come to this if the heart will yet shift for it selfe and thinke to recover it selfe seeing it must needâ— change it will change it selfe it will hinder faith for whatsoever it is that keepes a man in himselfe that alwayes hinders the worke of faith for faith ever goes out to another for grace and power to ease him of corruption and for strength to subdue his sinnes if the soule say either I need not change or if I must change I will change my selfe and save my selfe what need have I of a Saviour these hinder faith therefore if ever faith be there the heart must have thiâ— wrought he must see himselfe in a lost condition that is that by all the meanes under heaven heâ— cannot succour himselfe this is the meaning of that phrase Luke 19.10 The Lord Iesus came 〈◊〉 seeke and to save that which was lost a lost man indeed every man is lost under the power of sinne and dominion of Satan but he must see himselfe lost how the guilt of sinne is condemning him and therefore lost in regard of pardon to save him and also how he is polluted and therefore lost in regard of power to subdue corruptions and when he seeth this indeed that nothing can helpe him but a Christ then the soule makes out for a Christ this is the meaning of that place Iohn 1.12 To as many as received him he gave c. so that we must receive a Christ when we are gone oâ—â— of our selves by humiliation then are we fit to goe to God by vocation Quest But may not a man beleeve and is it not lâ—â—full to beleeve unlesse a man be thus humbled Answ It is lawfull at any time if thou canst but I say it is impossible for thee to beleeve untill thou be thus humbled as Iohn 4.44 the Lord Christ comes to the Pharisees and saith I know you will not come to mee that you may beleeve nay in the next place he saith How can ye beleeve that receive honour one of another how canst thou beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ to subdue thy lusts and yet wouldst bee uncleane still and live in thy lusts still how canst thou beleeve in Christ to master thy rebellious heart and yet wouldest be rebellious still it is impossible heaven and earth cannot meet together no more can these two stand together therefore set your hearts at rest a man must be truly humbled and broken hearted â—f ever he beleeve Secondly the soule must be enlightened I â—oyne these two together in this clause for though faith be above reason yet it is with reason it is not that colliers faith of the Papists â—hat put out his owne eyes to see by another mans this is a delusion and an implicite faith â—herefore I say a man must be inlightened to see â—he grace and mercie and freenesse of Gods love â—n Christ as Psal 119.10 They that know thy name â—hall put their trust in thee it is against common sense that the soule of a man that is reasonable â—hould fall upon any thing and rest it selfe there â—nd yet never seeth whether it bee a sufficient helpe or no this is by the way of preparation Particul in the doctr 2 It is effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest it selfe c. this I adde in the second place upon the same ground because a man hath no legs of himselfe to bee carried to the Lord Jesus Christ to beleeve in him further
haste hee makes haste to use the means but he is content to stay till the Lord please because he knowes the Lord onely must doe it and if the heart bee given to murmure and repine saying I pray and the Lord doth not answer I have grapled with my sinne and the Lord subdues it not now faith saith we must goe to God for mercy that hee may order all our occasions and wee must not order Gods grace according to our humours but the Lord seemes to frowne upon the soule and to reject the prayers of a poore sinner and to beat him away from the doore as the Lord Christ did when hee called the woman a dog yet faith will bring on the heart still and it will be sure to lye at the gate and it keepes the soule with the promise what ever befals it as Psal 119. Mine eyes failed for looking up for thy word Oh when wilt thou comfort me his heart and all failed him and yet he would looke towards heaven Oh saith he when will this sinfull soule be humbled and this distressed conscience pacified hee would looke towards heaven till hee had no heart and therefore excellent is that passage Genes 32.36 when the Lord and Iacob were wrestling and the Lord would have beene gone Iacob said I will not let thee goe untill thou hast blessed mee so the faithfull soule layes hold upon the Lord for mercy pardon power and grace and though the Lord seeme to give him up to the torment of sinne and corruption yet the soule saith though my soule goe downe to hell yet I will hold here for mercy till the Lord comfort and pardon and subdue graciously these cursed corruptions which I am not able to master my selfe As it is with a sun-diall the nature of the direction is this the needle is ever moving and a man may jog it another way yet it will never stand still till it come to the north-point so when the Lord leaves off a beleeving heart with frownes and with the expression of displeasure yet the soule turnes to the Lord Christ and will never leave till it goe God-ward and Christ-ward and grace-ward and saith let the Lord doe what he please I will goe no further till hee bee pleased to shew mercy then the issue is this faith goes out to Christ it layes hold upon Christ and layes the weight of all upon Christ and drawes vertue from Christ and it leaves the soule with the promise and this is in every faithfull soule under heaven howsoever the sense is taken away if the soule once come to Christ it will never away but ever cleaves to the promise and is towards God and Christ whatsoever befall it Part of the doctr 4 The fourth and last part of the doctrine is this First as the soule must be humbled and enlightened Secondly as it is effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father And thirdly as by the power of this perswasion it casts it selfe upon the freenesse of Gods grace so in the last place the soule comes to bee furnished with all spirituall wants and the supply thereof and this containes the finall cause and that discovers the good and benefit which comes from faith First to open it in generall and then to come to some particulars In the generall observe thus much a poore sinner having fallen from God and departed from him he goes away from God and all goodnesse at that one stroake he that goes away from God the God of all strength must needs be weake and he that goes from the God of wisdome folly must needs possesse him because God is the God of all wisdome and all wisdome must be from him and hee that goes from God goes from life and happinesse therefore death and cursednesse must needs seize upon â—im now hee that hath gone from God hath gone from all these and therefore he is full of nothing but wants miseries and troubles and vexaâ—ions that are come in upon him and overwhelme him Now faith is appointed as that only meanes whereby the soule may bee succoured and the heart furnished anew and it is faith that doth all these and this is the excellencie of faith and the good of it and the benefit that belongeth to faith in a peculiar manner above all other graces in the world now that yee may see how faith suits a man with all graces take notice that there are three wayes whereby the heart went away from God and the spirituall wants which by this meanes befell the soule 3. Sorts of spir wants are three all which faith supplies to the soule answerably The first and great want of the soule is this it is gone away from God and the Lord is a stranger to it it was made for God and to have communication with God but now it is gone from God and God from it there are now many controversies betweene the Lord and the soule this is the great want and this brings in all the rest now faith supplies succour and answers to these necessities faith bringeth the soule againe to God and the soule to have a nearer union and more inward fellowship with God than ever it had thus the soule being an enemy to God and God an enemy to it and God being a stranger to the soule and the soule being a stranger to the Lord now faith doth this it pitcheth the soule and makes the soule of a poore sinner to fall upon the very Deity and essence of God firstly and upon all the three whole persons as some Divines that are now with the Lord leaving a remembrance behinde them have interpreted it which phrase the Septuagints never used as they are observed for it is one thing to beleeve that there is a God and another thing to beleeve into God faith fasteâ—â— upon the Godhead firstly as 2 Corin. 6.11 where the Apostle saith Hee that joyneth himselfe to an harlot is one body but hee that joyneth himselfe to the Lord is one spirit the Spirit of God sets a frame of soule upon the poore sinner that it flings it selfe upon God that which firstly must be the object of faith that faith must firstly rest upon as that which is able to give that succour which it wants now because God only is infinite he alone is able to succour a man according to his wants therefore faith must first goe to him we need pardon and therefore faith goes to God who only is able to pardon and we need power and faith goes to God who is able to succour us thus it is an infinite God only that must create this power in us and therefore nothing but God must firstly be beleeved in we beleeve in the promise because God is there and because â—n the promise only wee finde a fulnesse of sufficiencie to supply what ever wee want or need therefore why should faith goe to any thing else now nothing can save a man but God infinit and therefore faith goes to
none but him and makes an end of all controversies betweene God and the â—oule it takes away all divisions and brings the soule into favour againe and makes it acceptable â—o God through the merits of Christ so that now â—he anger of God is appeased Act. 26.17 when God sent Paul among the heathen he gave him this commission saying Goe preach the Gospell and open the eyes of the blinde that they may turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God every man by nature is gone from God and you goe all sin-ward and hell-ward and away you goe from God now that you may bee for God againe faith goes to God Ioh. 1.12 To as many as received him and beleeved in his name to them hee gave this privilege that they should bee the sonnes of God God will not only bee a friend to them but a carefull loving and tender Father thou by nature art a childe of perdition and destruction but dost thou beleeve and repent now then 〈◊〉 the controversies betweene God and thee are â—â—ded and of a fiend of hell thou art made the soâ—â— of God and the Lord is a tender hearted Father to that poore soule of thine Ioh. 3. He that belâ—veth shall bee saved but hee that beleeveth not tâ—â— wrath of God abides upon him so that an unbeleeving soule hath God up in armes against him Oh that God would perswade your hearts of thâ—â— this is a great misery when thou lyest downe tâ—â— wrath of God hangs over thine head and thy eyâ— may close up and the Lord may send thy soâ—â— downe into the pit and when thou goest frâ—â— home the wrath of God abides upon thee thâ—â— mayst never returne home againe goe what thou wilt and doe what thou canst while thâ—â— abidest in thy sins the wrath of God abides 〈◊〉 thy soule body and what appertaines to thee 〈◊〉 thou art an unbeleever but if thou art a belâ—â—ver the wrath of God is gone and thou art pâ—â—â—â—â— from death unto life Ah what a happy condition is this that a man may say Lord I was a child of wrath I wonder that God cut me not off and I admire at it that God sent mee not downe to hell every night that I went to bed but now the Lord hath made mee to beleeve and hath accepted me I was under the curse of God and now God hath delivered me and now I have beleeved in the promise and now I have a right to the promise and all the mercy and goodnesse in it thus the soule hath a supply of this first want and is brought into favour with God againe Want 2 The second want of the soule is this the soule being now departed from God the God of all wisdome good and life hence it is that the soule is deprived of all good and grace and life for whatsoever life and grace it had it was from God and therefore the soule being departed from God the Lord strips the soule of all that righteousnesse and holinesse it had in Adam the Lord gave him wisdome and righteousnesse in Adam and in him to all his posterity but now being gone from God God hath justly taken all from him so that now the poore sinner is dead and though he lives because he hath a naturall life in him yet he lives not spiritually because he hath no spirituall life in him and therefore can doe no spirituall good he can neither doe well nor live well that thereby hee might please God for his comfort Now faith steps in like a friend at a dead lift and lends helpe this way it not onely brings a sinner to God but it is as a hand to communicate from God to a sinner whatsoever spirituall good it needs and this only faith can doe Marke it I beseech you a man that is dead in sinne and should be brought to some spirituall good and life he must either live by himselfe or by another but by himselfe hee cannot because a dead man cannot live by himselfe but every man is spiritually dead by nature and of himselfe hee cannot live and therefore he must goe to another which is God he must give life and therefore he must beleeve in another and receive the spirituall grace and power from that living gracious God to walke more cleerly in a good course this iâ— the intent of all these phrases in Scripture Gal. 2.20 the text saith I live but how it is by faith in Christ Christ lives in him and he in Christ faith is not so much the soule of a Christian but faith inables a man to live by Christ whom it apprehends therefore Saint Paul to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God it is said of Enoch that he walked with God and did thereby please God but how came he to doe it by faith hee did it Now no man can yeeld obedience to Gods commandement and thereby please God except he goe to God by faith and receive power from God thereby to please God I take this to be a truth that in proprieties of language and speech faith as wee now speake of it is not any part of the spirituall life and soule of a Christian but a spirituall instrument and engine whereby the soule goes to God to fetch a soule whereby he may live thus it is punctually the soule in vocation goes to God and being come it receives the spirit of adoption brings in the image of sanctification which Adam had lost and now the sinner is inabled to live in obedience unto God so that in vocation we goe to God and in adoption we receive the spirit the image of sanctification from God and by sanctification the spirit brings new spirituall powers from God to the soule and so the soule is inabled to love God above all and his neighbour as himselfe now whether Adam had this faith or no I will not stand to dispute in this popular congregation but onely speake so much as shall be seasonable and profitable Therefore for the thing in hand this I take to be the excellency of faith to goe out to God to fetch a spirituall new principle of life and grace faith saith thou art dead and must have life and thy life is to be had only from God and therefore goe out that thou maist receive spirituall life from God so then when no other can bring it selfe life faith brings all other graces now faith doth all these not so much because it goes to him that hath all life in him faith is the field and the pearle is in it and the hid treasure is in Christ and faith goes to God from whom it received all things from the consolation thereof this is the meaning of that place 2 Cor. 3.18 and to this it is to be referred But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie even
of those that have it for if every man by nature is dead in sinne and hath no good of himselfe and can receive no good but rather oppose it then if hee have any saving worke wrought in him it is Gods free gift therefore first the Lord meets with a poore sinner and reveales himselfe to him before he be aware of it as many a man haply drops into the congregation or fals into a house where there is conference and mercy and grace shines upon him before he is aware of it and doth effectually draw the soule home from sinne to God as Ioh. 6.44 No man comes to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him the Lord bindes the strong man in preparation and humiliation for the Devill will not goe out by intreaty no the Lord Jesus must binde him and then the Lord Jesus is pleased to separate the soule from sinne to himselfe and he takes possession of him and in vocation hee perswades the soule effectually and brings it home and when he is brought home he gives him his good Spirit to sanctifie him Thirdly and this I would have you marke though all grace come from the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of his Spirit yet the Lord workes the worke of his grace and Spirit after a divers manner and the manner especially which is remarkable is this no man hath grace by nature nor any good and all that he hath is the proper worke of God and this God workes though differently some workes God workes upon us to bring us to himselfe and some workes God workes in us to bring us into a nearer communion and 2 Tim. 1.14 That excellent thing which was committed to thee keepe fast how by the Spirit that dwels in us this excellent thing was the doctrine of the Gospell now Saint Paul perswades us to keepe it by the Spirit that dwels in us this is a matter which blindes many a poore ignorant man that otherwise would bestow himselfe upon the free grace of God we truly say that all grace comes from Christ hereupon many a man thinkes that he must first be in Christ before he can have any grace we receive Christ by faith and therefore we must have faith before we can have him and wee come to Christ by faith and therefore we must have faith before wee can come to him now the Lord Jesus is the Authour of all grace in the hearts of his owne the Lord workes some grace upon us to bring us himselfe as the worke of preparation and vocation this is a saving worke of Christ but yet it is the worke of the Lord to bring us home to himselfe but now when we are come by faith then God conveyes another worke to us he doth justifie a sinner and adopt him and sanctifie him as in this similitude the first Adam by way of a naturall generation must beget a childe before he can imprint his image of corruption upon him and he must be the sonne of Adam before he can receive corruption from Adam so that generation is the way to corruption else it is no corruption as in that place Adam begat a sonne in his owne image that is as blinde as stubborne as proud as Adam so that generation is the way by which wee receive corruption from the first Adam so it is in the second Adam he doth by spirituall regeneration and after a speciall manner worke upon the hearts of his to bring them home to him before he will imprint his image upon them which is the image of sanctification the Lord Jesus will by the worke of vocation and preparation as by a spirituall union bring the soule to himselfe before he will imprint his image upon him sanctification now preparation and vocation goe before sanctification and yet they are not sanctification in the strict sense as generation went before the imprinting of the fathers image so vocation to Christ is before the image of Christ can bee imprinted I use to expresse my selfe by this similitude looke as it is with a clocke that hath the wheeles turned the rong way what must a man doe to make these wheeles goe right First he stops the wheeles and the wheeles doe not stop themselves and then he turnes the wheele and the wheele doth not turne it selfe and when hee hath done so then he gives it a poise or plâ—â—â— and by vertue thereof the wheeles run right and the clocke strickes right all these are severall workeâ— upon the wheele the stopping is not the turning and the turning is not the striking so it is with the soule of a poore sinner the heart of man iâ— like this wheele it was made for God to please him and to serve him and was altogether heaven-ward but now it is hell-ward and sin-ward and world-ward and it is quite unjoynted now how must God worke upon this heart to bring it into the right frame againe First the Lord stopâ— the poore sinner and that is by preparation he shewes him his sinne and the punishment of it and when he is posting on to hell the Lord writes bitter things against him and saith friend this is not the way to happinesse friend if you goe that way there is the pit of destruction before you and so with a mighty strong commanding hand he stops the sinner by godly feare and sorrow and hatred and turnes it from wickednesse Secondly the Lord turnes the heart to himselfe in vocation and the Lord saith come hither thou poore sinner doe not goe to thy lusts they will kill thee but goe to the Lord Christ and he will save thee goe not to the world it will delude thee but goe to the Lord Christ and he will inrich thee thou art filthy but goe to Christ and he will purge thee thou art miserable but come to Christ here is happinesse and that will save thee by thiâ— time the wheele is stopped and also turned the right way and every wheele is where it should be and then the Lord justifies a poore sinner and is well pleased with him and is reconciled to him and he giveth his Spirit in adoption and that is as the poise that so he shall no more be ruled by the world nor by his lusts but by the good Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ and the hand of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ doth assist that poore soule for ever Thirdly the soule having received the Spirit by faith as Gal. 4.5 receives hereby the adoption of sonnes Fourthly now the whole frame of the heart runs right and is towards God and for God and loves God and hath the spirituall power and a new principle of it selfe and this is the maine worke of sanctification if you will take sanctification in the stricktest sense all the rest are saving workes but this is the maine worke of all Fiftly as the clocke when it is thus framed strikes right and when it is two it strikes two and when it is
three it strikes three so the soule is thus led by the Spirit of God as Rom. 8.14 and then it obeyes God and doth every good duty and loves God above all and his neighbours as himselfe in truth and in uprightnesse so that the soule is stopped in humiliation and is turned in vocation it receives the poise in adoption and renovation in sanctification and it obeyes God in all things then the conclusion is this all these are saving workes and such as doe undoubtedly accompany salvation but all this while one is not another for two of these are wrought upon us that is preparation and vocation and these are by a passive worke the wheele workes because it is moved and in the other three the Lord conveyes his Spirit to us and mercifully workes the power of sanctification in us and makes us able to serve him and obey him Acts 26.18 Paul was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes to turne them from the power of darknesse to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance amongst them that are called and sanctified marke all the passages of it from darknesse and Sathan that is in preparation to God and to light that is in vocation and as Saint Peter saith Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that yee maâ— receive the forgivenesse of sinnes repent there is preparation and bee converted there is vocation turned from Sathan and the power of the Devill that they may be under the power of the Lord Jesus and lye at his foot-stoole as a souldier is turned from such a captaine when hee is content to be under another so the soule is turned from sinne and is content to take presse money and to become a souldier of Iesus Christ Thirdly that he may receive forgivenesse of sinnes that is in justification and an inheritance among them that are sanctified that 's in sanctification all these are done by faith the scope of the holy Ghost there is to discover the frame of grace in the heart and therefore it is not to be understood of the nature of Sanctification but of the worke of it that a man should receive his sanctification by faith and yet is but sanctified in part these are contraries The fourth is onely the worke of sanctification and lastly from the question thus resolved from hence that question falls to the ground and from hence first a man may see it clearly that sanctification comes after justification and secondly whether repentance is before faith or whether repentance is before justification or justification before faith and repentance and thirdly whether there be any other instrument to beleeve in Christ but faith No there is no other for they all concurre by faith Thus much for the first use a word of confutation and information Vse 2 Secondly if it be so that faith is a resting upon God and a receiving of mercy from God then this is a word of terrour to all that still remaine in unbeleefe they are to see their sinne and misery by sinne their sinne is most hainous and their plagues are intolerable if it bee faith that brings a man to Christ and suits a man with all comforts from Christ then all you unbeleeving sinners let your soules shake in the apprehension of all these plagues of which you are guilty It is the misery that befalls poore creatures they are loth to be knowne to be drunkards or theeves or robbers because shame will come to them but not to beleeve the promise and to despise the Lord Jesus Christ you make nothing of this you draw the harrowes lightly after you you confesse this sinne and the other sinne and you doe welcome it but in the meane time no man lookes to his unbeleeving heart and yet this is the greatest sinne of all other and brings the greatest misery as Heb. 3.12 Take heed why what 's the matter For the Lord Jesus Christ his sake take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleefe to depart from the living God this unbeleefe makes you depart from the Lord God you will take heed of whoring and drunkennesse and you will say you are not so and so but I say thou hast an evill and unfaithfull heart and thou art a dead man and a miserable man and thou art gone from the Lord God the God of all happinesse and therefore thou art but a damned man This is the root and the worst of all take heed of an unbeleeving heart it departs away from the living God this is the nature and misery of this sinne What is the estate of the damned in Hell and this shall bee the sentence that is past against the wicked in that day when the Heavens shall melt and the Goats shall stand on the left hand and the Sheep on the right hand and when ye shall see all the Heavens on a flame and you shall heare that fearfull voyce saying arise you damned unbeleeving wretches stand forth and heare your doome what will bee your greatest misery in that day even this Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting flames this is the upshot of vengeance and the sharpest sentence would you not thinke this terrible if you did heare it Now therefore away thou varlet bee gone to Hell I doubt not but the very proudest wretch in hell would then be content to hang upon mercy before hee went to Hell and hee would beg that he might yet breathe to call after mercy If thou wouldest take heed of this sentence then take heed of an unbeleeving heart for by unbeleefe thou passest the sentence against thy selfe thou needest none other to condemne thee Oh therefore get you home and humble your selves in secret and say thus The Lord hath given mee a heart to see the evill of my heart I blesse the Lord thou hast kept my hand my eye my life but good Lord I never saw the horrible nature of sinne which will be my bane to this day I was never burthened with it Oh that I might now take heed of it what shall I say to mine owne heart depart thou wretch to Hell the Lord forbid Oh strive mightily with God and with your owne soules and rest not till you get some strength from Heaven and say if that voice should come againe Oh woe to mee for ever well my unbeleeving heart doth this and hath past the sentence upon mine owne soule you heare these and if you would but take home these truths they would make you stagger See what our Saviour saith Iohn 5.40 You will not come to mee that yee may have life but I know you that yee have not the love of God in you comming is beleeving is this sinne so heavy the Lord fasten it upon your hearts what shall any man goe away and say I will not beleeve there is such a generation whither will you goe If the world calls yee run if the devill calls ye goe presently but will you not
and it is ready to cousen the touch I meane of able judicious Christians but now this faith never came from the right place for if it were right it must come from the mine of mercie and from God and the worke of his Spirit from thence thou hast it if thy faith bee sound Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing the word faith is not in us it comes to us it is not wrought or purchased by our owne worthinesse or power the word is the conduit to convey it but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is as the fountaine that sends it into the soule so that you must not thinke to have faith here first but hast thou found faith here first then it is not of the right but if the good Spirit of the Lord hath wrought upon thee if it be so then thy faith is right but some will say we heare the word diligently and we doe attend upon God in his ordinances and have wee not faith I answer hearing is the meanes to convey it but it is the Spirit of the Father that conveyes it by the meanes and that Spirit thou must receive by the meanes if ever thou have it there is the pitch of the point Object But how shall we know when the Spirit of God is pleased to worke this in our soules and to put it into our soules by hearing Ans There is all the difficultie and it is worth the while to consider sadly of it for I know the worke of Gods Spirit by the word in the soule by these particulars First the Spirit sheweth to the soule of a poore sinner that hee hath no faith nor no abilities 〈◊〉 worke it of himselfe this the word workes first but we are not yet at the bottome Secondly when the Spirit hath shewed thee that thou art an unfaithfull soule and that thou hast to power to worke it of thy selfe then the Spirit of the Lord by the word breathes upon the soule of a poore sinner and by the sweetnesse thereof overmasters and breakes downe all those secret cursed distempers of heart that brought under the soule and kept him in himselfe every man is brought in bed with his corruptions as Iob speakes namely thus The Spirit of God in the word drives the soule to a restlesse disquiet and makes him see that hâ—e must not stay here but hee must seeke out and goe from hence and seeke for another condition or else hee must perish for ever rest not here saith the Spirit you must bee gone and the soule saith If I rest here I am an undone man therefore hee will out and seeke for another condition Thirdly as the Spirit of God doth overpower those distempers and drives the soule to a restlesse condition till it looke out for a better condition so lastly the Spirit of God shewes that poore soule an impossibilitie of finding mercie but from God and therefore turnes the face and sets the frame of the heart that way to looke God-ward and to be for God and this is the meaning of that place Iohn 16.9 when the Spirit of God comes to bring faith and peace to the conscience the text saith Hee shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeved not on him this place implies two things First the Spirit of God sets downe all sinfull carnall pleas and pretences that the heart can make and perswades the heart that he is in a sinfull and most lamentable estate and condition and must change Secondly it convinceth the heart that there is good to be found in another and with that the heart is turned that way to looke towards a Saviour and to wait for him till mercie come from thence and then if thou canst say this to thy soule The truth is Lord I was an unbeleever and an unfaithfull creature and the Lord made mee see it and left me not there but by the power of his Spirit and the ministery of the word he drew me from thence and laid fast hold on me and left some remembrance of his indignation upon my soule and made me restlesse in myselfe and opened mine eyes to see a better way and said thou must goe on in another way and in a better way and so opened to me a glimpse of his mercie and goodnesse so that the foule is now comming on to God where this is it will never end but the Spirit of God will worke faith and faith is now comming home to the soule and the soule will come home to the flood oâ— conversion is nothing else but a setting of the soule for God as it is plaine in all the phrases of the Scripture this is the first triall Triall 2 Secondly if thou wilt judge thy faith whether it is true or noe doe thus faith makes choice wholly of Christ and resolves to match with Christ onely the meaning is this it chuseth Christ wholly for now the match is made up when once the soule comes to beleeve the preparation to the match was before in desire c. but now the match is made up and now the soule makes choice of Christ as he on whom he will bestow himselfe he chuseth Christ wholly and that you shall perceive thus when he is thus cald home by faith whatsoever it is that Christ brings the soule chuseth all of that whatsoever belongs to a Christ and is of Christ and in Christ he chuseth all Christ Christ is not only the Saviour of all his but hee is the God of all grace and hath grace to bestow upon the soules of all those that beleeve in him now faith chuseth the holinesse of a Christ and whatsoever grace is in Christ the soule chuseth that as much if not more than pâ—â—don of sinne and removing the guilt of sinnes there is the authority and rule of Christ and faith chuseth that and had rather to be under the government of Christ than under any other Scâ—pâ— in the world and faith chuseth the life of Christ whatsoever life Christ lives that life faith will chuse the woman is now content to conforme her selfe to the estate and condition of her husband she must not thinke to live as she list and to be in this place and that place and that fashion therefore thinke of it that thou didst never as yeâ— beleeve in a Christ except thou didst chuse the patience and holinesse and meeknesse of a Christ and the rule and life of Christ many Lords have ruled over us saith the text when thy cursed corruptions come and would rule thee if then thou art content to bee ruled by a Christ and to live and converse as he did this is an undoubted argument that thou chusest Christ aright nay thou must chuse the shame and disgraces and the crosse of Christ and the crowne of thornes too that is that whatsoever it is that comes with a Christ thou must make choice of it and say I will have Christ and all that comes with Christ as it is with a
grace for the Lord gives what he will when he will and after what manner he will therefore stint not God in his giving but wait when and what hee will bestow upon thee Thirdly know that thou restest upon thy owne duties and endevours and goest not out to God that blesseth both the meanes and thy endevours for thy good and that is the reason why thy heart is not enlarged and grace communicated the fault is thy owne because thou restest in thy performances and in the meanes and goest not to God that would have done more than all and wrought more than all these If I thinke and am perswaded I have power to goe out of my selfe in conceiving I have power and staying there I stay in my selfe when I thinke to goe out of my selfe it is a supernaturall worke and the same hand must bring us out of our selves that must bring us to Christ the same hand must pluck us out of our selves and sinnes that must bring us to the Lord Jesus Christ therefore if I thinke and through Satans delusion conceive that I have abilitie to goe out of my selfe I repose upon my owne abilitie when I profesly renounce my owne abilitie I maintaine a repose upon my owne abilitie when I renounce it I say I can doe nothing and yet rest upon that I can doe it is a point very profitable therefore marke what I say this is selfe deniall in truth when the soule knowes it hath nothing and therefore is over-powered by the almightie worke of Gods Spirit and is stopped as it were in so much that the soule of a sinner doth not looke to expect any power or any principle from it selfe or any creature or any dutie the soule of an humble sinner knowes he is a dead man in sinne hee cannot direct his owne wayes therefore when he is brought to deny himselfe it is by the almightie worke of Gods Spirit when the Lord drawes the soule that it lookes not inward it lookes not downward it lookes not to the creature it expects no principle from within no power from the meanes to performe any dutie when then I thinke with my selfe I have power and abilitie to goe out of my selfe then I say I have a power within me to doe something pleasing to God namely I can denie my selfe which is contrarie for to denie a mans selfe is to looke for no power or expect any power or sufficiencie from himselfe or from the creature to performe that God requires therefore wee must listen and looke onely to the voice of Christ he that cals us from darknesse must call us to the glorious light of himselfe we must as well listen to the voice that must pluck us out of our selves and expect power from Christ to pluck us out of our selves as wee must expect power from Christ to goe unto him the conclusion therefore is this I would have a sinner say and thinke with himselfe I expect no power Lord from my selfe I intend to wait upon the Lord that hides himselfe from the house of Israel and I will looke up I will use all meanes and improve all helpes I can but I will not looke to hearing from that to receive any thing I will not looke to the Minister from him to receive any thing but in these meanes of hearing and prayer and in the use of all ordinances I will looke up unto God that hides his face from his servant for the while and will looke up to that wisdome to be informed that is wiser than the wisdome of the meanes and I will looke up to that power to be strengthened that is stronger than the power of the meanes Habak 3.17 when he saw all began to faile though the fig-tree blossome not and the vine flourish not yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and stay my selfe upon the God of my salvation marke this when all meanes under heaven faile when the figge tree blossomes not when the vine flourisheth not when all means faile yet there is mercy with the Lord there is power and strength and sufficiency in the Lord to doe my soule good and say thou though my sinnes be great and exceeding great though my heart be hard and comes not under the power of Gods ordinances and the means of grace work not upon my soule yet I will looke up to the Lord and my eyes shal be towards him my eyes shall not bee inward to looke upon any thing in my selfe but my eyes shall looke upon to the Lord and expect all from him and thus much shall suffice for the second hinderance Object Hinderance 3 The third hinderance which hinders a poore sinner from comming to Christ is the want of sense and feeling and therefore the distressed sinner complaines I never knew what it was to have the assurance of Gods love I never received any sound sensible comfort unto my soule and shall I thinke that I have grace shall I thinke that my heart is fitted to receive that mercie which God hath promised to his Saints the Scripture reveales it not the Saints have found it that they which beleeve rejoyce in the Lord but I am a stranger to that joy and that is a stranger to me how can I thinke then that I have any interest to the promise or any faith whereby I may depend upon the promise Ans I answer this hinders not that thou maist not come unto God by beleeving and receive good from him therfore remember these 3. particulars First thou must not thinke to have joy and refreshment before thou goest to the promise but thinke to expect it when thou doest beleeve when thou doest chew and feed upon the promise and continuest so doing know that joy and sweet refreshment it is a fruit that comes from faith first beleeve and then have joy doe not thinke to have joy and then beleeve the heart is filled with peace and joy not before beleeving but by beleeving and after beleeving then rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious when faith is rooted in the heart and hath had many sun-shines of Gods favour upon it then expect those admirable ravishments and sweet consolations which the word speakes of and thou maist obtaine Secondly these joyes and sense and feeling are things which may be separated from faith a man may have a good faith and a strong faith and yet not have that comfort and sweet refreshment a sinner lookes for and desires a man may want sparkes and yet want neither life nor heat a tree may want leaves and yet not want sap so it is with those consolations faith may bee strong when a mans feeling may be nothing Restore to mee the joy of thy salvation saith David hee was justified and sanctified and had faith and yet had not this joy nay Iob had faith and yet he had no sense and feeling of Gods favour Thou makest me a bâ—â—â— to shoot as faith he and thine arrowes have drunke up my spirits and yet
against reason sense and religion and all Now thy faith begins to wrastle with him and his dealings and conscience checks and thou wilt teare thine owne heart out of thine owne bosome brethren this will not doe it When a ship of a hundred tuns is upon ground the mariners may pull and tug their hearts out before they can get it goe O goe then and say it is not I that can be patient and put up a wrong be quiet and expect it not from hence let the heart lie still till the winde and tide and promise come and that will carry thee Rule 2 Bring the promise home to thy heart that the promise may bring thy heart to it I meane thus I told you before that the heart renounceth all abilities of it selfe as the first principle and saith it is in an impatient heart it is not here Lord downe be quiet and still goe thou to the promise and bring that first to thy soule and when the promise comes it will bring thy heart home to it I will tell you how you must goe to the promise and say thus It is not in mine owne power to quicken my selfe yet Lord this I know that there is sufficiencie in the promise to supply all my wants and there is authoritie in the promise to rule and order mee in all my courses therefore take the promise and reason thus I conclude that the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of his Spirit is in the promise undeniably and undoubtedly and unspeakably accompanying in his manner as hee shall see fit This I say that the almighty Spirit of Christ doth really and continually accompany the promise for the good of his hence it is called the spirit of promise for there is an Almighty creating worke goes along with the promise and I reason thus that word that discernes the thoughts of the hearts of men that word must needs have the Almighty worke of Gods Spirit accompanying of it so far as God hath promised it not haply when thou seest fit but when God sees fit Hee doth it as a voluntary workman therefore thou considerest that there is an Almighty power and a fulnesse in the promise then lay that promise upon thine heart and know it and conclude it and looke for vertue from thence to draw thy soule to it again I have severall passages to expresse my selfe by it you may understand it Iacob would not beleeve that Ioseph was alive or if he were alive he had but little means was poore Gen. 45.26 27 28 29. but when he saw the Chariots that Ioseph had sent him then he beleeved and said I have enough Ioseph my son liveth the Chariots sent from Ioseph to Iacob brought Iacob to Ioseph so every beleeving soule is poore and feeble and dis-nabled to goe to God and to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ therefore looke thou unto the Chariots of Israel first and that will convey thee to the promise As it is with the miller first he pares the mill fitly and orders all the occasions thereof and when the stones are fit and laid to goe yet it will not goe till the sluce be pulled up and the water runs that drives the mill so the soule is humbled and lies levell with the Lord and his truth and is content to yeeld to his conditions but the soule of it selfe in it selfe cannot goe It hath not the principle of going but let downe the sluce of the promise and let that come to thy heart and it will bring thy soule home to the Lord. The promise must come to thee and make thee come to it It is not here Lord but in the promise bring that promise and set open the sluce and let the wind blow and it will convey thee comfortably as Luke 19.9 This day salvation is come to thy house not to the wals of thy house but to the men that are in the house they did not come to salvation but salvation came to them the Lord sent salvation to salute the house of Zacheus and that brought him to salvation this is the foiling of many poore beleevers O say they if I could beleeve then the promise did belong unto me but I dare not venture upon it but I say unto thee whomsoever thou art thou shalt never live by faith upon these termes thou must first let the promise come to thee and then it will carry thee unto it Rule 3 When the promise is thus come home and thou seest the sufficiency and authority of it then all thou hast to doe is this in the streame of that promise be carried and in the vertue thereof be conveyed home to the Father Luke 15.4 The Prodigall is said to be like a lost sheepe marke this for it concerneth you poore creatures The poore sheepe is wildered up and downe now in the mouth of the Lion and then in the briars and sometimes in the pit The text saith He leaveth the ninety nine to seeke that that is in comparison of what care he expresseth to the lost sheepe hee leaveth a man regenerate not carelesly but hee will not expresse so great love as to a poore lost man and though thou canst not find the way to Heaven yet hee will finde thee lie thou upon the shoulders of Christ as in the 5. verse of this Chapter when thou findest thy heart feeble and weake and thy selfe unable to beleeve then the Lord Jesus Christ brings the spirit of grace and that comes to seeke and Jesus Christ will lay that soule of thine upon his shoulders that is upon the riches of the freenesse of his grace therefore let thy heart bee transported by the power of that grace and by the vertue of that mercie that God hath made knowne unto thee for thy everlasting good when the chariots are come get thee up into them the Lord Jesus Christ is gone up to heaven and hee hath sent his chariots for thee therefore get thee up and say Lord take mee up with thee let the Lord convey thee by the power of his grace when the mariner hath sea roome enough hee cares for no more if hee can but observe the channell hee lookes not so much at his oare or any thing so he can observe the channell this channell is the full tide of the promise therefore lay thy selfe upon the promise and say Lord in the vertue of that grace and in the power of that Spirit carry mee and in the riches of that mercie of thine Lord convey the heart of this poore sinner and make mee happy with thy selfe for ever Passage 2 It is presumed that thy faith now is come to the promise now the skill is how hee may take and improve the good of the promise and receive all the incomes thereof There are two things especially observable First labour to husband the promises and to mannage them wisely when wee have them for our best advantage Secondly labour to live by the sweetnesse of the promises
heart saith I shall not know what Gods minde is or I shall not doe what I know or it will not succeed or no it is not in my power Now we leave all these with God and meddle not with them but put them over to the Lord and meddle with thy owne duty and worke and let God alone with his and say thou unto the Lord In truth Lord it is not in my power it is not in my parts or worke either to compasse that wisedome that is able to direct my selfe or to have any power to doe all that is commanded much lesse to give good successe Lord I will not meddle with that but leave it to thy Majestie if thou in thy power canst not nor in thy faithfulnesse and goodnesse carest not for thy poore helplesse creature then I am content and if thou wilt not be faithfull then I am content to bee miserable and so thou maist suppose a man that hath promised to undertake some businesse for a friend and then in the end it proves somewhat troublesome and therefore he wisheth his friend to take it againe into his owne hands for it is very troublesome but a man will leave it unto him and say he hath ingaged himselfe to doe it and hee will not looke after it I will not meddle with it any more so what end it is that is in Gods royall prerogative leave it with God and doe not meddle with it let God looke to it leave it to Gods faithfulnesse and power to accomplish it So did Abraham Rom. 14.18 19 20 21. verses Abraham above hope beleeved under hope that he should be the Father of many Nations Sarahs wombe was barren and his body dead and yet he must have a sonne and therefore he sets Gods power on worke and saith in the 21. verse Lord this body is dead and Sarah is barren there is no helpe here but thou art able and thou hast ingaged thy selfe to doe it he sets Gods power to worke and puts over all the right and burthen of the care upon the Lord. Hester 4.14 Therefore Mordecay saith If thou hold thy peace at this time comfort and deliverance shall come from some other place hee was resolved that God had deliverance for his Church and would not deny his owne truth salvation will come saith the text he knowes not the place or by what means but he knowes that salvation will come So set thou Gods power and faithfulnesse to worke and not thy owne care commit it to the Lord and hurle thy care upon him so far as concernes the burthen of it Direction 2 Secondly by faith goe to the promise againe for helpe and power to wait upon God in that way and to looke towards God in the use of those means that hee hath appointed for the attaining of that good which his power will work for thee God will worke it and so thou must meet God in the course of his providence in the improvement of the means he hath appointed for thy good Observe thou his providence and doe thou what God requires for otherwise we live not by faith but tempt God and throw away the promise and all and deprive our selves of that good which God would bestow unlesse wee walke in that way which he hath appointed Luke 24.49 When our Saviour was to goe to Heaven he said Behold I send the promise of my Father amongst you but tarry you in the cittie of Ierusalem untill you bee indued with power from above Christ would endue them with the Spirit but they must tarry at Jerusalem and wait for it So I say wouldst thou have grace and the spirit from above and the wealth of the world then walke in that way which God hath appointed stay at Jerusalem and bee in the way and meet God in his providence and then receive from his power and faithfulnesse what thou needest Thou wouldst have God blesse thee in thy estate and yet thou wouldst bee idle and carelesse but this will not doe the deed God would give thee a blessing but thou art not there to take it this is the excellency of the promises of God as they require conditions before they bestow mercies so they make us able to be partakers of the conditions and give the conditions as for example Ezech. 36. The Lord in the former part of the Chapter promiseth to give many things to them but how It must bee by prayer and humbling themselves before him hee will give a blessing in thy family by prayer in it and a blessing in private by praying in private and strength against sinne and power against corruption but I will bee sought unto for all these saith the Lord and the text saith Blessed is the man that walketh in his integritie and his children after him therefore walke thou in the integrity that is the condition of a Christian in generall or as a husband or as a wife or as a servant in the particular this the promise requires but marke this now the same promise that requires the condition will help us to performe the conditions and the same Lord that saith I will bee intreated and sought to for all these the same Lord saith Psal 10.17 Hee prepareth their hearts to pray goe thou therefore to God to help thee to pray that he may bestow his blessing upon thee which he hath promised Ezech. 26.27 He will first give them a new heart and then teach them to walke in his wayes so if thou wilt walk in Gods wayes thou shalt have his blessings therefore go thou by the power of faith to the promise of God for strength and grace and that thou must use the means appointed and then expect a blessing from it in the course of his providence now is Gods power and faithfulnesse set a worke Direct 3 Thirdly we must set it downe and conclude it that God will doe and wee shall receive in the wayes of his providence whatsoever he hath promised to give that 's the worke of faith and that is to draw sap and vertue from the promise Iohn 3.33 There by leaning is called sealing to the promise this is the nature of sealing when a man hath drawen the articles of agreement and when they have sealed all is done so faith must make the promise authenticall and put a seale to it that is true and saith it is done in heaven and I am fully resolved and setledly perswaded thereof that I shall have whatsoever I have beleeved and thou hast promised and I have used meanes for in the way of thy providence famous is that of Abraham Gen. 22.5 the Lord had bidden him sacrifice his sonne and yet hee said that hee should live and therefore when hee came to the place he said to his servants Abide you herewith the asses for I and the childe will goe yonder and sacrifice and will come againe to you he thought to sacrifice him and yet by faith he beleeved that he should bring