To open the Gospel 2. Thy ear 3. Thy heart for it is by his Spirit that the Gospel proves to be unto you the word of Faith Our Gospel came in power and in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1. 5. If the Spirit of God did but reveale his Arm if he would but breath through the Gospel it would certainly be the power of God for faith in you 2. Again you must pray with all importunity and diligence and watchfulness and observation what God answers and spiritual violence and resolution and never cease wrestling with God I tell you it is one of the greatest requests that you can make to God O Lord unite me to Christ give me that faith by which I may be Christs and Christ may be mine And take this for thine encouragement That if the Lord hath given such a spiritual and steadfast frame of spirit as to pray he Patiently wait upon God in the use of meanes will at length give thee this faith 4. Patiently wait upon God in the use of Evangelical means untill he doth come in with his Spirit upon your Spirits to enable you by faith to close with Christ lye at the Pool do not limit God to this Sermon or to that Prayer and do not wrangle and murmure against God regard what concerns your self to do and trust God with his work and with his time never did any soule seek him or wait on him in vain nor return ashamed there is not one Prayer that you make nor any one Evangelical Sermon that ye hear but it is making way in your hearts for this uniting faith Some more light gets in to discover Christs fulness and our want Some more hope is raised of a possibility at length to enjoy Christ Some more power is given against the powers and workings and reasonings and fears and doubts of unbelief they have not that despairing dominion Some more bewailings of thy Christlesse condition and strong unbelief with a resistance of it Sometimes more renewed resolutions and courage well whatsoever comes of it I will not yet give over my suite I will venture a few prayers more something more is getting in and winning upon the heart towards Christ But Why may I not believe on Christ what if I should venture on him upon his offers upon his entreaties upon his commands upon his promises do I not sin against Christ and offend him thus to fear thus to dispute thus to question thus to stand off well I will come and believe on him O I cannot Lord help me Lord work in me both to will and to do when Lord how long yet will I wait on thee till thou shewest this mercy to me SECT VII 3. Vse IS faith the condition of the Covenant of grace And is that faith an uniting Comfort and encouragement Faith a faith which unities us unto Christ The next Use then shall be for Comfort and Encouragement 1. To sinners in general 2ly To believers in particular to such as yet finde themselves out of Covenant and to such as finde themselves partakers of this uniting faith 1. That faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace this is a comfort and To sinners in general encouragement to poor sinners who as yet finde themselves out of Covenant If God had put any other condition upon that Covenant every sinner had been utterly hopelesse suppose he had annexed and imposed the condition of actual and perfect and personal righteousnesse bring that and perform that and then I will be your God I will accept of you I will own you I will love you I will pardon you I will save you why no sinner could upon this termes have found an entrance or admission into the Covenant because the performance of If faith be the condition this Covenant is impossible to a sinner as such a condition is inconsistent with the grace of God so such a condition is impossible with the state of sin which is a state of impotency and of death But now faith being the condition of the Covenant as there is a door open for grace to manifest it self so there is hope for a sinner to partake of that grace for if God will capitulate with us upon believing There is hope for in Christ Then 1. Our former sinnings do not absolutely exclude us One sin did break the Covenant Our former sinnings doth not exclude us of works but our many sins hinder not our reception into the Covenant of grace if yet we believe on Christ 2. A want of personal and perfect righteousness doth not exclude us for faith is not to look at our own righteousâ—ess but at the righteousnesse of Christ Nor want of personal and perfect righteousness Nor self unrighteousnesse 3. Our self-unworthinesse is no prejudice Faith looks for love and mercy and glory through Christ for the sinner who is in himself unworthy of love and mercy and glory 4. Our union with God is possible for though an immediate union there cannot Our union with God is possible be between God and a sinner yet a mediate union there may be viz. A union by Christ the Mediatour unto whom faith brings and unites the soule so that there is yet hope for the sinner to be brought into Covenant with God though not upon his own account yet upon the account of Christ unto whom faith joyns the sinner Object But it may be objected 't is true that faith is the condition of the Covenant And that faith is that condition it is therefore hopeful for sinners But yet this faith is as impossible to the sinner as the condition of perfect obedience for But this faith is as impossible to the sinner as perfect righteousnesse the sinner is no more able to make his heart to believe on Christ than he is perfectly to obey the will of God And then where is the comfort and hope that you speak of In the notion it is true that faith is a condition which advantageth a sinner But in practice it is such a condition unto which it is impossible for any sinner by his own strength to attain Answered Sol. 1. I grant that as to the â—eer consideration of the sinners self natural power the condition of Faith 〈…〉 â—mpossible as the condition of perfect obedience is he hath no more power â—or propensity to believe in Christ than he hath to obey and fulfill the Law and his heart is as full of unbelief as it is of disobedience 2. Neverthelesse though there be a self impossibility yet there is not an absolute Faith is possible and probable It is not imposed on us in our own strength impossibility nay faith is such a condition as is not only possible for a sinner but very probable for him to attaine it 1. Though it be the Condition of the Covenant yet it is not such a condition which God doth impose upon the sinner by his own strength or power
dependance upon your engaged and promising God 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith not by sight Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith Psal 115. 9. O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is their help and their shield ver 10. O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield ver 11. Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield And mark the reasons annexed why every one of these should trust in the Lord ver 12. The Lord hath been mindful of us you have had experience of his goodnesse for the time past and therefore trust in him and you shall every one of you finde him to be your good God still for the time to come therefore still trust in him he will blesse us he will blesse us He will bless the house of Israel he will blesse the house of Aaron ver 13. He will blesse them that fear the Lord both great and small There are six Arguments to perswade you unto this one duty viz. to depend Arguments for it upon your God by faith 1. Because he is your God and your Father and this comprehends within He is your God and Father it all the foundations and grounds for your faith and dependance He is an infinite all-sufficiency and goodnesse and he undertakes all your helps and supplies and stands engaged unto you for whatsoever is necessary to life and godlinesse and gives unto you so many promises as so many bonds and assurances that he will do you good and besides all this he is able to performe them and likewise faithful in his word yea and besides all this he loves you above all the people in the world and looks on you with tender compassions 〈◊〉 loving kindnesses and assures you that he will do you good for his own Names sake What can there be more and what can he said more to draw and perswade any to depend on a God and to rely upon him 2. Because you are his people Should not a people seek unto their God You are his people saith the Prophet Esay 8. 19. Whether should children go but to their father I am a Father to Israel and Ephraim is my first-borne Jer. 31. 9. And wilt not thou cry unto me My Father Thou art the guide of my youth Jer. 3. 4. Upon whom should the wife depend but upon her husband why The Lord is married unto you Jer. 3. 14. Thy Maker is thy husband Esay 54. 5. And how is he married unto you why In righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving kindnesse and in mercies and in failhfulnessâ— Hosea 2. 19 20. Truly even this alone that you are his people lays bond enough upon you to depend and trust upon your God for what is it to be his people but to choose him alone to be your God and for to acknowledge him by trusting upon him and loving of him and obeying of him if he be a God not worthy of your trust you are a people not worthy of his love and care 3. Because your God hath given unto you that choice grace of faith for this God hath given faith for this end end to act all along upon the Covenant of grace that he hath given faith unto you it is unquestioanble otherwise you were not his people now your faith is given unto you for foure ends One is for entrance that you might become his people and choose him for your God A second is for acquaintance that you as such a people might hold communion with such a God A third is for discovery that you might be able to finde out and behold all the undertakings and promises of your good God A fourth is for reliancâ— that you might be able to trust upon him for all that good which he hath promised unto you Faith is the eye which is given for to see our good and it is the feet which are given us to carry us to the fountaine of our good and it is the hand which is given to lay hold to take to receive all the good which our God hath promised us 4. Because it concerns you above all people to honour your God And how can you It concerns you above all people to honour your God honour him if you will not trust him faith hath if I may so expresse my thought all the glory of God in its hand you cannot possibly put more honour upon God than by believing and depending on him this is indeed to set him up as a God as the original of all c. 5. Because you know his Name How often have you found it good for you You know his Name to draw near to God And when you have laid the whole burden on his promises by faith you have alwayes found him a very faithful and helpful God Now saith David They that know thy Name will trust in thee 6. Have you any other to depend upon Every creature naturally is in a You have no other to depend upon state of dependency it is weak and wanting and an insufficiency to it self and therefore it must lean upon some stronger prop than it self And do not you finde it so with your selves finde you no wants at all can you be a sufficiency unto your selves under those wants will any or can any but God supply the wants of the people of God Most of your wants are above all Creature helps 2. You who are the people of God should walk in an exceeding love of your Walk in an exceeding love of your loving God good and loving God Matth. 22. 37. Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy minde 1 John 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us Deut. 11. 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Psal 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Sairts There is a love of desire O God thou art my God my soul thirsts for thee Psal 63. 1. Of delight Delight thy self in the Lord Psal 37. 4. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy Psal 16. 11. Of Admiratâ—on who is a God like unto thee Micah 7. 18. Of Satisfaction I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Psal 17. 15. Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us John 14. 8. Thy favour is better than life Psal 63. 3. Of Adhaesion never to part with God nor forsake him I held him fast I would not let him go Cant. 3. I and you should love as with the choicest kinde of love Foederal love so with the highest degrees of love you should love him more than all the world and more than all your friends and more than all your kindred more than father or mother sister or brother and more than your nearest relation than husband or wife and more than all your possessions and more than your own safeties and more
because of the ordinary self-deceit of men contenting themselves with a false faith and because of the dreadful hazard and loss upon such a mistake Therefore rightly to state out unto you this great Point upon which our life or death depends lend me your patience and attention while I briefly discourse upon four Conclusions 1. All men have not faith 2. All faith brings us not to a certain remission of sin although there is a faith which doth so 3. Some men may think they have that faith which doth entitle them unto remission of their sins but yet they are deceived 4. That faith which is necessary unto the remission of sins and infallibly attains it may be clearly made evident unto us for the truth of its presence in us First All men have not Faith So the Apostle expresly 2 Thes 3. 2. Who hath believed our report So the Prophet Isa 53. 1. He came amongst his own All men have not faith and his own received him not Joh. 1. 11. Though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him Joh. 12. 37. And there are four things do demonstrate this Four things demonstrate this The ignorance in many men 1. The ignorance in many men the know not Christ the Lord of glory How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Rom. 14. So say I how shall they believe on him whom they have not known though knowledge may be without Faith yet it is impossible there should be Faith without knowledge 2. The carelesnesse in many men about the offer of Christ and the invitations of Christ they make light of them Matth. 22. 5. an know not the day of Their carelessness about the offer of Christ their visitation Luke 19. 44. And follow their worldly pleasures and profits neglecting Christ and the great things of Christ Luke 14. 18 19 20. 3. The opposition of Jesus Christ We will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19. 14. Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from The opposition of Jesus Christ us Psal 2. 3. All day long I have stretched my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. 4. The obstinate perversenesse of will in the refusing of Christ ye would not Matth. 23. 27. Ye will not come to me Joh. 5. 40. They have both seen and hated both me and my Father Joh. 15. 24. Secondly Though some men have faith yet all Faith doth not bring us to All Faith doth not bring us to remission of sins A Diabolical Faith the certain remission of sins There are five sorts of Faith which may be had and yet no remission of sins is annexed to any one of them 1. A diabolical Faith The Divels believe and tremble Jam. 2. 19. They believe that there is a God and that that wrath which he hath threatned them shall inevitably befall them and thereupon they tremble such a kind of Faith many have who do utterly despair of mercy and are without hope 2. A meerly Historical Faith which is an assent unto the Word of God as true and there it rests many do firmly believe revealed truths who yet never A meer Historical Faith embrace the goodness of those truths they doe believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that he was sent into the world to save sinners that he died for sinners that he made peace by his blood that there is remission of sins to be had by him that whosoever believes and repents shall be saved All these Points they do believe to be certain truths because the Word of God saith so and yet for all this their hearts are not drawn to receive Christ nor to love him nor to serve him without which there is no benefit to be had from Christ 3. A temporary Faith Luke 8. 13. They on the Rock are they which when they hear receive the Word with joy and they have no root which for a while believe A temporary Faith and in time of temptation fall away Luke 8. 13. A man may go far as to hear the Gospel and to receive it to own it in some sort and that with joy he may be somewhat taken with the newness of it or with the sweetness of it and he may thereupon believe that it sets out the true way of life and thereupon may make a profession of Christ and the Gospel and come into an outward communion in the Gospel and yet this mans faith may not be sound which Christ shews in two particulars 1. It wants a root and it is but superficial it doth not root in the heart in Christ nor doth it flow from Chrisi as a Root or living Principle 2. It wants constancy or duration it is not fixed on Christ for Christ alone but for some self advantages and therefore in time of temptation it withers and falls off Now that Faith which neither roots us nor ingraffs us into Christ nor keeps us faithful and steadfast to Christ is false faith and therefore shall miss of the forgiveness of sins 4. There is a verbal Faith a Faith which conâ—â—sts only in profession and words A veâ—bal Faith without any vital fruits and manifestations of truth and power Jam. 2. 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man saith he hath Faith and have not works can Faith save him The Apostle in that place taxeth the vanity of empty and boasting Professors who talked much of their Faith and trusted for great matters by it alas saith he you deceive your selves much in your Faith there is a Faith which will indeed profit and save but the faith of which you boast will not do so for your faith is but a dead faith If it were true it would appear in love and good works as the living Tree doth in fruits but there is no such working faith in you 5. And lastly there is a presumptuous Faith which is nothing else but a phantastical A presumptuous Faith faith The simple believeth every word Prov. 14. 15. Ver. 16. The Foole rageth and is confident So is it with the man who hath presumptuous faith he believeth every word Christ is his and died for him and his sins shall be forgiven and his soul shall be saved and yet the foole rageth and is confident He is a wicked man and lives wickedly swears and lies and whores and breakes the Sabbath and derides holiness and will not obey the Gospel of Christ and yet he is confident he hath no Scripture grounds at all for his confidence nay there is clear ground for him to believe the wrath of God if he repent nor c. Thirdly Some men do think that they have that true Faith which doth entitle to Some men think they have true Faith but â—e deceâ—ved remission of sins but they are deceived Beloved self-deceit is very natural and common that a man may think himself to be
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven But this cannot possibly be if all his sins be already pardoned in heaven for then he is alwayes loosed and never bound in heaven This Argument is of that strength that I do not see how it can be answered for if upon the right sentence of the Church of Christ the offender is bound in heaven as well as on earth in respect of his sins then his sins are not all pardoned at once and if upon repentance he is loosed in heaven i. e. absolved and forgiven as well as loosed on earth thence also it follows that all his sins past present and to come are not at once forgiven in heaven take the one or the other or both still it shakes that Opinion of a forgivenesse of all sins at once Sixthly If all sins past present and to come are forgiven at once before they are repented of then a Regenerate and a justified person in the midst of his grossest sins as suppose Davids adultery and murder may joy and rejoyce as much in God and look on him as well pleased as when they do humble their soul and repent and seek his face To this one Francis Cornwell answers freely and plainly When sin is most In lib. of the difference between Legal and Evangelical repentance p. 54. prevalent and the heart is most hardened he speaks expresly of Regenerate and justified persons yet then can they glory in Christ Jesus with a large heart breaking forth into thanksgiving as Paul did Rom. 7. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yea and he that commits a gross sin and doubteth the pardon of it committeth a double sin the one against his Sanctification and the other against his Justification And what though a believer usually upon the pag. 56. committing of gross sins doubts of his estate this is from a defect in faith and not from any Rule and Precept of Gods Word And that it is all one and alike unto God when a person is humbled or not humbled and when he repents and forsakes his gross sins or repents not of them but continues in them for all is already pardoned on Gods part c. But these strange deliveries are contrary 1. To the Word which in case of gross transgressioâ—â— calls for humbling and mourning and repenting of the heart and weeping anâ—â—â—plication because God is dishonoured and displeased 2. To the exigence in all the children of God so fallen who thereupon have broken their peace and lost their joy and exceedingly interrupted their confidence with fear 3. To the Assertion of these very men who do hold that in case of gross transgression there must be deep humiliations to get assurance and joy Seventhly To these another Reason may be added and is added by some that forgiveness of sin is a judicial act in God as the contrary act of condemning is now the Judge neither condemns nor yet forgives offences which are not extant and which cannot be proved upon the Offender that ever he was guilty of them But when they are charged and pleaded then doth he condemn or acquit so it would be strange for a Judge to condemn one for faults not committed and so acquit a man for sins never in being and so not deserving punishment Eighthly Lastly the great and continual work of Christ in heaven as our Intercessor and Advocate 1 Joh. 1. 2. and the daily suing out of pardon in his Name and for his sake seems to carry much in it for the acquiring of daily pardon and continued forgiveness of sins His great work of Intercession and Advocater-ship surely it contains in it something more than to obtain an assurance that all is still pardoned Thus have I delievered unto you the two different Opinions with their several Arguments concerning this great Question whether all the sins of believers past present and to come are pardoned by God at once Now I shall make bold to deliver unto you my own thoughts concerning it and those different Opinions about it The truth concerning these different Opinions They agree in five particulars First I do observe that they do both agree in five particulars e. g. 1. That as to Gods eternal decree or purpose of forgivenesse all the sinnes of his people are forgiven God did not intend to forgive some of their sins and not the rest but an universal and full and compleat forgiveness was fixedly purposed and resolved on by God 2. That all the sins of his people in their absolute number from first to last were laid upon Christ who in the dayes of his suffering did meritoriously purchase perfect Remission of all their sins to be applied in future times to them and by them 3. That as soon as ever any person is brought into the Covenant by believing on Jesus Christ all his sins past whatsoever they have been they are actually forgiven unto him and God will never remember them any more 4. That as to the state of Justification there is a full and perfect remission of all sins considered under the differences of time past present and to come As in the state of condemnation there is not any one thing pardoned so in the state of Justification there is not any one sin but is pardoned for the estate of Justification is opposite to all condemnation and curse and wrath 5. That no Repentance or work of ours is a meritorious cause neither God nor any true believer looks on it as so of Justification or pardon of any sin neither the repentance which we call Initial neither that which we call Renewed we acknowledge no meritorious cause of pardon of sins but the blood of Christ Secondly The maine differences which I doe observe do rest in two The differences betwixt them things 1. One is that sins not yet committed are actually pardoned and we are to believe so say the one party not so say the other party untill committed or repented 2. Repentance is required say both of them but with this difference because sin is pardoned say the one but the other say that sin may be pardoned That we may have the comfortable sense and experience of pardon say the one that we may have the◠〈◊〉 forgiveness as well as the comfort of it say the other In this difference my own judgment inclines to that Opinion which holds That all the sins past of a Believer are at once forgiven and all his future sins are remitted unto him upon renewed acts of believing and repenting for Christs sake If that Opinion be true that Justification be one continuing or continued act this would reconcile all To me this Opinion 1. Hath clear grounds in the Scripture 2. Doth best suit with the Covenant which in this case still suits Faith and Repentance together 3. Doth best agree with the wayes which God still hath put his people upon in relation to forgiveness 4. And with the practice of the
Saints all along 5. And it seems to be a strong Guard against presumption and carnal security and looseness 6. And hath no direct natural appearance of inconveniencies in or from it Object Whereas they say this is Popish and Legal Sol. They speak ignorantly if not maliciously for they know that Jesus Christ in the Gospel-Commission joyned Repentance and Remission of sins It is as Popish to say Repentance is required for Assurance as for Remission for both are acts of grace Object But what if one should die before he repents Sol. And what if he should not dye That God who hath promised renewing mercy hath likewise promised renewed repentance Object But a man may be damned for the sinnes committed if all be not forgiven at once Sol. 1. As if a particular sin destroyed the state of Justification 2. What a sin deserves is one thing what it shall redundantly and eventually bring on the person is another thing 3. Though God doth not forgive all the sins at once yet he will certainly forgive them unto his people when committed and when repented of for God hath promised so to pardon them And no one promise of God can be shewed to the contrary It was Fulgentius his prayer Domine da poenitentiam postea indulgentiam Object But God justifies the ungodly therefore no need of subsequent repentance in relation to forgivenesse Sol. 1. Nay and put in too any Repentance or Faith at all for God justifies the ungodly 2. But he justifies the ungodly i. e. a man stands before God when he justifies him as a poor undone sinner having no righteousness of his own nor is Repentance required as the meritorious or as the material cause of Justification but as a meanes to enjoy what God hath pâ—omised to the believer Having thus waded through this great Controversie I shall now proceed unto the useful Application of the Doctrine That God doth promise to forgive all the sins of his people SECT III. Use 1. THe first Vse shall be of Information It may informe us of five Information things 1. Of that exceeding greatness of mercy which is in God 2. Of that exceeding love and kindness which is in God unto his people 3. Of what a heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ 4. Of the high Obligations which rest upon us who do enjoy this promise of universal forgiveness 5. Then multitude of sinnes is not absolutely inconsistent with pardon First In that God engageth himself by promise to forgive all the sins of all That God is a God of infinite mercy his people This doth manifestly declare unto us that he is a God of infinite mercy must he not needs be so who forgives such a number of sins and transgressions There are two things which discover unto us the infinite fulness and depth of mercy in God One is that vast Title attributed unto him and his mercy He is said to be of great mercy Psal 105. 8. and to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. and to be plenteous in mercy Psal 86. 15. and to pardon abundantly Isa 55. 7. 1 Pet. 1 3. according to his abundant mercy and to keep mercy for thousands Exod. 34. 7. and to be of everlasting mercy Psal 100. 5. and to be of transcendent and incomparable mercy As the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 103. 11. In like manner there are ascribed to his mercy and mercies a multitude Psal 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies A depth Mich. 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea Not only an abundance but an exceeding abundance 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant Nay an over abundance where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 23. It did superabound c. 2ly The other is the vast quantity of sinnes of which the people of God have been guilty Who saith David Psal 19. 12. can understand his errors i. e. the number of a mans sins is so numerous that with all the Arithmetick he hath he is not able to cast up how often he hath sinned Nay David surveying the number of his own sins he is non-plused and professeth that they are innumerable and that they are more than the hairs of his head Psal 40. 12. And Ezra in his confession Chap. 9. 6. Our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasse is grown up into the heavens Now if the number of sins in respect of one person be so innumerable what then is the number of all the sins of all the people of God yet there is mercy enough in God to pardon all and every one of them To pardon â—â— their sinnes which they do know and all the rest which they do not know Secondly In that God doth pardon all the sins of all his people this doth likewise discover the exceeding love and kindnesse of God to his people The Apostle The exceeding love and kindness of God to his people saith in 1 Pet. 4. 8. That Charity or love covereth a multitude of sinnes and that he that converts a sinner shall hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 20. Certainly then it shews exceeding love in God to cover to blot out to forget to passe over to pardon all the multitude of sins in his own people To injure God is infinitely more than to injure man to offend and dishonour him is infinitely more than to offend and dishonour man and for God to passe by all this it must needs flow from his infinite love and kindness and therefore God is said Rom. 5. 8. To commend or highly to exalt his love toward us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us and to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 7. And the forgivenesse of our sins is rightly attributed to the riches of his grace Eâ—â—es 1. 7. Thirdly in that God forgives all the sins of all his people this may inform us What a heavy weight did lie upon Christ What an heavy weight did lie upon Jesus Christ and of that wonderful power and vertue of his sufferings There is no man who is able to express the surpassing desert and burden in any one particular sin we finde many times that some one sin set on with the wrath of God doth drive us to our feet it is more unto us than the shadows of death it doth fill us with such distractions and horror that we can neither live nor dye we are not able to sustain it nor yet to decline it what work then would all our sins make within us if the Lord should in wrath return them upon us Now all the sins of all the people of God from the beginning of the world to the end thereof were in all their kinds and numbers and aggravations laid upon Jesus Christ he bare all our
as well as Justification II. That God himself doth undertake to sanctifie or to renew the hearts of his people III. That a new heart and a new spirit God will give unto all his people in Covenant SECT I. Doct. 1. THat Sanctification is promised unto the people of God as well as Justification Sanctification is promised as well as Justification or with Justification God doth promise not only to pardon the sins of his people but also to sanctifie and renew the hearts of his people a new heart also will I give you For the opening of this precious Truth I will shew unto you 1. The distinction or difference between Justification and Sanctification for the word also imports as much 2. The Connexion between them both 3. The Reasons why God promiseth the one with the other First The distinction or difference 'twixt Justification and Sanctification for they The difference between Justification and Sanctification are promised as two distinct or several gifts I will also c. which could not be spoken if they were both of them one and the same thing They differ thus First There is in Justification a change of the state he who was in the state They differ in six things of death and wrath being justified is in the state of life and love he is passed from death to life but in Sanctification of the heart he who was unholy is now made holy his heart is changed Secondly Justification looks at the guilt of sin and frees us from condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. But Sanctification looks at the filth of sin and frees us from the dominion of sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. Thirdly In Justification there is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us for which God accounts us righteous but in Sanctification there is grace infused into us by which we are made conformable unto the image of Christ that depends upon the merit of Christ and this depends upon the Spirit of Christ Fourthly The matter of â—â—â—â—â—ification is perfect and without any defect and exception the justice of God cannot finde any want in the obedience of Christ which was full and compleat and perfectly satisfied the Law of God but the matter of our sanctification is imperfect and weak and we cannot stand before Gods Judgment-seat with it Fifthly All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst believers as to their Justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst believers every one is not sanctified alike but some are stronger and higher and some are weaker and lower in grace Sixthly In Justification there is nothing of sin remaining which hath any cotrariety to the justified estate but in Sanctification there is something of sin remaining in the sanctified person which is contrary to that grace which is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other c. 2ly The Connexion of Sanctification with Justification You may read in The connexion of Sanctification with Justification Scripture of a four-fold conjunction of these two great gifts of God unto his people First In the promises of the Covenant they joyn hand in hand come forth like A four-fold cennexion In the promises twins out of the womb of grace Jer. 33. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Here you see them both expressed together in the same deed I will cleanse them from all their iniquity there is our sanctification promised And I will pardon all their iniquities there is justification promised Mich. 7. 19. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea Here you finde them again in promise He will subdue our iniquities this is sanctifying and he will cast all c. there is justifying Heb. 8. 10. I will put my Laws into their mindes and write them in their hearts there is the promise of sanctification Ver. 12. And I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more there is the promise of justification Rev. 2. 17. I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written c. Secondly In people of the Covenant All who are effectually called and In the people of the Covenant brought into Covenant they are justified and they are sanctified they partake of mercy and they partake of grace If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. He is made holy so 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And in 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye all in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification So Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Chap. 2. 1. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Thirdly In the desires of the people of the Covenant Their hearts are drawn In the desires of the people of the Covenant forth with the desires of both Psal 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Here is earnest prayer for mercy to pardon sin Ver. 10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me here is earnest prayer for grace to sanctifie Fourthly In the Mediatour of the Covenant who is the Head of his Church as well In the Mediatour as the Saviour of his body Ephes 5. 23. And gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Ver. 26. as well as to wash it from its sins in his own blood Rev. 1. 5. And gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 19. And bare our iniquities in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness by whose stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2. 24. He was anointed not only to be our Priest to take away our sins by his body but also to be a Prophet to reveal unto us the whole will of God And this is the will of God even our sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. 3ly The Reasons why God doth promise
removed health must come in For all chaâ—ge amongst qualities is made by contrary qualities And so it is when God changeth the heart when of old he makes it new He doth this by inâ—using a new Quality into the heart contrary to the old quality of the heart which quality is Regenerating or Renewing grace and is called sometimes holiness sometimes the New man sometimes the Inward man sometimes the Law of the mind sometimes the Spirit sometimes Christ sometimes the Anointing sometimes the seed of God and according to the several ways of working it hath several names v. g. As it is the forming of an heavenly being in the soul it is called Regeneration As it is the turning of the heart it is called Conversion As it is the humbling of the heart it is called godly sorrow As it is the turning of us from sin it is called Repentance As it is the bringing of the heart in to Christ it is called Faith c. As it is the abasing of the heart it is called Humility As it is the gentle tempering of the heart it is called Meekness As it is a submitting of the heart to God in sufferings it is called Patience and as it is the raising of the heart to the allowance of God it is called Contentment and Self-denial c. Sixthly Into the Elect and Called of God Renewing grace is peculiar and Into the Elect and Called of God proper to the Elect people of God the Papists and Arminians do hold that Reprobates and Apostates may have the same truly renewing and sanctifying grace which the Elect of God have and that the grace in the one and in the other differ not quantum ad essentiam as to truth but only quantum ad permanentiam as to continuance But this opinion we reject as unsound and dangerous for although we do grant unto some Reprobates and Apostates the common gifts and works of the Spirit as 1. Illumination whereby they may know the revealed will of God and assent unto the truth of the Word which appears by the Parable of the stony ground and in Simon Magus c. 2. And some transient working on their affections as upon hearing the Word to receive it with joy Herod heard John Baptist gladly and the temporary believers took in the Word with joy and with fear as Felix did and with humbling as Ahab did 3. And some kind of external Emendation or Reformation as Herod did many things Matth. 6. 20. Nevertheless no Reprobate attained unto the state of Renovation or Adoption or Justification they were never renewed intensively by the Holy Ghost never had a new heart given unto them because First The state of Renovation is founded in Gods Election He hath chosen us that we should be holy Eph. 1. 4. therefore none but the Elect are renewed Secondly This Renovation flows from union with Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Thirdly All renewed persons are in special Covenant with God he is their God and they are his people and he will put his fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from him Seventhly and lastly Newness of heart arising from grace infused by the Spirit This newness consists in of Christ consists 1. In a Rectitude of Inclination 2. In a powerful mortification First A Rectitude of Inclination every faculty of the soul is now brought A rectitude of Inclination into its due place and order and inclines and conforms unto God whereas before it was turned from him now we approve the will of God and choose the way of God Newness is the conformity of our nature with Gods nature 2 Pâ—t 1. 4. and of our inclinations and actions to Gods will what God likes we like what God disallows we disallow what God sets up we set up what God would have done we would have done and in what God takes delight in that do we also take delight and in that manner that God would have it done we love with simplicity we pray with fervency and we hear with reverence and we give with chearfulness and we walk with sincerity Secondly In a mortification of old lusts this is called a cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor 7. 1. and a crucifying of the flesh with the In a mortification of old lusts affections and lusts Gal. 5. 24. and a putting off the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Ephes 4. 22. and a dying unto sin Rom 6. 2. and a not suffering sin to reign that we should obey it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6. 12. Beloved this is most certain that newness of heart is 1. An universal contrariety to all our sinful corruptions and therefore where newness of heart is there is a constant hatred of sin and a continual conflict or combate with it 2. A real predominancy renewing grace is stronger than remaining sin and will never suffer it to rule the heart and sway as in former times Quest 3. Why God will give unto all the people of his Covenant a new heart Why God gives a new heart or an heart renewed by grace Sol. The Reasons may be these First God predestinates them unto the means as well as unto the end Gods God predestinates to the means as well as to the end predestination in the aime or end of it respects the glorifying of his people who are therefore called Vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. and are said to be chosen and called to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 2. 14. and Gods predestination in the means tending to that glory is his eternal will and purpose to communicate effectually to his people all that is requisite to bring to the participation of that glory therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 29. Whom he did fore-know he did predestinate to be conformable to the Image of his Son Ver. 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Mark predestination hath a respect to the means as well as to the end to calling and justifying as well as to glorifying and calling is to holiness as well as to happiness to conformity to the Image of his Son as well as unto an inheritance by his Son and what is that being conformed to the Image of his Son but amongst other things to be changed into his Image 2 Cor. 3. 18. And what is that but to have our heart renewed by the Spirit of grace Secondly God will give unto his people all that Jesus Christ hath purchased God will give all that Christ hath purchased for them and which was the very design of his death Now Jesus Christ did by his death make a threefold purchase 1. Of the Persons of all the Elect he bought them with a price Ye are not your own
an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our Conversation in the world 8. Vnbelief discontentment impatience discord and variance these are other principles of the old heart but when the Lord gives a new heart then he works in us contrary principles unto these viz. faith Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you it is given to believe Repentance Acts 11. 18. God hath granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life Contentment Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Patience 1 Cor. 4. 12. Being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it Love 1 Thes 4. 9. Ye are taught of God to love one another I could name many more such heavenly principles and qualities contrary to the old sinful principles and qualities which are certainly found though not in the same measure or degree yet in truâ—h in every man whom the Lord doth give a new heart Fifthly Whensoever the Lord gives a man a new heart there is presently a new A new combate and conflict combate and conflict Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusheth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and they are contrary the one to the other c. Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind The flesh which is our corrupt heart or nature the old man the Law in our members and the Spirit which is our new heart or renewed nature the new man the Law of our mind these are both in the same regenerate person and they are dispersed over every faculty of the soul and they are contrary the one to the other and do warre one against another and that war is from the first moment that renewing grace enters into the heart to the last moment that the soule leaves the body Object Now here it may be objected that this cannot be a true and real sign of newness of heart because in a natural and unregenerate man there is many times a combate and conflict between their judgement and their affections and between their conscience and their temptations unto sin Sol. That there are such combates and conflicts in unregenerate men I grant Differences betwixt the conflicts in a regenerate and unregenerate man In their Principles but then they are of another nature different from those in a renewed or regenerate person First In their Principles The conflict in the one ariseth from servile fear the conflict in the other ariseth from spiritual hatred A natural Conscience may see the danger of sinning and thereupon oppose the affections inclining to sin but a renewed heart sees the baseness of sin and thereupon inclines the heart to hate it As sin a coal of fire there is the fire which burneth and there is the coal which defileth so in sin there is considerable the wrath unto which it doth expose and the filthiness whereby it doth pollute the soul The fear of burning wrath this makes the unregenerate conscience to hold off and to argue against the temptations to sin but it is the defilement and pollution by sin which makes the renewed heart to abhor and contest with it Not only or principally the evil by sin but the evil of sin which is so extreamly contrary to God in his Nature and Will and Glory which we entirely love c. In the Seat Secondly In the Seate and place of combate Simile The combate in unregenerate men is like that between Souldiers in several Forts and that in renewed persons is like the fight of Souldiers in the same Fort where every ones sword is against every one The conflict or combate in the unregenerate is only 'twixt one faculty and another distinct faculty the affections go one way and the judgement and conscience another way But when a mans heart is renewed by grace there now ariseth a war and combate within every faculty The judgment is divided against the judgment and the will is divided against the will and the affection against the affection The reason whereof is this because there is flesh and Spirit sin and grace co-existent and co-habiting in every faculty of the soul sin is not driven up to one faculty whilst grace possesseth the other faculties but renewing grace is in every faculty and remaining corruption is also in every faculty Simile Like Jacob and Esau strugling in the same womb or like heat and cold in the same water and in every part of it Thirdly In the Extent of the combate that in unregenerate persons is only with some gross scandalous and infamous sins but for secret sins or other In the Exteâ—t sins which the world applauds these are still favoured and harboured the natural man can go no farther than his light which in him cannot make a clear and full discovery of sins nor will he quarrel with his sins further than he needs must to save his ease in Conscience and credit with men But when the heart is renewed by grace there the combate is against all known sin the reason whereof is this because the ground of opposition is not accidental and particular but natural and universal the newness of the heart is not an humour but a contrary nature to that of sin and therefore the heat doth conflict with all that is cold because it is naturally contrary unto it so doth renewing grace combate with all sin because it is a nature contrary to sin as sin not as little or great secret or open c. but as sin 4. In the event In regenerate men the issue of the conflict is either a plain giving up to the will of lust in the affections the man being tyred and In the event vexed with the violent sollicitations of them as Sampson was with Dalilahs importunities or in case that natural conscience doth prevail it is not to the mortifying of any sin but only to a temporary repressing and restraining of sin but the combate ends otherwise where the heart is renewed by grace for it makes a more constant and resolute resistance and at the last though perhaps after some foiles it gets the victory over sin and wins the field Thus you see that the new spiritual combate or conflict is a true character of a heart indeed renewed by grace It is not a sign of true grace that a man hath no sin but that his heart is conflicting with all sin Sixthly Whensoever a new heart is given by God unto any person then are New abilities there given new abilities unto that person Beloved two things I take for granted 1. That renewing grace is in itself a very powerful quality There is a Spirit of power and might in it and going along with it if it were not so it could never change the heart of a sinner nor unthrown sin nor maintain conflict with all the powers
giveth to all men liberally c. Ver. 6. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering Ver. 7. Else let not this man think that he shall obtaine any thing of the Lord. Why this is our way either we seek not to the Lord or we do not seek to him in faith we are usually so far from believing that we are plainly unbelieving God will not hear God will not answer God will not perform his promise unto us Thirdly Somtimes from impatience of heart they will not wait upon the Lord but will limit him and leave him and fling away without their answer and their help Where now lies the fault in Gods promise no but in your own unbeliefe and impatience Fourthly Sometimes from presumption of heart they will be venturing upon the occasions and wayes of sins for which God justly leaves them as he did Sampson Object But why doth God give out so little a measure of strength at a time Why God doth not give out all strength at once why not enough at once to serve them all their lives for all their duties Sol If you will have reasons and accounts given unto you for Gods dealings in this kind then thus 1. He is no necessary agent which works ad extremum to its utmost but a voluntary agent working after the counsel of his own will as a parent helps his child as he sees occasion 2. He is a wise God as well as a faithful God and therefore he imparts help and strength unto his people in such a way and by such proportion as doth most exalt his glory and respect their good Indeed God is able at once to fill us with strength but he will not do so but chuseth rather to give it out gradually and successively because 1. Thus we are kept in a continual dependance upon and in a continual exercise Why God gives out strength by degrees of our faith 2. Thus he makes way for continual prayer and supplications 3 Thus he gives us fresh experiences and daily proofs or testimonies of his fidelity in promising which do endear our hearts the more unto him and quicken our hearts to perpetual thanksgiving 4. Thus he keeps us in a more humble frame and sense of our own insufficiency and feat of our sins c. Object Whence is it that the people of God do finde such a various manifestation of the strength of God in them as to their holy performances somtimes a marvellous enlargment and at another time a meet presence of power no more then will well erve the work in hand somtimes carried out with a full gale and at other times almost becalmed scarcely able to do any thing Sol. This is a real case and a very profitable Question unto which I return this answer First It doth somtimes arise from the distempers of melancholy which doth dead and oppress their spirits and renders them for the time as useless vessels binding up not only the power of reason but also the power of grace yet when this winter is off the spring of grace appears in strength again Secondly It doth somtimes arise from their own folly in weakning their own help and strength either 1. From spiritual pride after spiritual enlargments which God ever punisheth with some measure of declining 2. From spiritual neglects of strengthening ordinances or stirring up our selves to take hold of the strength of God Simile if the child sucks not as it was wont it will be weaker 3. From worldly engagements in multitude of cares and businesses which either wholly takes us off from communion with God or makes us but formal in it Thirdly It doth somtimes arise from the different actings of our faith somtimes we do believe more strongly and perfectly and somtimes we do believe more weakly and unstedfastly and therefore we are able to do much and somtimes we are able to do little Our proportion of obedience is answerable to the proportion of our believing much faith brings in much strength and liâ—tle faith brings in little strength As the larger vessels bring up the more water and the narrower vessells but a little c. If you believe you shall see the glory and the power of God and as you believe so do you partake and receive of that power Fourthly It doth somtimes arise from the presence of soul-conflicts we are somtimes in staâ—u libertatis in an estate of liberty exempted from the actual temptations of Satan and from violent rebellions and hurryings of our own corruptions and now our ship gos on more swiftly and we can serve the Lord with gladness but somtimes we are in statu perturbationis wind and tide are against us enemies without and enemies within and now at least to our own apprehensions our ship moves but heavily and we serve the Lord in tears Fifthly It doth somtimes arise from divine wisdome that we do not alwayes finde the like measure of assistance by this God doth learne his people 1. That their strength is not in themselves but only in their God 2. That what they are they are by his grace and act in a proportion to his grace given and received 3. That they should not despaire at the greatest services for God can then enlarge them nor yet presume and make nothing of the least duties for God can withdraw himself and then they can do nothing FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE A. Assurance WHether assurance be of any spiritual advantage to him that hath it 331 The adjuncts or properties of the Covenant 116 Anabaptists answered 631 Why Apostates are such great sinners 681 The great danger and judgement of Apostates 683 The slothful is prone to Apostacy ibid. What Apostates lose 677 The cause why some apostatize 680 Arguments of the Arminians 308 Whether after this assurance he may ever doubt again 232 How one may know his assurance is true 479 How one may know he hath a false assurance 475 What faith precedes assurance 481 What weak Christians should judge of their estates who could never get assurance 484 A man may be in a pardoned state who is not assured ibid. B. Blessedness IT is a difficult matter to believe 434 A Believer may know by a certainty of faith that Christ died for him p. 212 Comfort and encouragement to Believers 206 How far Believers may depend on God in Covenant 217 Weak Believers must remember they have an Advocate with the Father 279 Comfort for distressed penitent and believing persons 242 Benefits by good company 692 Three things make up a Blessedness for us 26 God and he only is our blessedness 27 Spiritual Blessings are promised as well as temporal 339 What course we should take for this enjoyment of spiritual Blessings 340 In the Covenant spiritual Blessings are first promised 242 They are to be blamed who look not after spiritual Blessings 343 Bless God who first blesseth us with all spiritual Blessings 346 Whatsoever Blessings are dispenced God is the giver of them ibid.
promise of forgivenesse of sins upon the condition of Faith The promise of forgiveness upon condition of Faith Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And truely if we do seriously consider the matter we must acknowledge that faith is the only condition of the Covenant of grace wherein God becomes our God and we become his people and by which therefore we become heirs of all the promises of God and consequently of the promise of the forgiveness of sins none are the children of God and heirs of the Promises but by Faith Thirdly It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner So taken in that by no other means he can be justified and by this only he must be justified It is expresly taken in to the justification of a sinner Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace You know that the forgiveness of our sins is only in our justification and that the justification of a sinner is as to him only of grace being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3. 23. And that the sinner is justified by faith and by faith only that so it may be of grace and therefore there is a necessity of faith for the pardon of sins c. Fourthly It is impossible to finde remission of our sins out of Christ forasmuch No remission out of Christ as his blood only was shed for the remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. And in him only we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Ephes 1. 7. â—nd him only hath God set forth to be a propitiation and to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sin Rom. 3. 25. And it is as impossible to enjoy Christ without Faith which is the only grace on our part to receive Christ to joyn us unto Christ and by which Christ doth dwell in us Now if we cannot have the forgiveness of sins but we must first have Christ and we cannot have Christ but by faith there is then a necessity of faith for the remission of sins Fifthly If for want of Faith we shall certainly lose the remission of sins then the presence of faith is necessary for the forgiveness of sins this Consequence For want of Faith we lose the remission of sins cannot be denied by any rational Christian but the want of faith will certainly lose us the forgiveness of sins three places will clear that Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Joh. 3. 36. He that believes not shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he you shall dye in your sins If for want of faith we dye in our sins shall not see life shall be damned have the wrath of God still abiding on us then for want of faith we do certainly lose the remission of our sins for these are utterly inconsistent with remission but you read that for want of faith we shall dye in our sins c. Ergo there is a necessity of the presence of Faith for the forgiveness of our sins 2. As there is a necessity of the presence of faith so is there a necessity of the use or exercise of Faith for the remission of sins For as in the Covenant of works A necessity of the use and exercise of faith actual obedience was necessary to enjoy the life then promised so in the Covenant of grace actual believing is necessary to enjoy Christ and forgiveness purchased by him and promised in him Now there are two acts of faith especially required in every one who would enjoy the forgiveness of his sins 1. One is an Act of acceptance 2. The other is an Act of reliance on Christ only for that forgivenesse promised First An Act of acceptance his soul must be brought into Christ acknowledge An act of acceptance and consent to receive him and whole Christ with the whole heart If a man think thus I will have my sins forgiven me but I care not for Christ my heart cannot comply with him his Commands are too strick and his wayes are too holy for me I cannot yield to be his upon such terms as he requires Let me tell you plainly and faithfully you shall never have your sins pardoned why because the forgiveness of sins is promised upon this condition if you do believe and receive Christ You may as well say that you will be saved for ever in heaven but you will not believe you will not receive Christ you will not be his No no a Communion in what he hath purchased cannot possibly be without a precedent union with himself all the Benefits and all the Priviledges by Christ are communicable only unto them who are Christs to them there is no condemnation but c. Secondly Besides this Act of acceptance of Christ there must be also an An act of reliance Act of reliance on Christ and on him only for the forgiveness of your sins Put the case you do repent of your sins yea put the case thaâ—â—ou do by faith receive Christ if now you do rely on your Repentance and on your Faith or on any other thing besides Christ for the forgiveness of your sins you will certainly lose the forgiveness of them If you should say God will forgive me for my tears sake for my grief sake for my confession sake for my turning sake for my believing sake but not for Christs sake you will certainly miss of pardoning mercy because all forgiveness of sins unto us is for Christs sake Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Joh. 2. 12. Your sins are forgiven you for his Name sake So then there is a necessity of such an act of faith as to rely only on Christ as the reason of the pardon of your sins i. e. to trust on his Righteousness on his Redemption on his blood only as the All sufficicient and as the effectual reason of your forgiveness c. Secondly The second thing which I would shew unto you is what that Faith is What that faith is that is so necessary which is so necessary for us if that we would enjoy the forgiveness of our sins For as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Repentance we generally grant it for a truth that men must repent iâ— they will have their sins forgiven so as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith it is generally granted that men must believe and if they do truely believe their sins shall be forgiven But the difficulty is what this faith is which intitles us unto and really assures remission of sins And great reason there is to clear this because of the general confidence in men that they have faith and