to its Real object so Consent We shal begin with the first namely What it is not to Assent to the Notional maters or things that belong to our peace Now this dissent from the things that belong unto our peace implies sundrie Gradations or Ascents which tend much to the Explication of Vnbelief 1. Not to know or assent to the sacred Notions of our peace is to reject them This was the case of Jerusalem she rejects al Christs gracious offers of peace she wil not so much as lend an ear to them Thus also it was with those obstinate Unbelievers mentioned Prov. 1. 30. They would none of my Counsel they despised al my Reproof To reject the counsel of Christ and to despise his Reproof is the height of Dissent and Disbelief So Jerem. 8. 9. Lo they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what wisdome is in them The Rejection of Gods Word is the highest degree of Ignorance and Unbelief The like Hos 4. 6. Because thou hast rejected knowlege I wil also reject thee This Rejection of the Word of God is a kind of total Infidelitie yea such a Dissent as implies an aversion in the mind from the sacred Notions of its peace Wherefore it denotes the dregs of Unbelief and a mind principled with enmitie against divine Truths For Truth is the most beautiful thing that is and of al Truths Divine are the fairest Now then to reject such argues a mind very much debauched and distempered by sin 2. Not to know the sacred Notions of our peace is not to give diligent Attention to them Many Evangelic Unbelievers dare not openly reject the things that belong to their peace but yet they do not attend with diligence unto them The first step of saving Faith is diligently to attend to the Reports of the Gospel to bow the ear to divine Truths as Pro. 5. 1. My Son attend unto my wisdome and bow thine ear to my understanding This Attention and bowing the ear to Divine Truths is the first step to the obedience of Faith Whence by Consequence not to attend or listen with diligence to the Reports of the Gospel takes in much of Unbelief This also was the case of many unbelieving Jews they did not attend to Christs Evangelic offers of peace Thus Psal 81. 13. O that my people had hearkened unto me c. i. e given diligent Attention to my Word Attention is the Contention of the soul to understand and that which drawes it forth is the admirable Greatnes Sweetnes and Suitablenes of Reports Unbelievers want an inward sense of the wonderful greatnesse suavitie and fitnesse of Evangelic gladtidings and therefore no wonder that they attend not to them 3. Men know not the things that belong to their peace when they yield not a discrete explicite Assent thereto True saving Faith implies an expresse judicious Assent it carries with it the highest and purest Reason yea the flour and Elixir of Reason What more rational than to assent to the First supreme Truth Truth it self Surely Believers are no fools they know who it is they believe and for what So Paul 2. Tim. 1. 12. I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him Paul was not ashamed of his sufferings because he knew whom he had believed he did not content himself with a Popish implicite faith but understood wel the object and reasons of his Faith Alas what is implicite Faith but implicite Unbelief Can he that understands not the Propositions he assents to rationally believe the same Is this to believe to understand nothing of what we believe Doth not this implicite faith destroy the very formal Nature of true faith What! may we suppose that Divine faith consists in ignorance If we pin our Faith only on the Churches sleeve without ever understanding what we believe is not our faith worse than that of Devils who know what they believe and therefore tremble Yea doth not this Implicite faith strip us not only of our Christianitie but also of our Humanitie For is not every rational Being so far a Debtor to truth as to examine wel the reasons and grounds of his Assent Yea doth not this implicite Popish faith carrie in it much of Atheisme and Blasphemie For to believe only as the Church believes without examining the Articles or Motives of our faith what is it but to make the Church our infallible God and our selves but mere Brutes divested of reason So that can there be any thing more destructive to the Notion and Nature of true faith than such an Implicite faith And yet alas how commun is it among a great number of Christians How many are there who pretend to be Believers and yet understand little or nothing of the main Articles or grounds of their faith It stands on sacred Record as a noble character of the Bereans Act. 17. 11. That they searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so Hence surely we may conclude that an implicite faith is no better than virtual Unbelief 4. Not to know the things that belong unto our peace is not to give a supernatural Divine Assent to them The things that belong unto our peace are supernatural and divine and therefore they cannot be truely apprehended by a Natural Human Assent To yield a natural human Assent to things Supernatural and Divine is no better than real Dissent Now men yield not a supernatural Divine Assent to the things that belong to their peace 1. When the Principal Grounds Formal Reasons and proper Motives of their Assent are only natural and human i e when mens assent is grounded only on some human Autoritie or Argument Al faith is by so much the more firme by how much the more firme and infallible the Autoritie of him that reports the mater is If the Autoritie be only human the Assent can be but human and so fallible the Assent to the Conclusion being founded on the strength of the Premisses as the edifice is on the foundation Now the strength of a Testimonie consists in the Autoritie of him that testifies For such as the principal ground and Foundation of the Assent is such wil the Assent be and if there be any defect or imperfection in the Foundation of our Assent the same wil diffuse it self throughout the whole If Church-tradition or human Argument be the only or main ground of our Assent it can never be supernatural and divine as before 2. Men yield not a supernatural Divine Assent to the Gospel when the productive Principle or Efficient of their Assent is not Supernatural and Divine i. e when their Assent is not infused by the Spirit of God A natural Facultie can never of itself produce a supernatural Assent And the reason is most evident even from the commun nature of al Assent which requires some A'dequation or Agreament betwixt the Object and the Facultie
and chearful it puts the best interpretation upon whatever is spoken and if there be but an half-promisse or a word hinted that may be for encouragement the lover is apt to applie it to himself and improve it Thus every word of God is an infallible oracle to such as have a pious affection for him Thus David describes his faith by his delight in the statutes of God Psal 119. 16. I wil delight my self in thy statutes The original imports to behold with delight or to contemplate with pleasure Oh! What satisfaction did Davids faith find in the Statutes of God But oh how melodious and sweet was the joyful sound of the Gospel to Davids faith If the Law be so delightful to a Believer because he sees therein as in a Glasse al the spots of his soul Oh! how delightsome then is the Gospel to him which discovers the face of God and Christ to him yea and transformes his heart into the same glorious Image Hence it appears that if our Assent to the Reports of the Gospel be not affectionate and chearful it is not saving The Devils believe and tremble but because they do not gladly assent therefore their faith is not saving So essential is an affectionate inclination to divine Assent Whence it naturally follows that such as afford only a forced assent to evangelic Truths do really dissent from them such an intimate connexion is there between Divine Assent and pious Affection 13. Not to know the things that belong unto our peace is not to retain the same when once received This also is a consequent of the former For things forced are not durable when our Assent is only compelled by legal convictions it lasts no longer than that compulsion which gave foundation to it whereas an affectionate Assent is very adhesive it sticks fast unto its object every thing delights to adhere to what it likes If the heart be chearfully inclined towards God it wil delight in its assent unto his word But when our Assent is grounded only on legal Threats and forced convictions how soon doth it wear off and die away This was the case of many unbelieving Jews they had now and then some stounding convictions such as produced in them a great Assent to the words of Christ Oh! What Attention what Reverence and Respect do they give to Christs word But alas how soon is their Assent turned into Dissent Thus John 5. 38. And ye have not his word abiding in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide signifies with John to dwel or take up its fixed habitation The Word of God now and then found some place in their minds as v. 35. ay but it did not inhabit there it loged there but as a Traveller in an Inne for a night only There are many Professors who entertain the glad tidings of the Gospel for a season but they retain them not Whereas David saith Psal 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee There seems to be an elegant Metaphor in the word hid drawen from those who having found a choise Treasure they hide it thereby to secure it Thus David hid Gods word in his heart Whence Christ pronounceth a blessing on those that hear his word and keep it Luk. 11. 28. Hence that exhortation Hebr. 2. 1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e let them slide away as water through a Mil which never returnes more He that lets evangelic Truths slide away out of his heart cannot be said to know the things that belong unto his peace Al true Divine Assent is permanent and lasting he that ever dissents from never yet truely assented to Evangelic Notions of peace We find this Divine Retention of Gods word wel expressed by Moses in his exposition of the Law Deut. 6. 6 7 8 9. 14. Such as have not a transcendent estime or great and sublime thoughts of the things that belong to their peace may also be said not to know them For an object or thing is then only known truely when its worth and value is in some mesure known He that has only poor unworthy base thoughts of great things may be said not to know them The efficace vigor and strength of every Assent ariseth from the right valuation of the object For the minds adherence unto truth is more or lesse prevalent according to the apprehension it has of their value unto several truths equally apprehended the minds assent or adherence is not equal but greater or lesse according to the estime it has of their worth Thus the prevalence vigor and efficace of our assent and adherence to supernatural Truths doth naturally arise from the apprehension we have of their value and thence a true assent to divine Notions and Promisses alwaies carries admiration in its bowels he that doth entertain the great Mysteries of the Gospel with a cheap mean estime only doth really disestime the same An undervaluing low assent to divine Truths is real dissent Certainly such know not Christ who estime him not as the Worlds wonder This Christ Ironicly upbraids the unbelieving Jews with John 7. 28. Ye both know me and know whence I am c. He speaks Ironicly in replie to the Jews reprocheful speech v. 27. Howbeit we know this man whence he is c. As if he had said You neither know me nor yet the Messias as you pretend for if you knew me and whence I am you would highly estime me as your Messias sent by God c. Lastly They know not the things that belong to their peace who give only a sterile dead unactive assent to them True Divine Assent is ful of Life Virtue and Activitie A barren dead faith is real Unbelief the end of saving knowlege is Practice Unprofitable knowlege is one of the worst kinds of Ignorance Al sacred Sciences are Affective and Effective That Assent which doth not kil sin wil never give life to the sinner Divine Assent leaves suitable Impresses and sacred Stampes on the Heart Doth thine Assent to the things that belong to thy peace fil thy soul with Admiration of and Love unto them Is there an agreament twixt thine heart and the things thou believest Thou saiest thou assentest to the Truths of the Gospel ay but doth not thine heart dissent from the Duties of the Gospel and is not this a strong argument that thy faith is but a dead Assent So Jam. 2. 26. For as the bodie without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Though works are not the cause which gives life to faith yet they are necessary products which argue life in faith A living faith is ful of vital spirits and operations he that wants these has only a dead corps of faith or the name of a
and seek not what ye shal eat or what ye shal drink neither be ye of doutful minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not your Minds hang as Meteors in the Air ful of suspense about future supplies be not of an anxious thoughtful Mind Let not your thoughts be distracted and as it were racked with carking cares The word signifies such an Anxietie as fluctuates 'twixt hope and fear Such is the suspicious anxious temper of Unbelief as to Providential maters of the Covenant 3. The last branch of the Covenant concernes maters of coming Glorie wherein also Unbelief may be said Not to know the things that belong unto our peace The chief concernes of our peace are those invisible Glories of the other world Al our present spiritual Suavities and Delices are but dreams in comparison of that formal Beatitude in the Beatific Vision of God face to face Alas how far short is our present vision of God in Evangelic Shadows and Reports of that immediate Intuition of God as he is 1 Joh. 3. 2 3 Whence the main worke of a Believer here is to live by faith in the daily contemplation and expectation of that approching Glorie For the more we eye our home the more industrious lively and pressing wil we be in our journey thither Faith maketh things absent present So Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which gives a substantial Essence an actual Existence a solid Basis or Foundation the First-fruits yea a real presence to those Good things hoped for of the other world So much is wrapped up in that Notion Then it follows The Evidence of things not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Argument the Demonstration the Meridian Light the legal conviction the spiritual eye whereby invisible Glories are made Visible Such is the miraculous efficace of faith as to approching Glorie such a clear real fixed fight of Heaven has it here on earth Ay but now Unbelief draws a veil on al these invisible Glories and makes them to disappear what fantastic dreams what carnal and grosse Notions what base and unworthy thoughts has it of future rest How studious is Unbelief to obliterate and rase out the Idea of Eternitie fixed in the heart How apt is it yea industrious to remove far from conscience the second coming of Christ and ensuing Jugement How fain would it build Mansions here and take up with something short of God Oh! how little doth Unbelief regard those Mansions of Glorie which Christ is preparing John 14. 1 2 How seldome or never doth it take a view with Moses on mount Pisgah of the celestial Canaan the new Jerusalem where is the Lambs Throne Yea what low cheap undervaluing thoughts hath Unbelief of that promissed Land Thus it is said of the unbelieving Jews Psal 106. 24. Yea they despised the pleasant Land or the Land of desire and believed not his word This pleasant land Canaan was a type of Heaven and in despising it they despised Heaven and al this lay wrapt up in the bowels of their Unbelief They did not yield a real supernatural firme certain practic Assent to the word of promisse touching Canaan and therefore they despised it and not only that but also the celestial Canaan which made God swear in his wrath against them that they should not enter in Heb. 3. 11. So much for the Material Notions both general and particular which Unbelief is ignorant of 2. I shal treat a little of the formal Object of Faith and how far Unbelief is defective therein The formal Object of Faith as it comes under the Notion of Assent is the Divine Veracitie or Autoritie of God appendent to his Word For look as in the Workes of God there are certain Divine Characters Ideas Impresses or Notices of Gods Wisdome Power and Goodnesse which a spiritual heart contemplates and admires so likewise in the Words of God there are certain Stampes and Ideas of the Veracitie and Autoritie of God which the Believer contemplates and assents unto as the formal object of his faith Thus 1 Thes 2. 13. Because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God Not as the word of men As here notes a Reduplication i. e the formal reason proper motive or principal ground of their assent to Gods Word was not any Human Autoritie but the Divine Autoritie or Veracitie of God And here lies the main specific essential Difference betwixt divine and human faith Divine faith receives the Word of God as the Word of God under that Reduplication i. e as it is clothed with Divine Autoritie but human faith receives the Word of God as the word of men i e as clothed with some human Autoritie Church-Tradition or the like commun Motives Now this human faith as to the Word of God is no other than real unbelief For he that believeth the Word of God only as commended to him by the Church doth really disbelieve the same It is not the Objects believed but the formal Reason of our belief that distinguisheth a Divine from a human faith He that assents to divine Truths merely on human Grounds or Reasons can have but an human faith which is real unbelief as he that assents to natural Truths reveled in the Word of God as reveled and clothed with Divine Autoritie has a Divine faith So that albeit the mind assentes to the whole Word of God yet if the principal ground or formal reason of its assent be not Divine Autoritie its Faith is but real Unbelief And here lies a main plague of Unbelievers its possible they do assent to the whole Word of God ay but yet they see not those sacred Characters those Divine stampes of Gods Autoritie and Truth which are appendent to his Word the chief ground of their belief is only some human Tradition or Autoritie Such was the Faith of those Samaritans John 4. 40. who believed merely for the saying of the woman c. whereas afterward ver 41. Many more believed because of his own word This is a Divine faith there was a sound of Heaven in Christs own voice a little Image or Stampe of Divine Majestie which the believing Samaritans could discerne O! Remember this If the Autoritie of God be not the chief bottome of your Assent your faith is but Vnbelief So much for the Notional object both Material and Formal of Unbelief CHAP. IV. An Explication of Unbelief as it opposeth or is defective in the first Act of faith namely Assent to the good things that belong to our peace WE now procede to the Act of Unbelief comprised in that Notion If thou hadst known This knowlege must be commensurate to or as large as its Object which as we have shewn is either Notional or Real As it refers to its Notional object so its termed Assent as
Alas how is it possible that he should know them What proportion is there betwixt spiritual Objects and a carnal Subject Must not every visive facultie have some agreament with the object visible And is there any agreament betwixt a carnal mind and things spiritual Is not every thing that is received received according to the nature of the Recipient Doth not then the carnal heart receive things spiritual carnally as on the contrary the spiritual heart things carnal spiritually Thence saith Christ to the unbelieving Jews Joh. 8. 15. Ye judge after the flesh i. e ye judge of me and of my Gospel only in a carnal manner by carnal Reason and therefore no wonder ye believe not in me 8. Such as content themselves with a general confused Assent to evangelic Truths and Promisses know not the things that belong to their peace The more particular and distinct our knowlege is the more certain it is General Notions are more confused and fallacious a particular Dissent may wel stand with general Assent Therefore he that has some general confused Notions of the things that belong to his peace lies under a particular ignorance of the same This was the case of these unbelieving Jews they had some general notices of the Messias some rude confused Ideas of Heaven and God but alas How imperfect how grosse how insignificant were their Notions Hence our blessed Lord exhorts them that they would in order to the procurement of a true saving faith Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s a Metaphor drawn from the sagacitie of Dogs which with their noses closely follow and search into the sent of their prey These unbelieving Jews had much general confused knowlege of the Scriptures ay but they wanted this Divine sagacitie to inquire and search into them as Dogs do into the sent of their prey they could not sent the things that belonged to their peace because they made not a narrow scrutinie a particular distinct exact inquisition into evangelic Truths and Mysteries As if Christ had said Ah friends You pretend to believe Moses and the Prophets You conceit your life lies wrapt up in them But how comes it to passe then that you believe not in me Do not al the Scriptures testifie of me Oh! here lies your sin you wil not search into the Scriptures you content your selves with some general confused Notions without any particular distinct Inquisition into the things that belong to your peace 9. Men know not the things that belong to their peace when they suspend their Assent or yield to any prevalent dout touching the truth of them I shal not dispute what mesure or degree of certaintie is essential to true saving Faith but that it cannot consist in a mere opinion or probable conjecture without some degree of certitude I think is most certain from the current of Scripture This is evident by the character Paul gives of Abrahams faith Rom. 4. 19. Being not weak in-faith i. e his mind did not hang in suspense or under some prevalent dout touching the truth of the promisse This is illustrated by another notion ver 20. He staggered not at the promisse through unbelief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies to hesitate or remain under varietie of anxious douts and opinions his mind was fully persuaded of the truth of the promisse as it is expressed v. 21. being fully persuaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s a Metaphor borrowed from Navigation as sails are filled with a good wind so his mind was filled with a fulnesse of assent to the truth of the promisse there was no room for any suspense or prevalent dout And this indeed seems essential to al true saving Faith that there be a prevalent certitude or certain persuasion touching the truth of the object albeit many sincere Believers may be altogether uncertain touching their Title to or Interest in the Object My meaning is this There ought to be a plenitude or fulnesse of Assent to the Truth of the Promisse albeit there may be wanting in many Believers an assurance of their interest in the things promissed Now this certaintie of Divine assent ariseth partly from the certitude of the object but more immediately from the Demonstration of the Spirit elevating or raising the mind unto this certain persuasion touching the truth of the promisse And herein true saving Faith is differenced from that which is commun and human The Unbeliever may yield some feeble staggering instable Assent to the good things that belong unto his peace but stil he hangs in suspense his douts are greater than his faith It s true the true Believer hath oft great douts touching the Promisses but yet his douts are not so much of the truth of the Promisses as of his interest in them or whether his apprehensions of them be true whereas Unbelievers dout of the truth of the Promisses albeit they may be presumtuously confident of their Interest in them Thus it was with the unbelieving Jews Joh. 10. 24. How long doest thou make us to dout or how long doest thou keep our souls in suspense They hung as it were 'twixt Heaven and Hel under much suspense whether those things Christ preached were true or false They did not totally dissent and yet they could not fully assent to Christ Thus they hung in suspense for suspense is a middle twixt Assent and Dissent Though as to Divine Assent every such prevalent suspense or dout touching the truth of the promisse is real unbelief he that assents not fully doth really dissent Therefore Christ addes v. 25. I told you and you believed not they seem to lay the blame on Christ the darknes of his Revelation but he resolves al into their unbelieving hearts The like character of unbelief we find Luke 12. 29. Neither be ye of doutful minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its primary Notation signifies to be carried up aloft in the Air as Meteors Clouds or Birds which wanting a firme foundation are tossed to and fro with every blast So it signifies the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wander or with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in aâ—re suspensus modò huc modò illuc inclinat Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 10. 24. to lift up the mind or keep it in suspense Hence also it is used to signifie an anxious suspense hesitation or dout touching the truth of things This is the condition of many awakened sinners they arrive at some anxious suspense or doutfulnes of mind and that is al They hang in the air of commun conviction between Heaven and Hel for a little while til the prevalence of lust make them fal down again on the earth where they lie buried in the ashes of their own convictions and profession They dare not they cannot yield a ful and prevalent assent to the Gospel of Christ al that they attain unto is a mere opinion a suspensive
but also the passive power of receiving good when offered Is not this the language of Infidelitie Lord I need not I desire not thy Grace keep it to thy self I have wherewith of mine own to supplie my needs I can make a shift with mine own righteousnesse to clothe my nakednesse with the balsame of mine own good workes to heal my wounds c. And as Infidelitie thus puts a bar to al Grace and Mercie So also doth it not open the dore to al the jugements of God Are not the most severe Plagues of God entailed on Infidelitie Doth not this sin provoke God to curse mens blessings Doth it not also cut us off from many promissed Mercies Yea how severely hath God punished this sin in his own people Was not Moses an holy man deprived of entring into Canaan for one act of unbelief Oh! how deep doth Gods wrath sinke into the unbelievers soul How many flourishing Churches have been deprived of the Gospel and means of Grace for their Infidelitie Or suppose that God continues some means of Grace yet doth not Unbelief turne them into means of hardening When men wil not believe the Gospel how oft doth Christ leave such to a spirit of error to believe lies Yea doth not Infidelitie continued in oft cause Christ to give up such to their own lusts which break forth sometimes into scandalous sins Yea how oft doth Christ deliver up impenitent obstinate Unbelievers to a spirit of slumber judicial hardnesse and al manner of Divine vengeance Are these the effects of Infidelitie Is there so much sin and self-murder wrapt up in its bowels and are there so many Curses and Plagues both temporal spiritual and eternal entailed on it May we not then without any injustice conclude that Unbelief is the worst enemie we have in the world Doth not our Infidelitie give us more pain and trouble than al other enemies Oh! then how should we with fire and sword persecute Unbelief as our most mortal enemie Can we be too severe against such a deadly enemie Is not al pitie and compassion that we shew towards Unbelief the greatest crueltie that may be to our own souls Why should we then cease our Indignation and Revenge against Unbelief ' til we have let out its heart-bloud Remember the more you pitie spare it the more cruel you are to your selves 5. This also layes an essential and strong obligation on al both Believers and Vnbelievers to put an high value on Faith and to pursue after it as their supreme Interest and Concerne Surely if Infidelitie be so prodigious and pernicious a Sin then by a paritie of reason Faith most be the most useful and excellent Grace Contraries much illustrate and set off each other And oh how doth the black deformed nature and venimous qualities of Infidelitie set off the Beauties and excellent qualities of Faith What a strange and miraculous power and efficace has Faith How doth it make things absent present the invisible glories of the coming world visible as the visible glories of this world invisible and disapparent Yea doth not faith appropriate to itself the whole of Gods Alsufficience and Omnipotence and so may in a sober humble sense be said to be in some sort alsufficient and omnipotent For al that is in God Faith by a strange magnetic virtue can applie to it self and thence it can do althings so far as it has a Promisse to bottome on Doth not the great God make himself a debtor to such as trust in Him How doth Faith rend a man from himself without violence or pain What more effectual to break al our Idols and Images of jelousie than saving Faith How doth it make al the beautie of the Creature to fade away as a Sun-burned Flower Doth it not also dismount the Believer and make him walke on foot in al manner of self-abasement How soon doth the bottome of al sensible good fal out when Faith comes into the Soul and takes the Chair What doth more elevate and refine reason than saving Faith Have not those that believe most the deepest and soundest reasons Who is the wiser man The Believer that adheres to the First truth and chiefest good or the Unbeliever who rejects the same and adheres to Idols of time How doth Faith corroborate and fortifie the Wil in what is good by uniting of it to Christ and the Divine wil What a sweet harmonie and order doth it inspire into the Affections How doth it make the Believer to fear God under smiles love him under frowns hope in him under difficulties wait for his returne under desertions Yea when our affections are under the greatest disorder and confusion doth not Faith oft draw peace and order out of it Is not Faith both food and physic Doth it not as wel feed Grace as purge out sin Whence springeth the Christians union with Christ but from Faith Could Christ and Sinners ever come together unlesse Faith did unite them Can things contrarie be united but by some efficacious bond of Union Was it ever known that there was a mariage between the living and the dead How then comes it to passe that the dead Sinner is espoused to a living Christ Is not this happy match the alone miraculous effect of Faith wrought by the Spirit of God And hence doth not Faith make God thine as surely as thou art thine own And Faith having united the person to Christ doth it not thence by Grace derived from him purifie the nature also Acts 15. 9 And doth not Faith hence worke a miraculous change in the whole disposition of the soul and conversation And as the member is naturally subject to the head so doth not Faith subject the whole soul to Christ Whence also doth not the Believer entirely give up himself to Christ as Christ gives up himself to the Believer Oh! how doth the believing Soul follow after and adhere to Christ by ineffable groans and acts of Faith though Christ may sometimes seem to depart from him How inquisitive is Faith to understand al the virtues of Christ and to receive from him Grace for Grace What a violence is it to Faith to live act breath speak and walke out of Christ What is it that keeps the heart as a chast Virgin for Christ but Faith Hence also Faith gives the soul solid peace in and with God and oh How satisfying is this peace which Faith gives What child-like confidence and boldnesse ensues hereon And thence how much is the soul satiated in communion with Christ so far as Faith prevails What solaces and delicious suavities doth the believing Soul at times receive from Christ What an active application is there on Christs part towards the Believer and passive application on the Believers part towards Christ How much is Faith delighted in trading with Heaven and Christ Is not this the main businesse of Faith to enjoy Christ to live and die in
〈◊〉 to search signifies here by a sacred sagacitie and unwearied studie to hunt or inquire into the Scriptures as dogs hunt after wild beasts but oh this the unbelieving Jews were strangers to and therefore no wonder if they were strangers to al the things that did belong to their peace The Scriptures are the Oracles of God the Glasse wherein his glorious perfections shine neither can there the least ray of true Religion shine on lapsed man but what is reflected from this celestial Miroir of the Divine wil. The Splendor of Divine Majestie is but as an inexplicable Labyrinth unlesse we are conducted thereinto by this thread of sacred Scriptures God is nothing to us but what he testifies of himself God is nothing saith Tyndal but his Law and his promisses i. e That which he biddeth thee to do and believe and hope and to imagine any other thing of God is grosse and damnable Idolatrie The Sacred Word is the Spirits Schole in which he teacheth al the things that belong to our peace so that we may be contentedly ignorant of what is not here taught Hence it is apparent that one main and fundamental part of Unbelief consists in not yielding a real firme distinct certain affectionate deep and practic Assent to the sacred Scriptures And oh what an Epidemic Universal sin is this even in the professing world How many are there among the croud of knowing Professors who never gave an explicite actual chearful spiritual and stedfast Assent to the Word of God and its sacred Autoritie Are not the most of Professors extreme partial in their credence or belief of the divine Scriptures Do not they pick and choose what may correspend most with their Lusts or carnal Interests This word that pleaseth them they can believe but that word which disgusts them they cannot assent unto Do not many in their prosperitie disbelieve the Threats and in their Adversitie the Promisses And what is this but not to know the things that belong to their peace For he that doth disbelieve any one part of Scripture may he not be justly reputed to disbelieve the whole Is not the Reason and Autoritie of a part the same with the Reason and Autoritie of the whole word Wherefore doth not he who rejects a part also reject the Autoritie of the whole It s true al Scriptures are not alike Fundamental or equally necessary to salvation yet may we not justly conclude that al are equally necessary to be believed if we consider their origine and Autoritie as they are al inspired by the Spirit of God and clothed with Indelible Characters of Divine Majestie O then how many knowing Professors are in this point guiltie of not knowing the things that belong to their peace How few are there that yield a rooted welgrounded operative Assent to the whole Word of God who have an ear to hear wherever and whenever God hath a mouth to speak O that Professors would seriously ruminate on this That so far as they disbelieve the Truth Certaintie and Autoritie of any one word of God so far they disbelieve or know not the things that belong to their peace And whence is it that many Professors are so averse from assenting to the whole Word of God Is it not from the prevalence of some lust in their hearts which turnes them strongly another way They disbelieve some Scriptures and why Is it not because they lie not level with their lusts Oh! what a deep Mysterie of Iniquitie is this disbelief of the Scriptures as loged in some carnal hearts What malignant and venimous effusions doth it transmit into their lives Is it not the great Stratageme and plot of Satan to dispirit and weaken mens Assent to the sacred Scriptures And doth he not hereby create in many sincere Believers much unbelief concerning the things that belong to their peace May not the most of our tentations be resolved into some disbeliefe of the Scriptures And on the contrary hath not a real fixed supernatural and saving Assent to the Sacred Scriptures a mighty soverain efficacious Influence on al our Graces and Duties Doth not the vigor strength beautie and improvement of al Grace depend on our belief of the Scriptures O that men would then look wel hereto 2. We procede now to the Particular notional Maters or Things belonging to our peace which Unbelief rejects and those are the Gospel or Covenant of Grace with al the branches thereof The Gospel is Grace's office the shop where the sinner may find both food and physic The Covenant of Grace is faiths Magna Charta the Epistle of Christ writ with his own bloud the Cabinet wherein al our Jewels of Grace and Peace are laid up by Christ yea the words of life wherein Christs heart lies wrapt up and is conveighed unto sinners The Promisses of the Gospel are the Element in which Faith lives and moves they are the Air which Faith sucks in and breaths forth they are the food on which Faith seeds There is no diet so natural so delicious so restaurative so corroborative or strengthening so nutritive so satisfying as the promisses spirited by Free Grace Faith relisheth no food like this Faith never reposeth herself so securely never sleeps so sweetly as when she doth lean her head on the bosome of some promisse If she hath but a promisse to cast Anchor on she can ride confidently in the greatest stormes and laugh at al the proud waves that beat against her Now this being the temper and spirit of Faith hence it necessarily follows That not to assent to the Gospel or Covenant of Grace and the Promisses which lie wrapt up therein takes in much of the vital spirit of Unbelief This wil be more evident if we consider the chief material parts of the Covenant of Grace and the evil aspect which Unbelief casts thereon The Covenant of Grace contains in it 1. Maters of Grace 2. Maters of Providence 3. Maters of coming Glorie Now in al these regards Unbelief may be said Not to know the things that bolong to our peace 1. The Covenant of Grace contains in it Maters of Grace The Law tels us what we are by Nature but the Gospel tels us what we are or may be by Grace The Law discovers to us our sin and miserie but the Gospel discovers our remedie and so opens a dore to Faith Yea the Gospel doth not only declare to us the Objects and Maters we are to believe but also furnisheth us with many gracious encouragements and incentives to believe yea further the Gospel doth not only afford us maters and motives of Faith but also it becomes a sanctified Instrument in the hand of the Spirit to conveigh Faith and al other Graces to us For it is an infallible Maxime in Theologie that Evangelic Promisses of Grace on such or such conditions without Grace to performe those conditions are as little available to beget faith as the law is Thus we see how ful
of gracious Maters Motives and Offers the Covenant of Grace is But yet the more fully to anatomise the Bowels of Unbelief as to Maters of Grace offered in the Covenant we shal a little though but cursorily touch on those offers of Grace which the Covenant makes with their Proprieties 1. The offers of Grace made in the Gospel or Covenant of Grace are very Real and Cordial There is never a line no nor a word of the Gospel but it carries Christs heart wrapt up in it Every promisse is a love-letter sent by Christ to assure the sinner how affectionate his heart is set towards him There is not an expression that drops from the mouth of Christ but is ful of bleeding Affection Every promisse gives the sinner a good Law-right to Grace provided that he accept of it when offered If Christ be real in any thing he is so in the offers of Grace to sinners But now Unbelief looks on al these offers of Grace as mere Romances Fables or fine-spun stories This was the case of the unbelieving Jews as Paul assures us Rom. 10. 15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Oh! what good News is here who would not chearfully assent to such glad tidings of peace Is there any so sotish as to refuse such good things Yes addes Paul v. 16. But they have not al obeyed the Gospel For Esaias saith Lord who hath believed our report As if he had said True we preach the great truths of Gospel-peace unto sinners but alas how few have obeyed or assented to the truth of the Gospel Do not the most of men look on these things as too good news to be true Where is the man that really assents to the Realitie of these Glad-tidings May we not then justly crie out with Esaias Who hath believed our Report Thus Unbelief cals in question the Realitie of Evangelic offers of Grace 2. The offers of Grace in the Gospel are very Gratuitous and Free and this draws on Faith freely to close therewith For faith being a federal Instrument influenced and acted by the Covenant the more it apprehends the freedome of the Covenant the more freely it wil embrace the same Now the Covenant instructs Faith fully in this point It teacheth us that the Grace of the Covenant expects no foundation in us no Condignitie no Congruitie no moral Capacitie or Condition in us but what itself intends to confer The Covenant informes us that Free-grace is moved by nothing without it self that it gives because it wil give or because it hath given That the poorer we are the more willing he is to inrich us the nakeder we are the more ready Christ is to clothe us Yea the Covenant assures us that Christ intends much good for them who intend no good to him nor yet to themselves yea to such as intend evil to him and to their own souls even for such rebellious souls he intends gifts and Grace as Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwel among them Now this freedome of the Covenant and the Grace of God offered therein gives a mighty foundation and encouragement to build upon For the great obstacle and bar to Faith is this that we are not fit for Christ This is one of Unbeliefs greatest pleas against closing with the good things of the Covenant What may poor I presume to believe I who am so unworthy I who have so long spurned at Christ and al the things that belong to my peace I who have so oft broken with Christ plaid fast and loose with him What may I presume that Christ wil have any regard to me poor sinful backsliding rebellious me Oh! how can this be What a presumtion would it be in me to cast an eye towards Christ and the good things that belong unto my peace Thus Unbelief opposeth or at least demurs at the freedome of the Covenant and its Grace 3. Another proprietie of the Covenant is the Vniversalitie of its gracious offers Though the Covenant of Grace be as to its interne Spirit Mind and Dispensation particular definite and absolute yet as to its externe offers and Dispensation it runs in conditional indefinite and universal termes inviting al that wil to come in It sets no bars or rails about the throne of Grace but gives free Admission to al that wil come for mercie Rev. 22. 17. The Covenant excludes none but such as exclude themselves by Unbelief and why should sinners exclude themselves before God excludes them But alas this is the il-humor of Unbelief because it cannot see the sinners Name in particular written on the Covenant therefore it questions al the grounds of Faith Oh! saith the unbelieving sinner here are rich offers indeed but alas I what am I the better for al this May such a wretch as I come to Christ to be embraced in his sacred armes What I who am in such a nastie pickle so polluted with sin Oh! I may not I cannot believe that such an hainous sinner as I shal find Christs armes open to receive me Thus Unbelief questions the Vniversalitie of Christs offer and puts a bar to its own mercies whereas the Gospel puts none but saies John 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drink and Rev. 22. 17. Whoever wil c. There lies no Restriction or bar on the Covenants part al the Restriction and bar is in mens wils Wilful Unbelief is the only bar 4. Unbelief sets limits to the Plenitude and Richesse of Grace held forth in the Covenant We find the Richesse of Grace in the Covenant expressed under the Symbol of a sumtuous feast Mat. 22. 4. Tel them which are bidden Behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and althings are ready come unto the mariage Here we see what a bountiful Lord sinners have to deal with how much his infinite Grace excedes al our sins Now what reception is given to such a magnificent rich Treat That follows v. 5. But they made light of it and went their way one to his farme and another to his merchandise c. Oh! what monstrous unbelief and ingratitude is here O! what infinite Treasures of Grace are there wrapt up in the Covenant How much do those Treasures of mercie and goodnesse loged in the heart of Christ excede al the treasures of sin loged in the hearts of poor sinful we Is Christ such a liberal Savior for sinners And shal they be ashamed or afraid to beg at the dore of such a liberal Savior Was not this the very end why God gave the Law That Sin might appear exceding sinful to the intent that Grace might appear exceding gracious Ro. 7. 13 So Ro. 5. 20. Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound As if he had said This is the very
Now what proportion is there betwixt a natural mind and supernatural Truths Are not Divine Mysteries above the reach of a human Understanding unlesse the Spirit of God come and clothe it with a divine Light Is not the natural mind shut against supernatural objects until Christ by his Spirit open the same Thence it is said Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their Vnderstanding that they might understannd the Scriptures They had some habitual Light before but Christ now extendes and stretcheth their minds to a more ful comprehension of the promisses To every degree of saving light there is required a fresh Influence and Assistance of the Spirit It s said He opened their Vnderstandings Men may open supernatural Truths and Promisses to our minds but none can open our minds to take in supernatural Truths save the Spirit of Christ such therefore as are not illuminated by the Spirit cannot know the things that belong to their peace The Believer hath a Divine light a supernatural instinct whereby he understands and assents to the voice of Christ in the Gospel John 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice just as the simple Lamb by a natural instinct discerneth the voice of her Dam from the rest in the flock 5. Men know not the things that belong to their Peace when the Truths and Promisses of the Gospel take not deep root in their hearts Our Assent ought to be commensurate or proportionable to its Object great and weighty Truths must have a rooted and deep Assent A superficial indeliberate Assent to the great things of the Gospel is but interpretative Dissent This was the great defect of the High-way and stonie ground Mat. 13. 19 20 21. The seed sowen by the way-side was lost assoon as received But the word sowen in stonie hearts was received with some joy i. e the Novitie and greatnesse of the things offered made some superficial Impression on their hearts but yet there wanting a depth of earth an hot day of persecution soon blasted al. There is no Assent stable and firme but what is deep and rooted Thus much our blessed Lord assures us in his Parable of the sandy foundation Mat. 7. 26. whereas the sound Believer who digs deep into the heart and builds his assent on rooted welgrounded Principles though windy stormy tentations beat against it yea albeit he hath a thousand objections against what he believes yet his assent is firme and stedfast because the bottome-Principles on which it is grounded remain firme A superficial precipitated and rash assent is very staggering and mutable when men judge according to the apparences of things without solid deliberation and deep inquisition into the grounds and reasons they never arrive to a fixed Assent Thence saith Christ Joh. 7. 24. Judge not according to the apparence but judge righteous jugement A superficial assent is soon turned into dissent 6. Such as yield not a Real but only Notional Assent to evangelic Truths and Promisses know not the things that belong to their peace For things may then only be said to be truely known when they are received as offered Now the things offered in the Gospel are practic or things referring to practice Thence to yield only a notional assent to them is really to dissent Many of these unbelieving Jews whom Christ condemnes in our text had a very great Forme of knowlege or Notional assent to the things that belonged to their peace as 't is evident from Rom. 2. 17 18 19 20. Behold thou art called a Jew and restest in the law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his wil and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the law c. i e Thou art an accurate Critic in the law thou canst exactly distinguish between things clean and unclean and then he sums up al in one expression ver 20. Which hast the forme of knowlege and of the truth in the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies an Artificial Image Scheme Figure or Picture of knowlege and it s opposed to a substantial solid real knowlege which is stiled Prov. 2. 7. Sound wisdome or Essential knowlege These unbelieving Jews had a notional Idea an artificial Scheme a curious picture of knowlege but they wanted the real substantial essential contemplation of those things that belonged to their peace Now as there is a vast difference between the contemplation of things in pictures or shadowes and the contemplation of them in their own proper substances So here the Unbeliever that views the things of his peace only in Pictures Systemes or Notions comes far short of the Believer who views the same Intuitively as they lie wrapt up in Evangelic promisses Faith is described Hebr. 11. 1. The substance of things hoped for i. e it hath a real substantial contemplation of things hoped for as if they were actually present before the eyes and then it follows The evidence of things not seen The invisible things of celestial Canaan become visible to an eye of faith whence it is apparent that he who has only a notional knowlege of the things that belong to his peace is really ignorant of them Mere Speculative Assent to things practic is no better than real dissent For our Assent is then only true when it is agreable to its object formally considered The things of our peace are most substantial and real but the Unbeliever assents not to them as such he sees them only in Words Notions and Imaginations and therefore counts them but mere conceits fine-spun Notions and curious Pictures His forme of knowlege is but real Ignorance 7. Men know not the things that belong to their peace when their Assent to them is Carnal not Spiritual The things that belong to our peace are most spiritual they admit not the least commixture of what is carnal and therefore a carnal mind never truely assents to them Things Spiritual cannot be apprehended by any but a spiritual facultie Carnal assent to things spiritual is real dissent How can he assent truely to any sacred Truth who understands nothing truely of that he assents unto Thus the Apostle argues strongly 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1. By this Natural or Animal man we must understand every irregenerate man who has not his mind imbued with saving Faith 2. Of this man its said he receiveth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s a Metaphor assumed from narrow-mouth'd vessels which cannot take in things too big for them The things of the Spirit of God which are the same with the things of our peace are too big for Animal Natural Minds Yea 3. He addes Neither can be know them there is a moral Impossibilitie that he should know them and why that followes 4. because they are spiritually discerned As if he had said
faith or carnal confidence end in black despair Were it not easie to shew if opportunitie served how al the false or commun faiths in the world are indeed but real Infidelitie colored over with a tincture of faith O then what a world of Infidels and Unbelievers are there who walk up and down under the masque and vizard of Believers Surely if al these pretended fancied faiths are real unbelief there can be no middle betwixt Faith and Unbelief and then how many great Professors wil fal under the black character of Unbelievers albeit they may now passe for good Believers 4. Hence also we learne That solid saving Faith is most rare and difficult but commun faith most cheap and easie It s no difficult mater in these knowing times to gain the Notion of Faith but oh how difficult is it to attain unto the thing faith A general implicite Assent to the things that belong unto our peace is very commun but oh how rare is it to meet with a particular explicite real Assent to the things of our peace formally considered Do not the most of Professors yield only a human natural or traditional Assent to Divine supernatural Truths and Mysteries Multitudes now adays receive the Word of God but how is it not as the word of men i. e as clothed with human Autoritie or the evidence of reason not as the Word of God 1 Thes 2. 13 A confused suspense reeling assent to evangelic Doctrines is very commun but is not a distinct fixed deep welgrounded assent as rare Oh! how superficial and feeble is most mens assent to the good things of their peace Or if some awakened consciences arise higher to a more complete and deep assent yet alas how legal is their assent even to evangelic Truths How hard is it even for true Believers much more for those who have only commun faith to see sin as sin and not to fal under a legal spirit of Bondage To assent to the truths of the Gospel when Conscience is fired with the terrors of the Law is no great pain but oh how painful a thing is it to assent to Gospel truths from an inward feeling apprehension of their own worth and excellence To assent to the Doctrines of the Gospel is commun but is it not as commun to dissent from the duties of the Gospel which in divine estimation is but a dead faith How few have impressions suitable to their faith How few are there among the croud of Believers who have an admiring assent an high estime and right valuation of the good things that belong unto their peace It is indeed very facile to yield a barren lazy dead assent to Evangelic Notions but oh how difficult is it to arrive unto a fruitful vigorous lively efficacious practic assent such as may forme and transforme the heart into the very image of those good things we assent unto So also for Consent it is very commun and easie for convinced sinners to be induced to make some indeliberate involuntary partial imperfect election of Christ and other good things that belong to their peace but oh how rare and difficult is it to attain unto a chearful speedy complete and fixed closure with Christ on his own termes as offered in the Gospel Is it not commun with many to adhere to Christ in Profession but to lust in Affection How many commun Believers give Christ good words but give their hearts to some Idol-lover Do not too many also pretend subjection to Christ and his soverain pleasure but really intend subjection to no other Lord than their own Lusts How many seem to depend wholly on Christ for Grace who yet secretly lean on their own understandings and good wils O that men would believe what a difficult thing it is to believe aright Alas how violent is the motion of Faith How much against corrupt nature are the supernatural acts of Faith Was there ever a greater miracle under Heaven excepting the Incarnation of the Son of God than the working of faith in an unbelieving heart Is not every saving faith a standing Miracle Oh! what a contradiction is it to carnal wisdome and corrupt Nature to assent and consent to the imputed righteousnesse of Christ What a painful thing is it to carnal hearts to part with right eyes and right hands every beloved lust for Christ How many thousand ways are there to Unbelief or commun faith but oh how narrow yea indivisible is the way to saving faith Commun faith growes among roses but Saving faith among thornes What a grand deceit therefore is it to conceit Saving faith easie and commun Certainly he never yet believed aright that has not in some mesure had experience What a difficult thing it is to believe aright 5. Hence likewise we may conclude That Believers themselves have many Reliques and Remains of Vnbelief in them Alas how much darknesse is there mixed with their Notions of the good things that belong to their peace How much dissent is there in their assent to Evangelic truths It s true they dare not when they are themselves reject the good things of their peace ay but do they not too oft neglect and undervalue the same Are their Apprehensions and Impressions suitable to the worth of those objects they believe How then comes it to passe that on the interposure of some tentation they turne aside to lying Vanities Are not Believers themselves oft very confused and instable in their assent to evangelic Mysteries Yea have they not sometimes many prevalent suspensions hesitations and douts touching the sacred Scriptures and their Divine Autoritie How oft have many sincere Believers been violently assaulted with Atheistic thoughts that there is no God What a sealed Book and dark saying is the whole Gospel to many afflicted Consciences in times of Desertion In times of distresse how oft doth their Faith question the realitie of the Promisses What 's the reason why many true Believers are so much shaken in some difficult cases but because they do not bottome their Souls on the immutable faithfulnesse of God in his Promisses Are not the gracious offers of the Covenant most rich abundant and free How then comes it to passe that Believers are so poor and low in Grace Is it not from their want of Faith to draw out that fulnesse that is contained in and offered by the Covenant Have not Believers Gods immutable Word Oath and Fidelitie to confirme his Covenant And yet lo How backward are they to trust him in any straits How frequently do Believers stagger in their adherence unto Christ How much are they off and on up and down fast and loose with Christ How little are they acquainted with the applicatorie appropriating Acts of Faith What great things might Believers receive from Christ had they but a great faith to expect and receive them How seldome are the most of Believers in realising believing views of approching Glories What obscure and strained notions have they