God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities There the Blessing is Interpreted Secondly That Eternal Life is included in it also is evident from the Nature of the Thing For this being the chief Blessedness it cannot be excluded and may be farther proved from the double reasoning of the Apostle from this Covenant 1. Because the Patriarchs sought it by vertue of this Promise Heb. 11.13 14 15. All these died in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Countrey And truely if they had been mindful of that Countrey from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned But now they desire a better Countrey that is an Heavenly The Argument is They did not think themselves to be at home in Canaan but sojourned there as in a strange Countrey The Apostle is speaking of Abraham Isaac and Iacob who were Heirs of the same Promise namely of Blessedness in the Seed of Abraham they still sought another place 2. Because else God could not act suitably to the greatness of his Covenant-love and Relation and did not make good his Title Verse 16. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City God having made so Rich a Preparation for them may be fitly called their God Note our Saviour's reasoning Matth 22.31 32. But as touching the Resurrection of the Dead have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living II. Come we now to the Strength of his Faith That is seen in Two Things 1. His Clear Vision 2. His Deep Affection 1. His Clear Vision and Sight of Christ He saw my Day The Eagle-Eye of Faith will see afar off and through many Impediments and draw Comfort not only from what is present visible and sensible but from what is distant and future and but obscurely revealed The sight of Faith may be Illustrated by Bodily Sight Three Things argue the Strength of Bodily Sight 1. When the things are afar off that we see for a weak Eye cannot see afar off 2. When there are Clouds between though the things be clear To pierce through these Clouds argueth the fight is strong 3. When there is but a little sight to see by To see a thing at a distance either in the Morning or Evening-Twilight argueth a strong fight All these concurr here 1. The things to be seen were at a great distance not to be accomplished in their time nor a long time after Thousands of Years and many Successions of Ages intervened e're the Messiah was Exhibited to the World and came in the Flesh to Erect his Gospel kingdom yet they went to the Grave in Assurance of this Promise That in due time the Redemption of sinful Man should be accomplished Well then we see the Nature of Faith that it can look upon things absent and future as sure and near And without it Man looketh no farther than present probabilities 2 Pet. 1.9 But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Purblind Man cannot see things at a distance from him But Faith surmounts all Successions of Ages and can fly over many Thousands of Years in a Moment to the Object expected as the Apostle Iohn Revel 20.12 I saw the Dead small and great stand before God He saw it in the Light of Prophecy but the Light of Faith and Prophecy differ little They agree in the general ground viz. Divine Revelation they differ only as the general Revelation is the ground of Faith a particular Revelation is the ground of Prophecy They agree in the manner of Perception by Divine Illumination the Spirit inlightneth Believers and the Spirit inlightned the Prophets for they were moved by the Holy Ghost But only Believers by that general way of Illumination which is common to all the Saints the special Illumination is peculiar to Prophets They agree in the Object things absent and future and at great distance here there is no difference They agree in the certainty of Apprehension only by Prophecy they may define particular Events by the other the accomplishment of general Promises They agree as to the Affections of the Heart but they differ in the degree the one hath more Extatick Motions the other is a more Temperate Confidence So that you see by this comparison a strong Faith can see things at a distance and we are affected with them in some manner as if they were present 2. When Clouds come between Faith and the Object to be seen When the Promise was given to Abraham he was Childless and so remained a long time In the Course of Nature his own Body and Sarah's Womb were dead and after he had a Son God commands him to slay him and Offer him in Sacrifice A Command not only against his Natural Affection but Hope And then afterwards his Seed was few in number for a long time and when they did multiply they were oppressed which was revealed to Abraham Now to strive against all these difficulties was to believe in Hope against Hope Rom. 4.18 But this I must reserve to the next time However it is said of Abraham He saw my Day he rested in the Truth and Power of God and by it resolved all difficulties To see through such Natural Impossibilities argueth a strong sight of Faith 3. For their Light to go by it was but a little the Revelation was but obscure the Patriarchs had only that Promise Gen. 3.15 And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Abraham's was a little clearer all that he had was but this In thy Seed all Nations shall be blessed Yet this was but a small glimmering Light in Comparison of what we enjoy far short in clearness and plainness of the many precious Gospel promises which are made to us The Day-light is not only broken out but it draweth â—igh to high Noon Though they saw not Christ so nearly and clearly revealed as we do yet they could do more mighty things with their Faith than we can do with ours and did more excell both in Comfort and Holiness You will say What is this clear Vision of Christ to us How shall we judge of the strength or weakness of our Faith by this Answ. 1. As to Christ there is a sight of Christ past present and to come which still belongeth to Faith 1. Past To see him whom we have not seen that is so to be affected with his
Worship and Conversation He did indeed observe the way of the Christian Worship which they called Sectarisme or Heresie and Paul was accused to be a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarens verse 5. But yet this was agreeable enough to the Religion of the Iews for the substance which he proveth by his Faith Hope Carriage and Conversation Here is in effect all Christianity delivered to us in one prospect and view 1. An Account of his Faith at the bottom of all Believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets 2. His Hope as the immediate fruit of it And have hope towards God And the principal Object is The resurrection of the dead both of the just and the unjust When we shall injoy the full of what we wait for 3. An Account of his Manners where you have a brief Description of a Christian Conversation Herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men My business is not to discuss all these branches of Christianity apart and in their full Latitude but to give you the summ and Delineation of all Religion in one view Therefore observe Doct. That true Christianity is such a believing the truths contained in the Scriptures as produceth an hope of Eternal Life and is expressed in an impartial uniform and constant obedience Here is Pauls Apology Faith at the bottom Hope as the immediate Effect and Product of it and an Holy Conversation as the fruit and consequent The same Method is observed in other Scriptures as 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned The Commandment is the Gospel-Institution and this received with a pure Heart and Faith unfeigned produceth a good Conscience which shews it self in love to God and Men by a true and lively Faith in Christ The Holy Ghost purifieth the Heart and Conscience and so produceth Love 2 Pet. 1.5 6. Add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness In the Chain of Graces Faith is the Root of all I shall 1. Examine the Expressions here used 2. Give some Reasons why this is true Christianity I. Examine the Expressions here used First Concerning Faith Believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets 1. Here is the Object or things believed Things written in the law and the prophets 2. The Extent All 3. The Act believing First The Object Things written in the law and the prophets Law and Prophets is an expression commonly used for all the Scripture then extant Matth. 11.13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until Iohn And Luke 16.29 They have Moses and the prophets let them hear them The Books of the Old Testament are thus called We Christians who have received the Canon and Rule of Faith more inlarged are said to be built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles Eph. 2.20 So that now the Object of our Faith is Prophets and Apostles The Object of Faith may be considered Formally or Materially Materially Such things as God hath revealed Formally Because God hath revealed them If God hath revealed what is in the Writings of the Apostles then we are to believe them God's Veracity is the ground and support of our Faith into which it is ultimately resolved His Instruments in revealing are the Prophets and Apostles We know God hath revealed the things written by them partly because these Writings are delivered to us by the Universal Tradition of the Church and the Testimony of Christians thorough all Successions of Ages in whose experience God hath blessed these Writings for Conviction Conversion and Consolation And partly because of the consent between the Prophets and the Apostles the one foretelling whatever the other declared as accomplished Acts 26.22 Having therefore obtained help of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come Partly because the Doctrines have an impress of God upon them as every thing that hath passed his hand hath How do I know a Flie Gnat or any other Creature to be made by God God hath set his signature upon them Psal. 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work So the Scriptures agree with the Nature and Properties of God As God is Wise Powerful and Good these Doctrines become his Wisdom they have the stamp of his Moral Goodness which is his Holiness and as for his Power they that feel it not fear it Iohn 3.20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved There is something that alarmeth the Conscience And partly because it agreeth with the Nature of Man so far as a Man hath any good left in him It agreeth with the necessities of Man his guilty Fears and his Desires of Happyness For his guilty Fears Men that by reason of Sin are afraid of Gods Justice cannot be quieted by any other means but are by this Ier. 6.16 Stand ye in the wayes and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and you shall find rest for your souls Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest In Life and Death the Conscience is quieted So for desires of Happiness Men rove and grope about for some satisfying good Acts 17.27 That they should seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him And Psalm 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Life and Immortality are brought to light in the Scriptures and the way to obtain it clearly revealed Psalm 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Partly because God hath witnessed and attested it by his Spirit Acts 5.32 We are witnesses of these things and so is also the holy Ghost Without by Miracles and other wonderful Effects within by inlightning the Heart and Mind inclining and exciting us to believe it upon these Motives and Arguments 2 Cor. 4 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ so as to discern Gods Impress Upon these accounts we receive what is written in the Prophets and Apostles as revealed by God Secondly The Extent All things A Believer receiveth all Truths which are of Divine Revelation whether Precepts Promises Threatnings Doctrines or Histories But then we must distinguish of an implicite or explicite Faith With the latter we can only believe those things which we know what we know not we cannot believe with an explicite
Here is God to satisfy us There is an infinite Latitude in the Object of Faith Father Son and Holy Ghost with all their Powers and Capacities to do us Good No Pain so great but he can mitigate or remove it no Danger so dreadful or so likely but he can prevent it no Misery so deep but he can deliver us from it no Enemies so strong but he can vanquish them no Want that he cannot supply Gen. 17.1 The Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect When we have a Want that God cannot supply or a Sickness that God cannot cure or a Danger that he cannot prevent or a Misery that he cannot remove or can produce any Enemies or Creatures that are too hard for God then we have leave to yield to Trouble and Despondency of Heart Chuse God as your Portion and chief Happiness and you shall want nothing Psal. 23.6 Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the Days of my Life Surely could we more believe in God our Hearts would be more ballanced and kept steady not tost up and down with various Occurrences Whatever falleth out we have a God still to rejoice in and depend upon Habak 3.18 Yet will I rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation He supposeth himself not only in some necessity but in extremity not only kept bare but reduced to nothing 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet alway rejoicing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things You have all things in him 2. Here is Christ as Mediator We have great Advantage by that Consideration 1. Hereby we see God in our Nature and so nearer at hand and ready to help us and more accessible for us to come at than as God considered in the mere Deity John 1.14 The VVord was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us God is come down and become our Neighbour yea like one of us Bone of our Bone and Flesh of our Flesh. Though he has removed his Dwelling again into Heaven yet it is for our sakes our Nature is there though our Persons be not He is sat down as our Agent Heb. 8.1 VVe have such an High-Priest who is sat on the right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 4.15 For we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points tempted like as we are yet without Sin God in our Flesh will not be strange to us We are bidden Isa. 58.7 not to hide our selves from our own Flesh. Gen. 29.14 And Laban said unto him Surely thou art my Bone and my Flesh and he abode with him 2. In the Mystery of Redemption all the Divine Persons put themselves in an Order for our Faith to take hold of Faith may close with any one of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity provided we divide not the Divine Essence in our Thoughts But in the Mystery of Redemption all is made obvious and handy to our Faith The Father considered as the Fountain of the Deity to whom we come for Grace and Mercy The second Person clothed with our Flesh through whom we come Being assisted and enabled to come by the Holy Spirit who is the third Person Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an Access by one Spirit unto the Father This is that full and satisfying Object with which Faith closeth when it acteth most distinctly In the Father there we see original Love or original Authority and infinite free Grace Iohn 3.16 For God so loved the VVorld that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life In the Son everlasting Righteousness and Redemption Heb. 9.12 Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us In the Spirit infinite Virtue and Power for the applying of Christ's Purchase for he createth a new Spirit in us he createth the Fruit of the Lips Peace Peace It is God that must be satisfied and by God must this Satisfaction be made and by him that is God must this Satisfaction be applied before we can have the Comfort of it You have all in one Verse 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the fore-knowledg of God the Father through the Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and the sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus Christ. So ver 21 22. VVho by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope might be in God seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit In the Father we see Elective Love in the Son there is full Redemption and by the Spirit effectual Application The Father appoints Blessedness to us the Son purchaseth it for us and the Holy Ghost carrieth it on powerfully and invincibly The Salvation of poor Sinners is a Work wherein all the Persons of the blessed Trinity are engaged and do concur therein by a several distinct personal Operation Surely that is a noble Work wherein such Agents are imployed and our Hearts must be raised to give equal Glory to all the Persons knowingly and distinctly and explicitely The Father out of his good Pleasure electing Sinners to Grace and Glory The Son by his Obedience and Suffering purchasing the same for them The Holy Ghost by his Power working Grace in them and preparing them for that Blessedness which the Father hath appointed and Christ hath purchased for them 3. In believing of Christ as Mediator our Troubles are stopped at the Fountain-head It is not the Wrath and Fury of the Creature but the Wrath of God which maketh us miserable and nothing can fully comfort us if God be apprehended as an Enemy or not fully reconciled to us Now God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 There was Enmity stopped God in our Nature suffering for us dying for us and paying a full Ransom for our Sins so that now all true Believers may draw nigh to him as a reconciled God for Christ hath merited Favour for all those who come to God by him 4. By believing in Christ as Mediator we may be assured of his purchase of Glory for us which is the great Cordial against all Trouble whatsoever 1 Thess. 5.9 10. For God hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by Iesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him He biddeth them comfort one another with these Words ver 18. When a great Judgment is a coming upon Men because of their Sins a Believer is Affliction-proof because he hath secured his eternal Interests by Christ. Here our Lord Jesus telleth them he was going to Heaven to prepare a Place for them Whilst we flatter our selves with temporal
account of what we have done and received in the Body And therefore it is best while we are in the way to make our Peace with God and to break off our Sins by Repentance Otherwise what Quiet can we have in our selves or how can we keep our selves when we are serious from trembling at Wrath to come We may smother Conscience and baffle all Convictions for the present but Christians you and I must be judged Now when God riseth up to the Judgment what shall we answer him Iob 31.14 What then shall I do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him That must be thought on before-hand If we have no Answer which will satisfy now much less then 2. From the manner or strictness of that Day 's Account he will judg the World in Righteousness Eccles. 12.14 God shall bring every Work into Iudgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Hypocrisy shall be disclosed Sincerity shall be rewarded nothing shall be hidden from God's Search no Person shall be exempted no Work either open or secret but God will bring it into Judgment His infinite Wisdom knoweth all and his infinite Justice will give due Recompence to all The Businesses of all Nations and Persons shall be openly examined What then is our Duty but to exercise our selves both in Faith and Repentance that our Judg may be our Saviour and it may go well with us when this Search is made 3. Chiefly from the Person sufficiently attested by the Miracles of his Life and Resurrection from Death God hath determined and ordained the Person by whom the whole World shall be judged And from thence we may judg of the Rule it is by his Doctrine and by our receiving or not receiving Christ. Surely it is our Interest to be in with him who will cite us before his Tribunal To accept his Person as our Lord and Saviour Iohn 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God To believe and entertain his Doctrine as the Message of God Iohn 5.24 He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life and shall not come into Condemnation but is passed from Death to Life To imitate his Example 1 Iohn 4.17 Herein is our Love made perfect that we may have Boldness in the Day of Iudgment because as he is so are we in this World To trust in his Merit Psal. 2.12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his Wrath is kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their Trust in him To love him and live to him 1 Cor. 16.22 If any Man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maran-atha If he say Come ye Blessed or Go ye Cursed we must abide by it to all Eternity Wo to them that neglect his Offers contemn his Ways oppose his Interest oppress his Servants But blessed are they whose Redeemer is their Judg he who shed his Blood for them must pass the Sentence on them and one that is Flesh of our Flesh and Bone of our Bone is the final Judg between us and God Will he be harsh to his sincere Disciples But to say all in a word Surely this Consideration should do the Work effectually because his Gospel and Covenant is nothing else but a free Promise of Pardon upon Condition of Repentance Luke 24.47 That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations And to this end the Apostles were to preach that Christ is Judg Acts 10.42 43. He hath commanded us to preach unto the People and to testify that it is he who was ordained of God to be the Iudg of Quick and Dead To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive Remission of Sins Nothing sheweth the necessity of Remission of Sins so much as the Judgment and the necessity of Repentance to Remission so much as the Judg who in his Covenant hath made this Condition Nothing doth befriend the great Discovery of the Gospel which is free Pardon of Sin by Christ upon Repentance so much as the sound Belief of this Truth that Christ is Judg. Doct. That the great Purpose and Drift of the Gospel where it is sent and preached is to invite Men to Repentance This appeareth abundantly by the Scripture that Repentance is one of the first and chief Lessons which the Gospel teacheth When the Gospel-Kingdom was to be erected or set up Iohn the Baptist crieth Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3.2 So when Jesus himself began to preach his Note is the same Mat. 4.17 He began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand His Doctrine and the Doctrine of the Baptist is all one in substance and necessarily it must be so The Gospel findeth Men under the Tyranny of Sathan and offereth to bring them into the Kingdom of God So when he sent abroad his Disciples first to the Iews Matth. 10. and afterwards to the World Luk. 24.47 That Repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in his Name The Disciples were faithful to their Commission Acts 2.38 Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of Sins But to give you some Reasons of it I shall 1. Enquire what is Repentance 2. What the Gospel doth to promote it 3. How convenient and necessary this is for all those that are willing to come out of the Apostacy of Mankind and to return to their Obedience to God First What is Repentance Sometimes it is taken largely for our whole Conversion to God through the Faith of Christ as in the Text He commandeth all men to repent that is to turn from their Sins and believe the Gospel 2 Tim. 2.25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if peradventure God will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth Where the owning of the Christian Faith is called Repentance Sometimes strictly as opposed to or rather distinguished from Faith as Acts 20.21 Testifying both to the Iews and also to the Greeks Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ. Where Repentance is said to be towards God as the End as Faith is conversant about Christ as the Means And there it signifieth a return to the Love and Obedience of our Creator which was our Primitive Duty before the Fall as Faith implyeth all the Duties that belong to our recovery by Christ. In short in the strict sense there is not only a Sorrow for what is past which is a beginning and help to the other part for 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow working repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of but also a full purpose of Heart to live unto God Gal. 2.19 I through the Law am dead to
what they say nor whereof they affirm only ignorantly and inconsiderately swallow down the Current Opinions without knowing the certainty of those things wherein they have been instructed Luke 1.4 And so though they never doubted of the Truth of their Religion it is because they were never assaulted with Temptations to the contrary and all the strength of their Faith lyeth in their Inconsideration or Non-attention If they have any ground and bottom it is only Men's saying so and therefore their Belief if they have any should rather be called Humane Credulity than Christian Faith In short they that believe every thing believe nothing which soon appeareth when a Temptation cometh 2 dly It distinguisheth it from Conjecture which is a lighter Inclination of Mind to a thing as possibly or probably true whereby Men get no higher than it may be so and yet there are shrewd suspicions to the contrary A guess is not an Assent much less a firm and strong Assent as Faith is 3 dly It distinguisheth it from Opinion which is a trembling fearful uncertain Assent Opinion is beyond Conjecture but short of Faith Conjecture only supposes it may be so but Opinion asserts that it is so though not without some fear of the contrary but above all this Faith is an undoubted perswasion of the Truth of things revealed by God By Opinion one may be so convinced of the Truth of Divine things as not to be able reasonably to contradict them but by Faith a Man is so convinced of the Truth of the Gospel that he seeth all the reason in the World to embrace and follow it Col. 2.2 That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ And 1 Thess. 1.5 For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake And Heb 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water 2. The next Qualification of this Assent is that it is a Cordial or Hearty Assent I mean such as doth engage the Will and Affections to pursue the Happiness which God hath revealed in the way and by the means which God hath prescribed We read in Scripture of believing with the heart Rom. 10.9 10. and with all the heart Acts 8.37 The Object of Faith is not only true but Good and therefore produceth a Cordial Adherence to the Truths of which it is perswaded There is not only a Conviction of the Mind but a bent and Inclination of the Will which followeth the perswasion of Faith if it be firm and strong for it considereth not only the evidence of the things propounded but the worth weight and greatness of them 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation otherwise it will not serve the end and purpose of the Gospel which requireth us to Crucifie our Lusts and Sacrifice our Interests and perform Duties displeasing to Corrupt Nature and all this upon the Hope 's only which it offereth to us and to wait upon God for his Salvation in the midst of all Pressures and Afflictions Therefore certainly Believing is an Heart business not a simple naked and speculative Assent This latter Qualification doth exclude two things from true Lively and Saving Faith First That which Divines call Historical 2 dly That which they call Temporary Faith 1. Historical Faith which is a simple and naked Assent to such things as are propounded in the Word of God and maketh Men more knowing but not better not more Holy and Heavenly they are not excited thereby to pursue that Happiness which the Gospel offereth in the way of Holy Living or patient continuance in well-doing So Simon Magus believed the preaching of Philip Acts 8.13 yet his Heart was not right with God but he still remained in the Gall of bitterness and bond of Iniquity And so many believed in the Name of Christ to whom Christ committed not himself because he knew all men Joh. 2.23 24. And this Faith even the Devils may have Iam. 2.19 Thou believest that there is a God thou dost well the Devils also believe and tremble and that not only in Truths evivident by Natural Light such as that is there mentioned that there is a God but in Gospel Truths as that Jesus is the Son of God Mark 1.24 The Devil cryed out saying Let us alone what have we to do with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth I know thee who thou art the Holy One of God Now this kind of Faith is called Historical Faith not from the Object of it as if it did only believe the Histories of Scripture No they that have it may believe the Promises the Doctrines the Precepts as well as the Histories but from the Manner in which it is conversant about its Object namely thus As we read Histories in which we are no way concern'd we nakedly read them for Knowledge sake not to make a party in their Broils and Interests but only to know what was done so they that have only this kind of Faith read the Scriptures as Persons unconcerned and rest in idle Speculation without referring those notable Truths to choice and practice I cannot say that this cannot be called Faith because they that have it do believe those things which are true and do truly believe them but yet lively Saving Faith it is not for he who hath that findeth his Heart engaged to Christ and doth so believe the Promises of the Gospel concerning pardon of Sins and Life Eternal that he seeketh after them as his Happiness and doth so believe the Mysteries of our Redemption by Christ as that all his Hope and Peace and Confidence is drawn from thence and doth so believe the Commandments of God and Christ as that he determineth to frame his Heart and Life to the observance of them and doth so believe the Threatnings whether of Temporal Plagues or Eternal Damnation as that in comparison of them all the frightful things of the World are as nothing Luke 12.24 Be not afraid of them that can kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do Destruction from God is a Terrour to them beyond all the Evil that Man can threaten As he said to the Emperour Thou threatenest a Prison but Christ threateneth Hell 2. It is distinguished from Temporary Faith which is an Assent to Scriptural or Gospel Truth accompanyed with a slight and insufficient touch upon the Heart called a taste of the heavenly gift and of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come Heb. 6.4 5 6. By this kind of Faith the Mind is not only enlightened but the Heart affected
Eye is Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen we are are as sure of them as if we saw them with our Eyes or as we are of those things which we now see with our Eyes The Sight of Faith may be considered either 1. As to its Certainty and Clearness 2. As to its Power and Efficacy First As to its Certainty and Clearness We do so see God Heaven Christ that we are affected in some measure as if we saw them with our Bodily Eyes God whilst we walk before him Acts 2.25 I foresaw the Lord always before my Face Christ Gal. 3.1 Before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you Christ was set forth before their Eyes as if they had seen him hanging and dying upon the Cross. Heaven They have it in their Eye and are affected in some measure as if they were in the midst of the Glory of the World to come I say only in some measure for compare the Light of Faith and the Light of Glory and there is a difference in the degree The Light of Glory nullifieth Sin the Light of Faith only mortifyeth it but yet really it maketh us do those things which we would do if we saw the Glory of Heaven shun those things which are to be avoided as if we saw the Flames of Hell There is a Certainty and Firm Belief which hath a great Influence upon us so compare it with the Light of Sense Those things which we are to see and feel move the more passionately for while the Soul dwelleth in Flesh and looketh out by the Senses the Objects of Sense are more apt to move the Passions but yet Faith doth effectually move us thô not so passionately Secondly As to Efficacy and Prevalency this Sight prevails over those things which we see and feel A Christian hath Senses as well as others and knoweth that he dwelleth in a World full of sensible Objects which are pleasing to that Flesh which he still carrieth about with him but God hath opened the Eyes of his Mind by which he seeth better and more Glorious things which take up his Heart and Mind Life and Love Care and Time and so is weaned from Sense-pleasing Vanities and can deny them and trample upon them for the Enjoyment of these better Things and neither Life nor any thing comfortable to Life is counted so dear as that for their sake he should hazard the Favour of God his Redeemers Blessing and the Happiness of the World to come if Sight and Sense invite and entice him to Sin and forsake his God and Christ the Objects of Faith prevail against the Musements of Sense and sway his Choice and encline his Heart and govern his Resolutions in the whole Course of his Life He looketh not to things as they seem for the present or Relief to the Flesh or as they appear to short-sighted men who are governed by Sense but as they will appear at last and will prove to all Eternity and so can leave things which he seeth and feeleth for things which he never saw but expecteth shortly to enjoy Well then This is the Essential Property of Faith to look to things not seen by Sense but revealed by God in his Word and this Property sheweth its self in all the Acts of Faith Elicite and Imperate Elicite Acts are those which are proper to this Grace Imperate are such as belong to other Graces but Faith hath an Influence upon them by Vertue of which they are produced We may more plainly call them Acts and Effects 1. As the Acts of Faith which are Assent Consent Trust or Dependance 1. For Assent to such Truths as God hath revealed in his Word When we have sufficient Evidence of this Revelation the less sensible Helps we need to underprop our Assent the stronger is our Faith Let me Instance in the great Article of the Christian Faith Christs Person and Office I shall produce that place of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Tho' they had never seen Christ in the Flesh and he was now absent from them in regard of his Bodily Presence being withdrawn into the Heavenly Sacrary yet this did not hinder their Faith they loved him and rejoyced in him as if they had seen him and conversed with him Bodily It was an advantage certainly to have seen Christ in the Flesh and to Converse with him Personally here upon Earth to see his Miracles and hear his gracious words But Faith can embrace him as offered in the Promise tho' it never saw him in the Flesh and the fewer sensible Helps Faith hath besides the Word it is the more highly esteemed by Jesus Christ. The same appeareth by Christs words to Thomas Joh. 20.29 Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed but blessed are they that have not seen yet have believed Thomas must have the Object of Faith under the view of his Senses which argued a great weakness and Imbecility Vnless I see in his hand the print of the Nails and put my Finger into the print of the Nails I will not believe What if Christ would not give him that satisfaction but other sufficient Evidence This was his Infirmity therefore Christ telleth us they have the stronger and more acceptable Faith that do not give Laws to Heaven or prescribe to God upon what Terms they will believe but accept of the Assurance God offereth without Satisfaction to Sense 2. For Consent When we come to enter into Covenant with God God is Invisible who maketh the Promise and Heaven which is the great Promise that he hath promised us is future and yet to come and lyeth in another World and before we get thither we must encounter many Difficulties yea shoot the Gulf of Death but the Believer can as really and heartily Transact with the Great God and give the Hand to the Lord to become his as he can with a Man that is present and offereth a good Bargain upon easie Terms and Conditions he hath so firm a Belief of the Life to come that he taketh it for his Portion and Happiness 2 Cor. 4.18 While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen he looketh to things unseen which he taketh for his Treasure and Happiness and is resolved to be any thing and do any thing which God will have him be and do that he may obtain it 3. Another Elicite Act of Faith is Trust and Dependance which maintaineth us in a Course of patient and chearful Obedience to God tho' our Happiness be yet to come yea tho' for the present we are harras'd with great Troubles and Afflictions and it may be see not the Signs i. e. any sensible Tokens of God's Favour and Respect to us Yet the Sight of an Invisible God and Confidence of a future Reward
and with least defaults in his Duty and blots in his Fidelity to Christ. Would you know then whether your Faith be strong or weak know it by this The more you can adhere to Christ whatever Temptations you have to the contrary if you can venture not only some but all things upon the Account of the Promise of Eternal Life 1. Deny the sinful Pleasures of the Flesh they were never worth the keeping If I cannot deny a little vain Pleasure what can I deny for Christ surely momentary Delight is bought too dear if it must be bought with the loss of Eternal Joyes Esau is represented as a Prophane Person that sold his Birth-right for one morsel of Meat Heb. 12.15 If the vain Delights of the World prevail so with Men that all the Promises of the Gospel cannot reclaim them these comply with the Motions of the Flesh which is importunate to be pleased but have no sense of the Offers of Christ who calleth upon us to save our Souls The true Christian is a Stranger and Pilgrim on the Earth whose Mind and Heart is set upon better things which are to come 1 Pet. 2.11 Upon the security of God's Word he is taking his Journey into another World 2. We must be willing to Sacrifice all our Interests Matth. 16.24 If any Man will come after me and be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me If God be trusted as our Felicity Worldly Felicity must be no Impediment to our Duty therefore if we cannot incur blame and shame with Men yea damage and loss that we may be faithful with God our Faith is worth nothing 3. If God call you not to Sufferings yet there are some Expencefull and Self-denying Duties which ever are incumbent upon you Matth. 25.35 Visiting the Sick Cloathing the Naked Feeding the Hungry Luk. 12.33 Sell that ye have and give Alms provide your selves Bags which wax not old a Treasure in the Heavens that faileth not Can you trust Christ upon such Promises and be at some loss for the Gospel for a Religion that costs nothing is worth nothing most Men love a cheap Gospel and the Flesh ingrosseth all Faith gets little from them to be layed out for God These Men run a fearful hazard of being rejected for ever they Sow to the Flesh Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting 4. If your Faith maketh you to submit to Providence When we first entred into Covenant with God we entirely and absolutely gave up our selves to God to be governed by his commanding Will and to be ordered by his disposing Will You cannot shift your selves out of his Hands but your voluntary submission to any thing if you may have Christ and Heaven at last is the Tryal of your Faith Iob 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord Phil. 1.20 So Christ be magnified in my Body whether it be by life or death He was come to a Point Nothing should be reserved so Christ may be glorified and you may have his saving Grace let him give or take the more willingly you do this the stronger is your Faith Certainly to deny all is an essential Property of Faith 3. The third Evidence of a growing Faith is when our Light is turned into Love For Faith is not a bare Knowledge but a sound a savoury and affective Knowledge a knowing things as we ought to know them 1 Cor. 8.1 2. A Knowledge with a Taste for such a difference as there is between the sight of Meat and the tasting of it such a difference there is betwen speculative Knowledge and the Apprehension of Faith 1 Pet. 1.3 You may dispute him out of his Belief that Seeth but you can never dispute him out of his Belief that Tastes for you cannot make him go against his own sense The stedfastness of unlearned Christians cometh mainly from their Taste and Love They adhere more closely to Christ than those that have only a dead Opinion because they received the Truth not only in the light but love of it 2 Thes. 2.10 Now the more Taste we have of the things we know and believe the stronger is our Faith Now besides the manner of Apprehension the Truths apprehended tend mainly to raise our Love to God that we may love him that loved us first 1 Ioh. 4.19 We know God that we may Love him and Faith is nothing else but a beholding the Love of God in the Face of Jesus Christ that our Hearts may be warmed attracted and drawn to God Faith is the Bellows to enkindle the Fire of Love in our Souls and therefore Faith the more sound and sincere it is the more it worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 Faith is required sub ratione medii Love sub ratione finis The End of the Gospel Institution is Love 1 Tim. 1.5 Well then when you make it your great Business to love God and count it your great Happiness to be beloved by him then may you best judge of the Growth of your Faith The Gospel representeth the Goodness and Amiableness of God that he may be more lovely to us and be beloved by us For this was the end of Reconciling and Saving Man by Christ his Incarnation Life Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession is all to reveal the Love of God in Christ and to work our Hearts to love God again To this end also tend his merciful Covenant and Promises and all the Benefits given to the Church all the Priviledges of the Saints his Spirit Pardon Peace Glory all these to warm our Hearts and fill them with a sense of the Love of God Now if we slightly reflect upon these things with cold and narrow Thoughts we have not the true Faith certainly not a grown Faith SERMON IV. ON 2 THESS I. v. 3. Your Faith groweth exceedingly THe Fourth Essential Property of Faith is its Respect to the Word of God That I may explain this with more full satisfaction I shall open Four things 1. The Relation of the Word to Faith 2. The Acts of Faith about the Word 3. The Effects of Faith thus exercised 4. The Notes whereby we may discern a strong or grown Faith 1. The Relation of the Word to Faith 1. 'T is a Means to beget and breed Faith Rom. 10.14 15. How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed and how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Every part of the gradation hath its weight First What I am bound to Adore and Invocate I must believe in him as a Divine Power For the Second How shall Men believe in Christ as a God unless they have heard of him Faith is a believing such things as God
hath revealed because he hath revealed them therefore the Divine Revelation must be conveyed to them by some means or other The Third There is no Hearing without a Preacher some Messenger or Interpreter that may bring Tydings of Pardon and Life by Christ. Then for the Fourth Branch How shall they Preach except they be sent that is come with Authority Evidence and Power whereby it may be known that he is a Messenger authorized and sent by God that the things propounded may be received as a certain Truth of God's own Revelation that we may depend upon the Credit of his Word and that with such a lively and effectual Belief as may prevail with us to Assent unto it and embrace it notwithstanding all Difficulties and Objections to the contrary Now such is the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ which Inviteth us to call upon his Name or Name our selves by the Name of Christ because we may Believe in him and run all Hazards for him 2 Tim. 1.12 Why Because we have heard of him the Fame of his Doctrine so suitable to the Glory of God and the Necessities of Mankind and the Fame of his Miracles especially his Death and Resurrection and that by Authentick Preachers or Faithful Men authorized by God and sufficiently owned by him as those that are Commissioned to Instruct the World and to Teach them the way of Salvation So that the Word is the great Means to work Faith 2. 'T is the Warrant of Faith which stateth the Laws of Commerce between us and God which sheweth how far God hath Obliged himself and we may depend upon him as appeareth by the Words of Christ Ioh. 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall believe in me through their word The Principal Object of Faith is Christ we believe in him and the Warrant of Faith is the Word that is the Doctrine which by the Apostles is consigned to the use of the Church For these and no other Christ Prayeth and according to this way or Law of Grace God offereth himself to be reconciled to his Creatures So that here you may hold him to his Covenant the Word is gone out of his Lips and without this you make Promises to your selves which God will not stand unto 3. 'T is the Object of Faith or the thing which we do believe Acts 24.14 I believe all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets and add to that in the Writings of the Apostles to make the Object of the Christian Faith compleat take in also what is written in the Apostles for We are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone Eph. 2.20 That is the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the chief summe and scope of it who is to be accepted of as he is revealed and offered in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament betwixt which there is a sweet Harmony and Agreement But because this is too bulky and large for us to manage at one time let us consider the summe of the Scriptures in the Method wherein God hath put it and that is the Covenant of Grace ratified by the Blood of Christ which is the most glorious Discovery whereby God hath made known himself to his Creatures Psal. 138.2 I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindness and thy truth for thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name There we see that God's Word is the chiefest Discovery that he hath made of himself to the Creature for 't is magnified above all his Name that is it doth set forth God above all that is named famed spoken or believed or known or understood of God And what is the Matter of his Word his loving Kindness and his Truth that is in the Word there are contained Admirable Promises which God will certainly perform to the utmost Importance of them There we see his Mercy and loving Kindness in making such great Promises The Promises of the New Covenant are beyond all Expression great and precious 2 Pet. 1.4 they contain as much as the Heart of Man can desire all Spiritual and eternal Riches Pardon of Sin taking away the Stony Heart Eternal Life these are offered to Men to Believe And then his Truth and Fidelity in performing these Promises most punctually to all those that do Believe and will accept the Pardon Grace and Blessedness offered and behave themselves accordingly Well then God's Mercies in Christ to them that Repent Believe and Obey God are the Matter and Object of our Faith 4. The Word is the Security and Strength of our Faith 1. As it puts God's Grace into the way of a Promise 2. As this Promise is the Promise of God First We have much Advantage in Believing by the Formality of a Promise A Promise is more than a Purpose more than a Doctrinal Declaration more than a Prediction or Prophecy 1. More than a Purpose A Purpose is only the Thought of the Heart a thing secret and hidden but a Promise is open and manifest A Purpose is the Intention of a Person a Promise is his Intention revealed whereby we have a Knowledge of the good intended to us If God had only purposed to give us Eternal Life we might at last have enjoyed it but we could not have known it before hand It would have been as an hidden Treasure Promises are the Eruptions and Over-flows of God's Love to us his Heart is so big with Kindness and Designs of Goodness that it cannot stay 'till the accomplishment of things Isa. 42.9 Before they spring forth I tell you of them God's Purposes are a Sealed Fountain but his Promises are a Fountain broken open bubling forth He might have done us good and given us no Notice but Love concealed would not be so much for our Comfort Besides they are Obligations which God taketh upon himself Promittendi se fecit debitorem So far as God hath Promised so far he hath made himself a Debtor God's Purposes are unchangeable but his Promises are a Security put into our Hands so that we have a greater Hold fast upon God now the Word is gone out of his Lips Psal. 89.34 We may put the Bond in suit throw him in his Hand-writing Psal. 119.49 Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope We have the Pawn of the thing Promised which we must hold fast 'till Performance cometh His Truth and Holiness lye at stake and are as it were impawned with the Creature 2. 'T is more than a Doctrinal Declaration 'T is one thing to reveal a thing another to Promise it A Doctrine maketh a thing known but a Promise maketh a thing sure A Doctrine giveth us Notice but a Promise giveth us Right and Interest if we be qualified Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Doctrine of the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 But he hath not only manifested
great stay to the Souls of true Believers to cause them with Comfort to trust themselves and all their Affairs in the hands of Christ. We have no reason to doubt of his Care Protection and Merciful Disposal of us and if poor sick and desolate you may go to him it is in the power of his hands to help you 1. There is no want but he can easily supply it Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want 2. There is no pain or suffering but he can easily mitigate or remove it Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 3. There is no danger so great from which he is not able to deliver thee Dan. 3.17 18. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Where can we be so safe as in the Love and Covenant of such an Almighty Saviour Get but this imprinted upon your Hearts and it will beget a strong and stedfast Confidence in him 6. He reasoneth from the strict Discipline observed in the Roman Armies where there was no disputing of Commands or questioning Why and Wherefore I am a man under Authority having Soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my Servant do this and he doth it Verse 9 th Where he compareth Person with Person I am a Man thou a God Condition with Condition a subordinate Officer with Christ the Supream Lord He knew what it was to obey and to have Power over others Power with Power his Power over Soldiers and Servants with Christ's Command over all Events Health and Sickness Life and Death Reasoning for God and his Promises is a great advantage We are Naturally acute in reasoning against Faith but when the Understanding is quick and ready to invent Arguments to encourage Faith it is a good sign VSE Go you and do likewise From the Example of the Centurion let me encourage you 1. To readiness of Believing Iames 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated This is opposite to that slowness of Heart to believe which we read of Luke 24.25 Oh Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken These are more receptive and easie to entertain a Doctrine than others Iohn 7.17 If any Man do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God The Sincere and Renewed need less ado to convince them There is a light Credulity Prov. 14.15 The Simple believeth every word and there is the readiness of a Sincere Mind to embrace the Truth We are to captivate our Understandings to the Obedience of Faith but not every Fancy lest we be like Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine Eph. 4.14 No a Christian must not be like a Reed shaken with the Wind nor believe every Spirit but yet where the Truth is sufficiently evidenced we must embrace it Most of our Hesitancy in Religion comes not so much from the Conflict between our Light and the Doubts of our Mind as from the Conflict between our Light and Lusts which maketh us irresolute but a sincere Heart soon overcometh the difficulty 2. To represent our Necessity to Christ and referr the Event to him to commit and submit all to him There is an Alsufficiency of Power and Infinite Pity and Goodness that we need not trouble our selves about the Event Submission before the Event is Faith as after it is Patience This is true Faith in such Cases as the Centurion came about to referr all to Christ. 3. To be Humble In all our Commerce with Christ Faith must produce a real Humility Faith is most high when the Heart is most low Luke 18.11 12 13 14. The Pâ—arisee stood and prayed saying God! I thank thee I am not as other men are c. I fast twice a week I give tithes of all that I possess And the Publican standing afar off would not so much as lift up his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted The one changelled a Debt the other begged a Favour Humble Supplications to God become us better than proud Expostulations 4. To meditate often on the Soveraign Dominion of Christ and his Power over all things that fall out in the World To keep us from warping and running to unlawful shifts God propoundeth his Alsufficiency to our Faith when we enter into Covenant with him Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect He hath Power enough to help defend and reward us we need not seek elsewhere for a Protector or Paymaster the Word of his Providence is enough he can heal our Diseases supply our Necessities or bless a little as he did the Pulse to the captive Children Dan. 1.15 Their Countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the Children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat A SERMON ON MATTH XV. v. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts and cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil But he answered her not a word and his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she cryeth after us But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and cast it to Dogs And she saith Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table And Iesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour WE come now to the Second Instance of a Great and Grown Faith This ought to be considered by us In the Centurion me had an Instance of a reasoning Faith now of a wrestling Faith Faith wrestling with grievous Temptations but at length obtaining help from God We ought to consider this for these Reasons 1. Because Christ pronounceth it to be great Faith and so proper for our Imitation O Woman great is thy Faith It is the Faith of a Woman a
In some Sence it is our Duty to consider them that we may not go about the most serious Work hand over head Christ bids us sit down and count the Charges Luke 14.28 For which of you intending to build a lower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it The Saints are wont to put hard cases to themselves Psal. 3.6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about And Psal. 23.4 Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil 2. Therefore the Ends must be observed We must consider them to prevent Slightness and to weaken our Security but not to weaken our Confidence in the Promise When they are urged against the Promise they impeach the Truth of God but when we consider them to prevent Slightness it is good The Difficulties of Salvation must be sufficiently understood oâ—herwise we think to do the Work of an Age in a Breath Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Josh. 24.19 And Ioshuâ— said unto the People Ye â—annot serve the Lord for he be is a holy God It is not so easie a Matter as you take it to be 3. Difficulties must be thought on to quicken Faith not to weaken it If they be pleaded against the Promise they weaken Faith if they be pleaded to drive us to the Promise they quicken Faith What greater Arguments are there to press us to dependance than to consider our Impotency the loosness of our Hearts and the strength of Temptations 2 Chron. 20.12 For we have no might against this great Company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are unto thee But to plead against the Promise is to Consult with the Wisdom of the Flesh and it hath ever fared ill with the Saints Luk. 1.18 And Zacharias said unto the Angel Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my Wife well stricken in years Therefore for a while he was struck dumb So Moses Numb 20.12 Hear now ye Rebels must â—e fetch you water out of the Rock God had bidden him smite the Rock and assured him the Water should flow but he pleadeth the natural Impossibility therefore he was shut out of Canaan So that Noble Man 2 Kings 7.2 Then a Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the Man of God and said Behold if the Lord would make Windows in Heaven might this thing be And he said Behold thou shalt see it with thine Eyes but shalt not eat thereof But he that will not believe the Truth of a Promise shall not partake of the Benefit of it Well then as Abraham regarded not the great Difficulties that might be pleaded to his Faith from his own and his Wife's Age so must not we Secondly I shall shew you the Inconveniences of this sinful considering the Difficulties in all the parts of Faith Assent Consent and Affiance 1. As to Assent There are many Difficulties which may be objected against the Truths propounded in the Word but it is enough to a Believer that God hath revealed them in his Word and propounded them to his Faith Reason is apt to reply as Nicodemus when Christ spake to him of Regeneration Iohn 3.9 How can these things be Carnal Reason keepeth Men from simple believing or resting on what is revealed till they see a Reason for every thing Now we see a Reason why we do believe and that is the Word of God or Divine Revelation though we do not see a Reason of every thing which we do believe for many things are Mysteries In such cases we must receive Truths as we do Pills not chew but swallow them take them upon the Credit of the Revealer To chew produceth a loathsom Ejection to swallow a wholsom Remedy Believing in the common Notion of it is a receiving of Truths upon Trust from another so it differeth from knowing And Divine Faith is a receiving such things as God hath revealed because he hath revealed them Therefore our first Enquiry is Whether these things be so or no Not how they can be so There we begin at the wrong end In many Cases constat de re the thing is evident in Scripture whereby it is revealed but how it can be is beyound our reach the Modus is not certain Now when we should believe we dispute and so cavil rather than enquire If it be not plainly revealed by God you may reject it without Sin and Danger but if it be you must not contradict all that you cannot comprehend otherwise dangerous Mischiefs will ensue The True God will be no God to you because you cannot comprehend the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Essence Christ will be no Christ because you cannot comprehend how a Virgin should conceive or how a God should become Man It is sufficient that it is revealed in Scripture which carrieth it's own Evidence in it's Forehead shining by it's own Light hath the Seal and Stamp of God upon it and moreover is confirmed by Miracles and handed and brought down to us by the Universal Tradition of the Church through the Successions of all Ages in whose Experience God hath blessed it to the converting comforting and sanctifying of many Souls In short to see a thing in it's Evidence is not to believe but to receive it on the Credit of the Testifyer If you will not credit it unless the thing be evident in it's self without his Word you do not believe Christ but your own Reason and instead of being thankful for the Revelation you quarrel with his Truth because it is in some things above your Capacity You should be satisfied with the bare Word of God and captivate your Understandings to the Obedience of it 2. As to Consent and Acceptance There are many things may be objected against entring into Covenant with Christ as our Unworthiness the fickleness and loosness of our Hearts how unable we are to keep Covenant with him but these things must not be alledged against our Duty and the free offers of the Lord's Grace 1. Our great Unworthiness This is one Reason why the instance of Abraham is produced by Paul as a pattern of Faith to the Gentiles As Abraham considered not his Natural Incapacity to have Children so they not their unworthiness to be Adopted into God's Covenant The Gentiles were not a People unto God but were over-looked in the Dispensations of his Grace but Hosea 2.23 I will have Mercy upon her that had not obtained Mercy and I will say unto them that were not my People Thou art my People and they shall say Thou art my God Our condition is not so desperate that the Mercy of the New Covenant cannot reach us and recover us So for particular Christians they exclude and repell
Comfort because they are so vile and unworthy and such Sinners If you be such a Sinner the more need of a Saviour You would laugh at him that would argue thus I am too Cold to go to the Fire too Sick to send for the Physician too Poor to take Alms too Filthy to go to the Water to be Washed You must not consider what you have been but what you would be Christ doth not Invite us because we are Holy but that we may be Holy The Objection were of weight if we did only advise you to be eased of your smart but not to be rid of your burden if this Consent were only a Claim of Priviledges and not an Obligation to Duties or a submission to Christ's Healing Methods Celsus objected against Christianity that it was a Sanctuary for naughty Persons and Men of a Licentious Life Origen answereth him That it was not a Sanctuary to shelter them only but an Hospital to cure them It is not the Worthy are Invited â—ut the Thirsty and the Needy you are unworthy to the very last but are you hungry You are unworthy to receive Christ but God is worthy to be oâ—â—yed it is not a matter of Priviledge only but Duty 2. Your Hearts are so loose and changeable you are afraid to bind your selves to God The truth is this consent implyeth a delivery over of your selves to Christ to seek Happiness in the way that he hath appointed it is the first Egress of the Soul towards the Execution of the Duty of a Christian our entry into the practice of the Holy Life and an entry withall into a resolved War with the Devil the World and the Flesh who will resist us herein and you must consider difficulties so as to fortifie your Resolution Matth. 16.24 If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me He will surprize no Man Matth. 20.22 Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I drink of and to be baptized with the Baptism that I am Baptized with And not to consider is to discourage your Consent Obj. You will say You cannot do it by your own Strength and you are uncertain of God's Assistance Answ. Do not foretell the Event but charge your selves with your Duty It is your Duty to engage your Hearts to God tho' you cannot lay Wagers upon your own Strength You must resolve but continually depend upon Christ for the performing of your Resolutions He will maintain you in your way to Heaven 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day In a sense of your own Insufficiency and Deceitfulness of Heart you must still relye upon his Grace and Spirit who hath made many Promises to support and to keep you by his Power through Faith unto Salvation 3. For Affiance in the great Promise of the Gospel or offer of Pardon and Life by Christ. There seemeth to be an impossibility to Sense and Reason from first to last If the 〈◊〉 of Salvation were sufficiently understood we should see from the beginning to the end from the first step to its last Period in everlasting Glory it is the meer Grace and Power of God that carrieth it on in despite of Men and Devils and therefore it is said Eph. 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word who believe according to the working of his mighty power As for instance the reconciling of a guilty Soul to God Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we had oâ—r Conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nâ—â—ure Children of Wrath even as others The changing of a naughty and obstinate Heart Ier. 17.9 The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it And the giving us an Holy Nature and Life Iob 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean nâ—t one Or to quicken us that were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 You also hath be quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins To strengthen a feeble and weak Creature 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God That things meet with so much opposition by the way Eph. 6.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places What can maintain us in the midst of so many Temptations We at length dye and rot in the Grave as others do now the rising of our Bodies after it is eaten by Worms and turned to Dust is a thing incredible and to Flesh and Blood wholly impossible 't is wholly within the reach of God's Power Now since we have ground to hope for all this from the Word of God even to Pardon our many sins Isa. 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon To change this sinful Nature that we may become an holy People to God Titus 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost To overcome our Obstinacy perverseness in evil fickleness in good To maintain Grace in the midst of Temptations Iude 24. To him that is able to keep you from falling And finally to raise us up out of the Grace We must not consider and plead the difficulties to damp Faith but to quicken it going on with our Duty and wait for his Salvation III. He staggered not at the Promise through Vnbelief Strong Faith is so satisfied with God's Promise that it leaveth no place for considerable doubtings as Abraham here admitted no doubts or questionings touching the Promise of God but without disputing or arguing to the contrary depended fully upon the Lord being perswaded he could do what he had promised There are two Reasons hereof The Immutability of his Nature Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong Consolation And his Tenderness of his Word Psal. 138.2 For thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name Both these breed this assured Perswasion of God's Faithfulness and Stedfastness and make his Promise the great Prop and Support of Faith Now this staggering or not staggering at the Promise and so the Weakness and Strength of our Faith may referr to three Acts or Parts of Faith 1. A strong Assent or clear sight of the Evidence of the Truth If we have the Word and Promise of God we should believe any thing as surely as if we had the greatest Evidence in the World
Faith Some Christians know not all things which are contained in the Prophets and Apostles and yet in a sense they do believe by an implicite Faith As Agrippa believed the Prophets Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the prophets I know that thou believest Yet he was ignorant of some things revealed by them So all Christians own the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets as the Rule and Warrant of Faith yet they do not discerne every Truth therein contained They do believe that whatever the Prophets and Apostles say and have written is true and so are ready to believe all things which shall be demonstrated to them to be written or said by them But by an explicite Faith they believe all Fundamental Truths such as are absolutely necessary to Salvation and usually most other Truths which are next to Fundamentals The Fundamentals are set down Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent That God is to be known loved obeyed worshipped and injoyed and that the Lord Jesus is our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God with his gifts of Pardon and Life to be begun by the Spirit here and perfected in Heaven Thirdly The Act believing It is not enough not to deny or not to contradict but we must actually and positively believe The Reason why the generality of People living in the Christian World feel so little force of their Faith is from their inadvertency they leap into the Christian Faith by the advantage of their Birth but do not consider what they believe nor why they should believe it and how they are concerned in it and so may be rather said not to contradict than to believe But true Faith is a positive firm assent excited in us by the Spirit of God As the Apostle saith of some that were zealous for the Law Vnderstanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 So the Rabble of Common Christians may be zealous for the Gospel yet are not instructed in the Nature and Grounds of it what and why they should believe A sound belief requireth a thorough understanding of what we believe and a deep consideration of the Grounds and Reasons why we are to believe it And then it is such a fixed assent as is not perplexed and haunted with doubts about the truth of it And such a close adherence as is not discouraged with difficulties and oppositions It would be much better with the Christian World if every one that carryeth the name of a Christian could say I believe all that is written in the prophets and the apostles In short To a sound belief there is necessary 1. A Knowledge or full Instruction in the things which we believe for it is said 1 Iohn 4.16 We have known and believed the love that God hath to us first known and then believed 2. A due Conviction of the Certainty of them Luke 1.4 That thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed And Iohn 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God And Iohn 17.8 They have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me 3. This Faith doth not only imply a bare intellectual assent but a practical trust and affiance For the Nature of the Object requireth so much Christianity doth not only propound bare Truths to be assented unto but joyful comfortable Truths suitable to our necessity and desires and therefore we must depend upon them seek our Happyness in them in the way appointed by God which is nothing but practical trust and affiance Therefore it is not a bare Opinion but a relyance upon God that he will make good his word to us whilest we continue with Patience in well-doing Therefore we are said to belong to Christ if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 4. Those Truths which are contained in the word are to be considered with application that we may know them for our good Iob 5.27 Hear it and know thou it for thy good Every Doctrine which upon search we find to be sound and good we must make application of it to our selves that it may affect our own Hearts if Threatnings that we may escape the Curse if Comforts or Promises Rom. 8.32 What shall we say to these things The promise of Pardon to all Believers is so universal that it includeth you as well as others Christ is offered to every Creature that he may be yours as well as anothers and the offer of Heaven and Eternal Life is so propounded that you should ingage your Hearts to seek after it and closely to adhere to it till you obtain it But to apply it so as to be perswaded that your own Sins are already pardoned that you are an Heir of Glory that you are Christs as to actual Interest you must have good Evidence for that from a Spiritual Sense of your own Qualifications but it belongeth not to Faith simply taken Thus we have set forth a Christian in his first part as a Believer II. The Apostle asserts his Hope And have hope towards God which they themselves allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust 1. Mark that he propoundeth his hope as the immediate effect and product of Faith for when I believe then I must look and long and prepare for the Blessedness offered otherwise my Faith is but a cold Opinion not such a Faith as will subdue the inclinations and Interests of the Flesh nor make the Labours and Sufferings of the Spiritual Life tolerable And that is true Faith which breatheth and longeth after the end of all Religion and looketh for it What will it do me good to believe the Doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles if I expect no good from thence Faith would be vain and Religion vain Only note here that Hope is two-fold 1. One the Fruit of Regeneration or the immediate effect of Conversion to God 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope And this is nothing else but a seeking and looking for an Happiness in another and in an unseen World with a longing desire and diligent care to obtain it It is Faith to place my Happiness so high and so far from sense now when my desires and delights are there and my daily care is to get thither and to live in a continual preparation for it and desirous expectation of it and to deny my self and suffer any loss and pain to get thither this is the work of Hope 2. There is an Hope built upon experience Rom. 5.4 5. And experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost
Verse 8th The word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart It 's in the Mouth to know it and speak of it it 's in the Heart as written there by the Spirit that we may do the duty it requireth of us with ease and sweetness 'T is in thy Mouth to Confess and in thy Heart to Believe and Practise VVhen the New Covenant is spoken of as opposite to the Covenant made with them when they came out of Egypt it is said sometimes to be put into the Mouth and sometimes in the Heart The words are Isa. 59.21 As for me This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my VVords which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy seed nor out of the Mouth of thy seed's seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Meaning thereby That his Spirit and Word shall continue with them as a Church to direct them in all necessary things This for the Mouth Now for the Heart see another Promise Jer. 31.33 And this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People Well then The Excellency of the Gospel-dispensation is set forth by Two things 1. It 's more easie to be known and understood and carried in the Memory for the Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth The drift of Moses his Speech tendeth to shew that they should have a New Covenant the Tenour of which was known and easie to be expressed by all those who were acquainted with it 2. It 's more easie to be practised 'T is not in our Mouths onely but in our Hearts which are inclined by the Holy Spirit to obey it so that the New Creature may undertake the duty it requireth of us by the assistance of God and do it sincerely though not exactly Secondly The sense of what it saith 't is explained and exemplified 1. Explained Verse 8. This is the word which we preach namely the Doctrine of Repentance and Remission of sins by Jesus Christ. 2. Exemplified Verse 9th That if thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Confession with the Mouth there answers to the Word is in thy Mouth believe with thine heart that implieth Faith And Christ's being raised from the Dead is instanced in rather than any other Article of Faith because that proveth all the rest and is the great evidence of the truth of Christianity Doctrine That the way of acceptance with God or obtaining Salvation is so clearly stated in the Gospel that we need not be in doubtful suspence or seek out another Religion wherein to find it or other satisfaction than God hath given us in his Word The sense of this Point I shall give you in these Propositions First That it is the weightiest matter in the VVorld to know how to be accepted with God as to pardon and life Man being a guilty Creature needeth pardon and the Soul dying not with the Body we desire to know the way of life or what shall become of us when this frail life is at an end Certain it is that we are haunted with guilty fears for we are through the fear of death all our life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 There are some troubles of Mind in all of us about our acceptance with God not always felt indeed but soon awakened Trembling Souls who know what God is and what themselves are and are conscious to former guilt and present unworthiness cannot easily settle in a confidence of God's Mercy to them especially when they come to die The fear of death raised our trouble before but when death cometh indeed these stings are increased 1 Cor. 15.56 The Sting of Death is sin and these stings of Conscience are justified by the highest reason which is the Law of God not occasioned by our melancholy conceits only It 's an Amazing consideration to us to think of entering into an unknown World and to stand before the righteous bar of an impartial Judge That it is very hard to undergo death with a steady confidence and to incourage our fearful and doubtful Minds to lanch out into Eternity common experience verifieth I pray consider Christians that our present condition is a state of darkness and fear and these fears are caused by sin and justified by the Law of God and revived by death and the thoughts of the other World And therefore there is not a weightier business than to establish our fearful and doubtful Minds in Peace that we may comfortably wait for the Mercy of God unto Eternal Life Secondly That is the best Religion which doth most provide for this Peace and Rest of Soul So that if a man were at liberty to choose and were consulting what Religion he should choose this Consideration must guide him where he can find true Peace and Rest for his Anxious Soul So the Prophet directeth them Ier. 6.16 Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and you shall find rest for your Souls And by this Argument Christ inviteth us to himself Mat. 11.28 29. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls And the Apostle commendeth the Gospel upon this account Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus It is easie to lull Conscience asleep for a while either 1. By Carnal Pleasures Prov. 9.17 Stolen Waters are sweet and Bread eaten in secret is pleasant For a while they seem so but the vertue of that Opium is soon spent Or 2. By a false Religion but within a while we shall soon find that is so far from being our cure that it is a great part of our disease no false Religion is consistent with right Thoughts of God Therefore the Woman of Samaria assoon as she began to have an awakened Conscience enquires after the true Religion Iohn 4.20 Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship An awakened Conscience will be careful to lay the ground-work of Religion sure A false way of Religion always breedeth scruples and is accompanied with no sound Peace Or 3. In the superficial observances of a true Religion Mat. 19.20 All these things have I kept from my Youth up what lack I yet A false Righteousness will not give true quietness to the Conscience there is something lacking and the Soul sits uneasie Therefore nothing but coming under the Power of the
they subsist after Life and have a Being is their firm Perswasion And therefore are wont to assign to the dead part of the goods which they possessed And Acosta telleth us that in Peru they are wont to kill some of their Slaves to attend the dead in the World to come Thus in a manner all Nations have received this Tradition from hand to hand from their Ancestors and the nearer to the first Original of Mankind the more clear and pressing hath been the conceit hereof Lapse of time which decayeth all things hath not been able to deface it out of the Minds of Men who though they have been gradually depraved and degenerated according to the distance by which they have been removed from their first Originals yet they could never blot out the sense of an Estate after this Life An universal Tradition is some Argument when there can be no solid and indubitable Reasons brought to convince it of falsity Now such is this spread throughout the Universe and with extream forwardness received of all Nations and hath born up against all the encounters of Time and constantly maintained it self in the midst of so many Revolutions of Humane Affairs by which many other things were lost 2. All men have believed that there is a God and very few doubted but that He is a Rewarder of Virtue and Punisher of Vice Now neither the one nor the other is fully accomplished in this World even in the Judgment of those who have no great Knowledge of the Nature of Sin nor what Punishment is competent thereunto Therefore there must be some state after this Life in which this retributive Justice of punishing the Bad and rewarding the Good shall be manifested For here Providence seemeth to be darkned and the World is offended with the Calamities of the Good and Prosperity of the Wicked 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this Life only we have Hope in Christ Iesus we are of all men most miserable 3. If there be an end of man when he dieth Why is man afraid of Torments after Death Heb. 2.15 Deliver them who through fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to bondage Men fear Deaâ—h not as a natural Evil as it terminateth our present Comforts but as a Penal Evil as it is an Entrance to unknown Sorrows 1 Cor. 15.56 The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law What 's the Reason of these stings of Conscience which are never so sensible and quick as when they approach near Death or behold themselves in some imminent danger What are these but presaging fears which anticipate miseries after this life If there were an utter end of men these troubles should in Reason then vanish But this is the Time when these Alarums are redoubled and those Tempests increase their Violence 2. The Light of Christâ—anity doth much more discover it That 's properly a Doctrine of things unseen That telleth us of a Prison where are the Spirits of Wicked men 1 Pet. 3.19 Of a Palace or Mansions in our Fathers House where are the Spirits of Just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 On the one hand it telleth us of a Worm that never dieth of a Fire that shall never be quenched Mark 9.44 On the other side of Joys that are at the right hand of God for evermore Psal. 16.11 That Christ died to free us from the wrath to come 1 Thess. â— 10 And purchased Heaven for us 1 Thess. 5.10 And is gone to Heaven to seise upon it in our Name Iohn 14.2 3. Having first left a sure Promise of Eternal Life to all that believe in him 1 Iohn 2.25 Which â—romise was outwardly confirmed by divers Miracles accompanying them that went abroad to make this offer in his Name Heb. 2.3 4. Inwarâ—ly in the Hearts of his People by giving them the first fruits of this Everlasting Estate in their Union with himself Col. 1.27 And the Joys of his Spirit which are therefore said to be full of Glory 1 Pet. 1.8 These are Truths interweaved throughout the whole Body of Christianity Now discourse but with your selves 1. Parâ—ly concerning the thing it self Partly 2. Concerning the certainty of your Hope 1. Concerning the certainty of the thing it self Is the whole Scripture false The Gospel a Fable Are all the Oracles of the Prophets the Doctrine of Christ his Miracles Resurrection Ascension but a Dream Were they all deceived that followed Christ upon these Hopes That took such pains in subduing the Flesh And hazarding their Interests freely upon the Hopes of another World Are the wisest sort of men the World ever saw Fools All the Ordinances of Christ a customary Superstition Is Grace a Fancy The Joys of the Spirit Delusions or phantastical Impressions These rejoicings and foretasts of the Children of God a meer Deceit and Imposture Surely it cannot be that all this Solemnity should be used to establish a vain Conceit 2. Excite and work up your own Faith and Hope Is there not a state of Blessedness reserved for me in the Heavens Invisible and Glorious things which I am bound to seek after Thou hast not Possession but thou hast the Grant the Deed of Gift sealed thou hast the Conveyance to shew Gods own Word and Promise to assure thee Yea 't is not nudum pactum God hath given thee the Earnest of a greater summ 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the Earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts What should I do then but look for it long for it and earnestly seek after it Use II. Is for Reproof 1. To the Incredulous and Unbelieving to whom all Invisible Things seem a Fancy Scoffing Atheists they will not believe there is an Heaven or an Hell till they see them In the face of the Visible Church there may be such and in the latter times there shall be many such 2 Pet. 3.4 But in Hell there are none such because then matters of Faith are matters of feeling and to their bitter cost they find the Truth of what they doubted of To these I shall say God hath always tried his People and distinguished them from others by respect to things not seen Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith By this he condemned the World at his costly Industry and care to frame an Ark but whilest he provided for his safety they perished in their Sins Must every thing be seen before we fear it or hope for it Why then do men provide for time to come so long before hand Why for Old-Age in Youth Why for Winter in Summer As the Industry of the Ant is recommended for our Imitation Prov. 6.6 7 8. Go to the Ant thou Sluggard consider her ways and be wise Which having no Guide Overseer or Ruler provideth her Meat in
you shall command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink down into your Ears Close Application Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Job 5.27 Loe thus we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good And therefore as things are duly thought on so they must be closely applied These three acts of the Soul have each of them a distinct and proper Work Sound belief worketh on the clearness and certainty of the things asserted Serious Consideration on the greatness and importance of them Close Application on their pertinency and suitableness to us See all in one place 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying worthy of all acceptation That Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief These are all necessary to make any truth operative Sound belief for we are not affected with what we believe not Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Therefore to awaken diligence the truth of things is pleaded 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16. Give all diligence to add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure for we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty Heb. 2.3 4. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him The first rousing Question when Men heard any Sermon about any Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel was Is this true For Consideration Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus our Lord. Without Consideration the weightiest things lie by as if they were not Sleepy reason is as none The most important Truths have no force upon us till Consideration awakeneth us Then for Application what concerneth us not is passed over Unless we hear things with a care to apply them we shall never make use of them Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of our Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise 'T is not enough to know the Gospel to be a Doctrine of Salvation to others but we must look upon it as a Doctrine that bringeth Salvation to our own doors and leaveth it upon our choice A Plaister doth not heal at a distance till it be applied to the Sore Truths are too remote till we set the edge and point of them to our own Hearts Well then by this way we Preach to our selves Day and Night by exciting our Faith in God and Christ and Glory to come and by serious Consideration stirring up all God's graces in our selves and reproving our selves for all our Sins and calling a backward Heart to all the duties required of us This is the work of Close Application 5. They prosper best in Grace that most faithfully and diligently use the means Here I shall prove two things 1. That we are to use the means For wherefore hath Christ appointed them but that we should use them His Church is not like a Statuaries Shop where the Image or Statue doth nothing but the Carver or Artificer doth all But 't is compared to a School where Christ is the Teacher to teach us our Duty and we are Disciples to learn it And to a Kingdom where Christ is the Monarch and Sovereign and we are Subjects ingaged by Covenant to Obey him and the manner of his Government 't is not meerly natural ruling us as he doth the other Creatures by a Rod of Iron or in a way of absolute power as they cannot do otherwise but Moral by Laws Promises Threatnings working Faith by preaching and Love Hope and Obedience are the ends of Faith Certainly he governeth Man as Man not by Physical Motions only but by Moral Motives to which we must attend consider and improve Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man with bands of Love Christ hath not to deal with Stones or Brick or Timber but with Men. God hath fitted the means to do their work and for these ends we must use them If he did ordinarily work without them he would never have appointed them to this end He could have done it with one powerful fiat one creating word or beck of his will but he hath set another train and order of Causes and therefore he will work by them because he worketh on all things according to their Nature and this is suitable to the nature of Man We never knew of any Man that came to Knowledge Faith or Love without means Therefore 't is presumption for us to expect it And the greatest neglecters and despisers of Means are every where the most graceless and the worst of Men Therefore it concerneth us to use them 〈◊〉 the greater diligence and care We may learn from our Adversary the Devil he sheweth his Malice to Souls in opposing the means either by depriving Men of them 2 Thess. 2.18 Wherefore we would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindred us or keeping them from them by thraldom or filling them with prejudice Iohn 8.4.4 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him 2 Cor. 44. In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine upon them Or from the Faithful using of them Matth. 13.19 When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his Heart He watcheth them in all their Postures As soon as Men begin to be serious and to take heed what they hear he disturbeth the Work Well then the Means have an Aptitude and subservient Efficacy which we ought to regard 2. They prosper best that do most faithfully and diligently use the means I shall prove that by the double reason of the Text. 1. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again In the Allegation of this Proverbial Speech I shall observe two things 1. That there is a Law of Commerce between God and his Creatures or else how shall we know what to expect And the ordinary Rule
hope the good Spirit will convey by it a double Portion of Grace to us who are left behind Let it not affright thee Reader to hear a dead Saint speak a dead Minister preach for 't is the same Spirit of Life and Power which once breathed from the Pulpit that now breaths from the Press the same Gospel which once dropp'd from his gracious Lips flows now from his sanctified Pen. Although the serious Perusal of these spiritual Discourses will more effectually commend them to thy Acceptance than the most elaborate Recommendation of the Prefacer yet I must not betray the Truth in concealing what the observing Reader will soon discern Acquired Learning humbly waiting upon Divine Revelation great Ministerial Gifts managed by greater Grace Warm Affections guided by a solid Iudgment Fervent Love to Saints and Sinners kindled by a burning Zeal for the Interest of a Saviour and a plain Elegancy of Stile adapted to the meanest Capacity yet far above the Contempt of the highest Pretender I can sincerely aver that it 's no part of the Design of this Epistle to conciliate a Reputation to these Writings from the acknowledged Repute of their Reverend Author Divine Truths need not those vulgar Artifices they carry their own Credentials in themselves nor yet to greaten the Author by magnifying his Works Grace kept him above those Temptations when labouring at the Footstool and Glory has advanc'd him beyond their reach now triumphing at the Throne It was then his sufficient Honour to be an Earthen Vessel filled with Heavenly Treasure that he might fill and enrich others and he is now engaged to his greater Satisfaction in blessing that ever-blessed God who served his gracious Counsels of him in the honourable though despised Work of the Ministry That which I have in my Eye is to lead thee into the Admiration of our Lord Iesus Christ who when he ascended up on high gave Gifts unto Men for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry To all he has given some to none has he given all but wisely divided to every Man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 Where he has given least they have a Competency where he has bestowed most there is no Redundancy none shall have cause to boast of his Ten Talents none reason to murmur that he has but One but that which we must ever adore and admire is that where he has bestowed most liberally Ministerial Abilities he has also bequeathed sanctifying Grace to keep them humble to secure them against Pride and preserve them in a meek Dependance upon himself That he should give them a due Proportion of Ballast to keep them steady lest they should overset with bearing too great a Sail That he should make and keep them lowly in their own Eyes who are precious in the Eyes of others and gracious in his And still further to admire his Power that has wrought such glorious things by weak Instruments saved them that believe by what the World accounts the Foolishness of Preaching dismantled the strong-holds of Sin and Satan by the gentle breathing of the Word and Spirit subdued proud broken and softned hard Hearts not by Might not by Power not by the Secular Sword but by the soft Whispers of Grace by melting bleeding tender Affections I have yet a further Reach in this Address both upon Preachers and their Hearers 1. To the former I would humbly offer that they would so Preach so Pray so Labour as they that are convinced they are all this while a dying that are passing every Moment from the Improving of to the Accounting for their Talents Dying Ministers preach living Sermons It deserves our Observation that God who honoured his Servant Ezekiel with abundance of glorious Revelations and Visions enough to have swell'd a Bubble till it broke to have lifted up a poor Worm above its measure should yet always use to him that abasing Term Son of Man warning him and in him all his faithful Ministers to fulfil their Ministry to work while it 's called To Day that whatever their Hand findeth to do they should do it with all their Might because there 's no Work nor Device nor Knowledg nor Wisdom in the Grave whither they are going Eccles. 9.10 How joyfully will a Minister receive the Summons to his Audit when a good Conscience shall afford him this Testimony I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4.7 How edifying would their Preaching be could they carry these Thoughts with them into the Pulpit The Eye that now sees me shall see me no more The Ear that now hears me shall in a little while hear me no more There must be a last Time that I must speak in Christ's Name to this People and this may be that last Time O with what fervent Prayer with what Earnestness of Affection with what yearning Bowels to perishing Sinners with what Zeal for their Conversion would they engage in their Master's Service were their Souls impregnated with lively quick Apprehensions that the Graves are ready to receive them 2. Nor would it less affect the Hearers and awake their Conscience to improve the Labours of their Ministers could they maintain upon their Hearts a vigorous Sense that they are dying apace from their faithful Ministers and they from them to Repent Pray Believe work out their Salvation make their Calling and Election sure at another rate of Diligence than what is usually found amongst them Reader I will engross thee no longer to my self Be no more my Reader but the Author's there thou wilt find much better Entertainment And yet because I would not lose thy good Company First It must be a ravishing Sight to behold Divine Grace in all its Dimensions Grace working in the Heart of God towards lost Man and Grace working in the Heart of renewed Man towards God Let us therefore fix our Meditations upon Titus II. 11 12 13 14. where we shall meet with 1. The whole Duty of Man viz. The Grace of God teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World A Word sutable seasonable to our present Day wherein the Vigor of Religion runs out into Leaves when empty Notions too high for this World and too low for the next have eaten out the Life and Power of Practical Godliness when we dispute and quarrel our selves out of our Charity each to other and our Obediential Love to our God when the Name of Grace is abused to Gracelesness and Professors can believe any thing and practise nothing But Grace would teach us other Lessons as first to live soberly and temperately to our selves not pâ—rverting the Ends of Divine Bounty and Indulgence to make provision for the Flesh to be Food for devouring Lusts Fewel for the Fire of raging Corruptions but moderately to serve our Bodies that they may serve our Souls and both serve our God Secondly
be pleasing and acceptable to God in order to Practice and value our Lives for this End only that we may serve God it is a sign Grace is planted in the Heart But now ungodly Men neither care to know the ways of God nor to walk in them They that are willingly ignorant and do not search to know how God will be served and pleased and make this their Work they do not count God their chiefest Good They search not that they may not practice they err not in their Mind only but in their Hearts Psal. 95.10 It is a People that do err in their Hearts they have not known my ways To err in the Mind may be through invincible Ignorance but a Man errs in his Heart when he doth not desire to know God and to know his Will and what he must do in Worship and Conversation but saith I do not desire to know God Iob 21.14 Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the Knowledg of thy ways Therefore he that doth not make it his great Work and the Business of his Life to find out what God would have him do he is ungodly Usually this is found in Men half convinced they have not a Mind to know that which they have not a Mind to do and so they are willingly ignorant But now a godly Man makes it the Business of his Life still to follow God Foot by Foot to know more of his Mind and Will Rom. 12.2 That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect VVill of God Ephes. 5.12 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. A true Christian always practiseth what he knows and still searcheth that he may know more he would be always more useful for God and more according to his Heart that is the Study the great Business and Project of his Life to find out God's Will and then practise it What shall I do more for God Thirdly God must be acknowledged as the supream Truth and Authority and there if we be not moved with his Promises with his Threatnings and Counsels as the Words of the great God as if he had spoken from Heaven by an audible Voice if we do not yield him Reverence in his Worship and subject our Hearts and Lives unto his Laws it is Ungodliness 1 st We must receive the Counsels of his Word with all Reverence and Veneration as if God had spoke to us by a Voice from Heaven This is to receive the Word as the Word of God 2 Thess. 2.10 They received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved The Heathens received the Oracles of their Gods with great Reverence and were much moved when they had an Oracle but when the Word comes with a mighty convincing Power upon the Heart and you are not moved and affected this argues your Ungodliness So when we can drousily hear of the great things of Heaven and the Death of Christ and the Covenant of Grace and the glorious Salvation offered and are no more moved than with a Fable or with a Dream of Rubies dropping down from Heaven in the Night this is Ungodliness That there is a great deal of Ungodliness in this kind is clear by our Neglect of these Precious Things If a Man should proffer another a thousand Pound for a Trifle and he should not accept it you would not say it was because he prized that Trifle that is not profitable but because he did not believe the Offer So when God offers Heaven and Christ to us upon such easy terms as to part with nothing but our Sins which are better parted with than kept we do not honour him as the eternal Truth if we do not accept it but count him a Liar and this is the greatest Affront you can put upon God for he that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5.10 He that doth not regard the Offer of the Gospel certainly he believes it is not true and so he dishonours God as the supream Truth 2 dly If we would honour God as the supream Lord of Heaven and Earth we must reverence him in his Worship God is not only terrible in the high Places of the Field and there where he executes his dreadful Judgments and not only so in the Depths of the Sea where the Wonders of the Lord are seen but he is also terrible in his holy Places Psal. 68.35 O God thou art terrible out of thy holy Places Then are the Hearts of his People filled with most awful Apprehensions of his glorious Majesty and of his excellent Holiness and this makes them tremble But now when we do not come with these awful Apprehensions we do not own God as the supream Majesty and therefore when they brought him an unbeseeming Sacrifice saith the Lord Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the Deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathens This is not becoming my Majesty And the Saints of God never feel such Self-Abhorrency and Loathing of themselves as when they are worshipping God God is even dreadful then when he is most comfortable to his People Deut. 28.58 That thou mayst fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God Thy God this is the comfortablest Name in all the Scripture this is the Foundation of our Hope and this puts the Saints upon a Holy Reverence But now ungodly Men come with slight cold and careless Hearts their Thoughts are upon the Shop and the Cart and the Plough and any where else than upon God they dream nigh to him with their Lips but their Hearts are removed far from him They do not come to him as a great King and supream Majesty and Authority of all and so they dishonour God exceedingly Our Thoughts in Worship should be more taken up with his Glory 3 dly If we would honour God as supream there must be a willing Subjection of our Hearts and Lives to his Laws Usually here we stick in a want of Conformity thereto Men that love God as a Creator naturally hate him as a Law-giver Men love him as a Giver of Blessings but they would fain live at large Thoughts that strike at the Being of God and Doctrines of Liberty are welcome to a carnal Heart therefore it is tedious to them to hear of one to call them to account and it is pleasing to them to think which is an Argument of the highest Hatred that can be that there were no God to call them to a reckoning that they might let loose the Reins to vile Affections We would be absolute and Lords of our own Actions And this Subjection must be in Heart and Life There must be a Subjection of the Heart God's Authority is never more undermined than by a mere Form of
3.33 He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true It is a great Dishonour to God not to receive God's Testimony you put the Lie upon him and so make him to be no God You would not do so to your Equals A Lie is the greatest Reproach it rendreth a Man unfit for Society and Commerce It is a fearful thing to make the God of Truth a Father of Lies When God hath given his Word and Oath and Seals all this while shall he not be believed God never gave us cause to distrust him he never failed in one Promise all that have had to do with him have found him a faithful God Nebuchadnezzar doth him this Honour and Right after he had tasted of the Whip and was again restored to the Use of Reason Dan. 4.37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of Heaven all whose Works are Truth not only Justice but Truth not only as I deserved but as he foretold It is a Shame that you have made no Observations upon Providence that you may give it under Hand and Seal that God is true and faithful God expecteth such a Testimony from his People all that have long had to do with him have found him a true God both in a way of Justice and Mercy that he ever stood to his Word God cannot lie Tit. 1.2 In Hope of eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began God can do all things that argue Power and Perfection of Nature but he cannot lie for that argueth Weakness and Impotency 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself he should then cease to be God He is Truth it self the primitive and supream Truth the Original Author of all Truth If he should not be true who should be so But is any so impudent as to put the Lie upon God I answer Yes 1 Iohn 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son We accuse him not only of a Lie but of Perjury 1. By our Carelesness and the little Regard we have to those great and precious Promises that he has given us Great things are offered and you look upon them as Notions and Fancies It was otherwise with the Patriarchs of old Heb. 11.13 All these died in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar of and were perswaded of them and imbraced them We cast off the Tenders of Grace as Matters of which we never made any great Account We grasp after the World and let Heaven go when we mind it not we believe it not A Man toileth hard all Day for a small Piece of Silver do we seek Heaven with a like Earnestness How many Adventures do Merchants run when the Gain is uncertain but we are not uncertain of our Reward 1 Cor. 15.58 Forasmuch as ye know that your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Did we more stedfastly believe this we should not be so cold in Duties and so bold in Sinning 2. By our Despondencies in all cross Providences We have a sure Word and why are we up and down and so full of Distractions and Unquietness of Soul Iames 1.8 A double-minded Man is unstable in all his Ways unsetled in all his Thoughts uneven in all his Ways raised up and cast down with contrary Hopes and Fears off and on as worldly things ebb and flow We shall never want Discouragements if we live upon Sense but if we could live upon the Promises we should not be at such a Loss The Fruit of Faith in the Promises is strong Consolation too strong to be overcome by Sin Death or Hell A Believer is content with the Promises though all the World say No 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen Yea to our Hopes Amen to our Desires Whatever Changes happen the Promises are the same upon Desire of such a thing Amen saith the Promise upon Hope of such a thing Yea saith the Promise In difficult Cases you ask of the Creatures they say No but the Promise saith Yea. 3. When we will venture nothing on the Promises Christ told the young Man of Treasure in Heaven and he went away sad he doth not like such a Bargain Luke 18.22 23. Sell all that thou hast and distribute to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come follow me And when he had heard this he was very sorrowful for he was very rich Thus God dealeth with us Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the Poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Eccles. 11.1 Cast thy Bread upon the Waters for thou shalt find it after many Days But the Words and Engagements of Men that deceive and are deceived are esteemed above them We would trust a Man of Sufficiency upon his Bond with Hundreds and Thousands if we have his Hand and Seal to shew for it but we refuse God's Assurance Who is careful to provide Bags that wax not old and to draw over his Estate into the other World Luke 12.33 Sell that ye have and give Alms provide your selves Bags that wax not old a Treasure in the Heavens that faileth not where no Thief approacheth neither Moth corrupteth What Adventures do you make upon God's Bond or Bill Do you account no Estate so sure as that which is adventured in Christ's Hands Can we believe the Promises and part with nothing for them with neither our Lusts nor our Interests 4. When temporal things work far more than eternal things visible things than invisible If we had such Promises from Men we would be more chearful If a Beggar did hear of a great Inheritance fallen to him he would often think of it rejoice in it long to go see it We have a Promise of eternal Life who thinks of it or puts in for a Share of it We are contented with any slight Assurance in matters of such Weight Men love great Earnest and great Assurance in temporal Affairs but any slight Hope serves the turn in spiritual Affairs Why do we so little rejoice in it If the Reversion of an earthly Estate be passed over to us how are we contented with such a Conveyance but God hath made over Pardon and Grace and we are not satisfied 5. Our Confidence bewrayeth it The pretended Strength of our Faith about Christ and Hopes of Glory sheweth the Weakness of it and that it is but a slight overly Apprehension Most Men will pretend to be able to trust God for Pardon of Sin and Heaven and yet cannot trust God for daily Bread they find it difficult to believe in Temporals and yet very easy in Spirituals and Eternals What should be the Reason Heaven and things to come are greater Mercies the way of bringing them about more difficult if Conscience
and neglected It is very sad when God is provoked to swear to the Damnation of any Creature Who are the Persons that may stand in dread of this Oath why they that believe not Heb. 3.18 To whom swear he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believe not It is the Sin of Unbelief after many tenders and offers of Mercy which provokes God to this Indignation Here is Oath against Oath the one to drive us the other to draw us and pull in the Heart to God If you continue in this course you shall have neither Part nor Portioâ— in Christ nor in the Land of Promise It is better to be satisfied with God's Oath in Mercy than to run the hazard of his Oath in Judgment Therefore speak to Conscience Do I come up to this Certainty and Confidence Is the Controversy ended between God and me Are all Suspicions laid aside Obj. But you will say I do not doubt of the Truth of the Gospel but of my own â—nterest I doubt that I am the Person to whom God hath sworn The Truth of God is sure but my Interest is not clear Sol. In Answer to this consider 1. It doth but seem so that all Doubts are about our own Interestâ— but it is not so indeed If once you were heartily perswaded of God's good Affection in Christ Doubts and Scruples about our own Estate would soon vanish Look as the Fire when it is well kindled bursts out of its own accord into a Flame so if Faith were once well laid in the Soul if Men could rest upon these two immutable things Consolation would not be so far from them if there were a firm Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel there would not be so many Buts if you did firmly believe his Mercy in Christ it would soon end in a stedfast Confidence This appeareth from the nature of the thing All Uncertainty ariseth either from a Neglect of the great Salvation or else from Trouble of Conscience Now carnal Men neglect it because they are not perswaded of the Worth and Excellency of it and Men under Horrors of Conscience distrust it they are such Sinners they dare not apply it and are so full of Doubts and Scruples because they are not perswaded of the Truth of the Gospel See how the Apostle proposeth the Gospel 1 Tim. 1. â—5 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief If negligent and carnal Men would but look upon it as worthy of all Acceptation and troubled Conscience look upon it as a faithful Saying there would be more regular Actings and Effects found in their Hearts and Lives the Negligent would give more Diligence and the Contrite would rise up into a greater Hope and Confidence If Men did believe the Worth of Salvation they would not run after lying Vanities If they did believe the Truth of Salvation for Sinners there would not be so many Scruples and Fears It is notable that the Scriptures very seldom do press Assurance of the Subject but Assurance of the Object in very many places to believe the Doctrine it self for there is the greatest Difficulty and in the Word of God we have no Precedent of any that were troubled about their own Interest If an Earthly King should proclaim a general Pardon and an Act of Grace to all Persons in Rebellion only on terms of Submission and laying down their Hostility and returning to their Duty and Allegiance the Doubt would not be of their own Interest but of the truth of his Intention to shew them such Grace and Mercy So it is with God he hath proclaimed Terms of Grace in the Gospel provided we will lay down the Weapons of our Defiance and return to the Duty of our Allegiance now that which we suspect is the Heart of God and the Gospel in the general whether there be Mercy for such kind of Sinners as we are 2. Because we cannot perswade Men to a Certainty against their Consciences what should hinder but that now you should establish your Interest and that you now make your Plea and Claim according to God's Word and Oath for Joy must arise from a Sense of it Your complaining is not the way to ease your Conscience but Obedience It is an Advantage to find our selves in an ill Condition not a Discouragement As the Woman in the Gospel made an Argument of that that she was a Dog Mat. 15.27 Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table As when the Man-slayer saw the Avenger of Blood at his Heels this made him mend his pace and fly for Refuge so when we see we are under the Wrath of God this should make us more earnest to look after Christ and Salvation in and by him The Cities of Refuge under the Law stood open for every Comer and there was free Admission till their Cause was heard So Christ is the Sanctuary of a pursued Soul and whosoever comes shall be received Iohn 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out God excludeth none but those that exclude themselves No Sin is excepted but the Sin against the Holy Ghost Therefore make your Claim till your Cause be heard The great Affront we put upon God's Oath is not so much doubting of our Condition but not running to Christ for Refuge If we still stand complaining of our lost Estate and do not attempt the Work of Faith we put an Affront upon God's Oath If the Lord had bid thee do some great thing I allude to the Speech of Naaman's Servants wouldst thou not have done it to be freed from Death and Hell How much rather when he saith unto thee Only come fly as for thy Life and see if I will cast thee out Take up a Resolution to try God and see if he will not be as good as his Word and Oath Say Lord thou hast given two immutable Grounds of Hope here I come I will wait to see what thou wilt do for me in Christ. 3. I answer Do but see whether thy Interest in Christ be not established or no Here is the lowest Qualification of an Heir of Promise and yet the highest and most solemn way of Assurance Here are two immutable Grounds and yet what 's the Description we who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before 〈◊〉 Here is a driving Work that belongs to the Law implied in these words We fly 〈◊〉 Refuge then a drawing Work which belongs to the Gospel in these words To lay hold on the Hope set before us The Law begins and works preparatively as Moses brought the Children of Israel to the Borders then Ioshua led them into the Land of Canaan The Law shews us our Bondage and makes us fly for Refuge but then the Gospel pulls in the Heart to God There is a necessity of the preparing
in all our Enjoyments If God gives you deliverance you may say as Hezekiah Isa. 38.17 Thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of Corruption You are loved into Mercy Whatsoever you enjoy it is not as a Creature but as an Heir What a Comfort then will a Christian take in a morsel of Bread when he causes God's special Love in it more than worldly Men can take in their greatest Possessions Look as a mean Remembrance from a Friend is better than a Royal Gift from an Enemy so this makes thy Meat and Bread sweet when sent from thy Father in Heaven when thou hast it as an Heir of Promise 6. This will make Afflictions sweet their very Property is altered they are not now vindictive Dispensations but such as belong to the Covenant of Grace and so they will not do us harm In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me Psal. 119.75 When you can make this Reflection the Lord seeth I want this else I should not be exercised with such Providences At least there is a Supply of inward Comfort and then a heavy Burden is nothing to a sound Back If God strikes Sin is pardoned and the Sting of Affliction is taken away 7. It will sweeten Death it self thou knowest whither thou art going Death is a sad stroak to wicked Men which sends the Body to the Grave and the Soul to Hell it must needs be a King of Terrors to them But Death to those that have this strong Consolation is as Haman was to Mordecai from a Mischief it is made a Means to do us Honour Christ hath delivered us both from the Hurt and Fear of Death Heb. 2.14 15. That through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life-time subject to Bondage So that we may entertain it with Delight as Iacob looked upon the Chariots that were sent for him with rejoicing This is a Messenger to carry me to Christ and who would refuse to be happy Phil. 1.23 I desire to depart and to be with Christ. They know Death is but a loosing from the Body that they may be joined to Christ and they had rather lose a thousand Bodies than Fellowship with Christ their Souls are sent away in peace to the place of Bliss 8. This makes the Day of Judgment sweet Look as the betrothed Virgin longs for the Day of Espousals and when the Bridegroom will come or as a Woman longs for the return of her Husband that is gone a long Voyage so the Soul that is betrothed to Christ longs for the return of the Bridegroom that he may carry it into his Father's House 9. It will make the Thoughts of Heaven sweet When a Christian walks abroad and points up to Heaven he may say there is the place of my Bliss and everlasting Abode One would think this were enough to ravish the Heart of any Man and make him do any thing even run to the ends of the Earth to gain this strong Consolation But we are backward and slow therefore here is the great Question What shall we do to get and keep this great Comfort I shall give you a few Directions Many rest in Notions when they see the Way they are discouraged and go no farther But will you engage before the Lord to observe these things if you find them according to Scripture First Then how to get these strong Consolations 1. Lay a good Foundation by meditating upon the Mercy and Truth of God in the Gospel Our first Comfort ariseth from Meditation or the serious Act of Faith on the Mercy and Truth of God as settled Assurance ariseth from a sight of Evidence God usually gives us at first Conversion a taste of his Goodness and Sweetness which differeth from Assurance 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby If so be ye have â—â—sted that the Lord is gracious Usually at first when the Soul is taken up with deep Thoughts of God's Love and Mercy in Christ God lets in some Comfort and Sweetness into the Soul which though it be not Assurance and a solemn Testimony of our Interest in Christ yet it is a Refreshment which the Soul receiveth while it admires the Riches and the Bounty and the Certainty of God's Grace However this is a Taste a Beginning that maketh as look after a more assured sense of God's Grace Briefly there must be believing Thoughts of God's Mercy and Truth I call this Meditation because all the direct Acts of Faith are performed and carried on by the help of the Thoughts Faith engageth us in solemn musing and deep Thoughts fasten things upon the Spirit As Eggs are hatched by a constant Incubation so when the Soul museth Comfort ariseth The two things you should often propound are Mercy and Truth because they are the Iâ—â—hin and Boaâ— the two Pillars which support the Covenant of Grace for it was made in Mercy and kept in Truth Therefore it is said Mich. 7.20 Thou wilt perform the Truth to Jacob and Mercy to Abraham The Covenant was made first with Abraham therefore it was Mercy to him but it was made good to Iacob therefore it was Truth to him In the 89th Psalm they are seven times coupled the one is the Fountain the other the Pipe and Conveyance it springs from Mercy and is conveyed and dispensed in Truth Therefore the Psalmist saith Psal. 25.10 All the Paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to them that keep his Covenant and his Testimonies It is free that it may be sure and sure that it may be free These are the two Attributes God doth glorify in the Covenant of Grace and in all his Dispensations of Grace 1. Meditate of the Mercy and Love of God In the Covenant of Works God would glorify his Justice but his great Aim in the Covenant of Grace is to glorify his Mercy Ephes. 1.6 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath accepted us in the Beloved God would make Grace glorious Justice seeks a fit Object Mercy only a fit Occasion The Question of Justice is To whom is it due But the Question of Mercy is Who wants it who needs it Well then though Satan and our own Hearts may make many Objections there is enough indeed to overwhelm us to damn us when we look to our selves But what will God glorify Grace Grace This is the Banner he hath spread over the Church in defiance of all the Powers of Darkness He hath brought me to the Banqueting-house and his Banner over me was Love Cant. 2.4 You must refresh your Souls with a sense of God's Mercy every day get a sprinkling of Christ's Blood upon your Heart Now in the establishing Assurance this is necessary for the Spirit sealeth us a Spirit of Promise upon terms of Mercy and Grace Ephes. 1.13 Ye were sealed
Dispensations of God to his People whatever harshness or hard Aspect they have at first view are yet stamped and marked with Covenant-Mercy Love and Faithfulness Psal. 25.10 All the Paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies There is merciful and faithful dealing with him in every Condition for all this is but God's Way to make them partake of his Promises 6. That every Condition is useful and hath a Blessing in it to the Godly Cant. 4.16 Awake O North Wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Out of what Corner soever the Wind bloweth it is beneficial to Christ's Garden whether the bleak North Wind or hot South Wind. The same Spirit sanctifieth Afflictions who teacheth us how to serve God chearfully in our prosperous Condition Whatever Changes come upon us a Christian should be a Christian still and the Savour of his Spices should flow forth The North and South Wind be of contrary Qualities as Cold and Hot Moist and Dry. The Church needeth sometimes sharp Rebukes sometimes calm and gentle Consolations 7. That those things which seem to be for our temporal Hurt do in the Issue turn to our eternal Good 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Carnal Self-love Sense and Fancy are all for our temporal Benefit and would fain be rid of temporal Evil But this would gratify our Flesh which feeleth what pleaseth it for the present and so be for our eternal Ruin But Faith owneth God's Wisdom and gracious Ordering and can see an eternal Benefit in a temporal Loss As a prudent sick Man obeyeth his Physician before his Appetite and against his Appetite because he is perswaded of his Skill and Faithfulness We trust God because he is Wise and Faithful and taketh the best course with us though if we consult with Fancy and Appetite no such thing doth appear Some Afflictions fit us for Glory as they better our Hearts others hasten our Glory as they shorten our Lives In the Eye of Faith Persecution is the nearest way to Heaven and the Sword of the Enemy is but the Key to open the Prison-Doors and let out the Soul that hath long desired to be with Christ. II. The Object 1. Much of the Triumph of Faith ariseth from its Object 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that Day The strength of the Ivy lieth in the Oak or Tree about which it claspeth Much Comfort dependeth upon the Act of Faith as it seeth things that cannot otherwise be seen maketh things absent present raiseth the Heart above its present Condition But most of the Strength of Faith is in its Object Other Graces their Strength is more in the Subject wherein they are seated but Faith and Hope derive their Strength from the Object because their Nature lieth in Adherence and Expectation and if this have not Bottom enough to support it all is vain 2. Here is a double Object propounded And so before we go deeper into the Argument we have the more Advantages than if it were single and alone for two is more than one So Gen. 41.32 For that the Dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice it is because the thing is established by God and God will shortly bring it to pass The Object is doubled that Faith may be more full This double Prop for our Faith should give us double Strength in Believing when we have God to trust in and Christ to trust in We that have sinned with both Hands earnestly have a double Ground of Comfort and Hope the infinite Mercy and Power of God and the infinite Righteousness and everlasting Redemption of a Mediator God alone is enough for our Happiness there is in him abundantly more than enough to satisfy all the Capacities of the Creature but without a Mediator how shall we come to enjoy him Tho there be a Sufficiency in the Object of our Happiness yet as to the Means something else beside this is requisite If Man had kept innocent one Object of Faith had been enough but to Man fallen a Mediator is necessary And it is an unspeakable Mercy that God hath given us his Son that by Jesus Christ we may come to him Iohn 14.6 Iesus saith unto him I am the Way the Truth and the Life no Man cometh unto the Father but by me And on the other side by the Mediator Jesus Christ we come to the Father Iohn 12.44 He that believeth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me 3. Respect to one of these Objects is taken for granted the other is expresly recommended to us Why is Faith in Christ especially required Partly upon a special and partly upon a general Reason 1. The special Reason was because their Faith in Christ as the promised Messiah was not so well established as their Faith in God He was shortly to undergo ignominious Sufferings yea Death it self which would tempt them to cast off the Faith of his Promises Therefore to fortify them against the Scandal of his Sufferings he saith Believe also in me They would be troubled if they looked only to Appearance and did not believe in him or look upon him in that Quality and Relation in which God sent him and he came into the World Luke 24.21 We trusted that it had been he that should have redeemed Israel It saveth a great deal of Trouble to be established in the present Truths and to understand what God is a doing in our time We should fortify our Faith where it is likely to be most assaulted 2. More general Besides a Faith in God a Faith is necessary which closeth with and embraceth Christ as Mediator Iohn 6.29 This is the VVork of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent He is sent of his Father to do us Good and authorized by God to exercise that Office for us and to us Yea we cannot believe in God unless we believe in Christ for the distance between God and us is so great that we cannot immediately converse with him nor trust in him for any Benefit without a Mediator 2 Cor. 3.4 Such Trust have we through Christ to God-ward So it is said 1 Pet. 1.21 VVho by him do believe in God who raised him from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope may be in God God was offended with Man and is fully satisfied with the Ransom payed for Sinners by Jesus Christ he is pacified towards all those that flee to him by Jesus Christ so that poor penitent Sinners may now come and rest upon him 4. Faith seeth many Grounds of Comfort yea of compleat and full Satisfaction in this double Object What will content you if God and Christ will not content you 1.
His shutting the mouths of the hungry Lyons when Daniel was in the Den with them Dan. 6.22 His making the Ravens which are by Nature Birds of prey to be Caterers to Elijah 1 Kin. 17.6 3. Distinction There are Impossibilia Naturae and Impossibilia Naturâ things impossible to Nature and things impossible by Nature Things impossible to Nature God can do but not things impossible by Nature he will do things above Nature and besides it but nothing against it Things impossible by Nature are such as either respect the Agent or the Object 1. With respect to the Agent that which is repugnant to his own Essential Perfection Thus God cannot lye Tit. 1.2 Which God that cannot lye hath promised Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye we may have strong consolation God cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself for these things imply weakness and not Power God cannot dye God cannot sleep It is no discredit to a wise man that he cannot play the Fool or to a valiant Man that he cannot be a Coward God can do all things so as that he is still God Those things that are repugnant to the Perfection of his Nature he cannot do 2. With respect to the Object such things as imply a Contradiction as that a thing should be and not be to make a Creature finite and Infinite dependant and Independant at the same time and in the same respect limited to a place and yet in every place to make the Sun shine and not to shine at the same time these are against the Nature of the things themselves These Distinctions have their use in many Controversies that are about Religion VSE For Exhortation To press you to Believe that God is Almighty and to Improve it 1. Believe it Need we press men to that It is a piece of Natural Divinity a Truth held forth to us not only in the Book of Scripture but of Nature That Light which finds out a Deity will discover him to be Almighty and therefore need we any great ado to perswade men to believe it Yes certainly for this is the great thing that we question in Cases of difficulty we doubt more of the Power of God than of his Will Our seeming doubts of his Will are but pretences to cover our shameful and Atheistical Doubts of his Power that which works subtilly and underground in us and weakens our Conâ—idence in God and hinders the rejoycing of our Faith is a doubt of his Power Surely God knows us better than we do our selves and the Scripture shews all along that our Doubts are about God's Power When there was a Promise brought from God that Sarah should conceive with Child she did not believe the Promise Gen. 18.13 14. And the Lord faid unto Abraham wherefore did Sarah laugh saâ—ing Shall I of a surety bear a Child which am old Is any thing too hard for the Lord There was her Doubt and difficulty So Moses the Man of God the Lord had told him Face to Face that he would feed his People and give them Flesh to eat and he doubted of God's Power Numbers 11.21 22 23. The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them Flesh that they may eat a whole month shall the flocks and herds be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice thim And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lords hand waxed short So when the Prophet foretold there should be such Plenty in Samaria where there was great Scarcity saith the Noble-man 2 Kings 7.2 Behold if the Lord should make windows in Heaven might this thing be There was his Doubt So the Virgin Mary when the Angel comes with the Message of the great Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God that he should be Born of her Luk. 1.34 Then said Mary unto the Angel How can this be seeing I know not a Man At this rate still doth Unbelief speak in the Wilderness as the Children of Israel Psal. 78.19 20. Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness Behold he smote the Rock that the Waters gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give Bread also can he provide Flesh for his People Certainly the Scripture knows what is the special Language of our Hearts better than we our selves Now Unbelief is still represented as doubting of God's Power Besides Doubts haunt us only in times of difficulty and when Mercies expected are hard to come by If we did doubt of God's Will because of our Unworthiness why do we not doubt at other times when things are easie but these doubts surprize us only when the things we expect from God according to his Promises are difficult and hard to come by And the reason why we are so apt to doubt of God's Power is the imperfection of our Thoughts about God's being We are inured to Principles of Sense and Converse with limited Beings and therefore confine God to a Circle of our own making Psal. 78.41 They turned back and tempted God and limited the Holy one of Israel We confine God to the Course of second Causes with which we wholly Converse and when there is difficulty there our Hearts fail therefore there is need to press you to believe God's Power 2. Improve it to strengthen our Faith and encourage our Obedience 1. To strengthen our Faith either in Prayer or in Waiting In Prayer O when you come to God remember he is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think Eph. 3.20 How hard and difficult soever the thing be that we ask of God he is able to do it When our Lord taught us to Pray what are the Encouragements he gives us see the Conclusion of the Lord's Prayer Mat. 6.13 Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory As God hath a Kingdom and Authority to dispose of all things for his Glory and our good so he hath a Power to back it it is not an empty Title Pray for help with such cheerfulness and confidence as if it were the easiest thing in the World to be done All those things that are so difficult to be obtained either the Sanctification of our Souls or the Promotion of Christ's Kingdom or any of those things Thine is the Power there is that which holds up our Hands in Prayer and gives us confidence towards God So to strengthen our Faith in Waiting touching the performane of all God's Promises for our selves and others Abraham believed above Hope and against Hope why being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Rom. 4.21 This is the great Security of the Soul that confirms us in waiting upon God when the Accomplishment of his Promises is unlikely to Reason God is able If you expect of God preservation in
but granted assured it to Believers by the Promises of the Gospel 1 Ioh. 2.25 'T is so conveyed to us as that we may be sure of Obtaining it 3. 'T is more than a Prophecy or simple Prediction Scripture Prophecies will be fulfilled because of God's Veracity but Scripture Promises will be fulfilled not only because of God's Veracity but also because of his Fidelity and Justice As by our Promise another Man cometh to have a right to the thing promised therefore it is just it should be given unto him so 't is in God 't was his Mercy and Goodness to make the Promise but his Holiness and Justice bindeth him to make it good 1 Ioh. 1.9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And as for Pardon so for Life 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Iudge shall give me on that day It becometh a Debt of Grace This may be illustrated by what Divines say of an Assertory Lye and a Promissory Lye An assertory Lye is when we speak of a thing past or present otherwise than it is and a promissory Lye is when we speak of a thing for the time to come which we never intend to perform and this is the worst sort of Lyes because it doth not only pervert the end of Speech which is Truth but also defeateth another of that Right which we seem to give him by our Promise in the thing promised which is a farther degree of Injustice Now we should apprehend God to be very far from this Titus 1.2 In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began And Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which 't was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation Secondly 'T is the Promise of God In every Promise that it be certain and firm three things are required 1. That it be made seriously and heartily with a purpose to perform it 2. That he that promiseth continue in his Purpose without change of Mind 3. That it be in the Power of him that promiseth to perform what he hath so promised Now in the Promise of God there can be no doubt of any of these things Certainly God meaneth as he speaketh when he promiseth Eternal Life to the Faithful Servants and Disciples of Jesus Christ for what need had he to court his Creatures into a false and imaginary Happiness which he never meant to bestow upon them to send his Son with a Commission from Heaven to assure them of it who also wrought Miracles to confirm the Message that he brought from God dyed upon this Truth and rose again and entred into the Happiness that he spoke of to give us Assurance and a visible demonstration of the Truth of it sent abroad his Apostles to invite the World to embrace it his Holy Spirit accompanying them and sealing their Message also with divers Signs and Wonders And surely he doth continue in the same mind for there is no repeal of this Law of Grace and He is able to perform it for what difficulty is there which Omnipotency cannot subdue and overcome Surely what God hath promised he is fully able to perform 2. The Acts of Faith about the Word 1. We are to Believe and Credit it upon solid and sufficient Evidence 't is said Heb. 11.11 They saw these things afar off and were perswaded of them And Acts 13.48 When the Gentiles heard this they glorified the Word of God and believed that is Blessed God for his glorious Mercy revealed in the Gospel the sound Belief and firm Assent leadeth on other things for the most powerful Truths work not 'till they are believed 1 Thes. 2.13 Ye received the Word not as the Word of Man but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Here beginneth the Efficacy Now usually we receive the Truth at first upon low and insufficient Evidence but afterwards our Assent is upon better grounds and more valid and strong as the Samaritans Joh. 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World Her saying was much for the Woman had testified that she had met with an Holy Person that had told her of all that ever she did So Nathaniel was drawn to Christ by Philip's perswasion but when he perceived that he knew the Heart and secret things Ioh. 1.48 49. He saith unto him whence knowest thou me Iesus answered and said unto him Before that Philip called thee when thou wast under the Figg-tree I saw thee Nathaniel answered and saith unto him Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel Christ then promiseth him farther Assurance and greater Evidence which should beget a more confirmed and strong Faith Verse the 50 th Iesus answered and said unto him Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Figg-tree believest thou thou shalt see greater things than these The Church is in possession of a Religion which God hath Blessed throughout successions of Ages and we received the Doctrine of the Gospel and New Covenant upon report and hearsay hereafter we see farther and better grounds and the Scriptures are owned with more certainty of Evidence Well then here is the first thing Assent or a receiving all Truths about Supernatural things upon the Credit of God's Word 2. The Work of Faith is to apply these things For the closer such Blessed Truths are laid to our own Souls the more we feel the vertue of them Iob 5.27 Lo this it is know thou it for thy good Rom. 8.31 VVhat shall we then say to these things The Promise includeth you as well as others and promiseth and offereth you Pardon and Life if you will believe in Christ Therefore the Application I press you to is not a Claim of Priviledges stay a while there but an exciting your selves to perform the Duties of the Gospel that you may turn away from all other ways of Felicity and choose this alone Faith must be Applicative and the closer the Application the better But there is a difference between the Application which is an Excitement of your Duty and that Application which is an assurance of your Interest Acts 13.20 To you is this word of Salvation sent 'T is my Duty to make general Grace particular but not presently and at first dash to enter my Plea and Claim but to oblige me to take God's Way God calleth upon me to Repent and Believe in Christ that I may have Pardon and Life 3. We are heartily to Consent to this Blessed Covenant which is contained in the Word of God taking the Promises offered for our Happiness resolving upon the Duties required as our Work Acts 2.41 They received the word gladly and were baptized There was a Precept and a Promise Verse 38. they accepted the Counsel and
waited for the Promise Our Respect to the Word is made up of a mixture of Obedience and Dependance there must be a Consent to both and we must resolve for the Holy and Heavenly Life Faith is an Act of the Will as well as of the Understanding Heb. 11.13 These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them Besides being perswaded there is embracing The promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 And they are exceeding great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 In one place you have both 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the World to save Sinners Therefore embrace them you must with all your Hearts and submit to this way of Covenanting with God 4. Your Judgments must highly esteem these Promises and your Hearts find full Contentment and Satisfaction in them We read often of receiving the Word with Joy and the confidence and rejoycing of Hope Heb. 3.6 Usually the Word of God hath too cold and slight Entertainment in our Affections and we do not value those precious Promises as we ought to do they should be dearer to us than our Lives and give us more Satisfaction than all the Enjoyments of the World Psal. 119.111 I have taken thy Testimonies as an heritage for ever they are the rejoycing of my Soul they do you good to your very Heart and the more you are acquainted with them the more you will see the worth of them Luke 6.23 Rejoyce and leap for joy for great is your reward in Heaven And of the Eunuch when he had sealed Covenant with God Acts 8.39 It is said he went his way rejoycing Faith cannot do its Office that it begets an Holy Gratitude to God to draw us off from the Allurements of Sense and fortifie us against Adversities and Troubles and engage us to the Duties of Christianity which are distrustful to Flesh and Blood unless it did fill our Hearts with an higher and better Joy than the World yieldeth Surely 't is Comfortable to be pardoned and reconciled to God to be in the Way and under the Hopes of Eternal Life Thirdly The Effects which these Acts produce These may be stated by the several Uses for which the Word of God serveth 1. T is the Seed of a New Life 2. The Constant Rule of all our Actions 3. The sure Charter of our Hopes 4. Our Strength and Preservation against all Temptations from the Devil the World and the Flesh. 5. Our Comfort and Cordial in all Afflictions 1. 'T is the Seed of a New Life 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of Corruptible seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever And Iames 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures And also 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature When we so believe the Pardon and Grace and Blessedness offered that our Hearts are changed into the Life and Likeness of God for the Truth is not rightly owned and believed till this Change be wrought both in Heart and Life then we are cast into the Mould of this Doctrine Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine that was delivered to you Gospel Truths serve not for Speculation or meer Talk and Discourse but for Sanctification and therefore if this Seed be sown and engrafted in your Hearts and you begin to live to God an Holy and Heavenly Life you have the surest Evidence of your Faith for Causes are made sensible to us by their Effects 'T is usually brought as a proof of the Word the Sanctifying Vertue of it so 't is of the Sincerity of your Faith for the Word profiteth not unless it be mingled with Faith and since both Faith and the Word concurr to this Effect it may be ascribed to either Surely therefore if we believe the Word of God and value it as we ought it doth leave the Impression of God's Image upon us for it is the fairest Draught and Representation of God that ever was in the Law and Life of Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 If our Souls and Lives be a Transcript of the Word this Image is thence deduced to us by the Spirit and of necessity it must be so for Christs comforting Promises of Mercy and Glory are made to these New Creatures who live the Holy and Heavenly Life They have God's mark and Signature upon them and therefore are said to be sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 2.30 and Eph. 1.3 This Renovation of the Soul is the Seal of God the Pledge of his Love and the Earnest of the heavenly Inheritance 2. The Constant Rule of all our Actions There is a fixed determined Rule from whence we cannot swerve and vary without Sin and if we would have Communion with God here or enjoy him hereafter We must keep close to this Rule Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God This Rule that is the Word of God which directeth us as to our General Path and Way and all our steps or particular Actions Psal. 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths We must hide the Word in our Hearts Psal. 119.110 Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee We must consult with it upon all occasions as willing to understand our Duty Psal. 119.24 Thy Testiminies also are my delight and my Counsellors And because we may mistake thrô Error of Mind or be tempted aside thro' aversion of Heart and manifold Temptations Therefore we must earnestly beg it of God Psal. 119.133 Order my steps in thy VVord and let not any Iniquity have dominion over me And we must use all study our selves Rom. 12.2 and constant watchfulness Eph. 5.15 See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Now that which I say is this When the Word ruleth the main Course of our Lives and teacheth us how to live in the World soberly righteously and godly the tenderness of the Word and high respect to it that we dare not transgress it whatever Temptations we have so to do sheweth that Faith hath obtained its effect in us For trembling at the Word fearing of a Commandment and whatever of that kind is spoken of in the Scripture they are all Fruits of Faith 3. 'T is the Charter of our Hopes Iohn 20.31 These things are written that ye might have life through his Name 1 Iohn 5.11 This is the Record that God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in his Son Now the Work of Faith
Faith and wherein the greatness of it lay 2. How this Faith was bred and begotten in him 3. The Effects and Fruits of it or how it discovered its self I. The Nature of his Faith It was a firm Perswasion that all Power and Authority was eminently in Christ and that he could do what he pleased The great End of Christ in all his Miracles was to discover himself to be the Son of God and one in whom the Divine Nature and Power resided and so by consequence that true Messiah and Saviour of the World This was Peter's Confession of Faith Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God The Promised Messiah the anointed Saviour of the World And with Peter all the rest of the Disciples join Iohn 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God This the Samaritans being Convinced and Converted confessed also Ioh. 4.42 We know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World This Martha acknowledges Ioh. 11.27 She saith unto him yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God that should come into the VVorld This was it which the Apostles preached Acts 13.23 Of this Man's seed hath God according to his Promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Iesus This they required of all whom they Converted to the Christian Faith Acts 8.37 I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God Now this the Centurion cometh off roundly with being firmly perswaded of a Divine Power and Authority in Christ for he ascribeth an Omnipotency to his Word and reasoneth it out notably Speak but the word and my Servant shall be healed Ver. 8 9. For I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say to this man goe and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my Servant do this and he doeth it Here then was the greatness of his Faith Objection You will say then all have great Faith for all the Christian World professeth this truth that Jesus is the Son of God Papists and Protestants Carnal and Renewed the rabble of Nominal Christians as well as the seriously Godly are of this Opinion that Jesus is the Son of God and the Saviour of the World Answer 1. Distinguere Tempora You must distinguish of the times In that Age there was no humane reason to believe this Truth Antiquity was against it and therefore when Paul preached Jesus they said He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods Acts 17.18 Authority was against it 1 Cor. 2.8 Which none of the Princes of this World knew for had they known it they would not have Crucifyed the Lord of glory Authority not only Civil but Ecclesiastical was against it Acts 4.11 This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders The universal Consent of the habitable World was against it Only a small handfull of contemptible People owned him Luk. 12.32 Fear not little Flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At that time it was the Critical Point the hated Truth that the Carpenter's Son should be owned as the Son of God Those bleak Winds that blew in our Backs and thrust us onward to Believe blew in their Faces and drove them from it Those very Reasons which move us to own Christ moved them to reject him For many Ages the Name of Christ hath been in Request and Honour but then it was a despised way For Men to lay aside their old Religion and Temples and Altars and Ceremonies and Rights of Worship for the new way of Jesus of Nazareth never heard of before born of a Jewish Woman living in a mean way Crucifyed like a Malefactor and dead and buried that he should be owned as the Son of God and the Saviour of the World what could be to appearance more unreasonable Alas what should we have done if we had been put to encounter with these Difficulties and Prejudices and no sooner did any Man own this truth but he was presently exposed to all manner of Troubles and Persecutions brought before Magistrates tortured murthered by all the Cruel Deaths that could be devised and all this to be endured upon the hopes of an unseen World Therefore then it was an undoubted Truth 1 Iohn 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Iesus is the Son of God is born of God And 1 Iohn 4.2 Every Spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God Nay somewhat less than Faith and great Faith At his first appearance a certain perswasion impressed upon the Soul by the Spirit of God of the Divine Power and Alsufficiency of Christ so as to repair to him for help was Faith and great Faith when the vail of his Humane Nature and Infirmities did not keep the Eye of Faith from seeing him to have a Divine Power thô they could not unriddle all the Mysteries about his Person and Office this was accepted for Saving Faith 2. The Speculative Belief of this Truth was not sufficient then no more than it is now but the Practical Improvement Grant that Truth that Jesus is the Son of God and other things will follow as that we must obey his Laws and depend upon his Promises and make use of his Power and trust our selves in his hands otherwise the bare acknowledgment was not sufficient If a Man had at that time with some kind of Belief owned Christ as the Son of God and yet could not overcome the shame and fear of the World he would not have been accepted for it is said 1 Iohn 5.5 Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God Unless that effect followed the Belief was vain Therefore it is said Iohn 2.23 24 25. Many believed in his Name when they saw the Miracles which he did But Iesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men And needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in Man Christ knew the inside of Men and therefore knew this Faith was unlikely to bear any stress or hold out against Temptations Men might be convinced of some Excellency and Divine Power in Christ and yet remain unconverted So Acts 8. Simon Magus believed in Christ yet remained in the gall of bitterness and bond of Iniquity So we read again Iohn 8.30 31. As he spake these words many believed on him Then said Iesus to those Iews which believed on him if ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed Some are his Disciples in shew not truly and really being not settled and rooted in the Faith So it is noted Iohn 12.42 43. Nevertheless among the chief Rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They had Faith but it was too weak to encounter Temptations they were too
and Conscience saith the contrary Or are we innocent Or hath God provided another way than Christ 2 Obedience Every thing is written and must be reviewed If things were forgotten assoon as we forget them we need not revise our Acts or be so careful of our Conversations Oh but we must come to an account Iames 2.12 So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty Psalm 1.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous What a shameful story will there be produced against careless Sinners All the business of our lives is to stand in the great Congregation and to appear with confidence Would a Man give way to vain thoughts if he knew he were to give an account or to vain Discourse if he thought every idle word would be brought to Judgment or to Carnal Actions though never so secret if he thought that all these would come to a review or neglect the Duties of his Calling if he knew he were to give an account of his Stewardship or be unmerciful to the Poor if he did think of Have you fed Have you cloathed Or that he should be examined upon these questions 3. The Consideration of Hell or the Dreadful Punishment of Sin For this is the matter in this Text. This is useful to think of Hell that we may shun it presumption is a Coward Matth. 3.7 8. O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance There is a forced Repentance they that do not weep for their Sins for a while here shall there mourn for ever with a fruitless Repentance It is peace upon Earth What is Hell 1. There is poena damni the Punishment of loss a separation from the presence of God and Everlasting Exile Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.41 Luke 13.25 26. When once the master of the house is risen and hath shut the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open to us and he shall answer and say unto you I know ye not whence ye are and verse 28. When ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out When God turned Adam out of Paradise it was sad but then he cloathed him made him Coats of skins Adam was a Rebellious Child and was turned out of Doors but God had a care of him would not turn him out of Doors without his Garments gave him the promise of the Seed of the Woman hopes of a better Paradise This is the worst part of Hell to have a glimpse of God the remembrance of which shall remain with them for ever and then to be shut out Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but not taste it As a Prodigal reduced to Rags goeth by the Lands and Houses he hath sold with a sad Heart 2. The poena sensus The Punishments of Sense the Worm of Conscience and the Fire of Gods VVrath The worm of Conscience the Sting of Conscience when we think of our folly and imprudence A Man may run away from his Conscience now by sleeping reading working drinking sporting as Cain built Cities and Saul called for Musick But in Hell there are no such Diversions not a Thought free Day nor Night but Memoria praeteritorum the remembrance of what is past slighted Means abused Comforts wasted Time and Sensus praesentium a Sense of what is present the understanding maketh Heaven or Hell and metus futurorum a fear of what is to come for ever and ever Oh blind Fools that we did not think of these things aforehand The pleasures of the VVorld for a Thousand years will not countervail one minutes torment And then the Fire shall never be quenched Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the the living God Do but make tryal and put your finger in the Candle and see how you can bear it Isa. 33.14 Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings III. How to improve the Scriptures to Repentance 1. Believe them as you would an Oracle or one from the dead Consider the Authority and Veracity of God The Authority of God God Commandeth Men to repent charge the heart in the Name of God as it will answer to him another day If God had bidden thee do some greater thing wouldst not thou have done it VVill you contradict your Maker The Veracity of God these things are true If you had heard a voice from Heaven as Abraham or had a Vision or a Messenger sent out of the other VVorld you would believe you would think him to have a very hard heart that is not warned by an Oracle or frighted by an Apparition God himself hath spoken in his VVord and is not he of Credit You would fly in the face of him that should give you the lye and will you give the lye to the God of Truth VVe should be ashamed that the VVord which is a greater and surer Revelation than Oracles or Apparitions should prevail no more with us and that all those Arts of Grace which are used in the Scriptures do not perswade us to Obedience and Amendment of Life There is more Reason to perswade a Rational Man that the Scriptures are true and worth the heeding than to perswade him of the Truth of any voice from Heaven or Message by one from the Dead There you are warned that if you are un-believing un-holy or un-charitable you shall go to Hell and as Lot seemed to his Sons in law as one that mocked e n. 19.14 so we are looked on as if we were in jest and it were a matter of course to make one another sad by repeating of Matters mournful and lamentable If thou hadst seen a Ghost this last Night or a Devil had appeared to thee in Mans shape thou wouldst have been terrified and shall not the threatnings of the word startle thee So when you are spoken to concerning the joyes of Heaven it should not seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an idle tale as it is said Luke 24.11 And their words seemed unto them as idle tales and they believed them not The Report of Christ's Resurrection was an idle tale If an Angel had told you that within such a compass of years you should be in another world he would have been credited but you have a more sure word of Prophesie we tell you the same from Gods word and yet we are not regarded as the Israelites did not believe the Spies 2. Urge thy Heart with it Recollect your selves Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things Come to your selves Luke 15.17 And when he came to himself The Prodigal came to himself before he thought of returning to his Father Psalm 22.27 All the ends of the
away Religion that the want may make us more sensible of the worth of it 5. It bringeth a Scandal and ill report on God in the World Therefore he standeth upon his vindication Micah 6.3 4 5. O my People what have I done unto thee And wherein have I wearied thee Testifie against me For I brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of Servants and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam Oh my People remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Baalam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. That strangers receive him not is not so bad but that a People acquainted with him should cast him out after trial God calleth upon the Mountains and strong foundations of the Earth who keep still their obediential Subjection to their Creatour to witness against the ingratitude and stupidness of his People What injury have we found in God vers 2. Hear O ye mountains the Lords controversy and ye strong foundations of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversy with his People and he will plead with Israel 1. Vse We must neither build the walls of Iericho again nor as much as in us lyeth suffer others to build them Every one in his place is to hinder the work If Religion were uncertain it were another matter But did Christ come to establish the works of the Devil If Joshua saith cursed be he before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this City Jericho If Paul said Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed If others bestir themselves and by clancular and base artifices go to build these Walls again We should be the more Zealous for God Micah 4.5 For all People shall walk in the Name of his God and we will walk in the Name of our God But what must we do 1. Let us not only profess the true Religion but come under the Power of it The heart is best established by Grace The byas of mens corrupt hearts doth easily prevail against the light of their minds Few are corrupted in opinion but that are first false at heart The regenerate have advantages above other men 1 John 2.20 Ye have an unction from the holy one and know all things Most rotten opinions in the World are against the gust and sense of the new Nature But on the other side Men soon lose their zeal for truth that are addicted to a worldly sensual life Therefore see that Christ's Kingdom be set up in our hearts Luk. 17.21 The Kingdom of God is within you And that there we build not again the things we have destroyed Gal. 2.18 After we have devoted our selves to God we must not fall off from him till Christ's Kingdom be set up in our hearts we shall never sincerely care for his interests in the world For all carnal men seek their own things Men may bustle for a while for the Interest of their several Factions and Opinions but have not a true pure zeal for Christ's Kingdom 2. Let us pray That will do much Christ hath taught us to pray for the coming of his Kingdom Matth. 6.10 Thy Kingdom come David in his penitential Psalm could not forget the welfare of the Church when so deeply concerned as to his own particular for the recovering of his own peace Psal. 51.18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem Walls of Sion not of Iericho or Babylon It is God's interest spread it before him 3. Be thankful to God for these deliverances Prayer gets blessings but thankfulness keepeth them For God is careful to preserve them to such who count it a benefit and are mindful of it We have manifold cause to bless God 1. For former deliverance out of the House of Bondage so early 2. That he hath so often defeated the attempts of those who would bring us back thither 3. For the good we have many years injoyed under the Reformed Religion which God hath blessed to the converting strengthening and comforting many a precious Soul 4. For continuing still the liberty of the Gospel and means of Grace under a Protestant King 5. For the quiet we now injoy when other parts of Christendom are are in a combustion we are untouched and injoy safety We are querulous and apt to complain but all things reckoned we have much more cause to give thanks 4. Let such deliverances as this inkindle our Love and Zeal to that Religion which God hath owned and defended Partly because when men are perswaded of the Truth such Providences as these are so many attestations to it Psal 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Partly because God will spue those out of his mouth that are neither hot nor cold Partly because Zeal discourageth the Factours and Abettours of the Kingdom of darkness The Fear of the People restrained the Pharisees 5. Prize the means of Grace and incourage them Iericho's Walls fell by the blast of the Rams-horns This Kingdom falleth by the Preaching of the Gospel 2 Thes. 2.8 Whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth Whoever hinders that promotes the Devils Kingdom 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Owls fly in the dark This Kingdom is maintained by Darkness Blindness and Ignorance of the Truth 6. Let us not give incouragement by our Divisions to our adversaries The more we labour for Unity the more we Establish Religion Rom. 16.17 Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrin which ye have Learned and avoid them When Passengers in a boat fall a quarreling and pushing one another they endanger the sinking of the boat When Christ's Army is scattered Antichrist will prevail Keep up the common Christianity it may be peaceful endeavours signifie nothing in a factious and divided â— time yet we must Unite every one in the things that are right and owned by God Jam. 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaecable Provided we touch no unclean thing Here we must separate 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you 7 Recommend Religion by an holy Life Partly because gross sins under the Profession of a Reformed Religion provoke God to remove our Candlestick from us Partly because with all understanding Beholders the Fruits of Love Peace and Holiness will justifie your Religion Matth. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her Children 8. Practise the Vertues contrary to the Vices of the opposite Kingdom Theirs is a Bloody Religion ours a Meâ—k
out of the burning That God should reform thy crooked perverse spirit and pardon all thy sins and lead thee in the way of righteousness unto Eternal Glory How should thy heart and mouth be filled with the high Praises of God! and how should you say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed my Soul 3. Consider what preventing Grace God used towards you How he sought you out when you sought not him that he might save you As this saving Mercy was not deserved by you so it was not so much as desired by you the Lord pittied thee when thou hadst not an heart to pity thy self and prevented thee with his goodness It is good to observe the circumstances of our first awakening or reducement from our wandrings The Apostle speaketh of the called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Not the purpose of them that are converted but the purpose of God For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called vers 30. Many come to a Duty with careless and slight Spirits or by a meer Chance as Paul's Infidel 1 Cor. 14.24 25. But if all prophesie and there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all And thus are the secrets of the heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Oh how many do thus stumble upon Grace unawares as not minding or desiring any such Matter yet God directeth a seasonable word that pierceth iâ—to their very hearts Sometimes when opposing and persecuting as Paul Acts â— Many that come to scoff I have seen his ways I will heal him Isa. 57.18 Soâ—e are leavened with prejudice loth to come drawn against their consent Iohn 1.46 Nathaniel saith to Philip Can any good come out of Nazareth Philip saith unto him Come and see yet there he met with Christ. Various circumstances there are which shew Christ's vigilancy and care in seeking after lost Souls 4. That he hath made the Cure effectual notwithstanding the reluctancies of our carnal hearts We are all of us full of the wisdom of the Flesh and that is enmity to God Rom. 8.7 Because the Carnal Mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Now that our hearts should be quite changed and have another bias and inclination put upon them this is the Lord 's doing and it should be marvellous in our eyes Iohn 3.6 That which is born of flesh is flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit That we should be so quite altered as now to mind Serious Spiritual and Heavenly things surely nothing could do this but the Almighty Spirit of Christ or that efficacy which is proper to the Mediatour Sermon I. on Psal. Lc 1 Lord thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations IN a time of danger we would all be glad if we could get a safe place of retreat or a secure habitation where the evil might not come nigh us The Text will direct you to one if you have an heart to make use of it This Psalm was penned by Moses the Man of God as the Title sheweth It 's reflection is mainly upon the state of those times wherein he lived when the Children of God wandered up and down in the Wilderness and were sorely afflicted by sundry Plagues and great Multitudes of them cut off by untimely death for their Provocations The Psalm is said to be a Prayer of Moses He beginneth his Prayer with an acknowledgment of God's goodness and gracious protection In the howling Wilderness and in all former Ages he had been their habitation And this giveth him confidence to ask and expect other things from God's hand From hence we may learn to express Faith in Prayer before we express Desire and give God glory in believing before we lay forth our own wants So doth Moses the Man of God Lord thou hast been our dwelling-place in all Generations Doctr. That God is his Peoples habitation or dwelling-place I shall deliver the sum of this point in these Considerations First The First shall be a General Truth That true and lively Faith doth apprehend all things as present in God which it wanteth in the Creature When they wandered up and down in the Wilderness God was their habitation As the life of Sense is a flat contradiction to Faith so is the life of Faith to the life of Sense Faith is supported by two things God's All-sufficiency and Gracious Covenant The one sheweth what may be the other what shall be As God hath a double Knowledge Scientia simplicis intelligentiae visionis By the former he knows all things that may be in his own All-sufficiency By the latter he knows all things that shall be in his own Decree So Faith sees all things made up in God This can be because God is able to bring it to pass This shall be because God hath promised it His promise is as good as performance therefore a Believer in the want of all things doth not onely make a shift to live but groweth rich 2 Cor. 6.10 As poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things Nothing in the view of Sense but all things in God that are good for him As God was as a fixed habitation to them that were in the Wilderness so he promiseth Ezek. 11.16 Although I have cast them far off among the Heathen and although I have scattered them among the Countreys yet will I be to them as a little Sanctuary in the Countreys where they shall come A Christian that hath learned to live by Faith above Sense he can never want any thing he hath it in God and can see not onely pardon and righteousness forth-coming out of the Covenant but food and raiment protection and maintenance house and home and all things even then when they are most destitute It is not onely an act of Love that God is instead of all these things but an act of Faith As to Love 1 Sam. 1.8 Am I not better to thee then ten Sons God is not onely better than all to a Believer but he is all Secondly God's People may be reduced to such exigences that they may have no house nor habitation on this side God As now the People of God were in a wandering condition 1 Pet. 1.1 Peter directs his Epistle To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Strangers not only in affection but condition Exile and Separation from their outward comforts and priviledges may be the lot of the People that are dearest to the Lord of any on earth besides Heb. 11.37 They wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skin being destitute afflicted tormented v. 38. They wandered in Desarts and in Mountains and in Dens and in
the Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 Now which of these are we to understand Not the Evil Angels to be sure for since the Fall they are called Devils not Angels singly without a note of Distinction This was an Holy Desire of an Holy Object of which those damned Spirits are not capable It is a burden to them to think of God and Christ they abhor their own Thoughts of God Iam. 9.19 The Devils also believe and tremble And Christs Presence was a torment to them Mat. 8.29 What have we to do with thee Iesus thou Son of God! art thou come to torment us before the time They cannot please themselves nor find such a delight and full satisfaction in the view of these Truths Therefore it is meant of those good Angels that behold the face of God and Minister in his presence they are beholding wondering and rejoycing at the mysteries of the Gospel There are two kinds of Creatures made after the Likeness of God Angels and Men and they are seated and placed in the two Extremities of the World the one in Heaven and the other on Earth in the Highest and Lowest Story of the Universe that at both ends of the Creation there might be some to glorifie him and acknowledge his Excellencies Alas here with us in the lower part of the World how few take notice of the glorious discoveries of God in any of his Works especially in the work of Redemption So that all Gods Preparations and Expences seem lost as to the Honour and Service which he might justly expect from us But there is another World where this mystery that is so little regarded here is more thought of and better studied even by the Blessed Angels Creatures more excellent and more numerous than Mankind who are always glorifying God and admiring his Excellencies upon this account As we behold the Sun that shineth to us from their part of the World so do they behold the Son of Righteousness from our part of the World even Jesus Christ the Lord in all the Acts of his Mediation 1 Tim. 3.16 Without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels That is beheld with Wonder and Reverence God needeth not to Court us with such importunity he hath Creatures enough to glorifie him ten thousand times ten thousand Angels that stand before his Throne and know more of God than we do and are more ready to praise him II. What The Text telleth us which things that is those things spoken of in the Context 1. The Person of the Redeemer the most glorious Object that can be looked upon or taken into the Thoughts of any Creature The view of this is now our Comfort and will be our Happiness to all Eternity Iohn 17.24 Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me When we are in Heaven on t'other side of the World that will be our Work and our Happiness but it must not be wholly omitted here So the Angels delight in the Person of the Redeemer it is their rejoicing to look upon Christ in whom the Glory of God shineth forth more admirably than in any other of his Works Yea I shall go one Strain higher God himself delighteth in looking upon Christ Prov. 8.30 There was I by him as one brought up with him I was daily his delight in the Hebrew it is day day one day after another God never satisfieth himself enough in this yea God delighteth in Christ as Mediatour Mat. 3.17 This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Isa. 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteâ—â— It is the ground of his gracious aspect upon us As Holy he delighted in all his Works and was refreshed at the view of them Gen. 1.31 And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good compared with Exo. 31.17 In six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Well then this is one thing which the Angels look upon the Person of Christ the most lovely Object to be thought of figur'd in the Mercy-Seat or cover of the Ark who interposed between the Law and God Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Propitiation that is Christ Incarnate 2. The way of Redemption verse 11. The Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow And therein the sweet Harmony and Concord between Infinite Mercy and Infinite Justice that both might have full satisfaction This is figured in the Mercy-Seat Gods reconciling himself to Man by Christ Rom. 3.24 25 26. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus 3 Another thing spoken of in the Context is the Grace that should come to us verse 10. Gods keeping familiar Correspondence and Communion with Poor Creatures in and through Christ 1 Iohn 1.3 And truely our Communion is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ. The dwelling of our Nature with God in a Personal Union a thing which Angels may wonder at since God abaseth himself to behold things in Heaven or things on Earth Psal. 113.6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth His Majesty and All sufficiency is so great that he might justly despise the Angels of whom he standeth in no need Now that he should stoop so low as to look after poor crawling Worms and admit them to such intimacy with himself this Commerce between God and the Inhabitants of the lower World is matter of wondrous delight to the Angels 4. The Mission of the Spirit here just before the Text the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven and then presently it followeth which things the Angels desire to look into viz. The Copious Effusion of Gospel Grace Before the price was paid when God gave out Grace upon Trust 't was more sparingly dispensed but now more plentifully since the price of Redemption is actually paid The Angels are ascending and descending present with the Churches in their Holy Worship When the Spirit was first poured out the Men that were Conscious to it were all surprized with wonder Acts 2.7 They were all amazed and marvelled saying one to another Behold are not all these that speak Galileans And surely the Angels see cause to glorifie God for his Gifts and Graces bestowed on the Church It was done in the sight of Angels Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men compared with Col. 2.15 And having
Faith standeth us in most stead Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Then by the one we are freed from the guilt of Sin and so have deliverance from Eternal Death By the other we have not only right but entrance into Eternal Glory What is our whole scope but to be absolved by Christ at last and enter into Eternal Life Finally these two are to be regarded to obviate their mistake who think indeed that Faith and it may be Repentance is necessary to pardon or to dissolve our Obligation to Punishment but not new Obedience But in their place all the Conditions are necessary They think new Obedience is necessary to Salvation or Eternal Life but not to Justification But Salvation is as gracious an Act of Mercy as free and undeserved a Gift as Pardon Rom. 6.23 The wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wages but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of God It is as much merited by Christ as the other and therefore as proper a part yea the chief part of the Hope of Righteousness by Faith and that which is only waited for and not injoyed III. What is the work of the Spirit in this business in urging Believers to wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith I Answer the work of the Spirit doth either concern the Duties of the new Covenant or the Priviledges of the new Covenant or what is common to them both I begin with the latter 1. What is common to them both He doth convince us of the Truth of the Gospel both of means and end that there is such an Hope and the Righteousness of Faith is the only way to obtain it Now this he doth Externally and Internally 1. Externally and by way of Objective Evidence All the certainty that we have of the Gospel is by the Spirit Acts 5.32 We are Witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost which he hath given to them that obey him And Iohn 15. 26 27. When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning Mark in both these places the two solemn Witnesses are the Spirit and the Apostles the one Principal the other Ministerial the one declaring Doctrine and Matter of Fact the other assuring the World of the Truth of their Testimony The Apostles testified of Christs sayings and doings and the Holy Ghost which came down upon them and the rest that consorted with them and was given in some measure to those that obeyed their Doctrine was an undoubted Evidence that God owned it from Heaven Here was enough to open mens Eyes and to give them a right understanding of his Person and Doctrine that it was of God The Visible Gifts of the Holy Ghost and his powerful working in the Hearts of men in order to their Conversion unto God These admirable Gifts and Graces shed abroad upon men were a Notable Conviction to the World that Christ was a Teacher sent from God to teach men the way to Eternal Life and Happiness This did afford sufficient matter of Confirmation and Conviction by the Spirit shed abroad and poured forth on the Christian Church 2. Internally inlightning their Minds and inclining their Hearts to imbrace the Truth Which maketh the former Testimony effectual So the Apostle prayeth Eph. 1.17 For the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ the eyes of their understanding being inlightned that they might know what is the hope of his Calling and the Riches of the Glory of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light To the sight of any thing these things are necessary an Object a Medium a Faculty As in outward sight an Object that may be seen a convenient light to represent it and make the Object perspicuous An Organ or Faculty of seeing in the Eye Unless there be an Object you bid a man see nothing Unless there be a Medium a due light to represent it as in a fog or at Midnight the sharpest sight can see nothing Unless there be a Faculty neither the Object nor Medium will avail a Blind-man cannot see any thing at Noon-day Now here is an Object the way of Salvation by Christ A convenient light it is represented in the Gospel And the Faculty is prepared for the Eyes of the Mind are opened by the Spirit that we may see both Way and End the necessity of Holiness and the reality of future Glory and Blessedness Alas without this sight we busie our selves about Vanities and Childish Toys and never Mind the things which are most necessary certainly we can have no saving understanding of Spiritual Truths neither what is the Benefit of Christianity or the blessed Condition of Gods People Nor what are the Duties of Christianity so as our Hearts may be held to them or how we may behave our selves as true Believers 2. The Work of the Spirit as to the Duties of the new Covenant He doth not only convince us of the Reality and the Necessity of Christs Obedience and our Holiness but by his Powerful Operation frameth and inclineth our Hearts to the Duties required of us Faith it self is wrought in us by this Holy Spirit for it is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 And so is Repentance and Obedience Heb. 8.10 I will write my Laws upon their Hearts and put them into their Minds Moses his Law was written on Tables of Stone as a Rule without them but Christs Law on the Heart and Mind as drawing and inclining them to obey it The Renewing Grace of the Spirit of God doth prepare us and fit us and his exciting Grace doth quicken us that we may do what is pleasing in his sight And therefore if we profess to live under the new Covenant we are inexcusable if we do not bestir our selves and accomplish the work of Faith with Power and obey from the Heart the Doctrine delivered to us Indeed the Spirit doth most naturally put us upon spiritual Worship and spiritual Holiness these things agree most with his Being and Nature The observances of the Law were carnal yet as long as Gods command continued the Spirit inclined to Obedience to them But a better Law being enacted by Christ the Spirit that proceedeth from the Father and the Son suiteth his Operations accordingly For he cometh into us as Christs Spirit He shall take of mine and glorifie me John 16.14 All that he doth accordeth with Christ as Christs Will doth with the Father 3. The work of the Spirit as to the priviledges of the New Covenant which are pardon and life 1. As to Pardon he is the Comforter He cometh
hansel to the new Gospel by Peters Exhortation three thousand were converted at once and afterwards evidenced the Truth of their Doctrine by Miracles There is no need that Christ should rise again in the Eye and view of all those that would believe in him Here is ground enough in that which was once already done 2. What we must do verse 9. Confess with the Mouth and believe with the Heart that is be really perswaded of the Truth of what is done for us and thankfully own it and acknowledge it to the World resigning up our selves to the discipline of his Spirit whatever it costs us This is all that is required of us But though these two only be mentioned we must understand those things which belong to either of them 1. To begin with that first mentioned If thou wilt confess with thy Mouth There is a Confession both in Word and Deed the one must not contradict the other The Apostle telleth us of some that profess they know God but in works they deny him Tit. 1.16 So it is true of confessing Christ or Holiness of Life Works are a part of Profession or Confession as also Invocation is a branch of this Confession as appeareth by the 13. ver For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Confession then implieth all visible Godliness and Holiness of Life for the Holy Thankful Life is a constant Hymn to God or a practical Acknowledgment of the Benefits we have by â—hrist and so all Christianity is a Confession It is necessary also that this Confession be made in spight of all Persecution and Danger Heb. 4.14 Let us hold fast our Profession In those days believing with the Heart was not so costly as Confession with the Mouth It exposed them to great troubles yet a Christian must be resolute and trust Christ with all Dan. 6.10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his Window being open in his Chamber toward Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime 2. So for the other Believing with the Heart implieth not a dead Faith but Operative Iam. 2.20 Faith without Works is Dead Not a cold opinion but such as worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 Not a general Assent but an applicative Faith Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief Owning him as our Lord and Saviour Do this and then you believe with the Heart to Righteousness and confess with the Mouth to Salvation That is you are so pardoned that at length you are saved They that could thus take Christ and venture all upon the security of his Word and wholly resign up themselves to God upon these Hopes were in a safe Condition or a state of Peace Fourthly The Gospel so clearly stating these things there is no reason of doubtful suspence All demurring must be upon one of these two Reasons either the Difficulty of the thing or Want of certainty but neither of them is just in this Case 1. Not the Difficulty of the Conditions For believing with the Heart and confessing with the Mouth are easie to be understood and easie to be observed by the Power of the Spirit For the Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation Rom. 1.16 If God will put this into our Heart and Mouth and give what he requireth why should we snuff at these Conditions as unreasonable and troublesome What more reasonable than to own him with the greatest hazard from whom we expect such Benefits as Pardon and Life And to consent to follow his Direction who will bring us out of our Misery to perfect Happiness And to venture all for him who by a condescending Act of astonishing love stooped so low for us It is true Confession may be costly but it is not an impossible thing We should be willing to suffer the loss of all things for his sake Especially when God is ready powerfully to assist and help us Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me 2. Want of Certainty We do not know whether this be the way of God yea or no I Answer 1. There is no doubt that reasonably can be urged Either this is the way of God or none The way of Heathenism is sottish and fabulous 1 Cor. 8.5 They have Lords many and Gods many And the way of the Iews yieldeth no relief if the Gospel be excluded The way of the Mahometans is ridiculous and beareth no dispute Therefore this is the way or none Obj. But why do you haesitate You did not see Christ in the Flesh. Ans. But we may love him for all that and believe in him though we never saw him 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice He must not be fetched out of Heaven again nor raised from the dead again It is not necessary to our Faith that we should see Christ with bodily Eyes when we have most certain and firm Arguments by which his Resurrection may be proved Obj. But we live not in the Age of Miracles Oracles and Visions which People had in former times Ans. Man is apt to indent with God and to prescribe to God that he may believe upon Terms of his own making Let him now come down from the Cross then we will believe him Mat. 27.42 Can he prepare a Table in the Wilderness Psal. 78.19 If thou be the Son of God command that these Stones be made Bread Mat. 4.3 We are not to think that God should be at our Beck and do what we require Many require new Apostles and Miracles that maketh them turn Scepticks and Atheists We must not prescribe to God how he shall reveal his Mind to men but submit to the way he seeth best and fittest for us 2. There lye more prejudices by far against any way of our own devising than the course God hath taken The People slighted Moses and would hear God himself speak but when it thundred upon the Mount they cryed out Exod. 20.19 Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die We would have Miracles but thereby the simplicity of Christianity is lost and it would lay us open to the jugling tricks of Wonder-mongers and that would be little for our safety We would have one from the dead Luke 16.30 But they are out of the Sphere of our commerce That is no familiar way nor so fit to instil Faith and reduce men to Obedience to God And if we should learn our Religion from Ghosts and Apparitions we should never be free from Delusion Gal. 1.8 But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we
the Heart and may be determined partly by the object or matter believed partly by the subject of it or the acts of the Soul towards it First The Object or Matter believed is in short this That there is a God Heb. 11.6 That God having made Man he hath right and power over him to govern him by his Laws James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy That Man failing in his Obedience he and all his Posterity are subject to the wrath and vindictive Justice of God Rom. 3.19 That all the World may become guilty before God Ephes. 2.3 And were by nature children of wrath even as others That such was God's Love that to recover Man out of this wretched condition he sent his own Son into the World John 3.16 That Iesus Christ who was the Son of God died for our offences and rose again for our Iustification Rom. 4.25 That is died to expiate our sins and rose again to convince the unbelieving VVorld of the Authority and Dignity of his Person and Offices and also of the truth of his Law and Covenant that having died and rose again he hath acquired Novum Ius Imperii a new right of Command and Empire over the World Rom. 14.9 For this cause he both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord of dead and living That is have full power and dominion to dispose of us dead and living That Christ having this full power and dominion over all flesh hath established and enacted a Law of Grace or New Covenant wherein Pardon and Righteousness or Title to Life is assured to Penitent Believers Mark 16.16 Whosoever believeth shall be saved And Luke 24.47 And that Repentance and Remission of sins be Preached in his Name to all Nations And shall actually be bestowed upon all that obey him Heb. 5.9 But those that refuse this Christ shall be eternally miserable John 3.19 This is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil This is the sum of what is to be believed Secondly It may be determined partly by the Subject of it or the acts of the Soul about it The Subject is the Heart both Understanding and Will The Understanding Assents to all this as true both what is said of the Person of the Redeemer and his Covenant and accordingly disposeth the heart of Man to carry it self towards both 1. To the Person of the Redeemer We Thankfully and Broken-heartedly receive him to the ends of the Gospel or to be to us what God hath appointed him to be and do that for us That God hath appointed Him to do for poor sinners To be our Lord and Saviour Iohn 1.12 Col. 2.6 as Lord to obey him and as Saviour to depend upon him and trust our selves in his hands for our happiness whatever befalleth us 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 2. Towards the Covenant which he hath appointed as the Law or Rule of Commerce between us and God There are Promises and Precepts Commands and offers of Grace 1. For the Promises you heartily accept them as the greatest Happiness that can be bestowed upon you and depend upon them as things that surely will be performed for there comes in the consideration of true and good 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true and faithful saying Ephes. 1.13 In whom ye trusted after ye heard the word of truth as true doubts are opposite to them as good carnal inclinations 2 For the Precepts and Duties required you bind your selves to perform them upon these hopes whatever it cost you And there comes in also the nature of Faith Sincere Resolution and Absolute Self denial Sincere resolution to perform what God hath required that you may obtain what he hath offered which is called a giving up of our selves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 And absolute Self denial or Selling all for the Pearl of Price Mat. 13.46 And so that Faith which is made such a difficult thing to explain as it were a Bugbear to affright poor Christians from all thoughts and study about it is made easie and facile to the understandings of the meanest Christians who must live by it and be saved by it This then is believing with the Heart Secondly What is Confession with the Mouth A solemn outward declaration that we take Christ for our Lord and Saviour or that we believe what is revealed to us concerning God and Christ and our duty to him This is necessary because the Promises of the New Covenant run in both strains of putting the word in our Heart Ier. 31.37 and putting it in our Mouths Isa. 59.21 The Saints Prayers are That God would not take it out of their Hearts Psal. 119.36 nor out of their Mouths Verse 43. Take not the word of Truth utterly out of my Mouth And the nature of their duty to God requireth it for a Man is first to embrace the True Religion to receive it with his Heart and then he is to profess it or express it with his Mouth for no Man is to conceal and keep his Religion to himself Our Tongues and our Bodies were given us to shew forth that acknowledgment and Adoraâ—ion of God which is in our hearts He that denieth God or Christ with the Heart doth not believe in him or Worship him with the Heart So he doth not Worship God with his Tongue and Life who doth not outwardly profess and honour him As he hath given us an understanding that we may know him so he hath prepared for us a body wherewithal to profess him and our esteem of him Isa. 45.23 To me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear Which is again repeated and established as our duty in the Gospel Phil. 2.10.11 At the Name of Iesus every Knee should bow And every Tongue confess that Iesus Christ is Lord. But more distinctly to open this confession with the Mouth 1. The matter to be confessed is the great truths which we do believe God Christ the Covenant of Grace Eternal Glory and Happiness And the lesser truths in their season at other times Rom. 14.22 Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God 'T is not meant of the necessary Articles of the Christian belief but things of a doubtful disputation If we know more than others in these things yet we must not needlessly trouble the Church or offend the weak to the danger of their Souls and hindrance of greater truths And yet in these things you must not deny the smallest truth 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth For though the thing we contend for be small yet sincerity is a great matter and to profess our Assent or Consent to what we neither count true nor can well approve of is to come under a
of Peace II. The respect that is between these two Faith and Profession There is a double respect such as between 1. The Cause and Effect First We Believe and then Confess our Faith is the cause of our Confession 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak David was sore afflicted and yet professed his Faith in God He could not suppress his boasting of the promises in his greatest distresses So we believe in Christ and therefore cannot but in word and deed express our confidence in him when such a Spirit of Faith cometh upon us there will not need many enforcemenâ—s or excitements publickly to own Christ For this Spirit of Faith cannot be shut up in the Heart but will break out into Confession There cannot be a true and lively Faith without Confession nor a true Confession without Faith For the effect cannot be without the cause nor such a powerful cause without the effect 2. Such as there is between the sign and the thing signified Faith hath always Confession and Obedience joined with it as its proper sign As Flame or Smoâ—k is of Fire or â—reathing of Life so is Confession with the Mouth or an Holy Life an individual companion and note of true Faith by which it is demonstrated to be sincere and real Shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works Iames 2.18 Men know not our Hearts whether we believe in God yea or no or what we believe of him till they hear and see it in our profession and actions here is the sign the proof of it Look as an evil principle bewrayeth its self by its proper signs as Atheism by Mens ungodly and unholy lives Psal. 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my Heart There is no fear of God before his Eyes What could they do more in a way of sin or less in a way of duty if there were no God The current of a Mans life and actions doth best expound and interpret his Heart any considerate Man may conclude from their manner of living that they have no sense of the Being of God nor never expect to be accountable to him So for the belief of Christianity 't is discovered by owning Christ in the greatest dangers by a ready obedience to his precepts that seem to be most cross to the inclination and interest of the Flesh or by an Holy and Heavenly life 'T is a sign we believe those blessed sublime and weighty truths which are contained in the Gospel In short we judge others by external works alone for the Tree is known by its Fruits Mat. 7.16 we judge of our selves by external and internal together both by the belief of the Heart and the confession of the Mouth also III. The order God hath established appointing Faith as a means to be justified and confession as a means to be saved 1. Let us speak of what is requisite to righteousness so Faith is the means whereby this Righteousness is applied received and freely given us To explain this I shall enquire 1. What is Righteousness 2. Shew you that this Righteousness is applied by Faith 3. That the Cordial and Heart-believer is the Penitent Working Believer 1. What is Righteousness 't is here taken in a legal and judicial sense not for a disposition of Mind and Heart to please God but for the ground of a Plea before the Tribunal of God that we may be exempted from the punishments threatned and obtain the Grace offered or a right to the reward promised Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one Iudgment came upon all to condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life 2. That we are qualified for this Righteousness by Faith So 't is said Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins We get absolution from sin by free pardon through the Merit of Christ and are accepted as Righteous before God when we enter into the new Covenant taking God for our Lord and Happiness Christ for our Redeemer and Saviour the Holy-Ghost for our Sanctifier and Comforter More especially with respect to Christ when we subject our selves to him as our Lord and depend upon the Merit of his Death and Intercession for our acceptance with God Now that this believing with the Heart is required in order to righteousness is every where manifested in the Scriptures Therefore the new Covenant Righteousness is called the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 9.30 The Gentiles have attained to Righteousness even the Righteousness which is of Faith So Gal. 5.5 We through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith Because Faith qualifieth us for it A righteousness we must have that we may be exempted from wrath which sin hath made our due and that we may be accepted with God unto Eternal Life which they that are destitute of all Righteousness can never attain unto A Righteousness of our own according to the Law of Works we are far from The legal way therefore can never stead us We must only run for Refuge to the Evangelical course or way set down in the Gospel namely that upon the account of the Merit and Obedience of Christ God will pardon the sins of all Penitent Believers and accept them to Grace and Favour Well then 't is by Faith that Christs Death and Obedience are applied and made beneficial to us Rom. 3 2â— The righteousness of God is by the Faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe and there is no difference Well then every Believer is qualified If you ask me therefore 3. What kind of Believer is qualified and accepted as righteous I answer 1. The Penitent Believer 2. The Working Believer 1. The Penitent Believer for Faith and Repentance are inseparable Companions and always go together in our first introduction or entrance into the New Covenant Mark 1.15 Repent and Believe the Gospel And Acts 2.38 Repent and be Baptized for the Remission of Sins When we depend upon Christ for Pardon we are willing to return to God and live in his Obedience hating and detesting our former ways wherein we wandred from him Well then though the Righteousness be only the Righteousness of Faith and the Believer be only accepted as Righteous yet 't is the Penitent Believer whose Heart and Life is changed and who is willing by Christ to come to God 2. 'T is the Working Believer So 't is explained what is in Gal. 5.5 called The Righteousness of Faith is ver 6. called Faith working by Love Not all that is called by that Name but the working Faith And so 't is expressed else where Heb. 11.7 By
the knowledge of the Truth gained thereby if they despise all these and abandon themselves to their own brutish Passions and Affections as we see many by resisting Common Preparing Grace do so harden their Hearts and increase their Incapacity that the same degree of Grace will not change them that will change others not so self-harden'd Ier. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil And those that are unwilling to use the Means that they are able that will not hear or consider what they hear that it may affect them they provoke God not only to suspend the influence of his Spirit but to take away the Means Prov. 1.23 24. Turn you at my reproof â—ehold I will pour out my spirit unto you and I will make known my words unto you Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded c. Much more when they run the contrary way and turn their Thoughts and Affections more eagerly after Vanity and oppose God's Help and Grace because it is against their Lusts Ezek. 24.13 Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more Well then they that have common Grace ought and are bound to use it for the obtaining of more Grace 'T is charged as a great Crime on them that have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not that will not frame their Doings to turn unto the Lord so much as put themselves into a posture They are threatned that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than those that have abundance of Means and use them not That they that were lifted up to Heaven in Ordinances shall be cast down to Hell for the neglect of them Matth. 11.23 That the Ninivites shall rise up in judgment against them and condemn them because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here Matth. 12.41 They that have received so much Grace from God and yet do not understand nor seek after him their Condemnation is aggravated their Destruction is of themselves they shut themselves out of the Kingdom of God reject the Counsel of God against themselves and judge themselves unworthy of Eternal Life The Scripture every where speaketh at this rate concerning the Folly and Negligence of Men. But if it be asked If they did improve this common Grace shall they acquire Special Grace Answ. 1. â—od is abundant in Mercy Goodness and Truth and doth not use to appoint Means in vain Certainly they do not merit it at God's hands nor is he expresly bound to give it to them No It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth Rom. 9.16 The first â—race is given by God as a free Lord not by any certain Law but by his own Pleaâ—ure Well but will he give it The Question is curious and needeth no Answer He that is deadly sick doth not refuse his Physick till he be made certain that it will recover him but useth it as the only proper Remedy in the case and commits the Event to â—od He that is to Plough and commit his precious Seed to the ground doth not stand to have assurance that the next Year will prove fruitful and the Season kindly but ventureth because usually God's Blessing goeth along with Man's Industry So in the business of Salvation we should not trouble our selves about the Event but do our Duty and leave the Event to God waiting for his Power and Grace in the careful use of the Means which he hath instituted to that end Certainly none perish but they perish through their own folly and negligence not for any defect in God's help When we have done all that we can he is not our Debtor but yet he is our gracious Benefactor and if we would labour to suppress our Cavils and Curiosity we shall find God better to us than we can imagine 4. This increase is given by degrees we have not all at first nor all at once for Christ speaketh to them To whom it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Mark 4.11 To them that had ears to hear Vers. 23. Now to them he saith More shall be given As our Capacities are inlarged so is God's Bounty to us Psal. 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it We are not straitned in God but in our selves The more we improve Grace received and the more serious we grow and have our Desires and Expectations enlarged the more God will give for by Mercy he prepareth for more Mercy 'T is serious Diligence and exercising our selves to Godliness maketh us see the worth of Grace and the necessity of more â—race to bear our Burdens resist Temptations perform our Duties and the more we are acquainted with God the more will we follow on to know the Lord. Mosâ—s his first Request was Tell me thy name and then Shew me thy glory Sensible Want increaseth with Enjoyment so doth God's Supply for his Goodness is inexhaustible Where he hath given he will give 1 Use. Is Information to shew us the reason why so many reap so little Fruit by the hearing of the Word either they never had solid Comfort and Benefit by it or else languiâ—h and grow lazy in the profession and practice of Godliness What is the reason They do not take heed to what they hear seriously regard the Mesâ—ages sent them by God day after day and then alas all the good Seed that is sown is like Corn on the House top that never groweth to perfection Neither is the Understanding informed nor the Will engaged to Practice Why are our Hearts so little affected and inflamed with the love of God Why stand we in no more Awe and Fear of him Have so small Hope and weak Confidence in him We mind nothing what is said concerning these Duties in the course of the Ministry We sit under the Gospel and pass over these things and do not deeply consider them in our Hearts Christians we impose no hard Law upon you many pretend they cannot invent Arguments for Meditation but when brought to your hands will you think of them They have no Time but if you will spare none of your own Time will you employ God's Time well Let Sabbath-Doctrines so far be considered by you as to sink into your Hearts Surely in their season all things should have their Turn and Place When we are employed about the World we are never troubled with Heavenly things why should the World intrude upon God's Portion 2. Use is Direction If you would profit by the Word take heed to what you Hear see what you do with it believe it soundly Is it a Truth or a Fable a Crochet of Ministers or a genuine Deduction from the word of God Consider it seriously How shall I mortifie this Sin or perform this Duty
in peace without spot and 〈◊〉 Now the Devil will not let you alone in this earnest diligence but seeketh to break your Resolutions or deaden your Affections or damp and discourage your Zeal and the Flesh joyneth with him especially when the World frowneth upon your Endeavours and are set against you for being so faithful to Christ. 2. That they are not prepared till they are endowed with Faith Hope and Love To evidence this I shall shew 1. Their Nature 2. Their mutual respect to one another 3. Their use in the Spiritual Conflict I. Their Nature 1. Faith which is a firm and cordial assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel or such things as are revealed by God because revealed by him 1. The Object 1. The Material Object of Faith in general is such things as are revealed by God in his Word Acts 24.14 Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets The Precepts Promises Threatnings Histories Mysteries The general Faith goeth before the particular there is no Building without a Foundation The special Object is God's Transactions about Man's Salvation by Christ Ioh. 17.3 This is Life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. The formal Consideration is because revealed by him Iohn 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and believe that this indeed is the Christ the Saviour of the World That is because they had heard his Words and were convinced and satisfied 1 Thess. 2.13 Ye received it not as the Word of Men but as it is in Truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Not as any Doctrine devised of Men but as sent by God from Heaven for the benefit of Mankind 2. The act of the Soul It is an Assent The Understanding hath a double act about Divine Truths First Knowledge or a due Apprehension of them Secondly Exercising a Judgment about them this is Acknowledgment or Assent And this Assent hath two Adjuncts 1. It is a firm belief of these things There is a Latitude and Difference in the firmness of Assent there is Conjecture or Opinion which is a weak Faith but Assurance doth best Coll. 2.2 That their Hearts might be comforted being knit together in Love and unto all Riches of the full Assurance of Vnderstanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. I say there is a difference In the firmness of Assent there is Certitudo Notitia Certitudo Adherentiae a Certainty of Knowledge and a Certainty of Adherence But in all that are sincere it is so firm as to sway our choice incline our Hearts and govern our Resolutions that we see all the reason in the World to follow the way which Christ hath prescribed that we may be everlastingly happy whatever it cost they will venture Heb. 10.39 But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of our Souls Sense saith Spare the Flesh but Faith saith Save the Soul 2. It is a Cordial Belief or such as engageth the Heart For Faith considereth not only the Evidence of things propounded but the Weight Worth and Greatness of them 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation Simon Magus believed but his Heart was not right with God Acts 8.13 compared with 21 Verse So Many believed in his Name when they saw the Miracles which he did but Iesus committed not himself to them because he knew all Men John 2.23 24. This is Faith for first Men believe then love then hope then lift up the Head 2. Love Which is a Grace which inclineth our Hearts to God as our Portion and chief Happiness This over-ruleth all their Affections to their outward Interests Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Here we shall consider 1. The Qualification of the Object Love in the general considereth the Object as good God is good in himself and good to us Psal. 119.68 Thou art good and dost good and we love God as a good God having received our Beings from him Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things And being redeemed by him when all was forfeited into the Hands of his Justice 1 Iohn 4.19 We love him because he loved us first And looking to expect more from him when all his Promises shall be fulfilled 1 Ioh. 3.1 2. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! Therefore the World knoweth us not because it knew him not Beloved Now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 2. The respect of Love to the Object It is such a respect as becometh the Chief Good and Happiness such a superlative and transcendent Love that our Love to other things should be as no Love when it is compared or cometh in Competition with our Love to God There are two acts of Love to God Desire after him and Delight in him 1. Desire is the pursuit of the Soul after God that we may get nearer to him It iâ— expressed usually by seeking after God and when God is sought after in the first place then are we said to love God as Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me All Duties and all Acts of the Spiritual Life are a seeking after more of God Psal. 63.8 My Soul followeth hâ—rd after thee Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the Days of my Life to behold the Beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple This ardent and burning desire is a great effect of love to God but when Men are cold and flat and more indifferent as to the distinguishing Testimonies of Gods love there is something on this side God which doth content us and divert us from him 2. Delight in God The highest exercise of this is reserved for the World to come when we shall enter into our Master's Joy but now it is a pleasing thing to think of him Psal. 104.34 My Meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. And to speak of him Ephes. 5.4 Neither Filthiness nor foolish Talking nor Iesting which are not convenient but rather giving of Thanks And to converse with him Psal. 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Come let us go into the House of the Lord. Yea it is the Pleasure of their Lives to serve and obey him Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments This Complacency or
Profit and Pleasure that is in Adultery and Theft but shutteth the Eyes of his Mind against the Filthiness or Injustice that is in it and therefore he is like a Man that leapeth from an high place into the Water who first shutteth his Eyes and then casts himself into the Flood or Stream 3. Consequent Ignorance is after the Sin or Act of the Will either from the depraved Disposition of the Will Iohn 3.20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved Or from the just Judgment of God Iohn 9.39 For judgment I am come into the world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind God inflicts a Judicial Blindness on Men that will not obey the Truth 3. Ignorance is either Invincible or Vincible 1. Invincible Ignorance is when there is not sufficient Revelation when it is a thing we should know but God hath not brought Light among us Thus the Heathens are punished for not glorifying God whom they knew by the Light of Nature Rom. 1.21 When they knew God they glorified him not as God Not because they believed not in Christ for he was not revealed unto them But Christians shall be punished for not obeying the Gospel 2 Thess. 1.8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. Vincible Ignorance is when there are plentiful Means and gross Helps to overcome it then is our Ignorance more culpable This is seen when either Ignorance is Voluntary and Pertinacious or when there is gross Negligence When it is Voluntary 2 Pet. 3.5 For this they are willingly ignorant of That they may Sin more freely and securely they will not know what may disturb or trouble their Sleep in Sin Iob 21.14 Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways The Psalmist says of them Psal. 95.10 It is a people that do err in their hearts they have not known my ways They err in their Hearts as well as in their Minds when they do not desire to know what they should know this Ignorance is voluntary Or else it is bewrayed by gross Negligence when a Man doth a thing that if he were not grosly Negligent he might know to be Sin Eph. 3.15 16 17. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is A Christian is bound to use all holy Means to know all things that belong to his Duty and must bestow much time and diligence upon it If he is grosly ignorant it is a sign he hath a mind to put a cheat upon his Soul Use. Let us beware of Sin against Knowledge these Sins of all others are the most dangerous whether they be Sins of Omission to omit Duties that we know to be Duties this is very dangerous Iames 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Or Sins of Commission to commit Sins that we know to be Sins Rom. 2.21 22. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest idols dost thou commit sacriledge To commit Sins that we know to be Sins is to involve our selves in Wrath and Vengeance Have a care then of these Sins if you are guilty of them it cannot be pleaded for you Father forgive them they know not what they do A Sermon on JOHN xix 30. He said It is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost THIS is one of the seven Words which Christ uttered upon the Cross the last save one for before his bowing of the Head and giving up the Ghost those Words must come in which are mentioned Luke 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said thus he gave up the ghost To make way for these Words we need go no farther back than the 28th Verse it is said there After this Iesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled said I thirst Where we may observe 1. The exact knowledge which Christ had of all his Sufferings He knew that all things were accomplished namely all the preparative Sufferings which were to usher in his Death All these bitter Sorrows were numbred out to him by the Divine Decrees and praesignified in the Prophesies Jesus knew all the exact Tale and account of them A Circumstance that doth much commend his Love to us Christ knew how dear the bargain of Souls would be to him and yet he would shew his Obedience to the Father and his Love to Mankind He long since sate down and counted the Charges and yet he came to do his Father's Will When a Business proveth hazardous and inconvenient we are apt to say If I had known it would have cost me so much I should never have undertaken it Christ went not to the Cross blindfold he knew the Work of our Redemption would be troublesom and painful that he was to give his Back to the Smiters and his Cheeks to the Nippers that he was to be hurried from the Garden to the Courts of Men from the Courts of Men to the Cross and there to endure acute Pains and Torments Jesus knew that all these things were to be fulfilled 2. Observe It is said he knew they were accomplished Christ had a lively feeling of every part of his Sorrows and his Senses remained in full vigour to the last and without any stupefaction He knew what Hour the Clock of the Divine Decree would next strike or what was the next Circumstance whereby he was to discover himself to be the true Messiah David saith Died Abner as a fool dieth 2 Sam. 3.32 We may say so Died the Lord Jesus as a Fool dieth in a stupid sensless way Or as one merely passive Extremity of Pain had now surprized the Thieves which were crucified with him we hear no more of them but Christ's Reason and Senses are still exercised and his Sorrows made more active by his own apprehension 3. Observe That the Scriptures might be fulfilled he said I thirst By fulfilling another Prophecy God discovereth another Note whereby the Messiah might be known All the Passages of Christ's Death were appointed with infinite Wisdom and Love either they were such as were necessary parts of Redemption or some Indications whereby the Messiah fore-prophesied of might be discovered Here is another Prophecy fulfilled in Christ's Thirst. The Prophesies alluded to are two one is Psal. 22.15 My strength is dried up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws thou hast brought me to the dust of death The other Prophesie hinteth the
Thoughts that they will find it an help to their Meditation Would God make Laws with a Sanction of Penalty and Reward and never look after them more Doth he delight in the Prosperity of his Servants or their Afflictions Would he raise Hopes and Desires which he never meant to satisfy give the Wicked Power to afflict and vex his People and never call them to an Account bid us venture our All for him and give us no Recompence If such Thoughts were more frequent with us God would bless them to the increase of Faith Love and Hope Vse 3. Is to perswade us to live in the constant Hopes of this blessed Estate in the Life to come Hope is a certain and earnest Expectation of the promised Blessedness Let me shew you 1. The Necessity of this Hope 2. The Encouragements of it 1. The Necessity of the Hope of Eternal Glory should always be cherished in us 1. Because it is a special Act of the New Nature 1 Pet. 1.3 Who hath begotten us to a lively Hope Assoon as we are Children we look for a Child's Portion The New Nature presently discovereth it self by its tendency to its End and Rest which is the Fruition of God in Heaven Indeed the Scriptures speak of a twofold Hope one that is the immediate Effect of Regeneration and flows from our acceptance of the New Covenant and dependeth upon the conditional offer of Eternal Life we take it for our Happiness resolving to seek it in God's way without this we are not new Creatures There is another Hope which is the fruit of Experience and belongeth to the seasoned and tried Christian who hath approved his own Fidelity to God and hath had much trial of God's Fidelity to him This is spoken of Rom. 5.4 Patience worketh Experience and Experience Hope This produceth not a conditional Certainty but an actual Confidence of our own Salvation The former is more necessary for we live by it but this is very comfortable 2. Because it is the great End why the Scriptures were written to beget and raise this Hope in us Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope It is the business and design of these holy Books 3. Because the keeping up of this Hope with Zeal and Industry is the distinguishing Character between the temporary and the sincere Convert The one loseth his Taste and Comfort and so casteth off the Profession of Godliness or neglecteth the powerful Practice of it the other is diligent serious patient mortified heavenly and holy because he holdeth fast the Confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 And his End sweetens his Work for this Grace doth quicken the whole Spiritual Life Titus 2.12 13. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present VVorld Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. 4. Because we have nothing else to support us and fortify us against the Difficulties that fall out between our first Right to Eternal Life and our full Possession of it In our Journey to Heaven there are many Sufferings and Trials which must be undergone and Hope is our Strength and Support He that sets his Face Heavenward will find Difficulties that attend his Service Temptations that assault his Constancy and Troubles and Calamities to which his Religion exposeth him now it is Hope carrieth us through and therefore it is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail And to an Helmet Eph. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation Compared with 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation As we would not go to Sea without an Anchor and to War without an Helmet so we must not think of carrying on the Spiritual Life without Hope Nothing else will compose the Mind and keep it stable in the Floods of Temptation or cause us to hold up our Heads in our daily Conflicts and Encounters Without this Anchor our Souls are in danger of spiritual Shipwrack without this Helmet our Heads are exposed to deadly Blows from Sin Satan and worldly Discouragements 5. We shall need it not only while we live but we shall have most need of it when we come to die They that are destitute of the Hope of Glory then are in a dangerous woful and most lamentable Case Job 27.8 For what is the Hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul They may be full of Presumption and blind Confidence while they live but what Hope have they when they come to die All their worldly Advantages will afford them no solid Comfort They live in a presumptuous Dream that all shall be well but then they die stupid and sensless or else despairing and their Hopes fail them when they have most need of them 2. The Encouragements of it 1. God's gracious Covenant and Promises God would not invite and raise an Hope to disappoint it for surely God will not disappoint the Creature that dependeth upon his Word and therefore we are allowed to challenge God upon his Word Psal. 119.49 Remember the VVord unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope It contains a double Argument the Promise was of God's making and the Hope of his Operation the Grant of the New Covenant and his Influence by the Spirit We have a strong Tie upon God as he giveth us the Promise which is a ground of Hope we may humbly put the Bond in Suit and when his Spirit hath caused the Hope it is not with a purpose to defeat it 2. Consider what a Foundation God hath laid for his Promises 2 Tim. 2.19 The Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 3. Observe what God hath given you by way of Earnest Hope is not built upon Promises alone but also upon Assurances and Earnest the Promises are contained in the Word of God but the Earnest is given into our Hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the Earnest of his Spirit in our Hearts 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit Eph. 1.13 14. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory Tho God be Truth it self and promiseth nothing but what he meaneth to perform yet he will give Earnest of his Promises and a Pledg of his Affection
Thus some of the Disciples doubted of the Truth of Christ's Resurrection Matth. 28.27 And when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted Luk 24.21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel This argueth a weak Faith not vigorous and active but Faith is strong as it overcomes our speculative Doubts and so doth settle and establish our Souls in the Truth Acts 2.36 Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye have Crucified both Lord and Christ. 2. There is a Doubting or Staggering as Faith is a Consent when the Consent is weak and wavering Faith is weak Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised But such a confirmed Resolution as leaveth no room for wavering and looking back argueth a strong Faith Acts 21.13 Then Paul answered What mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but to dye at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus 3. As Faith implyeth a Dependance and Trust Iames 1.6 7 8. But let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed for let not that Man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord A double minded Man is unstable in all his wayes Divided between God and other Confidences 1 Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Matth. 14.31 O thou of little Faith why didst thou doubt Well then it is a strong Faith that causeth such a Fortitude that we pass through all Difficulties and Tryals without distrust or anxiety of mind It is opposite to Fainting Psal. 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living To Fears and Troubles Matth. 8.26 Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Strength of Assent doth exclude speculative Doubts and Errors Strength of Resolution doth fortifâ—y us against worldly Temptations which beget uncertainty Temptations of Profit Pleasure or Vain-glory if the Heart be secretly biassed with these It is opposite to Faith Ioh. 5 44. How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another And strength of Confidence doth exclude those Doubts which arise from Fears of Danger and Terrors of Sense in such Cases we dispute away the Comfort of the Promises IV. He was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform A strong steddy and full Perswasion of the Power of God argueth a great Faith 1. There is no doubt of his Will when we have his Promise but the Ability of the Promiser is that which is usually questioned Unbelief stumbleth at his can Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness Psal. 78.19 and How can these things be Luk. 1.34 So 2 Kings 7.2 If the Lord should make Windows in Heaven might this thing be Nay and the Children of God themselves Sarah was rebuked when she laughed Gen. 18.12 13 14. Therefore Sarah laughed within her self saying After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also And the Lord said unto Abraham Wherefore did Sarah laugh saying Shall I of a surety bear a Child which am old is any thing too hard for the Lord Her Laughter was not the Laughter of Exultation but Dubitation Moses Numb 11.13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this People for they weep unto me saying Give us flesh that we may eat The Case is clear we Doubt not but in Case of Danger then we are full of Fears and Suspicions if of his Will it is because we are so vile and unworthy but we are vile and unworthy out of danger as well as in danger therefore it is of his Power 2. God's Power and Alsufficiency is to the Saints the great support of Faith in their greatest Extremities They are relieved by fixing their Eye on God's Almightiness as Abraham here So Heb. 11.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead So for Perseverance Iude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling And for the Resurrection Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself His Power reacheth to the Grave and beyond the Grave So for the Calling the Iews Rom. 11.23 And they also if they abide not still in Vnbelief shall be grafted in for God is able to graft them in again In short to question his Power is to put him out of the Throne to deny him to be God as if he were not able to help his Friends and to be a terror to his Enemies Well then in Matters absolutely promised we have nothing to do but to exalt his Power therefore you may reason thus He will do it for he is able to do it Rom. 11.23 They shall be grafted in for God is able to graft them in again In Matters conditionally promised we must magnifie his Power and refer the Event to his Will Matth. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 3. There are two things enlarge our Thoughts and Apprehensions about the Power of God they are mentioned Verse 17. Whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things that be not as though they were We have to do with a God that can say to the Dead Live God's Power can bring Life out of Death something out of nothing Resurrection and Creation are easie to him He that can quicken the dead can quicken those that are dead in trespasses and sins By the Word of his Power he maketh all things to be that are not Let there be Light and there was Light Lazarus come forth and he came forth He causeth things to appear and exist that had no being before Thirdly The Fruit and Effect of his Faith an exact and constant Obedience Isa. 41.2 Who raised up the righteous Man from the East and called him to his foot The righteous Man is supposed to be Abraham often designed by that Character and he was called to his Foot to go to and fro at God's Command as the Centurion said Matth. 8.9 I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doth it There are two great Instances of Abraham's Obedience 1. His Self-denyal in leaving his Countrey Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went It is a sore Tryal to forsake Kindred Friends Lands Fathers House and Inheritance and to seek an abode he knew