converting pardoning and renewing Grace and the Person returns unto union with God that is into Life and this Life once begun by Jesus Christ is Eternal Thus Christ's Salvation is set forth in plain terms Act. 3. God sent Christ to bless men to bless them i. e. to save them and make them happy to save them from the Curse which they are under by Nature by turning them from their iniquity that they may receive remission of sin and an Inheritance among them that are sanctified Act. 26.18 By which 't is evident That as men cannot be saved without pardon which frees from punishment so neither can they be saved by pardon without being turned from Sin it self Let Pardon go as far as it can without Holiness and the Person is miserable still and dead still because separated from God This is the Salvation which the Gospel treats of and which is freely offered to all Sinners without exception To offer a thing freely is to say Here 't is Take it and it shall be thine So the Gospel offers Salvation by Jesus Christ as appears if we consider these two things First It is the good pleasure of God that whosoever accepts this Salvation shall have it that whosoever will take of the Water of life should have it without Money and without Price Rev. 21. Isa 55.1 To as many as receive Jesus Christ he gives power to be called the sons of God John 1.12 2. He invites and commands all to accept it without condition or exception Whosoever will let him take c. Ho every one that thirsteth come c. That word that thirsteth is no limitation at all It is but every one that listeth or is heartily willing And acceptance cannot be against or without the Will As when a man offers Meat at a Table to all that have an Appetite 't is all one as to offer it to all So rest is promised to the weary Matth. 11. i. e. to all that will come for it So the grant of Salvation in the Gospel is absolute and unconditional unless you will as some do call Acceptance it self the Condition And so 't is a question whether any Gift can possibly be unconditional and certainly no Gift that is given oblatively by way of offer can be without Condition Thus we see the Summe of the Gospel that must be understood and believed to Salvation Secondly The humbled Soul seriously attending the Doctrine of the Gospel not only understands what is the summe and substance of it but also discovers the Authority of God imprest upon it and perceives his Voice in it and so receives it for certain truth upon his Testimony and this gives form and being to the faith of Assent viz. An humble and reverential Acquiescency in the Testimony of God for the infallible certainty of the thing that is affirmed 1 John 5.10 He that believeth not God has made him a liar because he believeth not the testimony that God hath given of his Son which implies immediately that he that doth believe the Testimony believes God in it and grounds upon his Veracity and never-failing Truth Believing is grounded on the Veracity of him whom we believe and consequently to deny belief is to deny or question at least the veracity of the Speaker John 3.33 When we heartily assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel and are fully persuaded that 't is certain truth and that Persuasion is grounded on the truth of God because we receive it as from his mouth who cannot deceive us this is believing the Gospel And this is the Sixth Step or degree of this great Work of Salvation When God by making the Soul heedfully attend to the Doctrine of the Gospel causes him so to understand it and comprehend the substance of it and so to apprehend and perceive the very Voice and Authority of God in it that he threupon sits down concluded in it as undeniable and undubitable because God affirms it See 1 Thess 2.13 The man had often heard the Gospel before it may be and knew the Contents of it and did not deny the truth of them but let them pass for things as commonly received for truth in the place where he lived maintained by Learned Men and delivered down from Generation to Generation so that it would have been matter of shame to him to have called them into question But now he has another sense and relish of the things themselves than he had before and is strongly persuaded of the certain truth of them by the invincible Authority of God from whom as his Oracles he receives them The Seventh Step or degree of this great Work is Fiducial Faith A resting or trusting on the Mercy of God in Christ in hope of his Salvation tendred to Sinners in the Gospel These two Graces if indeed they be two Faith and Hope are so nearly united and conjoined that the one can neither be nor be defined without the other Rom. 4.18 Abraham believed in hope and Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance or subsistence of things hoped for Hope is the Intention of the Soul to that good which a man is persuaded he may attain Faith fiducial is a man's resting or trusting in that thing or Person by means or help or favour whereof he hopes to attain the good which he intends as Act. 3.5 the impotent man expected to receive an Alms from the Apostles and trusted in their supposed Liberality So Rom. 4.18 Abraham hoped to become a Father of many Nations and trusted in the Alsufficiency and Faithfulness of God So all Hope is grounded in fiducial Faith and all fiducial Faith exerts it self in Hope Hope looks at the end which is intended and Faith at that by means and help whereof it is to be attained D. Ward de fide Justificante But notwithstanding this distinction It is commonly observed that the Scripture oft-times expresses both Faith and Hope by one and the same word and refers Hope as well to the means as to the end As when we read of Hoping in God hoping in Christ and hoping in mercy which is certainly all one with trusting in God and trusting in Christ and trusting in Mercy c. as the Learned Dr. Ward observes Again Trusting is commonly referred to the End as well as to the Means as Psal 22.8 He trusted in God that he would deliver him He trusted that God would deliver him there is that which is distinctly called Hope and he trusted in God there is that which is more precisely called Faith So Phil. 2.24 I trust in the Lord c. whereas in v. 19. 't is I hope in the Lord as the original word signifies And besides our English Translation commonly renders the word hope by trust as Rom. 15.24 1 Cor. 16.7 2 Cor. 13.6 c. Plainly implying that there is no absurdity in taking them both for one and the same act of the Soul which as 't is referred to the end is called Hope and as referred
rather And if you tell the humble Soul that they that Sin against the Holy Ghost never heartily repent of it and no Man in this Life can certainly conclude himself reprobated because for ought any knows he may repent and turn to God He will yet object Object 6. It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that are deeply and kindly humbled for their Sins and full of the Spirit of mourning and 't is Mercy indeed if he will save such But I have an hard heart and an uncontrite Spirit I cannot grieve for Sin to any purpose though I know my self to be one of the chief of Sinners All these and many more such Objections will be unanswerable if the Soul considers only the absolute Mercy of God For God may indeed be merciful and gloriously merciful in saving Sinners though he should only save some of the most restrained and least provoking the soonest yielding and most signally humbled and mourning Sinners and so the Soul that judges worse of himself can have no hope of his Salvation But the Mercy of God in Christ is such as that he freely offers his Salvation to all even the worst of Sinners to whom the Gospel is preached inviting and commanding them to accept it and rely upon him for it And this answers all Objections The worst the Soul can say against himself exempts him not from the number of Sinners and Salvation is freely offered to all Sinners in general He is one of them let him make as bad of himself as he can And though he thinks it never so unreasonable for him to hope for Mercy yet no reason in the World can have any force against the Command of the most High God which requires him to repose his hope and trust in Christ for his Salvation Thus 't is evident that the ground of a Christian's hope or that which he relies and rests upon in his hope of Salvation is the free Mercy of God in Christ And therefore is Faith commonly in Scripture called a trusting or believing in Jesus Christ because the Satisfaction which he has given to the Law and the free tender of Salvation which he makes in the Gospel to Sinners in general is the only sufficient ground that any Soul has to stay and rest upon in hope of his Salvation John 3.15 16 18 36. John 6.35 1 Pet. 2.6 Acts 11.17 Acts 16.31 and many other places Faith is a believing in God But 't is a believing on him looked upon and considered as he is in Jesus Christ The Soul cannot believe or trust in God for Salvation but as he trusts in Christ 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him believe on God who raised him from the dead c. It is a trusting or hoping in the Mercy of God Psalm 15.5 Psalm 147.11 But 't is a trusting in Mercy only as 't is expressed displayed and offered to Sinners in Jesus Christ It is a trusting or hoping in the Word Psalm 119.42 74. in as much as it declares and propounds that Mercy of God in Christ on which alone the Soul may rest it self in hopes of Salvation Thus have we seen the Sinner brought by the several Steps of Consideration Conviction Humiliation c. to a fiducial Faith or believing on Jesus Christ And now is he in the state of Effectual Calling or Conversion 1 Thess 2.13 Then Men are called and converted when they believe in Jesus Christ as 't is fully proved in Rom. 1.16 with 1 Cor. 1.24 Now is the Soul set safe from Condemnation and therefore is this Faith called Justifying Faith Rom. 5.1 Now is the Soul adopted and entitled to everlasting Life And therefore is Faith called saving Faith or believing to Salvation Heb. 10. Yea now the Soul is by the work of the Spirit possessed of all Graces necessary to qualify and prepare him for Heaven the heart being purified by Faith Acts 15.9 and taken up by the Lord Jesus for his Habitation Ephes 2.22 with Ephes 2.17 where-ever there is Faith in Christ there is also Love to God Obedience Patience Humility Self-denial and all other Graces in which the Law is written on renewed Hearts The Exercises and Encreases whereof come next to be considered The Sum of all is 1. The Sinner takes the estate of his Soul into serious Consideration Ezek. 18.28 He considereth and turneth away from his Transgression 2. He finds himself to be in a lost and perishing Condition Luke 15.17 I perish for hunger 3. The sight of himself in this estate affects his Soul with deep Sorrow and distressing Trouble Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pierced at the heart 4. This distress puts him upon a studious consultation and enquiry for a Remedy of his Estate And they said Men and Brethren what shall we do 5. Upon this enquiry God directs him to a serious and heedful attention to the Gospel Acts 11.14 Send for Peter he shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved And Acts 10.33 We are all c. 6. Thus attending the Gospel he comes to understand and believe the Doctrine therein contained and to receive it for certain truth upon God's Testimony Acts 2.41 They that gladly received his word were baptized John 6.45 They shall be all taught of God Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me 7. Upon the belief of the Doctrine of the Gospel he proceeds to an hearty reliance on the free Mercy of God in Christ in hope of his Salvation For Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ 1. Believing the Gospel he is informed of the excellency of Christ's Salvation and so desires it earnestly for himself 2. Believing the Gospel he sees this Salvation is freely offered to Sinners in general and so conceives hope that he may have it 3. Believing the Gospel he sees that Salvation is procured and granted only through the Mercy of God in Christ and therefore he rests only upon that Mercy in hope of his Salvation PART II. Of the Progress of a Believer from his Conversion to his Perfection under the work of Sanctification 1 PETER II. 2. As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby THE Text is an Exhortation to an earnest desire after the Word Where note first 1. The Persons exhorted they are lately converted Christians compared to new-born Babes so young and incompleat Christians are called 1 Cor. 3.1 And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ Babes in Christ because the work of Sanctification had gone on but a little way in them they being hitherto very Carnal 2. The matter of the Exhortation a desire after the Word Where note First First The object of this desire
How can I understand except I have some one to guide me Some take Redemption to be more extensive than it is and think it enough to entitle them to Salvation that they are Sinners because Christ died to save Sinners Thus many make no more doubt of calling Christ their Saviour than of calling him the Saviour Others again mistake the other way and think some Sinners to be excluded from Salvation especially such as they take themselves to be though they come never so heartily to Jesus Christ to seek it And indeed there are many such Souls as have been hitherto described that fall into this Error and by it into despair mistaking such places as that in Luke 13.24 Many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able That in Matth. 12. Whosoever shall speak a word against the Holy Ghost it shall never be forgiven And so that in Heb. 6. c. As if these and such like Scriptures were Exceptions to the offer and promise of Salvation So all the former work of Conviction Terror Consultation c. is lost by reason of such like misapprehensions How sadly Judas miscarried in the point of consultation was shewed before And probably that took him very much off from studying what he knew of the Gospel But yet 't is very likely he might stumble also at this Stone though he was not ignorant of the Doctrine of Salvation by Jesus Christ yea had often preached it to others yet he might think himself excluded from the Grace of the Gospel though it be never so freely offered to Sinners in general because Christ had so often denounced irreversible Judgment against the man that should betray him though in truth that was no bar to his Salvation if he had sought it in the way of the Gospel For this is the condemnation of them that perish that they will not come to Christ that they may have life And that was his Condemnation For though many shall seek to enter in and not be able yet that is at the Day of Judgment as appears by the next words to these Luke 13.25 And as a man that has sinned against the Holy Ghost might have pardon but that the nature of that Sin is such as binds the Sinner up in impenitency and unbelief so that Sin of Judas was such as hardned his heart against any serious Address to Christ for pardon And so our Saviour doomed him to destruction not as one excepted from the Promise but as one concluded under unbelief Thus many men come near to Faith and yet miscarry by reason of a misunderstanding of the Gospel But where God goes on with the design of Conversion he so directs the humbled Sinner in his Attention to the Gospel as to bring him at the next Step to an hearty believing of it So the Jews Acts 2. attending diligently to the Gospel preached by Peter at length gladly received it which they could not have done if they had not heartily believed it This is that which the Apostle calls Believing of the record which God hath given of his Son 1 John 5.10 and which is usually and fitly called Assenting Faith This Assenting Faith consists in two things 1. A Perception or understanding of the Doctrine of Salvation in the Gospel 2. A Reception or taking of it for Truth upon God's own Testimony 1. First The humbled Soul by a serious Attention to the Gospel comes to understand what is the Report and Account which it gives of the Salvation that is in Christ Nothing can be believed that is not understood the Soul must apprehend the sense and import of that which is propounded to belief before it can believe the truth of it Now the sum of the Gospel which is to be known and believed to Salvation is That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have everlasting life 3 John 16. or as it is Epitomized in 1 John 5. This is the record That God has given us eternal life and this eternal life is in his Son Which may be thus plainly expressed That whereas the Law condemns every Sinner to Eternal Death and Justice requires Execution Jesus Christ hath satisfied the Law in his own Death and Righteousness so that now God may save Sinners at his own pleasure without offence to his Justice And accordingly he doth most seriously and freely offer Salvation to all Sinners without exception Particularly 1. That the Law condems Sinners and Justice demands Execution is presumed by the Gospel and the Sinner under Soul-humbling Consideration is convinced of it already as has been said God so loved the world that whosoever believes might not perish This doth manifestly imply that according to Law and strictness of Justice all Mankind is under Condemnation to perish eternally and must perish if God had not made provision for the saving of some The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 2. That Christ not only fulfilled all Righteousness in obeying the Law in his Life but endured in his Death the Punishment which it denounceth against Sinners is manifestly the Doctrine of the Gospel Gal. 3.10 Isa 53.4 5 6. 2 Cor. 5. c. For though he was not under the Wrath of God he bore the Pains and Torments in which the Wrath of God is poured out on Sinners and the anguish of a forsaken Person though he was not forsaken And though his Sufferings were not Eternal yet they were equivalent to Eternal by reason of the unconceivable greatness of them for the time and the infinite worth of his Person 3. That by this means it is become free for God to save Sinners without prejudice to his Justice is clearly asserted by the Gospel Rom. 3.24 25 26. Herein is declared the Righteousness of God in forgiving sin because he doth it not against Law but upon a full satisfaction given to it So that he is not only Merciful in justifying him that believes but Just in shewing that mercy on him 4. That God in Christ hereupon most seriously offers Salvation in a way of free gift to all Sinners without Exception This is indeed the very Gospel it self as the Apostle John expresses it This is the record That God has given us eternal life c. What Salvation is we are plainly taught in Joh. 3.16 Not to perish but to have eternal life this is to be saved To have Sin pardoned that we may not perish and so to be brought into an holy Union and Communion with God which is begun in this Life and compleated in that to come and so continued to Eternity This I say is Gospel-Salvation for a man to be freed from Condemnation for Sin and to be brought into an holy and blessed Conjunction with God By Nature we are dead in Trespasses and Sins How dead Dead because Sin separates from God and a man divided from God is as a Body separated from the Soul so take away Sin by
with a strong hand shall he let them go and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land And thus ordinarily when Christians set themselves in an humble way to treat with God about their Troubles he casts such Thoughts into their Minds and brings such Words and Works of his to their remembrance as shall serve to content and quiet them as if he were as in a good sense we well say he is unwilling that there should be a misunderstanding between him and them As the Father answers his eldest Son Luke 15.25 when he was dissatisfied with his dealing and was angry and would not go in he saith unto him Son thou art ever with me 8thly They give him all that they have in the World as he has occasion to use it and he requites it to them in gracious Providences and Spiritual Comforts Mark 10.28 29 30. Peter began to say unto him Lo we have left all and have followed thee Jesus answered and said Verily I say unto you There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sister or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life So Heb. 10.34 He made them to know in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance And so gave them as much joy in losing as they had before in possessing and 't is likely much more 9thly They always press after more intimate knowledge of him and he reveals himself still more to them Psalm 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee And Hosea 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord So graciously does God uphold and support his People when they follow hard after him Christians they desire alway to behold his beauty and enquire in his temple Psalm 27.4 And he leads them from Room to Room and brings them to his Presence-Chamber John 14.21 23. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him I come now to the Use which is of Exhortation Use To exhort Christians to an earnest Prosecution of Communion with God Job 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace It 's that to which all Christians are appointed and by degrees growing up into it The happiness of heaven will be your Joy on Earth Earnestly seek peace with God by Faith in Jesus Christ that you may have the assurance of an agreement with him else you cannot walk with him Amos 3.3 Can two walk together except they be agreed 2. Walk in the light Verse 7. that is 1st Regularly in the Law Psalm 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. 2dly Uprightly and sincerely not pretending Godliness and hiding Sin but in plainness and integrity John 3.21 He that doeth truth cometh to the light likeness fits for Conversation God is upright as in Psalm 92.15 To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him So Psalm 15.1 2. Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart And again Psalm 11.7 The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Thus now by our earnest seeking peace with God and walking in the light we shall come to have sincerity and by sincerity we shall have communion with God and fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ PHILIP I. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better THE Ninth Degree or Period of a Christian's motion toward his appointed and intended Perfection which I shall speak of is An earnest desire to be removed out of this World unto the glorious presence of Christ in Heaven which is here intimated in these words Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ. A Christian has two great matters to consider and attend in this world His Work and his Wages Duty and Reward And as he loves to be employed in the former so he longs to enjoy the latter Between these two Paul was in a strait not knowing which to make a present choice of in case it should have been in his own power to take which he would I wot not which I shall chuse that is which I should rather chuse as the words do signify being an Hebrew form of Speech I know not I wot not which I shall chuse He thought it long ere he was at rest and yet he thought it hardly time to leave work He knew indeed to be with Christ was better for him but yet he thought it needful for the Philippians and other Christians that he should abide in the flesh and consequently that Christ had yet further need or use of his labour and this made him doubtful which he should chuse not absolutely but with respect to the present time Not whether he should chuse to be in Heaven with Christ or abide alway on earth for he must needs chuse Heaven rather It is not whether he should be with Christ or abide in the flesh but whether he should now presently go hence to Christ or for some time continue in his service among his People and in this respect he was in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart Phil. 1.23 24. The Apostle Paul was now a Believer highly confirmed and established in Christ A man of great attainment in Grace and so what he here speaks of himself is especially applicable to well-grown and experienced Christians though there is some beginning of the same desire even in the lowest Christian a desire to be with Christ Having a desire The word desire is sufficiently understood by all but to have a desire is more in signification than to desire it notes a setled and habitual desire To desire is but an Act which may be sudden and transient but to have a desire of any thing is to be so affected to it as when a man is always reaching after it in the intention of his heart when he remembers it Having a desire to depart This word to depart is a plain word though Interpreters make many Glosses upon it and observe some one some another Metaphor in it It signifies sometimes to return as a man returns home from whence he has been abroad as Luke 12.36 Be ye like servants that wait for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding Sometimes it signifies to depart and go away and both ways it agrees to death which is a return of the Soul as Solomon says to God Eccles