after more then Faith and that Humiliation which fits for Faith But I will not addresse my Exhortation to you But to Such as be humbled troubled with their Sinnes Cry out What shall we doe to be saved To you I say as Luke 8. 50. Feare not onely Beleeve Yee have but one thing to doe there is but one thing God requires of you and you shall have Christ Salvation And that is to Beleeve Oh doe it this will certainly bring you all you desire Acts. 1◠3◠What must I doe to be saved Ver. 31. And they said beleeve on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And although Peter prest them to Repent as Acts. 2. 38. Yet that is but as if he had said Beleeve Which in by Repentance will shew forth it Selfe worke in you If ye feare Hell desire Salvation then Beleeve This is the one onely way All other Things that be good come after this All other Labour of thine is in vaine till this be done Therefore this is so called for and prest in Scripture It is charged on People by a Command 1. Iohn 3. 23. This is his Commandement that we should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ And so is in that Call to Repent Acts 17. 30. for till they Beleeve they cannot Repent And it is required with the greatest reward promised threat annexed Marke 16. 16. He that beleeveth is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned To perswade you to this duty Consider the evill of not Beleeving And the Benifite of Beleeving The Evill of not Beleeving is very great It s very Injurious to God Christ and your Selves To God It makes him a Lyer whereas Beleeving setts to your Seale that God is true therefore it is called a Iustifying of God Luke 7. 29. 30. His truth faithfullnes And not Beleeving is a condemning God as not true faithfull You also wrong God in not obeying his Cōmand which is to Beleeve and in not regarding his Feaste nor valueing his Dainties which made him say they that did so should not tast of them for he that beleeves not is exprest by them that refused to come when the Supper was prepared Luke the 14 And so ye wrong him in not receiving his Sonne for that is Beleeving when he proffers sends him to you It also is Injurious to Christ It s a slighting him as if he were not worth the taking It is a refusing to kisse Him and to let him raigne over you and a Hating Him Luke 19. 14. It is as much as to say he is not worth the taking up he is not sufficient or not free to helpe It is also Injurious to your owne Soules Luke 7. 30. against themselves that is not beleeving they did wrong themselves Iohn 3. 19. It is The Condēnation many Cōdemnatiōs ye have viz. Oathes Lying c. but this is The Cōdemnation Ye doe keepe your Selves frō Salvation because this is the onely Meanes ye will not use it Ye doe that Acts 13. 47. Judge your Selves unworthy and make the Preachers of Christ be turned from you And for you that by discouragmēts are kept frō Beleeving ye keepe your Soules from that pertaking of Christ and his Benifites which ye might attaine to And so also such as doe beleeve but weakely they wrong God Christ and themselves very much as if their food which God provides were not good enough as if Christ the Second Adam were not as good to helpe them as the First Adam was to hurt them and keepe themselves from that measure of Grace from Christ which they might attaine to As the Evill of not Beleeving is great So is the Benifite of Beleeving It s as effectuall as doing was with Adam With him it was doe live Now it is Beleeve and Live Not that God loves a fruitles Faith but because it is Faith that must helpe to doe and that is better esteemed with God then doing Rom. 4. 21. 22. Because Faith brings Christs doing which is Perfect and Ours is not Beleeving it is the very Key which opens Christ in whom are unsearchable Riches and gives enterance into Heaven It is the Bucket by which we fetch Water from that Well of Life And all that have this Key Bucket may take thence And therefore it is that many have noe Grace from Christ because they have no Faith in Christ And others have so little Grace because they have so little Faith for as we Beleeve so is it unto us Matb 8. 13. It is the turning the Cock which sets all a flowing from God both Mercy Grace It is in the least degree a sure Evidence of Heaven gives Title to Christ and all Promises brings Iustification Sanctification and Salvation affords Adoption Sonnship Iohn 1. 12. Now then Considering the Evill of not Beleeving and the Benifite of Faith What canst thou doe that is of so much Consequence as to Beleeve To helpe thee to Beleeve Observe these Directions Helpes to Beleeve First labour to understand be clearely convinced 1. Observe these Directions of these Perticulers 1. Christs Alsufficiency to helpe thee to all things needfull to Salvation 2. Gods Offer tender of Christ to all People where the Gospel comes without respect or limitatiō of Persons but onely of Conditions which is the next Point to come in our Text. 3. That God who offers him freely Is most true able and most sincere willing to give what he offers 4. That for the fitting us to have Christ or before we doe seeke for him God requires nothing but so farr to see our Misery as to desire Christ and be willing to take Him on His owne Conditions and that then we be fittest for obtaining Christ when we see in our Selves nothing but emptines of all Good and fullnes of Sinne Misery 5. That Beleeving brings Christ all Grace and must be the first thing we doe to gett Christ or Grace which is the Point in hand 6. That Christ readily imbraceth and sweetly incourageth all that attempt indeavour to beleeve in Him 7. That the expresse Command of God is upon All where the Gospel comes That they do beleeve These are undoubted Truthes expresse in the Scripture 2. Practise these Things Secondly Practise these Things 1. Pray to God for helpe grace to beleeve for it is his gift 2. Attend on the Preaching of the Gospel Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. 3. Strive to it sit not still give not way to Doubtings and Tentations and Carnall reasonings but reason from the above premised Propositions and presse your owne Heart with the Conclusions that must followe thence Also ponder consider of those Propositions resist all that furthers Doubting hinders Beleeving Thus make it your worke trade to worke your Heart to it 4. Bring your Selfe To venture upon that which the Word
then as any one in reason knowes is Christ come to tooke and received when he is entertained as He is and as He is offered by God A King Preist Prophet for the Ends for which God tenders Him Viz To be saved by Him And whereas it may be objected that the Word Beleeving in or on Christ implyes a Confidence or Trust in him a relying on him I Answer it is most true and therefore the phrase is extreordinary not to be found as some have observed in any Writers but the Scriptures and Such as take it from them Others using onely this phrase to beleeve a thing and not to beleeve in it or on it So that the phrase implyes relying on it with a Confidence Expectation of the Thing And so I thinke that there never is nor can be a Comming to Christ or Receiving him without a Trust Confidence or Relying on him And the Comming to Him or Receiving of Him is the Effect of this for therefore they Come to Him Entertaine Him because they Trust to be Helped by Him but this may not allwayes be Evident as the Cause is oft more obscure then the Effect And so a Man may Entertaine Christ when he thinks he cannot Relye on Him Trust in Him But yet there is a double Trusting or Relying on Christ The one is at a Venture without a Perswasion of an Interest in Him grounded on Gods free offer of Him to all Sorts of People this is the Ground of comming to him and entertaining of him for if this were not People would never receive Him this seemes to be no more then a confidēce in his ability willingnes to save all that come unto Him and in the truth of Him gives record of Him The other is a more Certaine Thing grounded on the Knowledge of an Interest in Christ Because a Soule knowes it hath Christ for Its owne Therefore it rests on Him confidently for Salvation This followes the Knowledge of our Beleeving and is a farther act and degree of Faith and comes after our Comming to Him and Receiving of Him The former may not appeare though it ever is where Christ is beleeved on and is weaker according as the the act of Faith is weaker And that makes some Divines make Faith to be a resting on Gods Authority or a trust in the Truth of God that speakes for this ever is where Faith is Thus all Things considered wee see Faith may be so defined as I have done Viz The act of the whole Man c. It is an Entertayning Christ and Resigning himselfe to Christ Therefore it is called an acknowledging Christ 2. Pet. 1. 3. as it is in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore exprest by a Womans marrying a Man Rom. 7. 4. which is an entertaining by covenāt of a man resigning up hir selfe to him And it is exprest by Ingrafting Rom. the 11. whereby the Science embraceth the Stock for its Roote Meanes of Life Fruite and is given up to the Stock to be preserved furnished with Sap and made fruitefull by it Onely in this there is this difference The Fruite followes the Science Impe and not the Stock But the Beleevers Fruite is Christs the Stocks and not Its owne And this seemes to be Paules beleeving For Acts. 9. 6. when he perceived that Iesus was God in Heaven and so raised from the dead c. as appeared by that Vision Voice then Paule entertaines him and resignes up himselfe to him in those Words Lord what wilt thou have me to doe as if he had said Lord save me and rule thee I become thine c. And this seemes to be Faith for the Fruite of Faith is found in him Vers 11 He prayeth saith the Lord of him and Verse 17. Ananias calls him Brother and together with this sight he was to receive the Holy-Ghost which was a signe of his beleeving And in the 22. Chapter where the Story is repeated Verse 16. Ananias hastneth him to be baptized therefore he tooke it for granted that He beleeved or else he would have said as Phillip Acts. 8. 37. to the Eunuch If thou beleevest with all thy Heart thou mayst be baptized And thus it is a Perticuler application of Christ to a Mans selfe for one cannot entertaine him and resigne up ones selfe to him but we doe perticuletly apply him as the marrying a Man or ingrafting an Impe is a perticuler application of them So there is a perticuler application of Christ that is not ever with the first act of Faith and that is an assurance that Christ is mine for this followes the reflect act whereby I knowe that I beleeve There is another and that is a taking Christ for mine and giving up my selfe to Him and this is ever where there is Faith Againe as it is an entertaining Christ and resigning up ones selfe to him So it is an entertaining and resigning up to Him in all his Offices whole Christ not some part of Christ Therefore Iohn 1. 12. a receiving him not some part of him Psal 2. 12. a kissing Christ As the Woman in marriage takes the whole Man as Exodus 12. the whole Lambe was to be roasted eaten This is the difference twixt falce Faith true And the reason of so many Peoples miscarriage They re-receive apply Christ in some one Office as to be a Preist But not in all his Offices to be a King Prophet whereas God hath joyned them alltogether they cannot be parted God conveyed Helpe to Israell by all those three Offices Kings Preists Prophets So doth he Salvation to Soules Therefore that Isay 33. 22. Christ must be entertained resigned up to As to our King to be wholly ruled by his Lawes As to our Prophet to be onely taught by his Directions Aswell as to our Preist to be onely reconciled to God and inabled for performance with acceptance in all Services by Him This was it that he wanted who is said to want the wedding garment Indeed none can be actually perfectly subject to Him as King Prophet but this must they be willing covenant indeavor to doe and so to expect Salvation by Christ through his execution of all those Offices when he shall be in us aswell as for us a King Preist Prophet This is to Beleeve Now the Ground of thus doing and so of Faith is Gods free offer of Christ on these Tearmes thus to be had with his promise of Salvation by Him to all that so entertaine Him therefore the doing this is called the setting to a Seale that God is true and the not doing it is called the Making God a lyer THE REASONS of this DOCTRINE Reasons of the Doct. Why thus to doe as hath been explained is All that God requires and the onely Meanes of obtaining Christ and Salvation by Christ Are. First Because Christ Salvation are Gifts of God Iohn 4. 10. Rom.
that ye will not have all groūd of Hope Mercy to be in God and none in your Selfe For observe it you will not goe that way which makes you ground your Salvatiō onely on Christ and not at all in your Selfe but you must see somewhat in your Selfe before you will beleeve And partly it is not daring to venter your Soules on Gods bare Word but you must see somewhat done by him in you before you will credit him For though He saith that Whoever comes to Christ and beleeves in Him shall be Saved Sanctified yet you will not beleeve till you find he hath sanctified you and so dare not trust his Word and therefore it is that the Scripture makes every Vnbeleever to make God a Lyar Consider that 1. Ioh. 5. 10 of Thomas Iohn 20. 25. The Disciples said we have seene the Lord But he said except I shall see the print of the nayles and put in my fingers I will not beleeve then Verse 29. Iesus said because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeved blessed are they that have not seene me and yet have beleeved Yea farther By this meanes you hinder the shining forth of Gods free Grace For whilst that you will not First beleeve but first will be able to doe somewhat you make not Christ Heaven a free Gift nor can it be free Grace in God and so not seeing Gods free Grace ye doe not so magnifie Him as else you would nor find such sweetenes in the Gospel nor be so incouraged as ye might be but sinke perplexe wound your Soules by feares discouragemēts which indeede be groūdles Also you hinder your owne Certainty Assurāce For whilst you ground your Beleeving on somewhat in your Selfe and not onely on Gods free Promise Word of Truth It being grounded partly at the least on your Selfe who change it is uncertaine chāgeable By all this I beseech you see your Error who being so much humbled as is requisite labour for Humiliation Holynes c. and doe not first cheifly labour to Beleeve Objection It may be Objected by some But I have indeavored this Way as you teach and have beleeved and yet I find not Christ Holynes follow after Answer 1 I Answer First it is not possible to Beleeve in the least measure or degree but Christ Salvation must be had because God hath absolutely promised it to Beleeving And the Spirit Sanctification must be had for these be as inseperable as Light from the Sunne but these things be not ever sensible to them that Beleeve 1. Because they doe not knowe consider the first least weakest workes of Christ in the beleeving Soule but onely judge themselves by the more full strong workings of Christ in the Soule In trying the truth of Faith take the weakest Evidences so they be sure though rest not there for that true Grace will never doe as if a Man judgeth Life onely by walking eating he may thinke a Man that sleepes is dead 2. Because the Act of Faith is not strong enough to put forth it Selfe very sensibly as the Acts of the Soule in a Swound inasmuch as there is not a frequēt accustomed acting and exercising Faith till by practise the Heart is setled in it 3. Because there is not a reflect Act a Considering what it is to Beleeve and that thou hast so done and then a drawing the comfortable Conclusions to thy Selfe that flowe thence and from Faith a reasoning to quicken thee up for Faith produceth its Effects by reasōing As thus If Christ hath suffered in the flesh then must I make the flesh suffer in me If Christ rose againe then must I rise to newnes of Life If Christ loved me so as to give Himselfe for me Then shall not I love Him so as to give my Lusts for Him c. Let these Things be observed and there is none that doe in the least measure truly Beleeve But they shall find Christ Salvation made theirs Secondly I Answer If thou hast indeavored to Beleeve and yet obtainest not Christ It is not because this is not the way the onely Way Meanes to get Him But because thou hast not Beleeved thou hast not gon this Way nor used this Meanes rightly Therefore thou must not give over this Way but labour to find it out If there be many Pathes in a Feild and but one that leades to the House a Man is going to and he have gon to the end of one Path and finds not the House It is a good reason why he should thinke that is not the right Path and so seeke it out but no reason why he should leave that Feild and betake himselfe to āother for in that Feild onely is the Path So it is no reason that thou shouldst cease striving to Beleeve and take to some other Course but labour to find out what it is to Beleeve and then care to doe that And as this Doctrine shewes their Error who labour to Repent to be Holy c. and not first to Beleeve So it also shewes their Error who finding a decay in their Soules of Grace and an increase of Sinne cease their Faith and lay it aside and take to some other Course Whereas the onely way meanes for them to recover themselves is to recover strengthen increase their Faith for Faith is the onely Meanes to Christ Salvation 2. USE Vse 2 For Exhortation To exhort ye all to labour above all things to Beleeve that is To entertaine Christ and resigne up your Selves to Christ in all his Offices to be saved through them Mind this Worke most of all for it is the all in all to your Salvation Thus did Paul Phill. 3. 8. 9. Yea doubtles I count all things but losse for the excelency of the knowledg of Christ and doe count all but Dunge that I may winne Christ And be found in him not having mine owne Righteousnes which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ This is a worke I commend to you and Command you in Gods Name It is Gods Worke that which he most chargeth on you under the Gospel Iohn 6. 29. doe yee make it your cheife worke You that take up your Thoughts Hearts most with the World with the Honours Pleasures or Profits thereof I might exhort you to beleeve for till you doe it you cannot be saved but you are to farr off from Faith yet You are to be exhorted to get Preparations for Faith your Hearts to be so affected by the Law with a sight of your Sinnes and Misery by it that ye may be brought to thirst after Christ and willing to entertaine him on any Conditions Mind ye this above all because without this ye cannot come to Faith that onely brings Christ Salvatiō This Worlds Honours Pleasures Profits cannot give you Christ nor Salvation and why then shall they be prefered minded sought
which Christ is freely tendered to every one on the tearmes of beleeving and labour to beleeve Therefore against all malitious suggestions of Satan and against all carnall reasonings of thine owne Heart boldly indeavour to rely on Christs Merrit for thy Justification and so doing thou shalt be saved Thus reason with your Selfe Doth God freely offer Christ to save all that entertaine him and requireth nothing but our accepting him why then should not I venture my Soule on him and rest Confident How can the God of Truth but be as good as his Word And if he be so how can I but obtaine Salvation by Christ if I trust in Christ I would beleeve a Man whome I thought honest upon his word and shall I not God when I have his Word Oath 2. I am to speake to another sort of People Viz Such of you as mind not Christ at all or if you doe yet not so much as to let him raigne over you but are still bent on your Lusts your old former Wayes Yee are they who yet mind some thing in the World to much and are not willing to entertaine Christ for your King Be ye now exhorted to receive him and let him raigne over you He may be had upon these Tearmes even by you for he is free for every one on these tearmes therefore entertaine him let the World your Lusts goe and choose Christ Reason thus with your Selves Is not the Love of the World enmity to God so that He that is a friend to the World must be Gods Enemy The Things of the World they are but perishing uncertaine insufficient Helpers Comforters And as for my Lustes Wayes are they not deceitfull vanishing damnable Is not the Fruite of every Sinne Shame and the Wages Death must I not leave them get Pardon for them or goe to Hell Why then shall I prefer the World Sinne before Christ And as the Jewes in an other case choose Barrabas a Murderer and let Christ goe At the Day of Judgment I shall need Christ But how can I thinke Christ will owne me heerafter if I now will not owne him and let him rule over me Will he not one Day bid me depart and say He knowes me not if I be a Worker of Iniquity Wherefore since Christ is so free that I may receive him as well as any other so that I will but renounce all my sinnfull wayes and give up my Selfe to Him I will so doe What 's the World my Lusts to Heaven Christ which thus I may have Oh! that ye would be perswaded this Day to abandon the World your Sinnes and Entertaine Christ for your Lord King Doe it when as you heare that if you now accept Christ ye shall be wellcomed and though hitherto ye have been great Sinners Yet now if ye abandon your Lusts and embrace Christ ye shall have him given and all that is past freely forgiven Oh! why will ye neglect so great Salvation Doe not so but doe this Receive Christ and now doe it doe not defer the doing this But now make this Covenant with Christ even this Day at this Time Covenant in your Spirits with Christ that you will accept Him in all his Offices to be yours and give up your Selves to be his and rest on him for your Salvation Now I say doe it whilst it is called too Day and defer not if now you will indeavor to doe it Christ will helpe you forward Incline to this happy worke and the ministry of the Gospel shall promove farther you It is the Ministry of the Spirit and not of the Letter Gods Spirit accompanyes it both to worke in you a Will to doe thus and to Helpe them that are willing doe indeavor it But if ye shall defer Christ and excuse your not Comming and put him off ye can expect no other returne but that Luke 14. 24. For I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall tast of my Supper and ye may well feare it shall fare with you as with the Israelites who because They would not accept Gods offer enter Canaan when he tendred it allthough a while after they would have done it and did indeavor yet God would never let them come into it Where Gods Mercy is most free he is usually most quick severe and they that may will not goe free are served as the Servant that might and would not Deut. 15. 16. 17. No after Yeares of Jubile could free them Remarkeable is the Speech of Francis Spira one of whome I told you before when he languished under the torture of his Conscience for preferring the World before Christ Oh saith he that I could but hope in Gods Mercy Oh! what would I give for one of those sweete Motions of Gods Spirit to incline me which I have had before slighted A pittifull Case and yet the like and worse may yours be if ye neglect or defer to take Christ now that he is offered to you all Therefore if ye have any sence or apprehension of Things Spirituall Eternall to Come If ye have any feare of Hell or desire of Heaven If any respect or reverence to God who thus condescends stoopes low so as to Offer Christ Salvation to you and Invite you to come take it Be Exhorted to Come Beleeve in Iesus Christ But if all this will not move you then breifly Consider what the Lord saith in his Word where Christ is offered and not received Oh! how fearefull is that Peoples State 1. They are in a more Speciall desperate subjection to Sinne then others For Light is come into the World and such Men Loved Darkenes rather then Light because their deedes are evill Iohn 3. 19. Christ Who is set for the rising againe of many is set also for the fall of others Luke 2. 34. 35. And for a signe which shall be spoken against that the thoughts of many Hearts may be revealed And heerein the Iniquity of Sinne is discovered 2. They must Perish you heard before how they that were Invited and Came not should not tast of the Supper Therefore 2. Thes 1. 7. 8. The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angells in flaming Fire to take Vengance But on whome On them that knowe not God and Obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ And the same Apostle tells us If the Gospel be hid it is to them that perish 2. Cor. 4. 3. Such shall call for Christ Mercy as Pro. 1. 24. c. but shall be answered Him ye would not have Such shall have in them as much feare of Christ as of God and as much danger from Christ as from God For Christ will be Wroth and will certainely Have those his Enemyes which would not that he should raigne over them brought slaine before Him Luke 19. 27. Christ the Lambe will be wroth and such
36. 8. 9. They shall be aboundantly satisfied with the fatnes of thy house and Psal 63. 5. My Soule shall be satisfied as with marrow fatnes Such a fullnes satisfieing as they are capable of in this Life For instance a Child may be said to be a lusty strong Child whose strength is nothing in respect of the strength of a Man to which he may after attaine So Beleevers have Satisfaction suteable to their Condition proportionable to the State wherein they are a fullnes of Grace in regard of parts though not of degrees a Satisfaction according to their Capacity though not so absolute as they shall one Day be capable off Fourthly They are fully satisfied in this Life Because they have All Things actually in Christ and really by Faith whoever Beleeves in Christ hath all things actually in him Coll. 2. 10. They are Compleate in him There is in Christ a Fullnes of Grace Glory and All that is in Christ is theirs and they have it in him He being full they may truely be said to be full Christ not hungering and thirsting they may truely be said not to hunger or thirst Christ being fully satisfied they are said to be fully satisfied For Christ stands in their stead and possesseth all things in their name right Christ was their Substitute and that which is done to him may be truely said to be done to them as a Man who hath his debt fully payed to his Substitute though he receive it not by his owne hand yet may truely acknowledge satisfaction because the other is his Receiver on his behalfe So Beleevers may be said to have for the supply of all their wants because Christ hath received a fullnes that they out of his fullnes may receive a full supply And further as they have actually a compleate fullnes in Christ Soe they have really that fullnes by Faith In Christ He that beleeves hath everlasting Life Iohn 3. 16. 36. everlasting life admitts not of hūger thirst having cōpleate satisfactiō so faith brings in really a supply of all as God hath all things to come present by reasō of his Infinitnes Eternity so hath a beleever by faith which is the evidence of things not seene Heb 11. 1. as Abraham had Christs day present to him And they are growing up to Perfection dayly as the Child increaseth dayly for by Vertue of their Vnion to Christ. they receive of His fullnes in the use of the Meanes Iohn 1. 16. growing up by the Ordinances towards Perfection not onely a perfection of Parts for that is at first received but of Degrees Eph. 4. 12. 13. As the Branch from the Roote sucks more more Sapp or the Child from the Nurse or Body frō the Head Stomack by which it growes up to full Stature so that they be going to that Fullnes which is in Heaven wherein all desires shall be satisfied In these Respects it is true in this Life in some measure degree Secondly in the Life to Come it is Perfectly Compleately true Every Beleever then shall have All wants supplyed all desires alayed All the aboundance of Good that the Soule is capable off shall be there fully supplyed and so all desires must cease when there is a full Fruition Therefore it is called Ioy Math. 25. 21. because it is a full fruition of all desirable Good and they be said to enter into it to shew that it is so full large that it cānot enter thē but they enter it so they are every way filled with it As the Sea cannot be Cōtayned in a smalle Uessell which may enter into it be filled as full as it can hold yea swallowed up of it so shall they be fully supplyed and have more then they neede or can receive and he that enters into an infinite Satisfaction must needs have his finite Appetite fully satisfied as Psal 17. last When I awake that is am raised up out of the Dust at the last Day for Death is called a Sleepe and so Resurrection an awaking I shall be satisfied therefore no Hunger no Thirst and it must be so because of that where with we be satisfied Viz Gods Likenes that is God Him-selfe his Glory Gods Face as in the former words it shall be veiwed that is there shall be a full cleare fruition of God 1. Cor. 13. 12. Then I shall see Face to Face and know even as also I am knowne Therefore if God can give full Satisfaction it shall then be had for then shall that fully be made good Eph. 3. 19. That ye might be filled with the fullnes of God All the fullnes of God so far as ye are capable If therefore there be enough in God there then shall be enough Thus in the Life to Come He that beleeves in Christ shall have all wants supplied all desires alayed because he shall fully perfectly injoy God and so perfect Happynes Then all desires to Sinne shall be perfectly quelled for that all Sinne shall be compleately purged out Then all neede desire of the Creature in this World shall be quite removed because God shall be in stead of all as the Sunn is in stead of a Candle and the Ocean in stead of a Dropp 1. Cor. 15. 28. God shall be All in All Meate Drinke Clothing Honour Wealth Pleasure Friends and All Mark 12. 25. Then all desires after Grace shall be fully satisfied because there shall be a Perfection of all Grace in regard of measures degrees so much Grace shall be injoyed as is desired or needed Thus he that Beleeves in Christ shall never hunger nor thirst because God begines to alaye his desires so soone as he beleeves and never leaves till He hath brought him to the full Fruition of all desirable Good in the Heavens USES Vses First for Instruction Comfort to all that truely beleeve 1. For Instructiō Comfort in Christ What it is truely to Beleeve I opened in opening the Second Doctrine where I shewed It is not a groundles slight Conceite that Christ dyed for us but an entertayning receiving Christ in all his Offices a full resigning ones Selfe to Him Covenanting to be ordered Comfort for Beleevers in two perticulers guided by Him in all Things to such heere is Instruction Comfort and that In these Two Perticulers First You that beleeve in Christ shall never totally or finally fall away from God Grace so as wholly or for ever to loose them a Comfortable Point in these dangerous seducing declining Tymes For he that once beleeves in Christ saith Christ in my Text shall never hunger nor thirst that is shall never be wholy without God Grace Christ Happynes as ye have heard in opening of the Point Therefore whatever appearances there may be through the Subtilty of carnall Reason Satans Suggestions Be thou assured that having once beleeved in Christ thou shalt never be
wholly destitute of God Grace for then thou must hunger thirst which Christ saith shall never be Neither is that of weight against this Cōmfortable Truth that Some object So long as one beleeveth he shall never loose wholly God Grace But one that beleeveth may loose his Faith and then loose God Grace wholly This I say is of no weight For though one may loose the use of Faith for some tyme Yet None that Beleeve can ever wholly loose Faith nor any other saving Grace as hath been showed in the opening of this Point and so as he can never wholly loose Faith so neither can he ever loose Christ or Grace If the Covenant did run thus That he that beleeves so long as he beleeves shall never fall away But yet he might loose all Beleeving and so fall away then were not that true Isay 55 3. For with Every Beleever God makes an Everlasting Covenant Even the Sure Mercyes of David Now how were the Covenant Everlasting or the Mercy Sure if that he might wholy loose Faith and so loose God all Grace Surely that Place expresly teacheth That when any one Beleeveth God makes with him a Covenant that shall Last for Ever and bestowes on him Mercy that is Sure and therefore he cannot be disappointed He that once beleeves must be for ever Gods and never so fall as to misse Heaven For Christ hath prayed for All that beleeve that They should be with him see his Glory Iohn 17. 20. 24. The Sonnes of God and so is every one that Beleeveth Iohn 1. 12. must be Like Christ when He appeares at the Last Day 1. Iohn 3. r. 2. Therefore He that beleeveth must be saved and can never wholy loose God or Grace And therefore it is that He that once Beleeves can never wholy loose his Faith because to the end He may never loose God or Grace God preserves Faith in him and by that Faith preserves him in Grace Favour with God till he come to inherite Glory 1. Pet. 1. 4. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith c. Secondly You that beleeve in Christ shall have All your desires alayed All your wants supplyed your Soules satisfied fully in this Life 1. Your sinfull desires to Sinne the Worlds Vanityes these shall be alayed by removing the Cause of them Viz Originall Corruption the Vanity of your Minds Hearts Your Soules shall be purged from those ill Humors which make you Hunger after this Trash and shall be put in right frame and you made to Hunger after good wholsome Things Viz Gods Favour Holynes Gall. 5. 24. Chap. 6. 14. Examine your Selves well and ye shall find that ye doe not so hunger after these Things as ye did and be ye sure that ye shall doe it lesse lesse till at last ye shall be quite freed from that vaine Desire For those many Exhortations in Scripture to Mortifie those Affections and to Lay them downe as Eph 4. 22. 23. 24. Coll. 3. 2. 5. doe include Promises upon your indeavor that it shall be done as may be gathered from Rom. 6. 12 14. where God promiseth that shall be which he exhorts to Yea Gods Exhortations to Beleevers are as his Word in Creation was Operative and working that which he Calls for and Commands to be Therefore doe ye but Exercise your Faith and use the Meanes God hath appointed and you shall have your sinnfull troublesome Desires alayed 2. So also Your good cōmendable Desires after Grace Holynes Those shall be satisfied Christ will fill you as full as ye can desire or contayne Allready ye have in you the Store-house Treasury of all Grace the Spring is in you Christ in whome is all you neede and therefore it is in him that you may have it He is yours and from him ye may have whatever you neede doe but let downe the Bucket of Faith and drawe what Water ye desire He will never with-hold any Grace yee thirst after if ye trust in him and use the meanes Psal 81. 10 He will fill the Mouth that is opened and according to your hope in him will he doe to you he may defer you a while to try the strength of your Desire and of your Faith but he will not with-hold ever but satisfie your Desire Yea he cannot with hold for what you seeke by Faith in Him and in the use of His meanes he must give you His Promise Office doe tye him to it for He is your Spring of Grace to satisfie your thirsty Soules And as a Man 's owne Spring cannot with hold Water from him when he comes to it no more can Christ Some wants ye shall have so long as ye live heere but yet there shall be a satisfieing filling up though not filled up as the Child is growing though not fully growen till he comes to Age And ye shall have that fullnes satisfaction that is needfull requisite for this Life so much ye shall have Therefore be Comforted and sinke not under the sence of your wants It is good to be sensible of spirituall wants so as to seeke for supply but it is folly unbeleefe to be discouraged under them since that ye have in hand doe possesse as your owne that which is able ready to supply them all if you use the meanes Viz Christ the Promises Would not one thinke them Fooles that complaine of Thirst and had a Spring of there owne at their Doore Yea farther Consider that ye have actually all Fullnes Viz In Christ the Promises there is All Fullnes what can you desire that is not there and it is all yours So that in your Substitute Treasury Srore house Wardroope there is actually all that you neede or desire and it is all yours For all is yours as ye heard before 1. Cor. 3. 21. and therefore the Apostle speakes of Calvin on this Scripture saith well Si eges nō habes fidem Si habes fidē non eges Beleevers as possessing all things 2. Cor. 6. 10. Iam. 2. 5. styles thē rich in faith that is not ment of abundance of Faith as sometime the word is taken but that by Faith they be Rich So that every one that Beleeves is Rich by Beleeving therefore possest of abundance else none are called Rich for the present injoying all that is needfull and Heires of a Kingdome for in the Life to come ye shall have a Satisfaction of all your Desires There ye shall have an absolute Fullnes all sinnfull worldly Desires shall be quite extinguisht all Holynes Happynes shall be perfectly administred there is nothing necessary or desirable for your Happynes but ye shall enjoy it actually in the highest Degree ye shall have your Wills to the full no Want or Crosse in any Desire God will say to you as Herod to Herodias her Daughter Marke 6. 22. 23. and