In the Act of prizing Christ that wee do not mean a bare and naked Estimate of Christ in the Understanding but such an one as prevails with the soul and commands the spirit of a man to do actions consonant and agreeable to that rate the Judgement set on Christ I say by prizing of Christ wee do not mean a bare acts of Dijudication what a man in his Judgement may conclude Christ to bee worth Many bee that will tell you they conclude Christ to bee worth a World who yet will not part with any thing for Christ. But I mean such an act of the understanding as brings up the Heart and the affections to close with Christ in that height which the Understanding rates him at I say such an Act of Appretiation as prevails with a man to do actions consonant and agreeable to the rate it pretends to set on Christ As you see the wise Merchant Hee did not barely judge that the Pearl was worth all hee had but hee did Actions consonant and agreeable to it Seeing hee could not injoy the Pearl without parting withall hee had to compass it hee sells all to compass the Pearl That is the first A soul taken with Christ doth not only barely judge and esteem Christ worth all but will part with all for the compassing of Christ 2. Here is something considerable in the Object Christ prized 1. Wee do not restrain and limit this only to the Person of Christ There is something in the Person of Christ which may prevail with an Unbeleever to esteem of him The dignity of his Person being God-Man having all beauties and excellencies in him This may raise up a kinde of esteem of Christ in the hearts of unbeleevers 2. Neither do wee limit it only to the Benefits of Christ and the great things which hee hath done for man in general in his humiliation death passion c. But wee are to take Christ in the extent of Christ Christ in his whole Latitude Christ in his Holiness Christ in his Laws Christ in his Government Christ in his Truth Totum Christi the whole of Christ Hee that prizeth not Christ in his whole latitude and extent doth not prize Christ at all as hee ought to do As wee say of Faith it doth not eligere Objectum it doth not chuse its Object single out what it will esteem and what not but prizeth of Christ fully in the latitude and extent of Christ of Christ in his Person Christ in his Beauties Christ in his Laws in his Holiness Truth Government And so highly that they sold themselves to gain a Truth lost themselves to save a Truth They have made this brave adventure thrown away themselves that they might keep up a Truth as you see it in Queen Maries daies in point of Transubstantiation So that is the second The soul taken with Christ is taken with All-Christ As all in him is lovely so the soul loves all and prizes and esteems of all of Christ 3. That which is considerable in the Measure is That a soul taken with Christ doth prize Christ above all comforts and contents in Heaven and Earth This Christ commands Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after mee let him deny himself If any It is set down indefinitly Not only you who are poor and have little to lose and deny your selves in but they who have most You that are rich you that have lands possessions have Crowns and Scepters If any poor any rich any beggar any Prince c. Hee must deny himself Not only in things unlawfull but lawfull Hee must yeeld up his sins as a snare his comforts estate and all as a Sacrifice for Christ if hee call for them Mat. 10.37 Hee that loves Father or Mother more than mee is not worthy of mee These relations are expressed but under these are comprized all the comforts and contents on earth And this was not only commanded but it is practised by those whose hearts are taken with Christ You see in Abraham who left all in Moses who prized more of the reproach of Christ than all the treasures in Egypt in David Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee or in Earth in comparison of thee As the World would bee nothing else but Angiae stabulum a noisome sink a prison to a godly man were it not that hee injoys something of Christ here So Heaven it self were but a gaudy Pageant Vanity if God and Christ were not there The Heaven which carnal men do fansy is a Turkish-Heaven an heaven of pleasures delights comforts but fleshly outward They conceive of it according to their Principle But the Heaven of a godly man it lies in God it lies in Christ Indeed That is not Heaven which is by God but that is Heaven which lies in God to a godly man It was the meditation of one Not Heaven O Lord but God Non coelum Domine sed Deus Christus and Christ Rather ten thousand times Christ without Heaven than Heaven without Christ Thus doth the soul that is taken with Christ prize Christ above all the comforts contentments of Heaven and Earth 6. Sign An heart taken with Christ the thoughts are taken up with Christ Such a man hee thinks Christ and hee speaks Christ hee lives Christ You know whatever a mans heart is taken with it is never off his thoughts never off his heart hee is never well but thinking and speaking of that hee loves The thoughts are the character of what the heart is taken withall If thy heart bee taken with Christ thy thoughts are taken up with him Christ is alwayes upon thy thoughts hee lies next to thy heart when thou goest to bed hee is with thee Cant. 1.13 and when thou awakest hee is with thee as David saith Psal 139.18 Indeed Gods people may have swarms of other thoughts but they are not entertained they are not welcome to them they are their burden and trouble They come in as Intruders and are not entertained as Guests A wicked man entertains them as Guests as friends but they come into a godly man as intruders never invited nor finde they welcome This is that Jeremiah speaks Jer. 4.14 How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee in a wicked mans heart they are Lodgers and entertained as Guests hee keeps doors open spreads a Table for them makes them a bed bids them welcome But in a godly man they crowd in and finde no entertainment And as the Thoughts are taken up with Christ so the Tongue Hee thinks and hee speaks Christ When Christ is in the heart the tongue will discourse and speak of him Whatever is in the heart and the heart is taken withall that a mans discourse is most taken up withall As Psal 37.30 The mouth of the Righteous speaketh wisdome and his Tongue talketh of Judgement And why because the Law of his God is in his heart vers 31. So here on the same ground Thy talk
for ever Oh! make not that your joy which was Christs sorrow and will be yours eternally if now your joy in sin be not turned to sorrow for sin 6. Consectary 6. If sin be the Greatest evil 6. Consectary Then see the utter impossibility of any thing under heaven to relieve and help us from under the guilt of sin save JESUS CHRIST onely Hast thou committed but one sin thou hast done that which all the Treasures of Righteousness in Heaven and Earth are not able to relieve thee or help thee in save JESUS CHRIST There is as much required for the answering the guilt of one sin as the guilt of a thousand Infinite Righteousness is required for one and no more is required for a thousand And that Righteousness none but Christ alone hath Nothing can relieve us but that which is Adequate in righteousness to the Evil of sin Now there is no righteousness in the world that is proportionable to the Evil of sin but the Righteousness of Christ 1. Our own you know is too short it is called A menstruous rag A rag and therefore cannot cover us Menstruous and therefore though it should cover us yet it would but cover filth with filth as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.1 They cover but not with the covering of my Spirit that they might adde sin to sin that is the sin of their righteousness to the sin of their unrighteousness They cover a blot with a blot adde sin to sin dung to dung 2. Nor will the righteousness of the Law be large enough if it were supposed that a man were able to fulfil all that righteousness and keep the whole Law Present obedience though supposed to be Adequate to the Righteousness of the Law will never answer for former offences and disobediences The Law indeed is strong enough to damn a thousand but cannot save one it can pour Hell and Wrath and Condemnation upon a World of sinners but is not able to pour Grace or to give Justification to one The Apostle tells us Rom. 8.3 4. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh The same Apostle also tells us Gal. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given life righteousness should have been by the Law The Apostle tells us again Gal. 3.17 The Law was given four hundred and thirty years after the promise to shew we must not work that we may be justified but be justified that we may be able to work If God had intended The Law the instrument of Justification he would have given the Law Four hundred and thirty years before the Promise 3. Nay yet further It is not the righteousness of Angels which yet is a Greater Righteousness than that of the Law inasmuch as the Angels were above Man in Innocency because this also is but a created Righteousness a finite Righteousness and no way proportionable to the evil of sin If it had one sin had not spoiled those glorious Angels of their Goodness at once and made them Devils which that sin doing shews There was more evil in sin than Good or Righteousness in them Well then This shews the utter impossibility of any other under heaven or in heaven to Free us from the Evil of sin but JESUS CHRIST Nothing but Infiniteness can deal with sin It must be Infinite wisdom To finde out a way It must be Infinite mercy To pardon Infinite power To subdue Infinite merit To purge and cleanse And Infinite Grace To destroy sin However you think of sin yet this hath been the Great Enemy which God and Grace have been contending withal ever since the world began And it hath put All-God to it even the Infiniteness of the infinite God to rescue us and to save us out of the Hands and Power of sin His infinite Wisdom Power Mercy Truth Holiness have been all imployed to conquer sin I say so to conquer sin as to save you the sinners The Great design of God in sending Christ into the world his Incarnation Humiliation Death Passion all were about this The conquering and destroying of sin How Great an Enemy was this that God must send out his Son to conquer it He can arm Flyes Lice Frogs the meanest of Creatures to overthrow the Greatest Power and Puissance of the earth but no less than his Son was strong enough to conquer sin You may think of sin as meanly as you will swallow it without fear live in it without sense commit it without remorse yet assure your selves that this you make so slight of required No less than the infinite power of God to conquer the infinite mercy of God to pardon the infinite merit of Christ to answer for it It was that which fetcht the Dearest Blood from the Heart of Christ and will have Thine too if thou gettest not an interest in him 7. Consectary 7. Consectary 7. If sin be the Greatest Evil Then see how much we are bound to CHRIST who hath born your sins who hath born All this evil for you you who have an Interest in him Oh the Love of CHRIST that he should bear sin which is more than all miseries a greater evill than Death than Hell it self is If there were one in the world that were content to be Poor for you to Bear Pains for you to be Sick for you to be Arrested for you to go to Prison for you to Dye for you nay to Bear the Wrath of God for you nay the pains of Hell for you How would you think your selves bound to such an one for doing it Why This hath CHRIST done for you He hath Born sin which is a Greater Evil than all these An evil that hath All these evils in the bowels of it Such as none but Christ was Able to Bear If God laid the least sin upon thee pure sin which none but CHRIST did ever bear here in this world it would crush thee to pieces with the weight of it though all the Pillars of Heaven all the Glorious Angels should contribute their strength to thee to help thee to bear thee up The least sin doth deserve and draw down an infinite wrath which nor thou nor all the Angels in Heaven are able to stand under The Damned bear it in Hell They bear it and cannot bear it They are slain with it but cannot dye Ever consuming never consumed And therefore how much are you bound to CHRâ—ST who hath Born sin a Greater evil than All other Evils and with sin All the Torments and Wrath and Justice due to sin All the world is not able to express that Torment which Christ indured when he did Bear sin when he did sweat drops of blood clods of blood when he wrestled with the justice Grumos Sanguinis did bear the wrath of God when he cryed out My GOD my GOD Why hast thou
a glass the glory of the Lord wee are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 In nature the meat is digested into the nature of the eater Here the eater is turned into the nature of the meat The contemplation of his Glory makes you glorious They will bee 5. Soul-winning Thoughts Love you know is of an attractive nature Amor amoris Magnes Nothing wins more than Love Love is the Loadstone to draw Love again As the Sun shining upon a Glasse begets a reflection of the beams back again so the love of God shed abroad in our hearts begets a reflection of love back again toward God You see Mary Much was forgiven her shee had tasted of much love from God and shee returned much love again to him Shee loved much The Power of God doth shake the heart The Majesty of God doth dread the heart The Justice of God doth awe the heart But it is the Mercy of God the Love of God which doth perswade win and draw the heart Nothing wins a mans heart to God but his Love The fear of God dread of God may bring a mans feet into his wayes but it is the Love of God which brings his Heart into his wayes They are 6. Soul-quickening 7. Soul-comforting thoughts Oh then that wee were but wise to improve this Doctrin this truth to the good of our souls I tell thee Christian if thou wouldest give this truth but scope in thy heart it would help thee and relieve thee of all the burdens under which thou groanest 1. Dost thou labour under a proud heart this would humble thee 2. Dost thou labour under a dejected heart this would raise thee 3. Under a dark heart this would comfort revive thee 4. Under a dead heart this would quicken thee and put the Spirit of Heaven into thee whiles thou art on earth 5. Under an hard heart this would break thee Nay this would melt thee dissolve thee into waters I say the more thou gets up with Elijah into this Chariot of love the more would the mantle of sin and corruption depart from thee 6. Under a worldly heart This would dead thy heart for ever to the World and set thee all on flame with the fire of heavenly affections I am confident of it whatever a Christian desires to injoy whatever a Christian desires to bee rid of if hee can but dwell upon this truth and bee able to manage it Hee shall have it more fully hee shall have it more quickly than any other way Wouldest thou bee rid of a proud heart wouldest thou have an humble heart wouldest bee rid of a dead heart and desirest a quick heart wouldest bee rid of an hard heart and have a broken heart wouldest bee rid of an unbeleeving of a doubting of a dejected heart and wouldest bee mighty in Faith full of comfort Why do but let thy soul bee carried captive with this Truth bee but content this Truth should master thee bee but willing to entertain it beleeve it imbrace it I am confident on it all this will bee done I may set down a probatum est to it Oh! That wee were wise to manage this Truth There are many look upon this but as a pleasant dream a Chimera a fiction And some beleeve it but slightly there wants depth of earth And some there are poor souls to whom the comfort of this truth belongs who think this is too good news for them They think if they should own it it would bee but too great a sale for too small a Boat rather overturn them than do them good rather ruine them than help them And therefore they must feed upon black thoughts upon Hell upon justice upon sin upon their corruptions Ah! Poor souls Satan deludes you you take a way to undo your selves Either to discourage you to say there is no hope or else to break you that you shall never bee able to do God service Look as long as you will into Hell pry as long as you will into the dark vaults of your souls rake as long as you will into the kennel of your hearts You shall finde nothing in Hell but Hell in your hearts but sin and having found it run from him That man looks too much on sin who shutteth his eyes from a mutual interview of love between God and his soul And hither you must come at last Free-Grace must bee owned Free-Mercy must bee acknowledged and advanced by you if ever you would bee saved if ever you would bee comforted You mâ—y think what you will but sure I am 1. There are no Christians more chearfull 2. None are more thankfull 3. None are more humble 4. None are more beleeving 5. None are more active 6. None are more couragious 7. None more serviceable and usefull toward God and men than they who lye continually at the breast of the promise than they who set up Gods Free-Grace and own that good which God makes out to them Thou mayest bee a Christian but thou wilt bee a sad Christian an uncomfortable Christian a dark Christian a deserted Christian a dead Christian an unserviceable Christian if thou dost go on to feed upon black thoughts and wilt not own that comfort which Christ tenders imbrace that good which Christ speaks and beleeve the Riches of his Grace and Mercy to poor sinners Do but sit down and from the sight and sense of thine own unworthiness take but occasion to advance Free-Grace and Mercy Let there bee place for that to come in Let those thoughts finde entertainment And thou shalt quickly finde a strange change in thy spirit 1. Thou who couldest not mourn before shall now bee able to poure our tears as if thou wert all turned to water 2. Thou who before couldest not beleeve couldest not bee comforted wilt even think it a wonder that ever thy heart should bee so dark so doubtful 3. Thou who before wast dead shalt now finde a spirit of life come into thee and make thee active in the work of the Lord. Make but the Experiment and thou wilt converse more with the promise with the Love of Christ with the Free-Grace of God whiles thou livest if you would but remove your unbelief But who shall remove this stone God alone must do it But if this were done this truth would let in a flood of mercy upon you and even sink and over-whelm you in a Sea of mercy and glory where now you go drooping and hang down your heads because you will not own that portion which Christ hath left you nor that comfort which Christ doth tender and speak to you 4. Direction to them of the Church 4. Direction to them of the Church 4. Labour for a reciprocall affection a mutual taking between Christ and us Is Christs heart taken with you Oh! let your hearts bee taken with him Doth Christ love you Oh! do you love Christ Are you
3. The Fruit and Benefit that comes in thereby 1. Negatively Should not perish 2. Positively But have Eternal life Now about the Act and the Object we shall make these two enquiries before we come to lay down the Conclusion 1. What act of faith that is whereby a sinner stands justified before God 2. Upon what Object this Act is to be terminated 1. For the first What Act that is You must know that faith in the general consideration hath divers acts and objects and that the acts are diversified according to the diversity of the objects so many particulars as are recorded in Scripture so many particular objects and accordingly so many particular acts there are of faith in general But our enquiry is what is the formal Act and Object of justifying faith Now for the first viz. What is the formal Act of Faith You must know that there is much difference amongst Divines about it 1. Some would have it to be a bare and naked assent to every truth revealed by God Thus the Papists 2. Some say it is a firm and radical assent to this great Proposition That Christ is Messiah and Saviour of the world 3. Others place it in a receiving of Christ in all his Offices as a King Priest and Prophet 4. Some in Assurance and Particular Knowledge or Perswasion that we are in the state of Grace and have an interest in Christ c. 5. Others do place it in rowling our selves upon Christ and resting in him when the soul assenting to that great Proposition that Christ is the Saviour the Mediator doth rowl and rest it self upon him and trusteth in him In most of which different opinions we finde this agreement 1 That it is an Act of Faith whereby wee are justified not Faith as an Habit of Grace inherent in us but Faith as an Act not Faith in actu primo as an Habit infused but in actu secundo 2 That it is such an Act as is not wrought out of our selves or our own Principles but such as is wrought by the Spirit of Christ and the mighty Power of God 3 That it is such an Act as bringeth over the soul to the true object to Christ by whom wee are justified 4 Such an one as all the benefits of Christ do belong unto accompany Christ in blood Christ in water Christ for Justification Christ for Sanctification Christ for Salvation in all these there is an exact agreement among them And therefore although there bee some difference in respect of that formall Act which justifieth yet seeing they preach and cry down themselves and advance and set up free grace and mercy both in the work and fruit of it The Papists have no cause to cry us down for dis-agreement which for their parts they are like the four winds blowing in the faces of one another in many points as might easily bee shewed if here it were pertinent Wee know that while wee are here differences there will bee for wee know in part and prophesy but in part It were an happy â—hing if wee could bee all of one heart and all of one mind but seeing it will not bee I could wish that although wee bee not all of one mind yet wee might bee all of one heart and that difference in judgement might not breed alienation in affection especially seeing wee all aime at one thing one mark one end All agree in hoc uno in this one to set up Christ the mercy of God free grace and by crying down our selves and why then should wee not agree amongst our selves And therefore in all these diversities of Judgements concerning the formal Act of Faith whereby wee stand justified before God I shall not deal so much in the throwing down of other mens opinions as in the establishing of mine own 1 Because I conceive there is little wisdome in it to uncover the nakedness of our Brethren by bringing them in contending with one another 2 Because I think there is little profit in it especially in promiscuous Congregations Such debates being fitter for the Schools than for the Pulpit Polemical and Controversal points may beget Notion little Motion fill our heads with Notions but not our hearts with sanctifyed affections And therefore I will break my self in as plain and modest a manner as I can amongst all these differences to declare what I adhear to and to establish it by some Scriptures and so passe it Now then I conceive that that formal act of Faith whereby wee are justifyed and instated into Christ is an Act of Affiance and recumbency rowling resting trusting or Christ for Justification and consequently for salvation For the proof whereof wee are to observe that the words both in the Old and New Testament by which the Act of Faith is expressed do import such an act as this In the Old Testament wee meet with three words especially which import this act of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being referred to Christ do express that Act whereby wee are justified 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first of them as Rabbi Kimchi observeth doth primitively and properly signifie to retire into some safe place for harbour or shelter So Judg. 9.15 come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Bramble shelter or cover you under my shadow and the Prophet useth the same word Psal 57.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soul trusteth in thee I will retire my self under the shadow of thy wings and so it being referred to Christ betokeneth that Act whereby wee do betake our selves to him as to our Sanctuary where wee may bee preserved in safety from the tempest of Gods displeasure and so Psal 2.12 when his wrath is kindled yea but a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are all they that put their trust in him or that retire themselves to him upon which place Junius noteth that that retyring unto God which is affirmed to bee the cause of our blessedness is no other than sincere Faith and what act of it but this of affiance 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second word in the Old Testament signifieth to rowle and being joyned with the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to devolve and rowle something on another as Psal 37.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rowle thy way upon the Lord and trust in him c. and Prov. 16.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rowle thy works upon the Lord and thy thoughts shall bee established agreeable to which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast thy burden upon the Lord c. And this word applyed to Christ imports that Act whereby being laden with sin and seeking ease wee at last discharge our load and cast it upon Christ 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The third word signifieth to put confidence trust and affiance in any thing or person so as securely to lean and rest upon it So Isa 50.10 hee that walks in darkness and seeth no light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him trust in the name
of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and stay or lean upon his God and Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is staid on thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee trusteth in thee which word in the matter of Justification designeth that Act whereby finding and feeling our own weakness as unable to support our selves wee do lean and rest on Christ as David Psal 28.7 The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trusted in him and I am helped c. And to these words in the Old Testament wee may adde those forms of words in the New and so wee shall finde that what in the Old is expressed by some one of these words is in the New expressed by beleeving in and upon To instance in a few We trust in the name of his Holiness saith the Old Testament Psal 33.21 and He that believeth in his name saith the New John 1.12 13. Trust in the Lord with thy whole heart saith the Old Prov. 3.5 If thou believest with thy whole heart saith the New Acts 8.34 37. In thee O Lord have I trusted let me not be confounded saith the Old Psal 31.1 25.2 and He that believeth on him shall not be ashamed saith the New Rom. 10.11 So that you see that to Trust and to Believe are Synonima import the same things though they differ in name yet not in nature He that Trusteth Believeth and he that Believeth Trusteth In which sense we have the phrases of believing in or upon 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded Where by believing on him cannot be meant any thing but a laying and building our selves upon Christ as the foundation that we may be made a spiritual house as you have it in Verse 4 5. the like we have Rom. 10.10.11 He that believeth on him and so 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know in whom I have believed c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence it is apparent that to believe in God is as much as to commit our selves to his trust for so it there followeth I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him or deposited with him or delivered up unto his keeping to that day that is his soul to everlasting life So that we see that to believe in Christ is with confidence and trust to rely upon him And thus much for the formal act of faith 2. For the formal object of faith and that not of faith at large for so the word of God is the objectum adaequatum of it but as it is particularly justifying faith quatenus justificat as it properly justifieth which is not the believing of every truth of God but that onely which by way of eminency is called The Truth that is Christ himself with all his merits John 14.6 and so here in the Text He that believeth in him Hence justifying faith is often called the Faith of Christ because he is the proper object of it Rom. 3 22 26. Gal. 2.16.20 And faith in Christ Acts 20.21 and Faith in the blood of Christ Whence I thus argue That Object to the Belief of which justification and salvation is promised that is the Object of justifying faith But to believe in Christ is Justification and Salvation promised Therefore Christ is the object of justifying faith Thus as briefly as I could having shewed what is the formal both act and object of justifying faith I shall now lay down this one Conclusion Doct. That the great thing which is required at our hands for Justification and Salvation is beleeving in Christ Hee that beleeves shall bee saved In the prosecution of this wee will shew 1 What Faith is 2 That Faith is the great requisite 3 Why God hath made choice of this to bee the instrument of Justification 4 How Faith doth justifie whether formally or instrumentally 5 What bee the Royalties of Faith 1 What Faith is For the first What Faith is Wee will not define the habit of Faith but the Act of Faith nor every Act but that only which justifieth Now according to the diversity of opinions herein such is the diversity of Definitions They who hold the Assent to bee the Act of Justifying Faith define it to bee a firm and willing Assent to the truth of God in generall and to this truth in particular that Christ is the Messiah and Saviour of the World They who hold it to bee a receiving of Christ define it to bee such an Act as whereby wee receive Christ in all his offices But not to trouble you with these That which I will give you is this Definition Faith is an Act of a regenerate person whereby knowing and assenting unto the Promises of God and to this Truth in particular that Christ is the Messiah or Saviour of the World doth rest upon him for Justification Sanctification and consequently for Salvation Now to explain this Definition 1 I say that Faith is an Act for wee speak not of Faith in actu primo as an habit infused and implanted in us but in actu secundo as an Act whereby wee are justified for wee are not justified by Faith as an habit or as a grace inherent in us but as I said by Faith as an Act as it goeth over to Christ as wee see here the Promise is not made to the Habit but to the Act of Faith Hee that beleeveth c. That is the first I call it an Act 2 The subject person so it is said to bee an Act of a regenerate person a man universally sanctified regenerated and born again for take Faith which way you please for the Act or for the Habit neither of them are before Regeneration 1 The Act of Faith that is not before the Habit of Faith a thing must bee in esse before it can bee in operari there must bee a Habit of Faith within before there can bee the exercise of Faith without 2 And this Habit of Faith is not infused before other graces it being part of our inherent Sanctification as infidelity is a part of our corruption nor is it again infused alone but together with the rest of the graces of Gods Spirit by which wee are regenerated So that Faith is an Act of a regenerated soul A man cannot beleeve till his understanding bee enlightened and his will changed and this is not before Grace Again to beleeve is an Act of a living man not of a soul dead in sin and therefore the soul must first bee indued with the life of Grace before it can perform this living action Indeed we are said to be sanctified by Faith and so it might seem that our Sanctification were a fruit of Faith an effect of Faith but wee are not to understand this as meant of the first work of Sanctification which is not acquired or put forth
the act of faith at the heels Thou must stay the Lords leisure and wait till all clouds and storms be blown over till all doubts and fears shall vanish Psal 57.1 Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart but with the Husbandman we must wait in patience till the corn come up and the crop come in The storm doth not cease as soon as the ship-man hath cast anchor the winds then may yet blow and the tempest may be as strong nay it may be stronger than before but the rock to which thou art fastned is sure or if thy anchor hold all is sure Nothing shall hinder safety though something may interrupt thy security to thine own apprehension To trust is the act of faith but apprehended security is the fruit of believing and therefore cometh not till afterward it may be some moneths may be some years after long experience Nay it is not an inseparable fruit of believing I mean thy apprehended security is not thou maist possibly never in this life reach the apprehensions of thy security and yet thy condition may be secure It is secure as I said in the promise though not to sense if thou dyest whilst thou ridest at Anchor having thrown it out and fastned it on Christ yet thou dyest in the ship and not in the sea thou dyest in the Covenant of Peace and there is safety though the storm in this world may never cease That which I would commend to thee is to be much in self-purging self-humbling self-examination trust much and stedfastly to the end Do as they did in that great storm when neither Sun nor Stars were seen for many days cast out anchor and wish for day nay cast out two anchors that is safest in a tempestuous night trust and pray that God would break into thy soul with a calm morning light and mean while wait and say When will the day break and these shadows this darkness this tempest fly away My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him Psal 62.5 Object 3. But say some To believe is an act of the understanding and is nothing else but an Assent to the truth of Divine Revelations which is expressed in Scripture By receiving of Christ John 1.12 To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to as many as believe in his name Where receiving of Christ which say they is An act of the understanding assenting to this truth That Christ is the Messias and Saviour of the world is made all one with Believing And so Isa 53.11 By his knowledge Notitiâ sui not suâ By the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justifie many which knowing is an act of the understanding also The like John 17.3 This is life Eternal To know thee c. All which places do report thus much That Faith is an act of the understanding not of the will And to this they alledge the testimony of the Greek Fathers which make Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An undoubted Assent to the Doctrine of Salvation and to this Proposition in particular That Christ is the Messiah So that by all this it is clear to them that Faith is an act of the understanding not of the will But now Trust is an act of the will and therefore cannot be the formal act of justifying Faith Answ Now for Answer of this we must know that 1. To Believe In the general is no more than to assent to the truth of a Proposition for the Authority of the Speaker It is no more than An act of the understanding whereby we Assent to the truth of Divine Revelations But we speak not of Faith in general but of justifying Faith of that formal act of Faith whereby we stand justified before God And here we say that Faith is not an act of the understanding onely but of the will also The first It is Too Low Non pertingit ad justificationem as one saith It reacheth not so high as Justification The second Brings the Soul over to Christ by an act of Trust whereby a man is justified By the first we do but Discover the Justifying-Cause the Founain of Life Christ himself By the latter we Throw our selves into this Fountain In ipsum quasi totos nos immergimus and draw water of life from him Hence one None can be justified but by union with Christ Nullus potest justificari nisi per unionem ad Christum Durand and the first union is by Faith By what Faith The Speculative act of Faith No sure This doth no more unite the soul to Christ than the sight of the Sun doth draw a man up to heaven By what Faith then But by this act of Trusting Resting Leaning c. Hence Augustine To believe in Christ Credere in Deum est credendo in Deum ire is by believing to go into Christ and to be incorporate into his body which the Papists themselves will not say is done By a bare act of the understanding And therefore to pass this and come to the places alledged Where the first is 1 John 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power c. where say they by Receiving is meant no more but An act of the understanding whereby they assented to this That he was the Messias For answer to this place we say That this word Receiving doth not onely denote the understanding but implies the will also Which will appear by this one Reason among many That Receiving is to be understood which is opposed to the Jews not receiving of him For having said in Verse 11 He came to his own and his own received him not Immediately is added But as many as did receive him to them he gave power to become the sons of God So that the matter of Inquiry will be How the Jews did not receive him Was it then onely in this Their not assenting that he was the Messias or Rejecting him and Refusing him for a Saviour It could not be the former Their non-assenting to the truth of this That he was the Messias Though it was the ground why Sundry did not receive him yet it was not the ground why all did not receive him For we read There were divers of the Scribes and Pharisees and Priests who knew right well that he was The Christ For so much do the Husbandmen themselves confess in the Parable as Christ brings them in Mat. 21.38 saying This is the Heir come let us kill him and seize upon his inheritance And how could our Saviour justly charge them with the Sin against the Holy Ghost unless they had known him to be the Messias Mat. 12.32 and wilfully rejected him against knowledge and conscience And how can any be said To make shipwrack of Faith which yet the Scripture saith some have done 1 Tim. 1.19 unless you will say A man made shipwrack of that he never
The second is The Assurance of the Subject The first Of the thing beleeved The second Of the Beleever The first is The Assurance of the general Proposition whoever beleeves shall bee saved which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Col. 2. The full Assurance of Understanding or Knowledge which is the Plerophory of Assent to the Truth of the Gospel touching CHRIST a Saviour The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 And that is when wee are assured CHRIST is OUR SAVIOUR The first goes before the Act of Trust The second follows the Act of Trust And this Act of trusting and resting upon CHRIST is the ground of such Assurance Object But you will say How shall wee rest upon CHRIST for Salvation unless wee bee first assured of Salvation by him Answ Indeed unless wee know CHRIST to bee the only Saviour wee cannot rest upon him for Salvation But to say A man cannot rest upon him for Justification and Salvation except hee know hee is already Justified and shall bee saved I see little sense for that May not a man trust upon his friend who hath ingaged himself and promised to do such a thing for him untill hee knows it were already done for him So here May not the Soul rest upon CHRIST who hath promised pardon and forgiveness to them that trust on him except it first knew that CHRIST had already pardoned and forgiven him The ground of this mistake I conceive to arise from one of these two grounds 1 That they take TRUST for ASSURANCE or 2 That they take TRUST for a FRUIT of ASSURANCE And so all one with HOPE Now for the clearing of the first you must know that TRUST doth signifie these two things 1 Ipsum Actum Innitendi the very act of leaning c. 2 Consequens effectum Fidei the consequent Effect of Faith 1 It signifies that very act of Leaning Resting Rowling on CHRIST which is properly the act that Justifies 2 Sometimes it signifies the consequent Effect of Faith as full assurance and perswasion the lively sense of pardon and remission of sins But when wee speak of that act of Trust which Justifies wee mean not Trust in this second Acception For this is not Justifying Faith but Fidei Justificantis Filia the Daughter of Justifying Faith which comes after much sweat and pains in the work of God trial and experience of our selves and truth of our Graces But wee speak of Trust in the first Acception the resting and rowling of the soul upon CHRIST The former wee say is the act of justifying Faith and propriissimus actus Fidei justificantis the most proper act of justifying Faith The latter wee grant is the fruit of the former Trust and Assurance both set down by the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.12 I Know saith the Apostle whom I have beleeved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom I have trusted or committed my soul unto There is the first act of Faith And I am perswaded that hee is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust to eternal life There 's the second act of Trust Hee will bee all this to mee which I have Trusted to him for 1. I know There was Hystorical Faith Assent 2. Whom I have trusted or committed my soul to There was justifying Faith 3. I am perswaded There was the fruit of it To the first Act there concurs 1. A discovery of our own emptiness 2. A Discovery of CHRISTS fulness for Justification 3. A casting of the Soul upon him for Justification and Salvation Going out of our selves and casting our souls upon Christ To the second Act there is required 1. Not only a Knowledge that hee is a Saviour 2. But also a Knowledge that hee is My Saviour upon whom I trust or I am perswaded of Salvation by The second mistake is That they take Trust for a fruit of Assurance And so no ore but Hope Propter Spem Roboratam for strengthened Hope Answ That this act of Trust which wee make justifying Faith is not an act of Hope but doth differ from Hope or that affiance which they make Hope strengthened In this 1. That Hope looks to the end which is Salvation But this act of Trust looks to the Means which brings to the end and that is Christ 2. The act of Hope is to expect But the act of Trust is to lean and rest 3. The Object of Hope is Bonum Futurum a Future Good But the object of Trust is Bonum Presens a Present Good This act of Trust doth rest upon Christ Non per modum expectantis sed per modum possidentis not by way of Expectation but by way of Possession As Hee that beleeves in the Son hath life It is not said Hee shall have life but Hee hath life not in Spe but in Re not in Hope only but in Hand The life of Righteousness and Justification in Hand The life of Glory and Salvation in Hope And thus much shall serve for the first thing what Faith is In which I hope most of the controversie is over 2. Wee now come to the second That Faith is the only requisite whereby wee should bee justified and saved I shall not need to stand long on it 1. Union and Communion with Christ is requisite to Justification and Salvation There was no way whereby wee should bee Justified whereby wee should bee saved But only by vertue of our Union and Communion with Christ 1. No other way but by vertue of our Union with Christ In our selves wee were dead Branches and grew upon a dead stock and there was no help nor hope for us till wee were cut off from our own stocks the stock of Nature And were ingrafted into Christ who is the Stock of Life Hence the Apostle Hee that hath the Son hath Life and hee that hath not the Son hath not Life Hee that is united and ingrafted into Christ hath Life the Life of Justification here and shall have the Life of Glorification hereafter But hee that hath not the Son Hee who is not united to Christ hath not Life Nor the Life of Justification here Nor the Life of Glorification hereafter So that you see there is no Hope of Life or Justification except wee bee united to Christ who hath all Life in him There 's nothing but death in the World out of him And there 's no way to have Union with Christ but by Faith which is one bond of our Union with Christ It is Faith that unites us to Christ as Members to the Head And being Members of Christ God pardons us If a Malefactor had committed treason against a King and were adjudged to lose his hand or his eye If hee could now make his Hand or his eye which hee were to lose to become the Hand or the eye of the Kings Son Hee should bee spared hee should not lose them They were the hands and the eyes of the Kings Son And the King would spare
Christ is such a Rock as doth derive vertue and strength unto the structure and building Indeed a man may build a weak house upon a strong foundation and the house fall for all that because the rock is a dead thing and cannot impart any of its strength unto the structure But it is not so here Bee the building never so weak yet this Rock can hold it up because it diffuseth its strength into the building Hence 1 Pet. 2.4 5. Christ is called a living not a dead Rock A living stone To whom comming as to a living Stone wee also as lively-stones are built up a spiritual house Which shews the transformation of the building into the nature and firmnesse of the Rock Thus you see Faith is a soul-securing-grace It sets a man upon a soul-securing-bottome It makes God our security who is called The strong-God The mighty-God The Rock of Refuge A defense A Shield A Tower A Fort. An High-place Mich. 4.8 The Tower of his Flock The strong hold of the daughter of Sion A Covert from the storm Isay 32.1 2. Faith makes All-God our security It ingages all-God to be our security His Power And is not this able to secure us His Wisdome And will not this secure us His Truth And will not this secure us His Mercy And cannot all this secure us Hee who trusts in the Lord Mercy shall compasse him on every side Hee is hemm'd in with Mercy Or mercy imbraceth him on every side to secure him As trust doth compasse mercy so mercy doth compass trust As trust imbraceth mercy so mercy imbraceth trust It is not Faith it self that doth secure us But Faith doth make God our security It sets a man upon a soul-securing-bottome on a soul-securing-God on a soul-securing-Power on a soul-securing-Mercy Therefore needs must a Beleeving a Trusting-soul be secure 2. It instates the soul in soul-securing-promises The promises of preservation from trouble Promises of Deliverance out of trouble All the promises which God hath made of Security Faith instates the soul into them all Hee hath promised When wee passe through the waters he will be with us and the waters shall not overflow us When we pass through the fire the flame shall not kindle upon us Isa 43.2 Hee hath promised Hee will stand at our right hand and wee shall not bee moved Psal 16. He will never leave us neither forsake us Heb. 13.6 The Gates of Hell shall never prevail against us Mat. 16.18 Hee hath promised to bee a Tower a Rock a Refuge a Covert from a storm an hiding place in time of Danger c. And it is faith that doth instate us into these Soul-securing-Promises As there is no promise to us till wee beleeve so if once wee beleeve all the Promises are ours Look into the word of God and what promises soever there are made for securing the soul All these are thine 3. Faith doth instate us into soul-securing-Priviledges 1 It makes us the Sons and Daughters of God John 1.12 13 As man as received him to them hee gave power or priviledge to become the Sons of God Even to as many as beleeved in his name Gal. 3.26 You are the children of God by faith in Christ And will not a father secure his child 2. Faith makes us the Spouse of Christ the members of Christ It ingrafts us and unites us into him And will he not secure his members 3. It make us the inheritance of Christ Hee hath promised to bee a Tower to his Flock A strong-hold to the Daughters of Sion These are all soul-securing-priviledges And therefore beleeving souls shall be secure Oh! Then Would you bee secured from the evil-day would you bee secured in the evil day Labour for Faith This alone secures the soul It sets a man upon a soul-securing-bottome Instates a man in soul-securing-promises Gives him right to soul-securing-priviledges Abrogate fears Surrogate Faith Down with fears which betray the succour of the soul and set up beleeving Sixth Royalty 6 Faith is an heart-humbling Grace 6 Royalty of Faith It s a soul-humbling Grace Whether it bee a Legal or whether it be an Evangelical Faith it works humiliation The one a Legal humiliation and casting down The other an Evangelical-humiliation we shall in this cheifly deal with the first It is said of Ahab that he humbled himself put on sackcloath and went softly And this was the fruit and effect of his Legal-Faith whereby hee beleeved the truth and certainty of Gods Judgements denounced against him and his house The men of Nineveh when Jonah preached that sad Sermon Jonah 3.4 Yet forty days and Nineveh shall bee destroyed It is said They beleeved God That is The truth of that message which Jonah brought from God And it follows as an effect of this Faith They humbled themselves and proclaimed a fast and put on Sack-cloath and sate in ashes from the King upon the Throne to the meanest of them And my Brethren Faith hath a great influence into the work of self-humbling 1 It takes up self-humbling Considerations From God the justice of God the threatnings the curses God hath denounced against sin 2. Faith doth Realize all this to the Soul which God hath said against sin Faith doth not make these things more reall then they are but doth Realize things to the Soul not imaginary but real things which being lookt upon as reall things do humble This is the Reason why one when he hears of Gods threatnings denounced against Sin goes home and lyes in the dust is humbled and cast down as Josiah when hee read the book of the Law And another stands up out-faceth Hell and the curse He is never humbled nor cast down It is because the one he looks upon these things are reall and true the other hee looks upon them as fancies Imaginary things If men beleeved that all that evil which God hath threatned against Sin were true they could not drink down sinne as water nor eat the bread of Sin with such delight as they do If the swearer did beleeve there were a flying Rol gone out against him as Zachary saith If the Drunkard did see death in the Pot c. If I say wicked men beleeved the Reality and Truth of these things they could not go on so quietly in their wicked courses but would be humbled Hence the Apostle sets this down for the ground why the Preaching of the word was not profitable to them Because it was not mixed with Faith in them that heard it They did not beleeve what they heard and so neither the word of Terror nor the word of Comfort did profit them As the promises of God are not quickning raising comforting except there bee Faith so the Threats are not Killing humbling working if Faith be not there Wee may preach till our spirits fail and spend our labour in vain our strength and pains for nought if the things which God speaks and we preach be not beleeved If you
under the light of the Gospel It is agreed upon all sides that this is damning Hee that beleeves shall bee saved but hee that beleeves not shall bee damned Mercy it self saith so Hee that you look to bee saved by saith it Mark 16.16 Nay not only damned but the sorest damnation of all the deepest Cellars of Hell the lowest Vaults of Hell are reserved for such who are Unbeleevers now under the Gospel This is condemnation that is the sorest condemnation That Light is come into the VVorld that a Christ is tendred to you a Christ is offered to you and men love darkness rather than light yet men will not beleeve John 3.19 There is no fall into Hell like such an one as is taken at a stumble at Christ No damnation like that which is pronounced in the Court of Mercy An Unbeleever is condemned in the Court of Mercy And when Mercy it self condemns as it shews the offence to bee hainous so it makes the condemnation the more heavy As the sowrest Vineger comes from the sweetest VVine so out of the sweetest Mercy the sorest condemnation It will bee ten thousand times easier for those who are condemned under the Law their torments will not bee so heavy Hell will not bee so hot to them as to such who are now condemned under the Gospel It had been better for you that you had been born Turks and Heathens such as never heard of Christ than Christians if you live and dye in an unbeleeving condition Thus you see Unbelief is a remediless sin Such a sin as there is no remedy for it no plaister for it All other sins have a Remedy and Christ is the Remedy But unbelief denies the Remedy There is a plaister for Drunkenness for Swearing for Murder c. All other sins have a Plaister and Christ is that Plaister But Unbelief denies the Plaister God gives the Mercy of the Book to all other sins if sinned against the Law and condemned by the Law yet hee tenders the Mercy of the Book Hee that beleeveth shall bee saved But Unbelief rejects this Mercy It will not read If the Law condemn us wee are suffered to appeal to the Gospel If Justice condemn us wee are suffered to appeal to Mercy As you see the Publican who was arraigned sentenced and condemned by the Law But hee appeals to the Court of Mercy God bee merciful to mee a sinner And you see the Sentence took no hold on him But now If Mercy condemn us if the Gospel condemn us whither shall wee appeal whither shall wee go Now it is Mercy that condemns unbeleeving men they are condemned in the Court of Mercy Hence one There is no sin that doth peremptorily Non filios Diaboli faciunt quaecunque peccata Filios Diaboli infidelitas facit and Quoad eventum damn us but unbeleeving There is no sin that doth de facto bring death but unbeleeving Other sins do create a merit of death but unbelief doth actually bring death upon the soul While a man beleeves not hee is under the Covenant of Works and there sin doth de facto bring death it bindes all sin upon the conscience makes a man to stand out to answer for his own guilt bear his own curse and therefore it is said Joh. 3.18 Hee that beleeves not is condemned already Hee is condemned in all Courts 1. In the Court of Justice The Law condemns him Cursed is every man that continues not in every thing that is written in the Law to do the same Gal. 3.10 2. In the Court of Mercy That condemns him This is the sentence there Hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned Mark 16.16 3. In the Court of Conscience Hee is self-condemned and hath a beginning of the execution Thus then you see of what a fearful nature is this sin of unbelief It is the greatest damning sin now under the Gospel 2 Motives from the necessity of Faith 1. In respect of our Persons 2. In respect of our Performances 1. Faith is needful in respect of our Persons Our Persons are 1. Under the guilt of sin of many thousand sins And without Faith there is no Justification 2. Under the power of sin of lust And without Faith no subduing 3. Under the pollution and filth of sin And wee had need of Faith for the purifying of our hearts So that Faith is needful for the justifying of our Persons the subduing of our lusts the purifying of our hearts 2. Faith is needful in respect of our Performances Faith is necessary to every work of a Christian needful to every Ordinance Wee must pray in Faith hear in Faith receive in Faith do all things in Faith Faith must incorporate it self with every duty Whatever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14.23 Whatever is before Faith is only the issue of a corrupt nature and of a corrupt conscience and therefore it cannot please God Tit. 1.15 Rom. 10.14 Faith is the salt which seasons and sweetens every duty It is the life and soul of every performance without which all are but dead and stinking works and cannot please God Faith is to duty as the Soul is to the Body When you go to Prayer you had need of Faith whereby you may Cry Abba Father without which Prayer is but the complaint of Nature or the cry of a hopeless and desperate heart When you go to hear you had need of Faith to incorporate it self with the word heard without which the word will not profit us nor the word Promising nor the word threatning the one to humble us the other to raise us and comfort us When you go to receive you had need of Faith Hee goes to work without tooles that goes to any Ordinance without Faith You have need of Faith to give you admission into Gods Presence Draw neer with a true heart in assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 You have need of Faith to give you acceptance in the work You have need of Faith to procure a blessing when all is done Faith is the great Grace that is to bee imployed in all the Ordinances of God This must run through every Ordinance if you would profit by them The word must bee mingled with Faith Prayer with Faith c. Unbelief makes every Ordinance of God unprofitable to us What is the reason that men hear the Word and get no more benefit but because they beleeve not Heb. 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them because it was not mingled with Faith in them that heard it Do you think the word of Threatning could bee heard and you not bee humbled if you did beleeve the Truth of all who were able to lift up his head nay to stand under the threats of the great God of Heaven and Earth if hee did beleeve It is said The Devils beleeve and tremble Jam. 2. And had you but as much Faith as they to beleeve the truth of what God threatens against sin it would make the stoutest sinner of
bee content to climb to Heaven by a thread of our own spinning God is willing to give and wee would deserve hee would have all of Grace and wee would have all of debt Wee would fain bring our penny to the Promise yea when wee are nothing wee would bring our own nothingness So hard it is to make a soul empty and when that is done to bring that empty soul over to the Promise 3. A third ground from our selves which makes men humbled so slow to beleeve It may bee too much tenderness they are affraid of abusing Gods Justice in their closes with his Mercie Oh say they I am affraid of presuming of Mercy It was their fault before to presume the fear of it their fault now I say to presume of Mercy was their fault before and the fear of presuming is their fault now One would think this to carry a fair forehead they dare not beleeve say they and why so because they are affraid to presume is not this a good pretence But ah here is the Prince of darkness like the Angel of light let us examine it thou sayest thou darest not beleeve because thou art affraid to presume And why dost thou fear to presume It is presumption to beleeve Mercy and yet continue in a way of sin and it is presumption to expect Mercy in a way of unbelief but it is no presumption to beleeve Why dost thou fear thou shalt presume thou canst not say thou takes that which doth not belong to thee for it belongs to whoever can take it But it may bee thou sayest thou art not fitted for Mercy thou art then fit for Mercy when thou art made willing to close with Mercy in the tearms of Mercy that is to take Mercy as to render up thy self to duty as to give up thy self to obey But thou sayest thou shalt presume for thou art not worthy of Mercy And wouldest thou bee worthy of Mercy dost thou know what thou sayest wouldest thou deserve Mercy where then were Grace This overthrows the Covenant of Grace it cannot bee a Covenant of Grace if there should bee any thing of thy bringing which is not of Gods bestowing May wee not say to thee truly what Eliab Davids Brother falsely said to him when hee told him hee came out for Gods Glory Hee tells him no it was the pride of his heart 1 Sam. 17.28 So thou pretends Gods Glory thou sayest because thou wouldest not wrong Gods Justice and make Gods Mercy a sinfull mercy therefore thou doest not beleeve but take heed it bee not the pride of thy heart If the time would permit I would put something to thee 1. By way of Question 2. By way of Supposal 1. That which I should have put to thee by way of question should have been 1. Couldst thou not have beleeved God would bee mercifull unto thee if thou wert not so sinfull 2. If thou wert more humble if thou hadst more Grace couldst thou not bee content to pennance thy self for a time for thy former sin were not this good and what were this but to make thy humiliation a step to Mercy to a pardon 2. That which I would put by way of supposal Suppose thou hadst been a Traytor and thy Prince should offer thee a pardon for all thy treason upon condition of acceptance and rendring up thy self to him for service And thou shouldest refuse a pardon because thou art a Rebel or Traitor or because thou doubt'st of the truth and reality of thy Princes tender or else because thou thinkest thou art not able to do him service for future therefore wilt not accept of a pardon for present what should wee think of this Or suppose a Creditor should tell thee if thou wouldest but bring thy books come to him and reckon with him and acknowledge thy debt hee would pardon thy debt And the debtor should now refuse to come 1. Either because hee is not able to pay 2. Or because hee thinks hee shall bee able to discharge all himself in time 3. Or else because hee doubts of the truth of his intention in stead of bringing him to reckon that hee might pardon him hee intends to arrest him and cast him into prison Is not here a great deal of pride and unbeleef and wronging of love And how shall wee interpret this standing off is not the case alike God tenders mercy to thee as a Prince a pardon and thou refusest why either thou beleevest not the truth of this that God offers pardon upon beleeving or else thou thinks to deserve thine own pardon So God offers thee an acquittance if thou wilt bring thy book and come and reckon with him confess sin acknowledge Mercy but thou commest not and what is the reason either thou beleevest not the truth of this this is too good news to bee true thou thinkest it is but to take advantage against thee You think when you go to God in confession you go as a debtor into the hands of a hard Creditor who doth but wait to arrest him You cannot beleeve the truth of this offer or else you think you shall bee able to pay your own debt in time 4. Another ground from our selves why wee are so slow to beleeve is that wee doubt of Gods will wee doubt whether God will have mercy on us yea or no. It is with us as with a Prince or Creditor as before were wee but well setled in the Major of the Gospel in these truths 1. That God sent his Son for this end into the World to save poor sinners 2. That Christ was able to save to the utmost 3. And that Christ was as willing as hee is powerfull wee should not bee so slow of heart to beleeve My Brethren what can God do more to perswade you of his willingness nay more what could Christ do more than is done Will you go by his revealed will and that you shall bee judged by at the last day why there you see nothing but willingness of God and Christ to accept of them who come If you should go by the revealed will of man you may bee deceived they may speak one thing and intend another But if you go by the revealed will of God you cannot miscarry because Gods heart is really the same that his word is hee speaks not a syllable more than hee will make good Men speak often more than their hearts or they may speak contrary to their hearts but God doth not hee really intends what hee speaks And his revealed will tells thee that hee would have thee saved by comming c. that if thou wilt beleeve thou shalt bee saved That if thou confess c. therefore no cause to doubt of Gods will 5. A fifth ground of our slowness to beleeve It may bee you finde some rest to your souls on this side Christ It may bee you have been troubled for sin have been in anguish of conscience and you have prayed you have mourned
the more at their bringing in As you see Paul Luther Augustine All Gods people are Souldiers but few are Champions some hee hath for lighter skirmishes and less humimiliation will serve their turn to prepare them for them But such as hee intends for the main battle to bee Champions in his cause hee doth usually exercise with greater difficulties that so they might not start aside in the day of tryal 4. Some hee intends to bee patterns and examples of mortification in the world and therefore carries them on with troubles of spirit and lets them lye longer in them that being raised up they may bee dead to the World ever after Thus you see the like measures are not necessary neither inrespect of Gods ends nor in respect of your selves and why then should any mans humiliation bee a pattern for thee All that can bee said in it is this that so much is required as to cast us out of our selves make us weary of our sins willing to sell all cut off right hands pull out right eyes to part with the dearest and beloved sins for Christ Wee all agree it is sufficient when it doth cast a man out of himself and bring him over to Christ and how much that is who can set down A less degree will do that in one which it will not in another if the same measures were alike necessary for all then it would follow 1. That every one is so to labour to come to that measure as to receive no comfort in the Promise till hee have attained it 2. And it would follow that what comfort any may have gotten in the Promise they are to yeeld up if they have not had the like measures that others have attained to and what perplexities fears doubts would so bee left in the consciences of men so that they would never finde a bottome to stand on As in Grace a man would never have comfort if his comfort were to arise from the measures and not from the truth So in humiliation many poor souls in taking others for a pattern have lost the rule and put themselves into a greater in capacity to close with the Promise at a greater distance from Christ than they were before and have made themselves miserable for the present and for the future and so have gone drooping even to their graves And it had been better for many speakers and hearers too if this Doctrin had been pressed more before How many have had their heads broken in peeces with it and it is easier for these troubles to break the head than to break the heart But thus much for the second Thus you see wee have finished the two generals That wee are slow of heart to beleeve What are the grounds that men are slow of heart to beleeve 3. Wee come to the next what are the reasons that this temper of spirit is so offensive unto God I have given you many reasons in my Sabbath dayes discourse on the third of John Why God was so severe against unbeleef All which would serve as so many demonstrations of this point wee will at this time adde but these three more Reas 1. Slowness of heart to beleeve is a temper very offensive to God because it argues and speaks a corrupt heart A heart byassed with other respects which hinders from closing with Christ As Christ saith Joh. 5.44 How can you beleeve when you seek honour when you are byassed with such respects as these Such a spirit either it argues ignorance or pride or love of sin or jealousy of the truth of God the goodness of God and this is very offensive jealousy is the rage of a man c. which is more provoking because God hath so far condescended to our weakness for our establishment that hee hath not only given us his Promise his Covenant his Oath and Seal and all to comfort us And if notwithstanding all this wee shall nourish a spirit of jealousy and cherish our doubts and distrusts this must needs bee very displeasing unto God Vae nobis si nec juranti Deo credimus Aug. If a man should give you his Promise and yet to satisfie you to his Promise hee should annex his Oath and to his Oath his Seal c. If yet notwithstanding you will bee jealous and distrust him how would this make a mans bloud to rise how would hee break forth into rage what will you not beleeve mee do you think mee to bee a Devil do you think I will bee perjured c. And how much more must this provoke God who is immutably true of his word One syllable being a better bottome for a soul to rest upon than all the Protestations of men and Angels men though true Angels though true yet they are not in themselves immutably true because they are but Creatures but now God is hee is truth it self no shadow of change in him Nay and not only true but able to make good his Word what hee hath promised Men may bee true and yet want ability to perform but what God hath said hee will do because hee is faithfull and hee is able to do because almighty And hath God condescended to us so far as not only to give us his Promise his Oath Covenant and Seal and are wee yet slow of heart to beleeve do wee yet nourish jealousies and distrusts Why then judge if this must not needs bee a high provocation of God And that is the first reason because this sin speaks corruption of heart Reas 2. Because such a spirit what in it lyes makes void and null the great things of God I say as much as in thee lyes for thou canst not do it As the Apostle saith God is faithfull whether men beleeve or beleeve not so God is mercifull powerfull wise gracious true whether men will beleeve or beleeve not But this I say as much as in thee lies thou makest void all the great and stupendious things of God wee will name these seven 1. Thou makest void the great councels of God all the thoughts of his wisdome in contriving such a way to advance his glory in the salvation of men God had purposed and contrived from everlasting to make himself glorious to set up and advance the glory of his wisdome and grace and this is the way his wisdome pitched upon from everlasting to do all this by sending of Christ into the World and thou by standing out dost not only frustrate Gods ends in thy salvation but as much as in thee lyes nullest and makest void all the thoughts and contrivings of his wisdome for all this is to no purpose while thou stands out and wilt not beleeve 2. Thou makest void all the thoughts of his Mercy in which he desired to set forth himself and make himself visible to the lost sons of men by sending of Christ into the World But now if thou wilt not beleeve to what purpose were all these great things of God to what purpose
ordinary paths of Providence and goes in Extraordinaries that hee might discover his Glory and Power and advance his own Name This know that it is Gods great design in the World to advance his own Name and make it glorious to the ends of the Earth This is one way God doth it by even doing wonderful things for his Church Hereby God wins a great deal of honour and praise from the Saints and dread and terror from the wicked as the Scriptures speak You know how terrible was the Name of the God of Israel to all the Earth by those great wonders God had done for Israel in Egypt And therefore this was the argument which David used why God should destroy such as were his enemies and work deliverances for such as were his people That men might know that thou whose Name alone is Jehovah art the most high over all the Earth Psal 83.18 Great Mercies and wonderful deliverances publish and set forth God when smaller cannot do it Great Deliverances publish great Power great Mercy great Wisdome and great Truth God is lost in smaller deliverances but visible in greater They who are unwilling to acknowledge God in lesser are forced to acknowledge him in greater deliverances and to say with them who without doubt were loath enough to acknowledge it Digitus Dei est hic The finger of God is here None but a God could have disappointed such Counsels None but a God could have discovered such Plots None but a God could have removed such Evils None but a God could have wrought such Deliverances 3. The third Reason why God doth wonderful things for his Church is as to get so to uphold his great Name You have an excellent place for this in Deut. 32.27 God was highly displeased with Israel for their provocations of him and hee threatned to destroy them yet after all this hee saith I said I would scatter them into corners and would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and lest they should say our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this The like you have in 2 King 18.35 Who are there among the Gods of the Countries that can deliver out of my hand so hee vaunted and God suffered him to soare so high that hee might have the greater praise and his Glory bee higher advanced by the greater downfal of such a Lucifer And this was the Argument which Moses urged God withal when hee threatned to destroy the Children of Israel Numb 14.15 Now if thou kill this people then the Nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak saying Because the Lord was not able to bring this People into the Land which hee sware unto them therefore hath hee slain them in the Wilderness As if hee had said Thou hast gotten thy self a Name by the mighty wonders which thou hast done for thy people but if thou shouldest leave now and do no more thou wouldest lose thy glory which thou hast gotten and the Nations would bee ready to charge thee with weakness and impotency that thou wast not able to do what thou hast promised and purposed to do for thy People The like you have in Deut. 9.28 And in Exod. 32.12 And the same Argument you have in Jos 8.9 When God went not forth with the armies of Israel but suffered them to bee smitten by their enemies O Lord saith Joshua what shall I say when Israel turn their backs upon their enemies If it bee thus what will become of thy great Name Arguing by this that there was a necessity for God to do great things for his People still to uphold that great Name hee had gotten which otherwise would fall to the ground Psal 79.9 Help us for the glory of thy Name and deliver us for thy Names sake And an excellent place you have for this in Isa 48.9 10 11. For my Names sake will I defer my wrath and for my Praise will I refrain it from thee that I cut thee not off 4. Reas God doth wonderful things for his People that hee might inherit wonderful praises from his People Therefore doth God work wonderful deliverances for his Church that his Church might return sutable praises to God again Psal 111.4 Hee hath done his wonderful works to bee remembred As if hee had said it was for this end that God did those wonderful works wrought those great deliverances that they might bee remembred that they might bee kept upon the imagination of the thoughts of the heart for ever As in 1 Chron. 29.18 That wee might bee so many living Monuments of thankfulness so many Trumpets to sound forth the praise of his Greatness and Goodness from Generation to Generation And hee that forgets Thankfulness forgets the end of Gods bestowing of Mercy and robs himself of the fruit and effect of the present Mercy and hinders himself of future 5. Reas God doth wonderful things for his Church to adde torture to the Devil and his Children Gods mercies and deliverances to the Saints must needs inrage the Devil and wicked men When Haman had prevailed so far as to get a bloody decree against the Jews hee joyed exceedingly as one that promised to himself the utter ruine of them all Now God stepping in on a sudden and shewing a wonder to disappoint him in his design No man can conceive much less express how much this added to Hamans torture and vexation Hee goeth home and vexeth himself and vexeth in his bed and could have no rest Achitophel was so tortured that his design did not take that hee was impatient of his Life Hee could not ease himself but by destroying himself The like you have of Balak God hath his wayes to make wicked men gnash their teeth before they come to Hell and this is one way to put them in a kinde of hope of having their will upon the godly as they had in the verse before the Text I will pursue I will destroy I will divide the spoil And then on a sudden over-turning all blowing upon their projects bringing all their enterprizes to nought Oh! this doth make them vex and torture their own souls 6 Reason God doth wonderfull things for his Church and People That both our selves and the Generations to come might be quickned and stirred up to trust in him obey him 1. That wee our selves might bee quickned to trust in him And this you see was the fruit of that great deliverance in the text Exod. 14.31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord had done upon the Egyptians And the People feared the Lord and beleeved the Lord. And this use David made That God that hath delivered mee from the Lyon and the Bear hee will also deliver mee from this uncircumcised Philistine So Psal 63.7 Because thou hast been my helper therefore under the shaddow of thy wings I will rejoyce That
as indeed hee hath let us hereby bee taught three lessons 1. Of Thankfulness 2. Of Obedience 3. Of Dependence 1. Here is a lesson of thankfulness to bee learned Wee 1. Thankfulness even wee stand before God this day the subjects of abundance of mercies Many mercies God hath bestowed on us and long continued to us Many evils hee hath kept from us and many evils hee hath freed us from Wee stand before God this day the brands of many glorious deliverances which God hath wrought for us Wee have received more mercy and have had experience of more goodnesse preventing delivering mercy within these three years than others have had in three Generations God hath discovered the wonders of his wisdome the wonders of his power the wonders of his mercy and love in many a glorious deliverance which hee hath wrought for us And how ought wee to bee carryed out with praises under the injoyments of so many mercies how should our souls being warmed with the sense and consideration of these mercies burst forth into a flame of praises to God But alas It is with us as with the Children of Israel Wee are very solicitous wanters but wee are forgetful injoyers And that which should bee a means of drawing us nearer to God is a means of further distance from him I must tell you that your unthankfulness under all these receits of mercy is a great and a provoking sin and might justly make a stop of mercy now 1. It is an inhumane sin against the very principles of Humanity A beastly sin nay worse for the Oxe knows his owner and the Asse his Masters crib It s a devilish sin 2. It is a sinning sin a productive sin a womb of sin it brings forth many more sins 3. It is the abuse of a good God Who can least of all indure to bee abused in his mercies 4. It is the grave of Mercy Where all Gods mercies are buryed and lost a very land of forgetfulnesse 5. It is the destruction of mercy Hos 2.8 9. Shee knew that I gave her Corne and Wine and Oil and that I multiplyed her silver and gold c. Therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the season thereof and my Wine in its season and I will recover my Wool and my Flax. That which gives birth to mercy is Prayer and tha which gives breath to mercy is Thankfulnesse Mercy is but short breathed short lived when men are unthankful Unthankfulnesse cuts the throat of Mercies Unthankful persons are never long injoyers of mercies 2. A lesson of Obedience 2. Learn a Lesson of Obedience Let the Mercy of God quicken you to duty Look upon every mercy as a further ingagement to you to walk more holily and more exactly with God As all the spiritual mercies of God Election Redemption Justification Sanctification promises of Glorification were all bestowed as ingagements to Obedience So all the temporal mercies also 1 Sam. 12.24 Therefore fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your hearts and consider what great things hee hath done for you When mercies are spurs to duties when mercies make the least addition to graces God is well pleased with the bestowing of mercy and where God sees such ground hee delights to sow the seed of mercy 3. A lesson of Dependence 3. Learn a lesson of Dependence upon God It is a shame that wee should bee afresh to seek in every new difficulty It was that which God blamed the Children of â—srael for That notwithstanding the great and wonderful works hee had done in their sight and eyes yet they did distrust him all was not enough to work up their hearts to beleeve God and trust in him And David blames them for the same Psal 78.19 20. They spake against God can God furnish a Table in the wilderness Indeed hee smote the Rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed But can hee give bread also Can hee provide flesh for his people One would think this a senselesse reasoning But Unbeleef is a senselesse sin One would think that they did sufficiently answer themselves That what went before had been answer sufficient to what followed after The same power was required for the doing of the one that was for the other and when they had seen the power of God to work the greater 't was strange they should doubt of the lesse but here is the basenesse of our spirit Though God have given us never so many experiences yet wee are still to seek in every new act of dependence on him And without further grace wee cannot do it Wee think when wee are in straits and difficulties if God would but help us through this strait if hee would but relieve us in this difficulty wee should never distrust God whilst vvee lived wee should depend on him in the saddest conditions whiles wee have a being But these are but our present thoughts and without future assistances and supplies wee are as far to seek in another as wee were in the first Well My Brethren God hath wrought many great things for us every one of them should bee a Life-mercy a standing-mercy a mercy to bee set up to incourage us to depend on him for ever Mercies that wee should live on in straits and feed upon in difficulties mercies that should bee for store to feed upon for a long time You have an expression Psal 74.14 Thou brakest the head of the Leviathan in peeces and gavest him to bee meat to thy people in the Wilderness By Leviathan is meant Pharaoh and God gave him to bee meat to his people in the wildernesse That is Hee wrought that deliverance for them before they entred into the wildernesse that this might bee meat for them to feed upon and strengthen their Faith in dependence upon God in the wildernesse where they were put to it by so many difficulties This mercy was to bee a standing-dish not for a meal only but for store meat laid in to feed on to strengthen their dependence Faith is called Feeding John 6. And the experience of Gods goodnesse is Pabulum Fidei the meat of Faith That mercy is never well digested that is not fed upon Hee that doth not feed upon a mercy gets no nourishment by a mercy no good You take the Name of God in vain that is his works his experiences which are part of his Name you take them in vain All this is but food cast away upon you if thereby you are not strengthned for the Fuller dependence upon God And now my brethren wee have had many Glorious experiences of Gods goodness to us and all these are meat to feed upon You are now in new straits and difficulties bring out your standing-dishes the former mercyes and experiences to feed upon to refresh your Faith to inable you to depend upon God afresh Hee that is not a good Treasurer a good Storer of mercys hee is never out of straits hee
ears See what followes vers 7 8 13.14 Then the Earth shook and trembled The Lord thundred in the Heavens and the highest gave his voice Hailstones and coals of fire Hee sent out his arrows and scattered them hee shot out his lightenings and discomfitted them And an excellent place you have Isa 54.15 When the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him That is shall both defend from his violence and put him to flight And it is an observable phrase The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard That is saith one The Spirit of Prayer is lift up When trouble and evil are threatned the enemie comes like a flood irresistably then the Spirit of the Lord stirring up Prayer in his peoples hearts shall lift up a standard against them bee your defence and chase them away When God doth intend to bestow great things on his People first hee gives them the Spirit of Prayer the Harbinger and Forerunner of mercy Jer. 3.19 But I said How shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a pleasant land As if hee had said I have purposes of mercy to thee I have thoughts of deliverance I think to bring thee into thy own land again and do wonders for thee But what way shall I go to effect and bring about this And I said thou shalt call mee my Father As if hee had said I have now bethought mee of a way I will poure a spirit of Prayer upon thee and thou shalt call mee Father and so I will put thee among my Children 3. Bee incouraged to hope as well as to pray Hope 3 Incouragement to hope in God Heb. 6.19 it is called the anchor of the soul sure and stedfast that takes sure hold and then breaks not in the greatest tempest at such an anchor wee may ride in the most overgrown storm They say Clement was cast into the Sea with an anchor fastened to him and could not drown wee shall not in the deepest Waters if wee bee fastened to this anchor for God delights in them who hope in his Mercy Psal 147.11 and whom God delights in enemies shall not delight over his mercy shall prevent their utterly undoing-misery Hope is the Daughter of Faith therefore when Faith hath brought forth the birth of Prayer let it bring forth the other Twin also of Hope And then also 4. To wait on God 4. Bee incouraged to wait For as long as we hope we will wait and no longer as long as you expect and hope your friend will come to you so long you will stay and wait for him but give over hoping once and then you will together give over waiting Hope hath two acts it expects that a Mercy will come and then it waits till it do come as it is confident of Gods goodness and truth that in his due time hee will shew mercy so it is conscious to its own duty and therefore humbly and patiently waits Gods leisure till that time come and this although many cross Providences and greatest dangers should come between yea in the way of thy Judgements O Lord have wee waited for thee saith the Church Isa 26.8 and well they may seeing by experience they ever finde that the Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Lam. 3.25 And then when you have learned these lessons of trusting in God praying hoping and waiting on him Then you shall say with the Church Isa 25.9 Loe this is our God wee have waited for him and hee will save us This is the Lord wee have waited for him wee will rejoyce and bee joyful in his salvation There are many glorious wonders which God is now to do at the latter end of the World for his Church This time is reserved for a time of Wonders And who knows but this may bee one of the Wonders which God now doth for his Church at this time Could wee but remove 1. Our Unbeleef 2. Our Unthankfulness 3. Our Neglect of Duty 4. Our Unworthy Walking Could wee but 1. Beleeve more Strongly 2. Pray more Fervently 3. Live more Holily And God would do Wonders for us I tell you the way to ingage God to do Wonders for England is 1. To Beleeve more 2. To Pray more 3. To Reform more 1 Would you ingage God to do Wonders for England Beleeve Set Faith on work and you will work in the bowels of a Promise nay in the bowels of God pitch Faith upon God Let Faith have her full and perfect work And there is No Temptation so strong but Faith will conquer No Affliction so great but Faith will master No Prison so strait but Faith will open No Danger so great but Faith relieves us in No Misery so unsufferable but Faith will deliver us out Do but beleeve saith Christ and thou shalt see the wondrous works of God As if hee had said God will do no wonders John 6.4 if you will not beleeve Indeed God can do wonders as Christ said Hee could not do much because of their unbeleef Though unbelief take no Power no Wisdome from God For as the Apostle saith God is faithfull whether men beleeve or no So I may say God is Powerfull God is mercifull God â—â— Wise c. though wee beleeve not But though our unbelief do not weaken the Power of God yet it straitens and limits it Though it rob God of no mercy yet it robs us of all Though he hath mercy yet hath he none for us Well then that is the first Beleeve You have to deal with a God and this God is a God of Power and this God and this power is yours in Covenant And by vertue of that all for your good Let Faith now stirre Mark 9.23 If you can but beleeve all things are possible wonders are possible To Beleeve is difficult but to him that Beleeveth nothing is impossible If you had but faith as a grain of mustard-seed say to this mountain bee thou removed hence and bee cast into the sea and it shall bee done Though Faith bee but weak though but small A grain yet if it bee but lively if a grain of Mustard-seed Acris Fervida if it have Acrimonie and Vivacity in it as Mustard-seed hath one grain shall bee able to remove a mountain That is whatever may bee to the glory of God and the good of his Church be it never so difficult the least Faith if true Faith will effect it and bring it about You shall read in Heb. 11.33 what wonders Faith hath wrought It hath the same Power and the same God of power to deal with still Incouragements to Faith I have given you diverse in the former discourses from the Power from the love of God from all those former experiences that both ourselves and generations before have had of Gods goodnesse As I have shewed at large 2 Would you ingage God pray to