the second Covenant That Text is very full and worthy to be wrot on our hearts in letters of gold and as with the pen of a diamond Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified 3. The ultimate or compleating act of this justifying faith whereby it becometh such is a fiducial resting or relying upon Christ for righteousness and acceptation with the Lord and for all the spiritual benefits that follow thereupon That which I aim at is this That justifying faith is not absolved and compleated by a bare assent of the understanding but it doth evidently include an act of the heart With the heart man believeth unto righteousness Rom. 10.10 If thou believest with all thine heart Acts 8.37 And the special act of the heart is a reliance upon Christ leaving a mans soul in his hands upon the articles of the Covenant of grace leaning upon his merits for acceptance with God receiving him as he is offered to sinners in the Gospel and trusting in him for acceptance and salvation Thus we have it explained Eph. 1.12 13. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom also ye trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise This is the faith both of Jew and Gentiles We first believed unto whom the word of salvation was first spoken and afterwards ye also believed in Christ What is this believing Why it is a trusting in Christ First the soul heareth the word of salvation promised in Christ and assenteth to the truth of that word and thereupon is perswaded to make his actual application unto Christ and trusteth in him for salvation Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him q. d. There is no way of avoiding destruction from Christ but by believing in him resting upon him they are the blessed of the Lord that put their trust in him * Sed multum inter est utruns â—â—isque credat ipsum esse Christum utrum credat in Christum Nam ipsum esse Christum daemones crediderunt Ille enim credit in Christum qui sperat in Christum diligit Christum Aug. Indeed there are many acts of the soul required unto this faith and comprized therein If a man believe in Christ he must have some competent knowledge of the nature of Christ and his mediatory office and satisfaction there must be a firm and lively assent to the truth of the Gospel a sense of the evil of sin and the inability of all other means besides the righteousness of Christ to recover the sinner out of his lost condition But now a fiducial reliance upon Christ for salvation is the last compleating act For when the sinner being driven from all other refuges whatsoever doth not only hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ but actually renounceth every thing for him and embraceth him as his Saviour casting his soul and all his spiritual concernments into Christ's hands and resting upon him alone for salvation as he is offered in the Gospel this is a justifying and saving faith As a self-justiciary relieth upon his own righteousness so a true believer râ—steth upon Christ's righteousness This is set forth by coming unto Christ Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Come unto me that is believe in me place your hope and confidence in my righteousness The Lord Jesus in the Gospel is set forth as a propitiation he was sent to be the Redeemer of lost sinners Now when a person being affected with his lost estate sensible of the wrath of God and the insupportableness of it and labouring under the burden of sin doth come unto Christ as such and make use of him to that end namely to be his Redeemer and doth rest upon him to make atonement for his soul this is to believe with a justifying faith Joh. 6.35 He that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst It is a looking unto Christ alone for redemption and deliverance upon his account As the brazen Serpent was an eminent type of the Lord Jesus Num. 21.8 9. so the Israelites looking up thereunto did signifie our faith in Jesus by whom our diseases are healed When a poor sinner is stung in his conscience with the fiery Serpent of the guilt of sin and being filled with dread in apprehension of the sad consequents of it doth look up unto Christ as held forth upon the pole of the Gospel to be a Saviour and doth rest upon him expecting redemption only through his blood here are the workings of a justifying faith Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up by dying on the Cross or by the publication and tender of his death and righteousness in the Gospel That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life This is the third particular which I intended to commend to you for opening the nature of faith which is the bond of our union with Jesus Christ 4. Wherever and in what soul soever there is this fiducial reliance upon Christ and his righteousness in a saving way there is also as a necessary companion thereof an universal subjection to the will of Christ and a ready submission to his government This I add in the last place to prevent if it be possible the abuse of this doctrine by carnal hearts and to stop the mouth of those clamours which are raised by some against it and the aspersions which they cast upon this evangelical truth as if it were not a doctrine according to godliness Will such be ready to say This doctrine will imbolden sinners in their presumption and vain confidence If to believe savingly on Christ be to rest on him for salvation who will not think that be doth believe What carnal wretch will not say that he doth rely upon Christ But mind it Sirs it is not a thinking or saying he doth rely upon Christ will give a man an interest in him but when he doth rest upon him indeed as he is propounded for a Saviour in the Gospel And such a faith will purifie the heart and cause the person believing to bring forth fruits of holiness in the conversation Else it will be an evidence that he doth but pretend thereunto and doth not rest upon Christ in truth For although it be not the work
you bring forth the fruits of righteousness here and endeavour to be holy in all manner of conversation If you live in any course of sin or in the neglect of observing any of God's commandments it is not possible you should come to the enjoyment of God whilst you abide in that estate Never dream of being saved without holiness for such imaginations are but dreams and fancies Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived c. q. d. It is a plain case that the unrighteous will perish unavoidably it is a token of gross ignorance to think otherwise Do not hope for or expect salvation without righteousness for by such hopes and expectations you will but cheat your own souls Gal. 5.19 20 21. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like Of the which I tell you before as I have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Mark it if a man live in any of these sins or in any other sin like unto these whether it be filthiness of the flesh or of the spirit open or secret though not here particularly enumerated he cannot enter into eternal life It is a matter as if the Apostle had said which I have studied and the more I think of it the more I am confirmed in it I have preached this doctrine to you formerly and I am still of the same mind and therefore warn you of it again that if you be such persons you cannot be saved 2. Although I counsel you to be much in the works of righteousness yet you must despair of ever being justified or saved upon the account of your righteousness For alas what are the best of our righteousnesses to give satisfaction to the justice of God for the wrong that we have done him If you be pardoned and accepted of the Lord it must be for the sake of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and not by virtue of any thing of your own For the Seripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3.22 3. Although you must be active and diligent in the service of God and labour to walk in uprightness before him yet you are utterly to despair of doing this in your own strength It is only strength and aflistance from Jesus Christ that will inable you to be faithful unto Christ If you trust in your own hearts they will deceive you 2 Cor. 3.5 Psal 71.15 16. * Ad evulsionem hominis à statu peccati requiritur 3. ut ex evictione conscientiae desperatiosalutis consequatur respectu nostrarum virium omnis etiam auxilii quod à creaturis haberi potest Ames de cons 4. I would counsel you to work up your hearts to an utter despair of receiving either righteousness or strength from Christ except you get into him Sit down and rest in this conclusion that unless you be united to the Son of God you cannot dwell in the presence of God There is no salvation to be had upon other terms And thus to despair of deliverance in a state of separation from Christ is an excellent means or inducement to drive you unto him Thus the Law is our School-master to lead us unto Christ i. e. by convincing us of our undone condition without him * Lex in vero suo officio est ad gratiam ministra praeparatrix prodest ad justificationem non quod justificat sed quia urgeat ad promissionem gratiae cam facit dulcem desiderabilem Luth. It pursueth us with wrath as the avenger of bloud that we may be forced to hasten into the City of refuge Gal. 3.24 This is the first Direction I intended in order to the attainment of this grace of union Direct 2. If you would be united unto the Son Get the Spirit of the Lord Jesus into your hearts It is only the holy Ghost who is sent in his name that can lead you unto him and ingraff you in him and form Christ within you And if you have not the Spirit of Christ you cannot be his Rom. 8.9 And therefore to this end 1. Be much in prayer to God for this very mercy that he would graciously send the Spirit of his Son into your souls There is an encouraging word to draw forth your fervent supplications in this behalf Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him It is the mercy which he delights to be sought unto for and to be dealing forth in return to the prayers of his Servants 2. Be much conversant with the word of Christ and constant in your attendance upon the Ordinances of the Gospel Be frequent in reading and studying the Scriptures make them the matter of your daily meditations lose no opportunity to acquaint your selves therewith or to wait upon Christ in the wayes of his appointment Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Col. 3.16 For it is the word and institutions of Jesus Christ which are designed as conduit-pipes to convey the spirit of sanctification into mens hearts And therefore the word hath the promise of conversion annexed unto it because the spirit of conversion worketh in and with and by the word Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Jam. 1.18 Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth As the word cannot work savingly without the concurrent operation of the holy Ghost So the holy Ghost doth not ordinarily work without the word For the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 And when our Saviour prayeth for them that should be gathered unto him it is under this expression For them that shall believe on me through their word Joh. 17.20.3 Take heed that you resist not the Spirit by quenching his motions or rising up in contradiction against the convictions that he is pleased to work upon your hearts Readily hearken to his call and comply with him in the tenders of grace If you repel him by the frowardness and perverseness of your spâ—rits you know not when he will return Joh. 3.8 Take therefore the Apostles advice Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption Direct 3. If you would be knit unto Jesus and so have an interest in him endeavour after the uniting grace of faith in his bloud cast your selves upon his righteousness for salvation according to the proposals
may be ready at hand upon all occasions for your guidance and direction in the way to heaven If Truth as * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. one saith is of the number of the greatest gifts which the God of heaven could confer on the children of men or they are capable of receiving from the Lord of glory And if those Truths are most worthy of all acceptation which are in their own nature and tendency of the greatest weight and importance Then I hope I may justly expect your loving Reception and diligent Perusal of these Divine Instructions Especially when I call to remembrance your fervent mind and more than usual respect which many of you have formerly expressed towards me If I detain you longer than is customable by way of Preface impute it wholly to the earnestness of my desires of being useful to the promoting your everlasting salvation For I can truly say that since my removal from amongst you I have had you frequently in my thoughts much in my affections and fervently in my Prayers Give me leave to be your Remembrancer That you are a people under manifold Obligations and Ingagements to serve the Lord and to stick fast unto his testimonies 1. You have some of you for a long time made a Profession of Godliness and openly avowed your selves to be the servants of the most High And will you not labour to walk answerably to that Vocation wherewith ye are called If the Principles you own be good they ought to be practised And if they be evil why are they professed When King Alexander had a cowardly Souldier of his own name he is reported to have called him aside and thus to have spoken to him Friend either change thy name or leave thy cowardise The like may be fitly said to Professors of Religion Either sh w forth the power of godliness in your lives or do not take upon you the profession of Godliness Why call ye me Lord Lord if ye do not the things which I say Luk. 6.46 2. You are many of you I am apt to think a people under convictions The clear light of the Gospel which hath shined amongst you hath left at least such impressions on your spirits That you cannot but approve the things that are excellent You cannot but acknowledge the wayes of God to be right and the service of sin to be abominable Ask your consciences to whom I appeal in this case if it be not thus So that I may speak to you as the Apostle Paul to the King Act. 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest My brethren Do you believe the absolute necessity and incomparable worth of Holiness Do you believe That the fear of the Lord is the best wisdom and the favour of God the chiefest portion That Godliness is great gain and ought to have the supremacy and preheminence above all worldly enjoyments Do you believe that the pleasures of sin are folly and madness and will end at length in everlasting destruction I am perswaded many of you believe it Now Sirs it is a dreadful thing to sin against convictions to disown that in your conversations which you subscribe to in your consciences Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth Rom. 14.22 To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Jam. 4.17 3. You are most of you a people of low estate and poor in the world And will you not secure an interest in the true riches If you have little or no treasures upon earth should it not quicken you to be the more industrious to lay up treasures in heaven that you may not be poor in every respect When Bishop Hooper as I remember was led to his Martyrdom there came to meet him a poor boy that was blind but had received the knowledge of the truth To whom the Martyr spake to this effect See to it that you continue to serve the Lord and that you lose not the knowledge of God for then thou wouldest be blinde both in soul and body So let me say to those of this rank amongst you Well is it if you have chosen the good part which cannot be taken away if you have in heaven an enduring substance else you are poor both in this world and in relation to that which is to come Study to shew your selves men and women approved of God that it may appear you are of the number of those whom the Apostle James makes mention of Chap. 2.5 Whom God hath chosen the poor of this world but rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him 4. You are all of you a people of signal and eminent mercies And if the mercy of God rise up in judgment against you what will be able to plead for you If mercy condemn you how sore will be your condemnation Will ye trample upon the bowels of the compassion of God And tread under foot his loving kindness Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is he not thy father that hath bought thee Hath he not made thee and established thee I will not multiply the mention of Particulars only there are two mercies principally come at present into my thoughts which I would have you never to forget 1. Remember the dayes of old consider the years of some generations at the least Ask your Fathers and they will tell it your Elders and they will shew it That you have been remarkably blessed with Gospel-priviledges and advantages for attendance upon God and communion with him You have had for some good while together a succession of faithful and painful Ministers who rightly divided the word of Truth When some other places were comparatively in darkness you dwelt in Goshen a place of light Keep therefore an holy suspicion and jealousie over your hearts and lives lest you be found guilty of receiving the grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 And to that end let me beseech you often to read and meditate with seriousness and self-application upon these awakening Texts Mat. 11.20 21 22 23 24. 2 Cor. 4.3 4 5 6. 2. Consult your late experiences of the goodness of God That was a special preservation which I would have you to keep fresh in your Memories and constantly to retain the sense of it upon your hearts When it pleased the Lord in the late dreadful year to contend with the Nation by the destroying Pestilence you were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning You were exposed to the contagion as well as other places where it violently raged Nay more upon several accounts than some other Towns which it laid almost desolate And the Lord was pleased only to give you thereby an awakening call to Repentance and to suffer the destroying Angel to proceed no further One house amongst you was infected and it swept away all that dwelt therein
faculties depend in all their regular operations upon the guidance of the understanding So that if the light that is within you be darkness how great is that darkness If it be dim and cloudy how easily will you be carried into innumerable mistakes Let the word of Christ therefore dwell in you richly in all wisdom Col. 3.16 And whatever truths you learn let it ever be with a personal appropriation unto your own hearts and consciences One plain truth closely * In absoluto facili stat aeternitas applyed to the heart will be of more advantage to help you forward in your journey towards Canaan than multitudes of notions that lie only floating in the head and do not descend with energy upon the conscience Job 5.27 Lo this We have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy self 4. Labour what in you lieth to edulce and sweeten the way of God to your selves Be not alwaies poring upon the black and dark side of Religion but take a frequent view of it in its beauty and pleasantness When people fancy Religion to be a sad and melancholy way and think of nothing but the sorrows and severities of it their spirits are apt to hang off and are hardly wrought to any cordial compliance So that study much the loveliness and amiableness◠of it and take a daily prospect of the bright side of godliness Prov. 3.13 14 15 16 17 18. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her This was the very course that David took which made his soul to follow hard after God and even to break with longings for the enjoyment of him Psal 63.1 3 5 8. And to this purpose observe these ensuing Directions 1. Look upon the word of precept in a continual conjunction with the word of promise If sinners did not separate between the Prohibition and the Commination If they did joyn the sin forbidden with the judgment threatned it would help to imbitter the waies of sin And if the people of God did contemplate the command as it is linkt with the Promise it would notably sweeten the course of obedience Heb. 10.23 2 Cor. 6.17 18. 2 Cor. 7.1 2. Be much looking within the vail Live in a constant meditation upon the crown of Righteousness And have a due respect to the recompence of reward Are there difficulties in the way The kingdom of heaven * Optanda est jactura quae lucro majore compensatur will make amends for all If the wicked did live in the apprehensions of Hell it would make the path of ungodliness as bitter as gall and wormwood And therefore that they may take their swinge they cast off these thoughts Prov. 9.17 18. Psal 10.4 5. So if the righteous did live in the meditation of Heaven it would put sweetness into the way of righteousness Heb. 10.34 35. Heb. 11.26 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. 3. Often bethink your selves what comfortable lives you might lead during your pilgrimage upon earth if you had good assurance of the love of God towards you and did study to * Hilaritatis nostrae omnis rivulus de fonte ducendus pietatis approve your selves in sincerity unto him With what sweet serenity and peace of spirit might you enjoy your comforts and perform all your undertakings as knowing your selves to be under the blessing and protection of the Lord of hosts who dwelleth between the Cherubims i. e of that infinite Being whose power and mercy are united * 2 Sam. 6.2 The mercy-seat was placed between the Cherubims for the defence of his children How cheerful might you be in times of affliction and trouble as knowing that all things should conspire to the advancement of your welfare You need not then be afraid of any terror or amazement Prov. 3.21 22 23 24 25 26. My Son let them not depart from thine eyes keep sound wisdom and discretion So shall they be life to thy soul and grace to thy neck Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid yea thou shalt lie down and thy steep shall be sweet Be not afraid i. e. Thou needest not be afraid * Vtuntur Hebraei imperativo in promissionibus ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custodi praecepta mea vive i. e. vives Sic Ne timeto i. e non timebis there is no cause to be afraid of sudden fear neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken Read Job 11. from v. 13. to v. 19. And Psal 34.12 15. But I must contract my thoughts lest I should far exceed the intended bounds 5. Endeavour to be best in the worst times And think not the worse of Religion because it is despised and set against It is condemned indeed of pride and humour of faction sedition and turbulency But who are the persons by whom it is evil spoken of but men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth who have deeply wounded their consciences by sins against light and knowledge and given the victory to their fleshly lusts Therefore they condemn the fear of the Lord and the strict waies of holiness lest otherwise they should accuse and condemn themselves And will a Traveller be turned out of his road because of some Dogs and Curs that bark at him If you believe the Scriptures it is an excellent branch of humility to be subject unto the Lord and the greatest pride imaginable for poor Earth-worms to rise up against the most High Jer. 43.2 Neh. 9.16 1 Tim. 6.3 The Saints of God are the best subjects in a state who yield obedience in things agreeable to the will of God not only for wrath but also for conscience sake And pray for Kings and for all that are in authority that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 Religion otherwhile is condemned of folly But it will shortly be found to be a point of the highest wisdom Eph. 5.15 16. Job 28.28 Psal 111.10 That is a considerable passage in the Apocryphal writings Wisd 5.4 Then shall the righteous man stand with great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his labours When they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his
brought to light wherein the way is revealed for restoring fallen sinners to their primitive happiness or conducting souls to everlasting bliss God hath graciously pleased to declare this way by the Scriptures and to leave it upon record in the Word of the Gospel and here we have the substance or summary of that Record viz. That God is the giver of eternal Life and that this life is in his Son c. If you examine the connexion or dependance which the words of the Text have with and upon the foregoing passages of the Chapter You will evidently find our Apostle is herein giving a succinct account of the great foundation-foundation-truths which are proposed to be the object of a Christians Faith by closing with which we do eminently and signaly advance the glory of God and by disbelieving whereof we are said to make him a lyar Our faith is to be built upon the word of the Lord to be bottomed upon the Record which God hath given concerning his Son And this saith the Apostle is the Record That God hath given us eternal Life c. The better to clear this coherence and so the genuine import and scope of these words let us a little cast our eyes back upon the context or the verse immediately preceding the Text wherein we may note two things 1. The nature and excellency of the grace of faith or believing on Christ ver 10. former part He that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself 1. For the nature of Faith it is a believing on the Son so it is usually set forth in the dialect of the Holy Ghost Act. 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thine house Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life This is the saving act of Faith which will bring a soul to Heaven a believing on the Son And therefore I might touch by the way on that common distinction as useful to be considered that there is a threefold act of Faith or three waies of Believing in reference unto Christ There is a believing 1. That Jesus is the Christ Credere Christum Christo. In Christum 2. Jesus Christ 3. On the Lord Jesus Christ 1. There is a believing that Jesus is the Christ an assent unto the truth of this principle that he who was born of the Virgin Mary is the true Messiah and Mediator sent of God to be the Saviour of Mankind So the very Devils believe As they know there is one God so they acknowledg this principle that Jesus is the Son of God and the only Redeemer of lost sinners Hence it is that they are so unwearied in their endeavors to hinder poor souls in closing with Christ and that they labour by all manner of false suggestions to draw their affections from the Lord Jesus Mark 1.24 The unclean spirit cried out Let us alone thou Jesus of Nazareth I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God And that herein the Father of lies spake the very truth you will find by the testimony of the Spirit of God himself v. 34. He cast out many Devils and suffered not the Devils to speak because they knew him 2. There is a Believing Jesus Christ i.e. a subscribing to the truth of the Doctrines that he delivered which are contained in the Scriptures the Word of Christ and Preached by Ministers of the Gospel in his name Thus a Simon Magus may believe he may own the verity of Christs Word though in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Acts 8.12 13. When they believed Philip Preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ then Simon himself believed also Thus Nicodemus believed before he was instructed in the necessity or acquainted with the grace of regeneration he was convinced by the Miracles wrought by Christ that he was a teacher sent of God and consequently that the Doctrines which he taught were the truths of God Joh. 3.2 As a carnal person who never tasted of saving grace may have much knowledg in his understanding of the will of Christ so he may be under such convictions upon his judgment as in a sort to approve the Word of Christ Rom 2.17.18 3. But lastly there is a believing on the Lord Jesus When a man is so powerfully convinced of the evil of sin and his own obnoxiousness to the wrath of God and the heart so fully perswaded of the excellency of Christ and the sufficiency of his Righteousness together with the utter insufficiency of all other wayes of deliverance that thereupon he doth actually close with Christ upon Gospel terms and make application to him casting himself upon the Son of God for Salvation and renouncing all things for the enjoyment of him Although believing on Christ doth not alwayes signify a saving faith as see Joh. 2.23 yet for the most part it doth and so may fitly be made use of by way of distinction It being observed by some that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a phrase peculiar to the Holy Ghost and not used by prophane Authors This is the saving act of Faith A believing on or in the Son Joh. 11.25 26. He that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye For mark it Sirs that assent of the Judgment unto the great truths of the Gospel which is required of the Lord and is well pleasing in his sight is not a bare naked lifeless assent but a compounded and operative assent such as doth ingage the heart to comply with those truths and brings the whole Soul in subjection unto them Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto righteousness That 's for the nature of Faith It is a believing on the Son 2. For the excellency and preciousness of thus believing He that doth so hath the witness in himself i.e. in his own Soul and Spirit and Conscience He hath it graven upon the very tables of his heart But what is this witness which a Believer hath in himself Answ You may understand it either of these three waies 1. In relation to his spiritual state He hath a fundamental evidence that he is a child of God and in covenant with him here is sufficient matter if rightly improved whereupon to raise a testimony of this thing It is faith which brings a man under the favor of God and the act of believing is a sure token that the person is endowed with the grace or habit of Faith Spiritual actions as they must proceed from a Divine principle so they are evidences of that principle from whence they do proceed 1 Joh. 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ not with a bare assent of the Judgment but he that believeth it with the heart as before * When a particular duty is produced as an evidence of a state of Salvation or hath a promise of grace and
mercy annexed to it it ought alwayes to be understood of a sincere spiritual and Evangelical discharge of that duty Compare Matt 7.7 Hos 5.6 with Jer. 29.12 13. So Joel 2.32 Prov. 1.28 with Psal 145.18 is born of God That is an undoubted evidence of his regeneration for how could the heart of a sinn r bring forth such fruit unless there were the â—oot of grace planted in the heart 2. It may be meant in reference to the Doctrines of the Gospel He hath the Witness himself that is he is able to seal to those t uths experimentally from the work they have had upon his own Conscience and the effects wrought by them in his own soul He hath not only heard by report of the awakening convincing and converting power of the Gospel which are a strong witness of its divine original and authority but this witness he hath within himself as having felt that efficacy So that he can say to the Ministers as the men of Sychar to the woman Joh. 4.42 Now we believe not because of your reports for we have found it our selves to be a divine doctrine because it hath subdued our hearts and wrought mightily upon our spirits Or as the stranger that commeth into the Church Assembly upon whom the Word is quick and powerful and sharp as a two edged sword piercing into his bosom and discovering the secrets of his heart O saith he God is in you of a truth surely this is none other than the Word of the Lord of Hosts 1 Cor. 14.24 25. The Arguments produced by the Minister are a witness without him and the energy of the Word upon his heart is a witness within him 3. Or thirdly You may understand it metonymically the witness for the person witnessing q.d. He that believeth hath the Spirit of grace and holiness conferred upon him He is made partaker of the Holy Ghost whose work it is to bear witness unto Jesus No man out of sincere aff ction and true faith can profess that Christ is the Lord but by the instinct of the Holy Ghost Engl. Annot. in loc and without whom they could never believe in Jesus 1 Cor. 12 3. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost that is no man can speak it spiritually from the heart as he ought to speak it so as to subscribe to this principle that Jesus is the Lord and to submit to his Lordship and Government but by the Holy Ghost That 's the first thing I would note in the context The nature and excellency of believing 2. We have the sinfulness of the sin of unbelief the horrid and heinous nature thereof It doth implicitely charge the God of truth with falshood and virtually impeach him as a lyar v. 10. latter part He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the Record that God hath given of his Son How doth unbelief make God a lyar Answ 1. Not by the contamination or pollution of the divine nature as if the Lord contracted any defilement thereby He cannot be tempted to sin nor tainted with sin Jam. 1.13 The blessed Angels are not tainted with pollution but the nature of God cannot be tainted he is infinitely out of the reach of it Unbelief doth not take from the truth of Gods promise but puts a bar in the Way of our receiving the mercy promised 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself And mark what the same Apostle saith Rom. 3.3 4. What if some do not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect God forbid q. d. Let not such a cursed thought enter into your hearts it cannot be but the faith of God that is the faithfulness of God as to his word and promise must abide firm and immutable to such as have an interest therein We make our fellow servants oftentimes sinners by real infection when the guilt is spread into their souls being seduced by us and made partakers with us but God is holy holy holy Isa 6.3 infinitely holy unchangeably holy capable of nothing but holiness Our unbelief doth not hurt him but our selves Job 35.6 2. But it makes God a lyar in a way of calumniation or detraction Unbelievers do really and consequentially though unjustly charge God with this imperfection They say in their hearts the Lord is not a God of truth For did they own the truth of God they would undoubtedly subscribe to his word By questioning the matter witnessed we impute falshood to the person witnessing Tantum valet testimonium quantum auctoritas testantis and this is the very nature of unbelief As it is the damning sin that locketh up a man under the guilt of all his transgressions so it is an exceeding heinous and sinful sin it carrieth a kind of blasphemy in the bowels of it it maketh as if God were a lyar As by believing we seal to the truth of God Joh. 3.33 Non quod dei fidem labefactet corum impietas sed quod per eos non stat quin issum arguant vanitatis Calv. So by unbelief we do in effect lay falshood to his charge O the desperate wickedness of mans heart O the horrid abomination of this great ungodliness and the wonderful patience of God towards unbelieving sinners That 's the second thing to be noted The sinfulness of the sin of unbelief 3. Now the Text is brought in as a Specification of that Record which is propounded as the object matter of our faith and in reference to which unbelievers do asperse and calumniate the God of Heaven as a lyar They will not acquiess in the dictates of the Scripture they call in question the record that God hath left concerning his Son And if it be demanded what this record is or what special matter it doth contain The Apostle informeth you in the subsequent verses This is the record that God hath given us eternal Life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Which words are a Compendium of the Christians Charter An abbreviature of the great deed of gift or conveyance which God hath made of eternal glory and blessedness unto the children of men the record which he hath left touching the way of salvation Wherein you have observable for the distribution of the words these four parts 1. The mercy provided or the blessing conveyed that is eternal life What are we to understand by eternal Life in this place Vita aeterna sumitur 1. Propriè pro beato electorum statu post hanc vitam 2. Impropriè seu Metonymicè pro viâ seu medio perveniendi ad vitam aeternam Ravan I answer 1. Expresly and primarily the enjoyment of God in heaven the blessed Vision and fruition of the Lord in glory the Rivers of pleasures that are at his right hand for ever the
Cause by whom it is procured by whose death it was purchased As Christ bought the Elect of God to be his people and servants so he bought eternal Life to be their inheritance Hence the Kingdom of Heaven is called the purchased Possession Eph. 1.14 2. It is in Christ as in the Representative by whom possession is taken in the name of Believers and to their use For when our Saviour entred into heaven he was not only admitted thither upon his own account but he took livery and seizin thereof in the behalf of his people He entered as the fore-runner and not for himself only but for us Heb. 6.20 3. It is in Christ as in the hands of a publike Officer or Trustee whom God the Father hath appointed to this very purpose to dispense forth eternal Life unto those for whom it is prepared For as the souls of men and women are blessed upon the account of Christ's righteousness so that blessing is communicated through the hands of the Lord Jesus He is God the Fathers high Steward whom he imployeth in the distribution of his grace He sends him to bless his children Act. 3.26 And what the Spirit doth it is in Christ's name Joh. 14.26 There 's the third particular to be observed The great dispenser of this mercy God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son 4. Here is the manner of the conveyance of this mercy how it is made over to us and becometh ours Why by vertue of our union with Christ It is given forth by the Son to them that have the Son and to none besides He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life So that it is laid down or expressed 1. Positively 2. Exclusively 1. Positively He that hath the Son hath life He hath it 1. in respect of right and title thereto he hath a good interest therein Praesentia gratiae atlestatur faelicitatem futurae gloriae sine dubio sequuturam it is his portion and his inheritance to which he may warrantably lay claim and for which he may plead as his own 2. He hath life in the beginning and entrance thereof he hath those mercies which are certain harbingers of glory and will end in glory Or 3. He hath eternal life that is he shall as undoubtedly enjoy it as if he were already in possession it being an usual form of speaking in the writings of the holy Ghost to mention things future in the present tense to note the certainty and undoubtedness of their futurity 2. It is delivered Exclusively He that hath not the Son hath not life that is 1. He hath not life in reality whatever he may have in his own conceit and apprehension he may think himself to be something when indeed and in truth he is nothing 2. He hath not life that is he is stark dead in sins and trespasses he is under the wrath of God he is still an accursed wretch So it may be meant by an usual Meiwsis whereby less is mentioned than is intended 3. He hath not life i. e. if he die in that estate it will be evident that he hath it not he will perish surely eternally and unavoidably I mainly intend to handle this last branch of the Text. For the further clearing of which there is one previous enquiry to be made Q. The Question is this What is meant by a persons having the Son Or How may a man or woman be said to have the Son that he may have life A. For answ you must note these three things 1. The way whereby the holy Ghost in the Scripture doth most commonly set forth our having the Son it is by our union with the Son or being in him We are said to have him by being made one with him This is evident at the first to any one that is verst in the books of the Old and New Testament that having the Son is the same thing for substance with that which is frequently called our union with Christ or being in Christ Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus i. e. to them that have him by vertue of their union with him Joh. 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day And if you would see how this feeding on Christ doth contribute to a sinners having eternal Life you will find it to be because thereby he hath the Son which is expressed by union with the Son v. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him And thus having the Son seemeth to be explained in the following part of this Chap. 1 Joh. 5.20 And we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal life q. d. this is the way to eternal life hereby alone you will come to the enjoyment of it you must have the Son that is you must be in him or united to him 2. By our union with Christ which is the way whereby we are said to have the Son I understand all along to speak distinctly the Oneness of a Believer with the Lord Jesus You may observe a difference between these two things viz. 1. The making of Christ and a Believer one And 2. Their being one when they are so knit together 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unitio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unitas There is the bringing of a soul unto Christ and ingraffing into Christ And 2. There is the being or standing of that soul in Christ when it is so brought and ingraffed 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ Now it is this latter I mean all along by union The term is indeed of a latitude that may comprize both of them but I shall use it principally to denote the latter 3. Although in the writings of the Scripture you do not meet with this numerical word of Union with Christ in the very letters and syllables of it yet you have plentiful mention made of the thing signified thereby How often do you read of the Saints being in Christ and being put into Christ and expresly in one place you have mention of their Oneness with him and with the Father Joh. 17.21 That they may be one in us The words of the Text being thus unfolded and opened will afford us this doctrinal Point That in order to an interest in eternal life and partaking of those blessings which are given forth by Christ in a tendency thereunto it is of absolute necessity that we be united unto Christ If we will have life from the Son we must have the Son that is we must be made one with him No union with Jesus and no communication of life and salvation from Jesus For he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life And therefore you shall find
as he is pure 1 John 3.3 3. By the grace of Regeneration the Lord Christ is said to take up his abode in us because the Holy Ghost in that work doth act in his name as purchased by Christ and receiving commission from him and being sent by vertue of his Prayer and Intercession John 16.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive In the transactions of the everlasting Covenant our Lord Jesus undertook to sanctifie and comfort and to quicken and stablish his people and by the Spirit of truth he doth accomplish that undertaking By his death the Spirit was purchased and in his name he is sent 4. The grace of Regeneration may be stiled Christ dwelling in us from the tendency of it which is to bring sinners in subjection to the Government of Christ and to make them ready to obey the Laws of Christ Hereby we become his Servants and possession is taken of us to his use and behoof that we may cleave unto him and be followers of him Col. 3.24 For ye serve the Lord Christ Mat. 19.28 Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration c. that is in your regenerate condition in the exercise of that grace which was bestowed upon you in your New-birth for so it may be well understood The grace of Regeneration plucketh sinners out of the Kingdom of Satan and seizeth on them for the service of Christ carryeth us out to him and maketh us obedient to his Laws and Dominion This may suffice to be spoken to the first branch of that Vnion which is between Christ and Believers or the first sort of Conjunction betwixt them 2. There is a legal Conjunction and oneness thereupon arising from a Believers reception of Christ closing with him and getting into him Such an Union as there is between the principal Debtor and the Surety who hath paid the debt for him and made over that payment unto him The Law reckoneth them as one what payment the Surety hath made for the Debtor in his name and firmly made over unto him the Law accounts it as if the Debtor himself had paid it and dischargeth him thereupon as if it had been his own personal Act and Deed because of that intimate relation or oneness that is betwixt them in the estimation of the Law Such an union there is between Christ and his people and therefore we call it a legal union because it hath a special reference unto the Law of God which acquitteth the person thus united to Christ by vertue of the sufferings and satisfaction of Jesus Christ as fully and firmly as if the party himself had suffered and satisfied And likewise we call it a legal union because of the analogy it beareth unto the proceedings of Law in Courts of Judicature amongst men The bond of this union is a saving faith whereby Believers receive Christ and take hold on him As by the Spirit of Regeneration Christ doth take hold of their souls so by a living faith of the operation of the Spirit they are inabled to take hold of the Lord Jesus and so they are compacted and knit together You know faith is set forth by such expressions a receiving of Christ and taking hold of him John 1.12 But to as many as received him to them he gave power to be the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Mark it we receive Jesus Christ and take him home to our selves by believing on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ As under the Law when a man q. d. ran for refuge and protection to the Altar he was wont to lay hold upon the horns of the Altar so by faith a sinner betaketh himself for shelter and security unto Christ and layeth hold upon Christ Heb. 6.18 That we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us * We who to flee from deserved wrath have taken our course towards Jesus in hope to get the Salvation offered to us in him Dicks in loc that is upon Jesus Christ the object of our hope and confidence who is set before us in the Gospel as the person in whom we are to trust and upon whom to rely and place our hope By faith we lay hold upon him and by this laying hold on Christ a Believer is joyned unto Christ and made one with him By faith we are in him and put on his righteousness Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith It is of God he provided it for us and it is made over to us and becometh ours by faith in the Mediator This is the Second Branch of the mutual conjunction between Christ and a Believer and the union thereupon the bond whereof is faith in Christ Concerning which I will propose onely these four things to your serious perusal and meditations 1. That the Holy Ghost in the writings of the Scriptures doth distinctly speak of a fourfold faith There is 1. An Historical Faith 2. A Temporal Faith 3. A Faith of Miracles 4. A saving and justifying faith in Christ which is the bond of our union with the Lord Jesus As this is an ordinary School-distinction so it is a Scripture-distinction which hath its warrant from the word and its foundation in the word of God 1. There is an Historical Faith whereby we believe the Scriptures and the matters therein contained to be Divine Truths and to have proceeded from God * This is by some called a dogmatical faith such a faith the Apostle supposed to have been in Agrippa in respect to the writings of the Old Testament Acts 26.27 King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest q.d. I am confident thou art perswaded of the truth of those things Agrippa being a Jew and always conversant in Judea could not be ignorant of the Scriptures and Paul takes it for granted that he who owned their Original to be of God and that in them was discovered nothing but the truths of God I know that thou believest I am well assured thou darest not deny their Divine Authority This we call an Historical Faith because it assenteth to the truth of the History of the Bible as it is a Narrative of things done and containeth Predictions of things to be done as it comprehends matters of fact mentioned to be performed Doctrines asserted Prophesies and Promises to be fulfilled and the like And pray mark it Sirs this faith is diversifyed according to the different testimony on which it is bottomed * Quia testes quibus fidem adhibemus ex lege ordine communi sunt homines vel Deus idcirco sicut testimonium sic etiam fides distinguitur in
humanam divinam prout nititur testimonio vel humano vel divino Ames de fid divin verit If it be built upon Education or Custom the Opinions of Learned men or the Traditions of our Fathers and of the Church and the like humane evidence then it cannot amount no higher than to an humane faith And it is to befeared that the faith of the generality of people called Christians is of this sort onely They believe the Christian Religion to be the true Religion and the Bible to contain the word of God Why Because all their forefathers were of that Religion and they were bred and brought up in that way such Ministers have told them so and they see many wise men are of that minde They have the same grounds for their belief as Mahometans and other Idolaters have for theirs And as one well observeth these are Christians rather by chance than by choice If their lot had fallen amongst Heathens and worshippers of stocks and stones for the same reasons they would have been of their Religion they would have opposed the Gospel upon the very same grounds that now they embrace it Divine truths may be believed by a meer humane faith if the testimony be humane upon which they are believed * It being an impossibility that the assent to the matters of faith should rise higher or stand firmer than the assent to the testimony upon which those things are believed My assent to the object believed is according to my assent to the medium on which I believe it Stillingf Rational account p. 112. A divine faith must be built upon a divinetestimony when a man doth believe the word of God from those divine Marks and Characters which are stamped upon it from that mighty and supernatural efficacy which it hath whereby God doth bear witness unto his word Thus the Apostle observeth touching the Thessalonians that they received divine truths upon divine testimony they received it as the â—ord of God for it came to them not in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance 1 Thes 1.5 i. e. It had such a powerful influence upon their hearts and consciences that thereby they were assured it was of God 2. There is a Temporary faith which goeth a step further than the former When the judgement is not onely convinced of the divine original and authority of the Scriptures but those convictions work in some measure upon the affections that they are taken with the goodness and excellency of them When the heart is carryed out in a kinde of love and liking to the Person revealing and the Doctrines revealed and there are some degrees of inclination towards a closure with those Doctrines onely they are raised in them but for a fit whist they are in a good mood as we say and it endureth but for a time it cannot abide the trial when any great difficulties attend their obedience unto the word then they cast it off And for this reason it is called a temporary faith Such a faith you meet with in some of the followers of Christ whom yet he durst not trust for he knew they were but hypocrites though now they followed him yet shortly they would set against him when the Scene was altered they would betray him and of false friends become his professed enemies John 2.23 24. Many believed in his name when they saw the Miracles which he did Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men Such was the faith of those others mentioned as his Disciples John 6.66 From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him And therefore it is observable what our Saviour spake to the Jews that believed on him John 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye â—â—y Disciples indeed Then are ye my Disciples that is then it will be evident that you are then you will give undeniable proof * â—es tum demum dicuntâ—â— fieri cum inci piunt patefieri that your faith is of the right kind else you may gracious habits the Lord Jesus taketh hold on their souls and by putting forth this habit into act and exercise they receive and take hold of the Lord Jesus Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him i. e. as you have believed on him and imbraced or received him by believing That is the first thing I would commend unto you viz. this Scripture distinction of the sorts of faith 2. This justifying faith hath the Lord Jesut Christ himself for the special immediate object with whom it closeth and upon whom it is exercised It is Christ himself who is primarily tendered in the offers of the Gospel and therefore true faith of this fort goeth forth unto him The special consideration under which a Believer goeth forth to Christ in the actings of faith for justification it is as dying and satisfying the justice of God and therefore usually called faith in his blood and the great incouragement whereupon a Believer is emboldened to act his faith is the tender of the Gospel and the promises thereof but it is Christ himself which is the special immediate object upon which faith as justifying is acted and with whom it closeth The sinner being incouraged by the promise doth embrace Christ in the promise Hence it is commonly stiled faith in Christ and a believing on the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.21 I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you c. testifying both to the Jews and also the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark it as repentance hath God for its ultimate object it is a turning from sin and returning unto God even unto him so faith hath Christ for its special object The great fundamental act of faith whereupon finners are justified is conversant about Christ Act. 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith that is in me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith that is acted upon me upon Jesus for they are his words It is by faith exerted and acted upon him that forgiveness of sins is conveyed Unto that it seemeth to relate and the other words to come in as a parenthesis as if it had been that they may receive forgiveness of sins by faith that is in me and also an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified It hath sometimes appeared as strange to me to meet with descriptions of the nature of justifying faith without so much as the mention of Jesus Christ the object upon whom it is acted See the process of the workings of the heart of S. Paul in believing and how he taught in the Churches of Christ First he was deadned as to expectation of life from the Law the first Covenant and then he addresseth himself for justification unto Christ by believing on him who is the only Mediator of
I opened to my beloved but he had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake that is when he gave forth his parting words The Spouse at first was not ready to open to Christ and to give him entertainment v. 3. Why then farewel saith Jesus I will wait no longer seeing you so little regard me I will be gone immediately O then the soul raileth this striketh the spirit dead and there is no quietness to be had till Christ be found again and intreated to return It is love to Christ that maketh it so pleasant a thing to a Believer to recount his perfections and to reckon up the glorious things that he hath done See what delight the Spouse taketh in the enumeration of them Cant. 5.10 11 12 13 14 15. So much for the seventh Proposition 8. Propos 8. The eighth and last Proposition is this The mystical union of Believers with Christ and all the priviledges and blessings which are the consequents thereof do originally flow from the merit of the death of the Lord Jesus which in pursuance of the eternal Covenant between the Father and himself he suffered in their stead and whereby he gave satisfaction to the justice of God in their behalf To this end he undertook to be a Mediator and to die an accursed death in their room and in the fulness of time he actually performed it that they in whose stead he stood might be gathered unto him and by the Spirit and faith might be made one with him Upon the account of this his standing in their stead and transacting matters with the Father for their good and benefit some speak of an eternal Vnion betwixt them Say they In the eternal counsel of God for reconciling sinners unto himself Christ ingaged to suffer as representing their persons and so they are considered as one This we may call a judicial Union as some or a transcendental Vnion But I will not stand upon an enquiry into the fitness of these expressions This I take to be clear from the Scriptures of truth That the mystical Union of Believers with Christ wrought by the Spirit and faith which is the matter we are treating of and until which they are dead in sins and trespasses and under the wrath of God as well as others is a fruit of Christ's undertaking to die for them and actual performance of that undertaking * Haec transactio inter Deum Christum fuit praevia quaedam applicatio redemptionis liberationis nostrae ad sponsorem nostrum ad nos in ipso Quae ad secundariam istam in nobis peragendam rationem habet cfficacis cajusdam exemplaris ita ut illa fit hujus repraesentatio haec illius virtute producatur Ames med That which I drive at is this That the Lord Jesus did not enter himself into an obligation to undergo the cursed death of the Cross and in due time actually undergo it only that the elect of God might be saved if they should get into him but that they might be brought unto Christ and ingraffed into him and so made partakers of salvation You shall find that their gathering unto Christ and being implanted into him is mentioned as an effect of his undertaking and suffering for them This is notably set forth in that Anti-Socinian Chapter as I may call it which hath broken the teeth of such as have been nibling at it and out of which it is impossible for them with all their subtle devices to extricate themselves I mean Isa 53. v. 10 11 12. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sins of many and made intercession for transgressors Mark but how abundantly this point is confirmed Therefore shall Christ have a people gathered unto him and a seed to serve him because he made his soul an offering for their sins Upon that very account many shall be united to him so as to be justified by him because he bare their iniquities Therefore he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul unto death How doth Christ divide the spoil with the strong Why when in the day of conversion he knittetn sinners unto himself As Satan the strong man armed hath his company that continue finally impenitent in their wickedness So Christ by his Spirit doth gather a company unto himself And whence doth this proceed Why it is the product of the satisfaction which he made for them Thus it shall be because he bare the sins of many These are the trophies of the victory that Christ got by dying the death of the cross They are ingraffed into him because he suffered for them Hence the grace of faith which is the uniting grace is said to be attained through the righteousness of Christ As it is acted upon Christ's righteousness so it was purchased thereby and is given forth upon the account thereof 2 Pet. 1.1 To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ This is the last Proposition For the clearing whereof and the point asserted I will take it asunder into five heads of observation 1. Observe That the eternal transactions of matters between God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in order to the redemption and deliverance of the elect are set forth in the Scriptures under the notion of a Covenant that passed betwixt them for the accomplishment of that redemption As there is a Covenant made with the souls of Believers in Christ so there was a Covenant from everlasting made with Christ a kind of compact and agreement between the Father and the Son for the restauration of fallen sinners This is acknowledged by most as to the matter and substance of the thing and I think we have it plainly enoâ—gh under that notion and expression of a Covenaut Zech. 6.12 13. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts saying Behold the man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the temple of the Lord. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne and he shall be a Priest upon his throne and the counsel of peace shall be between them both The counsel of peace that is the transactions in order to making peace betwixt an incensed God and sinful men and
is gracious and merciful and full of compassion and therefore they hope he will spare them notwithstanding Nay but O vain man If thine heart still goeth after thy detestable things the God of incomprehensible mercy will not shew thee one drop of mercy He that is unspeakable in his compassions will not have one dram of pity or compassion upon thy soul It is true He is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if ye return unto him 2 Chron. 30.9 But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses Psal 68.21 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting unto everlasting upon them that fear him and unto such as keep his Covenant Psal 103.17 18. But he will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59.5 Why Sirs do not you know that he is a God abundant in truth as well as rich in mercy And he will shew no mercy to sinners in a way derogating from his truth Exod. 34.6 It is he that hath said The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God Psal 9.17 and the Word of the Lord will certainly have its accomplishment When thou presumest of mercy Remember withal that he is a God of truth and as sure as God is true if thou goest on in sin and remainest ununited unto Christ thou wilt perish for ever notwithstanding that God is merciful For all the wayes of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies Psal 25.10 Alas poor deluded wretch dost thou hope for mercy to keep thee from hell whilst thou art in a course of ungodliness Why man The mercy of God will come up in judgment against thee and sink thee deeper into hell * Quos diu ut convertantur tolerat non conversos durius damnat Hier. Tarditatem vindictae compensat gravitate supplicii for by despising the goodness of God thou art treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath Rom 2.4 5. Dost thou presume of mercy in thy state of impenitence Why man This very presumption will add load upon thy back and degrees unto thy torments Read over that Text deliberately and the Lord awaken thy conscience in the perusal of it Deut. 29.19 20 21. And it come to pass that when he heareth the words of this curse he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness to thirst It is to this effect as if the carnal wretch had said God is gracious and merciful and though I have no interest in Christ but take my pleasure in sin and am not so forward in godliness as these precise Ministers would perswade me yet I trust in God that he will shew pity upon me he will not be so severe as these hot-spirited men would bear us in hand God is a God of mercy and delighteth in it and I hope to taste of his compassion and that he will not send me to hell whatever he hath said Well But will such a person find mercy because he hopeth for it Will he meet with peace because he saith in his heart He shall have peace Nothing less This very presumption of mercy whilst in his sins will be a means to bar and bolt the door of mercy against him * Quo diutius expectat eo districtius judicabit For mark what followeth v. 20 21. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law c. This is the fourth respect in which a Christless estate is a state of death viz. In point of condemnation or obnoxiousness to eternal death 5. Lastly Unconverted sinners are in a state of death in respect of the abundant evils incident to that condition They are in a perfectly wretched and miserable estate For death comprizeth all sorts of evils As when life is promised to the godly it is a comprehensive term that containeth all sorts of blessings and mercies whatsoever Psal 30.5 Prov. 3.18 So when the wicked on the other hand are said to be dead that is a big-bellyed word that carrieth all kinds of evils in the bowels of it troubles and vexations and perplexities here and at last eternal ruine and desolation Deut. 30.15 19. Now in this sense they are all dead who are not in Christ Destruction and misery is in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known Rom. 3.16 17. To work this upon your hearts study seriously these three Texts of Scripture Job 15. from v. 20. to the 30. Job 18. from v. 5. to the 21. Job 20. from v. 5. to the end of the Chapter And withal observe these four subsequent notes 1. Christless persons are under the guilt of all the sins and transgressions that ever were committed by them since they had a being And God will one day reckon them up in order and lay them in full load upon their shoulders Possibly sinners themselves have forgotten multitudes of them but the God of infinite knowledge hath written them down exactly in his book and at length he will bring them forth into judgment And truly Sirs One would think there needed no more to make them miserable enough One sin if laid to our charge would sink us irrecoverably into perdition Alas How will the sinner stand when all his iniquities shall meet together and be sealed up as in a bag and bound fast upon him If a wicked man should sit down and make a catalogue of the sins of one month or week what a vast heap would they amount to Vain thoughts proud and earthly and unbelieving thoughts inordinate passions and affections unsavoury and rotten communication evil actions done and duties left undone and slightness and superficialness in the discharge of duty and the like Yea but when all the sins of his whole life and the native pravity and wickedness of his heart shall be gathered together into one bundle what a numberless number would they amount to What unconceivable torments would be the wages of them if considered as clothed with all the aggravating circumstances thereof Why Sirs when God enters into judgment with the unregenerate he will not abate them one sin Psal 10.15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man Seek out his wickedness till thou find none That is set them down in order till they are all set down Let not one of them remain untaken-notice of Let them be searched out so exactly till there be no more to be found We are
your selves to an account how the case stands with you Say Have I the son Am I planted into Christ If people are unacquainted with this particular touching themselves it is mostly through the neglect or persunctory discharge of the work of Self-examination As will evid intly appear by these three following considerations 1. Without Self-examination a man can never pertinently and appositely apply the Word of God unto himself nor compare the frame and temper of his soul with the Word of the Lord so as to be able to pass a righteous judgment thereupon My brethren it is the Word of God which is the rule for discovery whether we be in Christ or not as I shall shew you more fully anon but this discovery cannot be made by a bare naked speculation of the truths contained therein except we personally apply the truths unto our selves and compare our selves with them Just as it is in secular matters The Carpenters line and plummet will discover the straightness or crookedness of a piece of timber but this it cannot do by taking a single view of the line unless it be applyed unto the timber The Standard is appointed to shew the justness or falshood of weights and measures but then you must bring them unto the standard and compare them with the standard So the Scripture is the rule for trial of mens hearts whether they be straight or crooked It is the standard to evidence a mans spiritual estate whether his person will hold weight in the ballance of the sanctuary when he cometh to be judged of the Lord but then he must apply this rule unto himself and compare himself with this standard Such persons as would know that they are of God must not only view the light but must also bring their persons and actions unto the light Joh. 3.21 He that doth good cometh unto the light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God He taketh the light of God's word and his own soul and purteth them both together that he may see what correspondency there is between the one and the other And it is said of the wicked v. 20. of that Chapter He hateth the light and doth not come unto it that is He cannot endure personally to apply it unto himself You have many carnal people could be content to know the truth in the general notion but they hate it in the particular application to their case But if you would know whether you are in Christ you must apply and appropriate the word of God unto your selves and compare it with your condition Now to bring this home to our purpose This application of the word and comparing our selves with it can never be done aright without self-examination Except the Physician know the constitution and temperament of the patient he can never apply suitable remedies unto him so except we search and enquire into the frame of our souls we can never apply the Scripture properly and suitably unto our souls Except a man search into his wayes and actions as well as into the word he cannot compare those actions with the word But he will be apt upon every turn to run into mistakes and practical errors He will take that word home to himself which doth not belong to him and pass such a sentence upon himself as is not to be passed upon him It is hinted as the ground of mens deceit and self-cozenage because they do not look into themselves Prov. 21.2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts As if the holy Ghost had said If men did but search their own hearts they would not be so mistaken concerning their wayes nor pass such a false judgment upon themselves They presently conclude that their wayes are right because they do not throughly look into them nor take a view of their spirits which are the principle of action but God ponder eth their hearts 2. If you would know that you are or whether you are united to Christ you must be diligent in the examination of your selves and the reason is Because that is the very means which God hath especially designed to this end and appointed to be made use of to this purpose to bring us unto the knowledge of it This is a Maxim in Religion as clear as the noon-day That if we would comfortably expect any mercy from the Lord or gracious assistance unto any work or business we must look for it in the use of such means as God hath appointed to that end and wherein he is wont to convey such grace and assistance Now self-examination is the means which God hath required to be made use of to bring us to the knowledge of our ingrafture into Christ For Sirs although it is God alone who can powerfully and convincingly make it known to us yet we must not sit still and be idle and say if God will discover it to me I shall know it But we must wait upon him in the way wherein he is wont to meet his people to this end which is in the duty of self-examination If we would have our calling and election made sure our selves must give diligeâ—â—e to make it sure 2 Pet. 1.10 3. Self-examination is the way to arrive at this knowledge whether we are spiritually ingraffed into the Son Because hereby we shall find out those falshoods under which our spirits are apt to lie hid and those deceits whereby our hearts are ready to cheat us in passing a false judgment upon our selves Self-examination will shew us where the cheat lieth and upon what ground it is that we deal treacherously in this matter You read of a people Isa 28.15 who thought themselves to be free from the wrath of God when indeed they were the very generation of his wrath And what was the reason of it whence did this deceit proceed Why they took sanctuary in lies and covered themselves over with falshoods When the overflowing scourge shall pass thorow it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves The meaning I take to be this They built their hopes of deliverance upon rotten pillars and sandy foundations They apprehended themselves to be in a right way when they were not that their hearts were for God when indeed it was a lie for they were set upon sin and idolatry and full of desperate wickedness They thought they were in the service of the Lord and that therefore he would shew them favour when in truth it was a falshood they were in the broad way that leadeth to destruction Now how should a man discover the falshood of these pretences and find out the fallacies whereby our hearts would impose upon us in this case Why By being diligent in the examination of our selves There is a full Text to this purpose Gal. 6.3 4. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth
Joh. 3.18 These adaequate properties are such as you should principally take notice of and select for your use in the trial of your union with Christ and for the clearing of it up to your selves whether you are ingraffed into him You will know them by these three conditions 1. There must be universality of the subject they must be found in all persons united to the Son 2. Peculiarity they must be such as belong only unto them 3. Indefiniteness of time such as appertain to the Saints at all seasons This is the fifth Conclusion I intended to open the nature of self-examination Concl. 6. The last assertion is this That such marks and signs of whatever sort they be whereupon a Christian may confidently rest in the examination of himself and according to the tenour of which he may pass a righteous sentence upon himself whether he be united to Christ must be clearly deduced from the Scriptures and plainly bottomed thereupon Mark it I say if you would not be deceived and proceed upon mistakes you must fetch your evidences from thence and see that they be such characters of union as are warranted thereby Else you may possibly get some presumptuous hopes but you can never attain unto a well-grounded assurance For the Word of God is the only sure foundation which you can build upon in this case of enquiry And the reason lieth herein because our Lord Jesus in his proceedings will judge us by the Scriptures and pass everlasting sentence upon us according to the tenour of the Scriptures And therefore by that rule we should judge our selves If a man have a trial at Law touching his estate or life and would know before-hand whether his cause be good he doth not depend upon what this neighbours thoughts are or the others opinion is But he searcheth the Law and addresseth himself to men skilful in the Law as knowing the judge will proceed according to that Rule Why Sirs At the great and general Assizes Christ will try all causes by the Word of God and pass judgment upon all sorts according to the Word so that by it we are to be guided in the trial of our selves Joh. 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day As Christ himself is ordained to be the judge of the quick and dead so the doctrines which he hath delivered will be the rule of all his judicial proceedings both in acquitting the righteous and condemning the wicked You read Dan. 7.10 that when judgment is set The books shall be opened And this is one of those books which shall be consulted with in the case The book of the Statutes and Ordinances of the King of heaven the Law which he appointed for a testimony in Jacob. As the book of every mans conscience shall be opened for their conviction wherein they shall read their guilt in legible characters For that is a book of record wherein mens actions are entred and although now it be shut and sinners will not look into it many of the lines and sentences are almost obliterated or blotted that they cannot be read Yet at the day of accounts God will refresh and recover the lustre of those ancient writtings And as the book of life shall be opened Rev. 20.12 that is to say the decrees of God will be then published and made known which now are sealed up in his breast and locked up in his Archives Then it will be seen who are appointed to life for the glorifying of the free grace of God and whom he purposed to leave in their sins and perish for the exaltation of his justice I say As these books shall be opened so there is another book to be made use of in that day to wit The great Statute-book of the Lord of Hosts the records of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Jam. 2.12 So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of liberty i. e. by the word of the truth of the Gospel of Christ the whole Word of God registred in the Scriptures Chap. 1.23 25. which if hearkened unto is the means to set men at liberty from their bondage to sin and Satan By the Gospel of Christ which though it give no manner of countenance unto licentiousness but is a strong argument against it yet proclaimeth liberty to penitent sinners and the opening of the prison to them that are bound upon a due submission to the government of Christ Besides it may be called a Law of liberty or freedom because it doth not flatter any man as to his spiritual condition but dealeth openly and freely with him and telleth him his own without tergiversation And this affords us another reason why we should fetch our marks of union from the Scripture because it will deal freely and plainty in the discovery of our spiritual estate without respect of persons For Sirs if you build your confidence upon the opinions of men or upon the bare dictates of your own hearts you may be deceived Men may sooth you up in your sins and your hearts will flatter you but the word of God will deal freely and impartially with you It will represent matters as they are in their own proper colours without favour or affection So that this is an excellent means to overthrow presumptuous hopes and to build aright in our expectations of eternal life when we fetch all our marks and signs of being in Christ from the Scriptures and bring our evidences unto the Scriptures Thou hopest to be saved through Christ because thou wast born in the Church and baptized and performest some outward duties of Christ's appointment Nay but Ovain man where doth the Scripture say these are tokens and evidences of union with Christ and salvation through him Thou hopest for admission into heaven upon the account of Christ because thou art free from such scandalous sins whereof others are guilty thou knowest such and such truths whereof many are ignorant or because such godly persons converse with thee and have a good opinion of thee But poor deluded wretch where doth the Scripture say that any or all of these are marks of having the Son or of coming to the kingdom of heaven by the mediation of the Son Remember my bres thren that the Word of God is appointed not only for the rule of faith and guide of our conversations but also for the trial of our spiritual estate whether we be interested in Christ and united unto him That we may have hopes indeed and not only a presumptuous confidence which will make us ashamed at the last Rom. 15.4 For whatsoâ—â—er things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Psal 130.5 I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope So much for the first thing I intended
the Lord and actually ingageth him in all the parts of his service Joel 2.12 Jer. 4 1 2. There is a kind of conversion from sin which is not a returning to the most High when persons take up their rest in negative righteousness and abstaining from some pollutions but cannot endure to be in subjection to the whole government of Christ they hate the positive part of Religion which consisteth in a closs walking with God and studying in all things to approve themselves unto him A sound conversion bringeth a man unto the Lord that he may become his servant and have his fruit unto holiness Rom. 6.22 It is not every strong conviction of the excellency of Religion accompanied with some faint inclinations and resolutions to close with it that will amount to a saving conversion But in every respect it must be an universal work For it is a turning of the whole man from the whole service of sin unto the whole obedience unto the will of God during the whole course of our lives And this is a matter you must give diligence to get right apprehensions of For if you erre in the premises you will mistake in the conclusion deduced from those premises If you know not wherein the nature of conversion and regeneration consisteth you can never rightly pass sentence upon your selves whether you are converted and regenerate Direct 3. The third Rule of direction is this That the grace of regeneration and conversion which is the fundamental evidence of union with Christ is not alwayes discerned in the first plantation of it into the soul or if it be discerned yet it may afterwards be called into question concerning its truth and savingness and therefore for the finding out whether you have that grace you must enquire into the fruits and effects which are produced thereby You must examine your works to prove that you are made Gods workmanship and search into your conversations that it may appear you are partakers of a sound conversion 'T is the exercise of repentance in the life that must manifest the grace of repentance poured forth into the heart and your walking in the wayes of new obedience that must evidence your being made new creatures And the reason of it is Because it is not alwayes perceived in the first infusion of grace into the soul or at least the sinner may be in doubt whether it be a saving work which he finds wrought within him Although he find and feel a present change in his spirit yet he may question whether it be such a change as will speake him a true Convert So that the way to put it out of question is to examine our obedience and practical holiness which is the natural product of the principle of regeneration Hence it is that we are so often pressed to try our works and to observe what fruit we bring forth in order to the knowledge of our spiritual estate 1 Joh. 3.7 Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous And v. 8. He that committeth sin is of the devil Again v. 10. In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother You have many carnal persons apt to boast of the integrity of their hearts It is true will they acknowledge they live in a course of sin and neglect of duty their lives are pestered with divers sorts of abominations yea but will they plead our hearts are good and we mean well and we hope we may have grace within as well as they who are more forward in Religion Why mark it saith the Apostle this is a plain cheat you put upon your selves If false teachers sooth you up in this conceit do not hearken to them they will but delude you to your destruction For if your hearts be good your lives will be answerable If the grace of God be within you it will guide your feet in the wayes of righteousness you must prove your conversion by the holiness of your conversation So that this Rule of advice will be useful on both hands 1. To overturn the presumption of the wicked when they boast of the sincerity of their hearts 2. For relief to the godly when they question the truth of their conversion It is many times the ground of the hard thoughts they entertain concerning their spiritual estate because they never felt those throws and pangs of the new birth which some have felt nor can they tell the time when they were effectually called and converted Why remember Sirs Although this change is visible unto some in the first workings of it yet grace is planted in others imperceptibly And therefore the proof of it depends upon the fruit you bring forth Mat. 3.8 9. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance and think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father q.d. You must prove the truth of your profession of being the children of God by walking as becometh his children How will you make it appear that you have the grace of repentance unless your conversations be answerable thereunto As the root of a tree is hid in the earth and is not seen with the eye but if you would know what sort the tree is of you must look upon the fruit so it is in spiritual things The habits of grace themselves the root of the matter are the hidden man of the heart they lie deep within and sometimes their entrance is not discerned and therefore you must examine by your works Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work And no wonder that we are required to judge ourselves by this Rule for according to our works Christ will judge us at the last day When he cometh to gather all people before him and to divide them into companies according to their spiritual condition such as are members of his body into one company and such as are strangers to him into another and to pass an irrepealable sentence upon them he will proceed upon evidence drawn from their works Rom. 2.6 7 8 9. Who will render to every man according to his works To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Rev. 20.13 And they were judged every man according to his works This is the third Rule of Direction That to prove your union with Christ by your conversion you must diligently observe and enquire into the holiness of your conversation what respect you have to the commandments of God For 1 Joh. 3.24 He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him And 1 Joh. 2.5 Whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God
foundations and therefore do not rest upon them It is Christ in you which is the hope of glory Col. 1.27 If the Lord Jesus have not taken up his residence in you by the workings of the holy Ghost and if you are not implanted into him all your hopes of salvation will vanish and come to nothing whatever other foundations you build upon I will instance in divers things which carnal persons are apt to rely upon 1. Church-membership and such spiritual advantages as have a dependance thereupon are but a sandy foundation though many lay the stress of their hopes upon this bottom They expect to be saved because they were born in the Church and are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus they enjoy the presence of Gospel Ordinances and give their attendance upon them Surely think they it cannot go amiss with our souls who hear Christ's word and are present at his institutions and belong unto the Church however it fareth with Heathens and infidels But mind it Sirs these things may be without having the Son which is of indispensable necessity to eternal life A man may be visibly a member of the Church of Christ and yet an utter stranger unto Christ himself the head of the Church He may externally and in appearance belong to Chris◠kingdom and yet really be a subject of the devils kingdom He may be present at the Ordinances and yet have no communion and fellowship with the Lord Jesus in his Ordinances He may be baptized with water in Christ's name and yet never taste the baptism of the holy Ghost whereby believers are spiritually knit unto him You read of the children of the Kingdom cast into outer darkness Mat. 8.12 And in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Gal. 6.15 Circumcision is put by a Synochdoche for all outward priviledges into which that Ordinance was an inlet These will never save you from hell unless you be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and so implanted into him When the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon the ungodly he will bind the Heathen and unsanctified Church-members in the same bundle together and cast them into the lake of fire Jer. 9.25 26. He will punish the circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that are in the utmost corners that dwell in the wilderness For all these nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart Church-priviledges if not rightly improved will be as oyl to make the flames of hell fire burn hotter upon thee But they will avail nothing to save thee from hell except thou be married unto Christ the head of the Church 2. Great measures of the knowledge of the will of God and an insight into the doctrines revealed in the Scriptures are a sandy foundation whereupon to build your hopes of eternal life For they are to be found in persons that were never ingraffed into Christ A man may know much of the doctrines of Christianity when yet he never was taught the truth as it is in Jesus There may be a clear head to apprehend the principles of Religion and yet an unclean and unsanctified heart He may discourse understandingly to the edification of others of such mysteries of godliness as he never felt the power of in himself He may know many things touching the Son that never learnt of the Father so as to be drawn unto the Son And indeed all the knowledge of hypocrites is no knowledge in Gods account and will only serve to double the stripes * Melius est ergo utilius idiotas parum scientes existere per charitatem proximum fieri Deo quam putare multum scire multa expertos in suum Deum blasphemos inveniri Iraen adv haer wherewith they shall be beaten Luke 12.47 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2.4 If a sinner did truly know the excellency of Christ he could not but love him and thirst after his righteousness he would never be at rest in his spirit till he had secured his interest in him and were able to call him his Lord and his Saviour Joh. 4.10 3. Some inclination in the affections towards the things of God is not a sufficient ground whereupon to build our hopes of eternal life For it may consist with an estate of estrangedness and separation from the Lord Jesus Christ and there is no salvation by the Son without having the Son A man may rejoyce at Christ's word that doth not give up himself in sincerity to be his servant He may see a loveliness and excellency in the wayes of holiness that was never wrought up to an actual walking in those wayes Wemeet with John Baptist's hearers that they were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light Joh. 3.35 He was a powerful and affectionate Preacher and his doctrines raised up some flashy joy in their spirits that heard him when yet the word took not such root as to make them fruitful So many who attended upon the Ministery of Christ wondered as the Text saith at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth and yet never felt a gracious work upon their hearts as is evident from the sequel of their carriage towards him Luke 4.22 A sinner may be warmed at the fire of gospel-Gospel-truths that hath not his lusts and corruptions consumed thereby 4. Comparative righteousness is a sandy foundation of hopes of eternal life Although many persons imbarque in this bottom They are better than others and wallow not in that filthiness wherewith multitudes are defiled and therefore their inward thought is that certainly their condition is good however it fare with such and such profane persons But mark it Sirs this is no proof of unior with Jesus Christ you may be better than others comparatively i. e. not so bad as others and yet enemies to the Son of God and the power of godliness For there are different ranks and degrees of impenitent sinners but all of them in the same state of damnation There was none of the Kings of Israel like unto Ahab and yet many of them were bad enough being servants of the devil and such as promoted his interest though not at that rate as Ahab did 1 King 21.25 He may die of a Feaver that never had such violent paroxysms as others have felt So a sinner may perish in his iniquity who yet is not so notorious for impiety as some others are This the Pharisee could have pleaded nay it was the foundation which he bunt upon Luk. 18.11 God I thank thee that I am 〈◊〉 as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican And yet he went down to his house a condemned person All that can be said for the comfort of such a one is this
the God of heaven Their tongues will make mention of the praises of his name and sing aloud of his righteousness Psal 149.6 Their hearts will be filled with an holy admiration of his greatness and majesty and wonderful goodness in their redemption 2 Thes 1.10 He will be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that do believe Their lives also will be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.11 2. God is glorified upon believers in more of his attributes and excellencies Peculiarly in his free grace and tender mercy which is the attribute that he delighteth to magnifie and taketh singular pleasure in the exercise of Mic. 7.18 God doth shew forth his truth and justice and declare his power and holiness in the ruine of the ungodly but there are no prints or footsteps of his free grace and compassion Their portion is wrath without mixture Rev. 14.10 But what saith the Prophet of them that are saved Mark that notable Text Isa 63.7 8. I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses For he said surely they are my people children that will not lye So he was their Saviour Here is a discovery of grace rich inexpressible grace herein is manifest the goodness of God nay the great goodnesses of the Lord here is mercy and loving-kindness yea a multitude of mercies loving-kindnesses 3. In some of his attributes God is more transcendently glorified viz. in his wisdom and power It was a work of infinite skill and wisdom to find out a way to redeem lost sinners from the jaws of eternal death to execute vengeance upon the transgression and yet to save the transgressors O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Rom. 11.33 It is a work of greater power to pull a soul out of the hands of the Devil than to give him over to the will of Satan Eph. 1.19 20. Nay the very justice of God is better satisfied by believers through their surety than in the damnation of such as perish in their unbelief Here the price paid is the death of a creature but there the precious bloud of the Son of God as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 The wicked that perish are ever satisfying and have never given full satisfaction for the wrong which they have done their debt is paying as it were by driblets But in the behalf of believers the work is compleated and finished the utmost farthing was paid together upon the nail and there is nothing further to be demanded For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Now if God be more glorified in the salvation of such as are in Christ undoubtedly he is willing that you should come unto Christ and is ready to receive you when ye come So much for the third direction Direct 4. To stir you up to a closure with this advice and diligent prosecution of this work of getting into Christ Often revolve in your thoughts and lay seriously to heart this following consideration viz. That if you perish for ever in a separation from the Lord Jesus and for want of being in him that you may partake of his righteousness it will wholly proceed from your own default and your bloud will be upon your own heads And what anguish and horror will this bring to thy conscience in the day of accounts to bethink thy self thus I might have been saved by the bloud of the covenant but I would not and now I must lie bound for ever in the chains of darkness For it is a sinners willful rejecting of the tenders of mercy upon the terms of the Gospel which is the cause of his falling short of the mercy tendred Although it is Gods free grace and not mans free will that doth conduct believers un o the kingdom of heaven yet it is the perverseness and obstinacy of the will of unbelievers which hindereth their deliverance from the damnation of hell Jo. 5.40 Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Hos 5.4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto the Lord Ezek. 18.31 Why will ye die O house of Israel q. d. If you are destroyed for ever you may thank your selves you are the blame-worthy cause of your own eternal ruine by refusing the terms on which salvation is offered And I pray think of it often what an unspeakable torment it will be to thy spirit for ever to reflect upon this very thing I have been wooed and intreated to lay down the arms of my rebellion and to submit to the government of Christ that I might be saved and I would not How often hath the spirit of God strived with me and I still resisted the Holy Ghost The word of God hath called upon me and I have broken through the convictions of the word With what confusion wilt thou be filled when the Lord Jesus shall say unto thee how often would I have gathered thee into the number of my servants and thou wouldest not be gathered and now depart from me thou accursed wretch into everlasting fire Mat. 23 37. Thus I have ended the first head of exhortations directed unto the wicked who are yet strangers unto Christ 2. Let me speak unto the godly who are through rich mercy and grace ingraffed into Christ and made partakers of this priviledge of union with the Son Be exhorted 1. To be much in blessing the name of God for his signal saving and differencing mercy Adore him for advancing you to this high dignity Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon you that you should be called the sons of God! Nay that he should take you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ and intimately knit you unto him 1 Jo. 3.1 Will you bless God for temporal mercies and not be ravished with the contemplation of this super-eminent blessing Certainly my brethren eternity itself will be little enough to admire the wonderful and unsearchable grace of the Lord. 2. Be exhorted moreover rightly to improve the consideration of this unspeakable gift And that especially in these six cases 1. Improve it in case of transgressions to humble you and to fill you with an holy shame and self-abhorrence in the sense of your miscarriages Not only to fill you with hatred against sin but with a loathing and detestation of your selves because of sin Let your thoughts be set on work in this Evangelical manner Hath God advanced me to this high dignity and shall I be so unworthy as to rise up against him Am I a person closely joyned unto Christ and in covenant with God through Christ