sinnes Repenting sinners confesse their sins First You shall find Repenting sinners confessing their sins Ezra 9 6. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens Ver. 10. And now O our God What shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandments c. Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Ver. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Dan. 9. 4. I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord the great and dreadful God c. Ver. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements c. Ver. 8. O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Ver. 19. and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. Secondly Now these penitently confessing sinners you shall expresly find And are under the promise of forgiveness to be under the promise of the forgiveness of sins I Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Psal 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Selah 3. The third and last part of Repentance is conversion or turning from Conversion from sin to God sin unto God Ezek. 33. 11. Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes Repenting in Scripture is to this purpose styled a putting away of sins Isa 1. 16. and a casting away of our sins Ezek. 18. 31. and a forsaking of our sins Prov. 28. 13. and a departing from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. and a turning to repent of sin and to continue in sin are a contradiction as if you should say that a man leaves his sins when yet he holds them fast and will not let them go Two things you also read of this part of Repentance 1. One That truly penitent persons do forsake their sins they turn from Penitent persons forsake their sins them they put them away Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth Thou shall say unto it Get thee hence Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols Judg. 10. 15. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord We have sinned Do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee Ver. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord. Job 34. 31. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more Ver. 32. That which I see not Teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Jonah 3. 8. Let them every one turn from his evil way Ver. 10. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way 2. The other That they who do penitentially turn from their sins are They who turn frâ—m sin are under the promise of pardon under the promise of forgiveness of sin Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Many men confess their sins who yet do still love to keep their sins and therefore shall miss of mercy but the way for mercy is to forsake their sin as well as to confess sin Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Thus have I opened unto you the integral parts of Repentance which doth certainly bring us within the capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins Secondly I shall now proceed to handle the Qualifications of every one of The right qualifications of those parts of Repentance these parts of Repentance by which you may know that you do in truth act every one of them and consequently are under the promise c. And the rather do I insist on this because many persons do think that they are sorry for their sins and do think that they do rightly confess their sins and do think that they forsake their sins and thereupon do presume upon forgiving mercy whereas really they are still under the love and power and service of their sins and do not repent at all all which you shall find in every part which I have mentioned clearly instanced in Scripture First For mourning and weeping and afflicting the soul persons have acted something in this way and yet have not repented in truth and therefore have missed of forgiveness Mal. 2. 13. This have ye done again covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying insomuch that ye regarded not the offering any more All this was but hypocrisie for notwithstanding all these tears they dealt treacherously every one against his brother Ver. 10. And profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved and married the daughter of a strange god Ver. 11. Isa 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge Ver. 5. Is it such a Fast as I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul c. Secondly For confession of sins some have done this and yet they have not rightly and penitentially done this Exod. 9. 27. Pharaoh said I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked see what a confession is here but then see Ver 34. when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardened his heart he and his servants Thirdly For turning from sin some have pretended thus far and yet have not truly acted therein Psal 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Ver. 35 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues Ver. 37. For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Jer. 2. 20. Of old time I have broken thy yoke and burst thy hands and thou saidst I will not transgress when upon every high hill and under every green Tree thou wanderedst playing the harlot Thus you see that some have pretended to all the parts of Repentance and yet have not acted up to any one part in truth Therefore I will now deliver unto you the right qualifications of all
iniquity I never knew you saith Christ These things being thus premised I will now shew unto you 1. How a man may so perform his obediential works that he may please God and they may be accepted How we may so perform duties as to please God 2. How he is to walk in Gods Statutes so c. 1. Case How a man must perform obediential works so that he may please God and that they may be accepted of God Sol. For this take these answers First He must be in Christ It is a sure rule That the person must be accepted The person must be in Christ before his works can be accepted Now no persons are accepted but so far only as they are in Christ He hath made us accepted in his beloved saith the Apostle Ephes 1. 6. If the Lord looks on any person as out of Christ what shall he find him what shall he behold in him nothing but a sinful cursed enemy an object of his justice and wrath an offending and offensive displeasing and provoking creature and he cannot but loath him and what comes from him only in and by Christ doth he look upon uw with grace and favour Secondly He must have the Spirit of Christ For they that are in the flesh cannot He must have the Spirit of Christ please God Rom. 8. 8. The Apostle in the precedent verse saith That the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be whence he instances in this verse That they that are in the flesh cannot please God A wicked unregenerate man defiles every good work which he takes in hand Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles saith Christ Matth. 7. 16. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit ver 17. That of Solomon is pertinent to our purpose Prov. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And ver 29. The Lord is far from the wicked but he heareth prayer of the Righteous By all which you plainly see that a person must be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ if he would have services or performances pleasing to God and accepted of him if God sees not something of his own work in our works he accepts them not but that cannot be unless our work comes from his Spirit within us c. Thirdly He must worship God in Spirit and in truth this our Saviour delivers He must worship God in spirit and in truth in Joh. 4. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him And ver 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth A bare external bodily service the Lord utterly dislikes if the soul and heart come not within our duties they are of no account to God Spiritual service is proper for God who is a Spirit and this pleaseth him Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit Ephes 6. 18. Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Fourthly He must perform all his duties of obedience in Faith For without He must perform them in faâ—th Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Now to perform our duties in faith implies 1. That we know and discern the will and command of God concerning the duties which we do perform unto him This is a certain truth That what God requires not that God accepts not He appoints all the paths of obedience unto the sons of men and will not be obeyed according to our mind but according to his own mind and whatsoever we do if we do it not with faith i. e. being not perswaded that this is that which God requires of us it shall not be accepted For Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne 2. That we rely upon the grace and strength of Christ to walk and perform the duties commanded For without him we can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. It was a good speech of Bernard upon that passage in Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon his beloved Frustra nititur qui non innititur no good can be done but by leaning on Christ from him is the strength of your sufficiency and not from your selves 3. That we offer them up to God in the Name of Christ resting on his merits and not on our own duties on his doings not on our own doings and expecting acceptance for his sake Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do Ver. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye shall do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The prayers that were offered up with the incense upon the Altar were pleasing Rev. 8. 3. and came up with acceptance Ver. 4. The brethren were kindly used for Benjamins sake and David shewed respect to lame Mephibosheth for Jonathans sake Simile All our services and duties are pleasing to God and accepted of him not for their own sakes but for Christs sake 4. That whatsoever we do in the way of obedience let it be done to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Do all to the glory of God For Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen 2. Case Now I come to shew you the choice Rules which do concern us Rules concerning our walking in Gods statutes in walking in Gods statutes or the manner how we must walk in them if c. Sol. The Rules which I will propound all of them shall be taken from the VVord of God and they are these First VVe are to walk in them willingly As Ephraim is said in a contrary We must walk in â—hem willingly sense to walk willingly after the command he was not compelled oâ— forced but freely of his own accord gave up himself unâ—o idolatrous worship So should we in a true spiritual sense willingly walk after the commands of God The willingness of our hearts is all in all in the duties of obedience and the more of that the more precious and acceptable is our obedience to Gods statutes 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts q. d. Look well to this for God takes special notice of this and looks more at this than any thing else Psal 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power This is the choice Character of the people of Christ they shall be a willing people the word signifies they shall be
them both 6. In the forme of inscription as in that the Law of works was written in the heart of Adam so in this the Law of grace is written in the heart of every one confederated 7. In the unchangeablenesse both of the one and of the other both of them are immutable Although that Covenant of works as it is a Covenant for life ceaseth unto believers yet it stands in force upon and against all unbelievers I say notwithstanding all these general concordancies correspondencies and agreements between them they do yet differ in nine particulars which I Nine things in which they differ shall the rather mention that you may understand the infinite goodnesse of God in making this Covenant of grace and his infinite mercy in it and your own happinesse by it if any of you be brought into the Covenant And also to affect your hearts that you may press the more after a personal interest therein Thus then the Covenant of works and of grace do differ 1. In their special end The end which God aimed at in the Covenant of works was the declaration and magnifying of his justice and his end in making In their special end the Covenant of grace is the declaration and magnifying of his mercy In the Covenant of works it is Do this and live if you sinne you dye for it Here is no place for Repentance no place for mercy In the Covenant of works when Adam had sinned there was no commission of enquiry whether he repented or not of what he had done the enquiry was only of the fact What hast thou done Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said unto thee Thou shalt not eat and being found guilty death and curse are pronounced against him Gen. 3. 11 19. Thus it is in the Covenant of works The soul that sinnes shall die 〈◊〉 18. 4. In this God reveals his wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men Rom. 1. 18. And thus he makes his power and justice known in that Covenant But in the Covenant of grace his intention and purpose is to glorifie his mercy to proclaim his glory The Lord The Lord merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne Exod. 34. 6 7. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes c. I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8. 10 12. In this Covenant there is place for repentance and mercy for the penitent Repent that your sinnes may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. He that forsakes his sins shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. So that as to the Covenant of works you must be altogether perfect and alwayes so if you sinne at all you are cast and condemned But as to the Covenant of grace the sinner being penitent is received to mercy and spared This is one great difference betwixt the Covenant of Works and of Grace 2. In the condition of man with whom God doth Covenant The Covenant In the condition of man with whom God doth Covenant of works was made with man as perfect upright innocent and then sinlesse and therefore it is called by some Pactum Amicitiae a Covenant of friendship because before the fall there was nothing of variance or enmity betwixt God and man that estate was an estate of love and kindnesse and friendship God was Adams friend and Adam was a friend to God they agreed together and conversed as loving friends But the Covenant of grace was made with man as breaking friendship as fallen off by sinne as under the estate of emnity when his sinnes had separated betwixt him and his God and therefore this Covenant is called Pactum Reconciliationis a Covenant of Reconciliation an agreement made betwixt parties who had fallen out The Lord was pleased to look after man again and to take pity on him and to propose new Articles of life unto him 3. In their foundations The Covenant of works as to our part was founded In their foundations upon the strength of that righteous nature which God gave unto Adam and in him unto us so that his standing was upon his own bottome upon the sufficiency of his own power and will with which he was created But the foundation of the Covenant of grace is Jesus Christ not our own strength but the strength of Christ who is the Rock the Corner-stone the foundation-stone upon which you are built And this is one reason why Adam fell and lost that life promised in the Covenant of works and why such as are brought into the Covenant of grace fall not so as to lose that blessed life promised unto them Adam had more inherent strength of grace than we have he at his first creation was without all sinne yet he being left to the strength of his own will willingly brake with God willingly transgressed and lost all But we though weaker in our selves than he yet being brought into this Covenant of grace though we meet with as great temptations as he yet fall not as he did because the foundation of our strength is greater than his Jesus Christ holds us in his own hands Joh. 10. 28. And we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. 4. The Covenant of works was made without a Mediatour There was no The one made without a Mediatour dayes-man betwixt God and man none to stand between them There was none and needed none because there was no difference then betwixt God and man Man was then righteous perfectly righteous A Mediatour is a third person betwixt two different parties to make up the breach which ariseth betwixt them but when the Covenant of works was made betwixt God and man all was righteousnesse and therefore all was peace there was no use of a Mediatour to bring them into peace and set them at one who were hitherto in perfect love and union But in the Covenant of grace there is a Mediatour The other with a Mediatour Jesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant Heb. 12. 24. Man being fallen there is now a necessity of a Mediatour to satisfie Gods Justice to destroy enmity to make peace to bring us neare to God again and to gain us confidence and acceptance with God The Covenant of grace could not have been drawn up without a Mediatour God would never have treated with sinners but by a Mediatour who should satisfie him for the wrong and injury done unto him and who should set mercy as it were at liberty to showr and fall down on sinful man and who should undertake to see all Articles performed Objection It may be objected that the Law given at Mount Sinai was a Covenant of works and yet that was delivered by the hand of a Mediatour Gal. 3. 19. Sol. I shall say no more to this at present but that the
all his hope and all his trust and all his delight and all his desire and all his fear and all his service c. 3. You may know whether God be your God By your choice and pecul'ar By your choice and peculiar enjoyments enjoyments or at least by your desire of them your Covenant enjoyments your desire to enjoy Covenant-mercies and blessings if God be your God in Covenant you do enjoy him and such things from him as no othe people in the earth do enjoy what peculiar things do we enjoy I will tell you 1. You enjoy that loving-kindesse and favour as none else do enjoy Remember The loving kindness of God me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people Psal 106. 4. 2. You enjoy that pardoning mercy as none else do enjoy Thou hast forgiven Pardoning mercy the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Psal 85. 2. 3. You enjoy that power of renewing grace which none else do enjoy That Power of renewing grace cleansing from sinne Jer. 33. 8. That subduing of sinne Micah 7. 19. That freedome from sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are under grace Rom. 6. 14. That newness of heart Ezek. 36. 26. 4. You enjoy that peace and comfort which none others do enjoy He will Peace and comfort speak peace unto his people Psal 85. 8. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Isa 40. 1. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord Zach. 2. 10. Object Oh But we have handly found any of these Covenant enjoyments Sol. I answer every one to whom God is a God in Covenant 1. Either hath expresly found every one of them 2. Or his great desires and longings of heart are after these Covenant enjoyments O a reconciled God a loving God a pardoning God a sanctifying God a Peace-speaking God c. above all things else whatsoever these are most eminently and most earnestly and most constantly to be found in the hearts desire of that person who indeed hath God to be his God Let the conscience speak and bear witnesse whether this be not so All you who have God to be your God and who are his people this day Now tell me you who heare this Sermon and perhaps think that God is your God what are your enjoyments your portions your possessions what Covenant-gift or work is to be found in your souls And what are the great things after which you so pant and sigh Is it the favour of God is it the mercy of God is it renewing and subduing grace I have nothing untill I have these and I cannot be satisfied untill I have these O Lord be my God O Lord forgive iniquity remember me graciously love me freely heal my soul c. 4. You may know that God is your God and that you are his people by your By the conformity of your wills to Gods Will. subordination and by your conformity of your wills to Gods Will Beloved the Covenant betwixt God and us takes in these two things 1. Subordination For it is an agreement betwixt a Superiour and an Inferiour betwixt the great God who is the Lord of all and poor miserable man who is inferiour to him and is to subject himself to his God as to his Lord and Soveraign to be ruled by him and guided by him 2. Conformity of will for it is a Covenant of love in which both parties have as it were but one heart and one mind and one will between them and so in this Covenant if we have God for our God and if we be his people what God likes that do we like and what our God loves that do we love and what our God hates that do we hate and what our God wills that do we will and what God would have done that would we have done This Covenant is an agreement and mutual consent in all things It will not permit us to give limits to God because he is our soveraign Lord Nor will it admit contrarieties and contradictions 'twixt God and us And therefore in this Covenant God writes his law in our hearts i. e. he puts into our hearts such spiritual principles as makes our will delightfully conformable unto his Will Alas if there be an opposition 'twixt our hearts and God a contradiction in our minds and wills unto his mind and Will this enmity plainly testifies that he is not our God and that we are none of his people if you be at that point that your judgement and your will and your lusts shall rule and sway and govern and command and that God must stoop and yield to your thoughts and to your pleasures and to your wills c. But by this it appears that he is your God and that you are his people if God doth rule and you do obey if he commands and you do hearken if his mind rules your judgement if his Will rules your will if his love rules your love if his Law rules your lives O Lord what thou lovest I love what thou commandest I approve good is the Word of the Lord the Commandment is holy and just and good 5. You may know whether God be your God in Covenant by the sweet By our sweet contentment in the manifestations of God to us contentment and satisfaction in the manifestations of your God in any part or branch of his Covenant into your souls If the Lord at any time be pleased to answer the desires of your souls in Covenant-love or in Covenant-mercy or in Covenant-grace or in Covenant-strength or in Covenant-peace O what a heavenly satisfaction is this But a glimpse of the favour of your God but a taste of the mercy of your God never so little of grace or peace which is an Ambassage a Letter a Token from God that he is your God this is such a life to you it is such a rejoycing it is such a cordial it is such a sweet day to your soules It is a thousand times more than to hear news that the highest of earthly preferments is yours or that the largest of earthly possessions are yours Covenant-manifestations are most precious unto all who are in Covenant Psal 35. 3. Say unto my soul thou art my salvation 6. You may know that God is your God and that you are his people by your dependance on God as your God in Covenant you will go to him and By our dependance on God as our God in Covenant rest on him in all your occasions I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Psal 57. 2. Thou art my God early will I seek thee Psal 63. 1. So this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us Isa 25. 9. I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will
after the order of Melchizedeck whence I thus argue That if the Priestly Office of Christ still continues in Heaven then there is some work which Christ still doth in Heaven Because an Office is therefore given and therefore continues in regard of some work that is to be done and to be continued by him who is invested with such an Office It were absurd and ridiculous to imagine that Jesus Christ should still enjoy an Office of Priesthood to no use or purpose there being nothing for him to do in that Office 2. He is very sensible of our conditions here on earth both in a way of apprehension He is very sâ—nsible of our conditionâ— here on earth and in a way of compassion In a way of apprehension Rev. 2. 8. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty Acts 9. 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me In a way of compassion Heb. 4. 15. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and Chap. 5. 2. He hath compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way To what end were these if Christ could or would not or might not do any thing for his servants because he is in heaven and they on earth 3. His love remaines as strong unto them now he is in heaven as it was unto them His love remaiâ—â—â— strong as ever whiles he was on earth Rev. 3. 9. I will make them to know that I have loved thee And love is active in the behalf of them who are beloved 4. His Relation is as near as it was the same union and the same relation still He is the Head and we the Members he is the Root and we the Branches he is the His relation is as neer as it was Husband and we are his Spouse still if the same near relation continues still surely works of kindness continue still 5. You have his Promise to act for you though he be now in heaven Joh. 14. There is a promise for it 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do verse 16. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Our faith else would be at a losse 6. Our Faith would be at a losse in all our accesses and approaches if Jesus Christ should give over all working for us nor it is not sufficient that we Our saith else would be at a loss represent his sufferings and merits unless he himself doth the same on our behalf 2. But now let us inquire what is that eminent and great work which Christ What is that eminent work that Christ doth in heaven for us doth in heaven for us it is Christs Intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Hebr. 7. 25. He ever liveth to make intercession for them I will open two things concerning the Intercession of Christ our Mediatour The Intercession of Christ viz. 1. the nature of it 2. The vertue or benefit of it 1. The Nature of it The Nature of it You read in Scripture of a three-fold Intercession A three-fold Intercession in Scripture Our intercession one for another 1 Our intercession one for another 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that Supplications Prayers Intercession and giving of thanks be made for all men Moses interceded for the people of Israel when they fell into that great sin of Idolatry which did so much provoke God to wrath And David made intercession for the life of his child and Paul for Epaphroditus and Onesimus All the people of God on earth do pray one for another but this is not in their own name but in the Name of Christ 2. The Spirits Intercession Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit it self maketh Intercession The Spirits Intercession for us c. verse 27. He maketh Intercession for the Saints accoâ—ding to the will of God And his Intercession is not a formal and meritorious intercession as Christs is but only a causal or virtual intercession by teaching us what to pray for and by giving us hearts and abilities and affections for to pray 3. Christs Intercession which was partly done whiles he was on earth Joh. 17. 9. Christs Intercession I pray not for the world but for all them that thou hast given me and Luke 22. 31 32. Simon Simon Satan hath desired to winnow you as wheat but I have prayed for thee And partly done whiles he is now in heaven And it may be thus described This Intercession of Christ is a glorious and authoritative work of Christ our High A description of it Priest and Mediatour wherein he takes upon him the cause and condition of all and every Believer and wills the effectual application of all and every good which he hath merited and purchased for them which will or request of Christ the Father hears and alwayes grants There are many things observable in this description 1. The Intercession â—f â—hrist is a glorious work There were works of Christs It is a glorious work Humiliation as to be born and die and there are works of Christs Exaltation amongst which Intercession is one He doth this work now being in his glory and he doth it after a glorious manner not by prostrating himself as once he did in the Garden or by falling down on his knees as he did on earth but bâ— presenting of his Person and sufferings and merits unto his Father on our behalf in heaven as the reason of the good which we desire to enjoy 2. And therefore I add that it is an Authoritative work There is a praying as An authoritative work one distinguisheth out of humility which is a desire or request for things unmerited And there is a praying out of Authority wherein one doth not meerly present his request to be granted but also his right that it ought to be granted Such is the Intercession of Christ which is grounded not absolutely In promisso on Gods gracious promise but principally In precio in his own satisfaction and merit upon which he may justly demand and challenge audience and performance 3. Christs Intercession in heaven respects not himself but his Church and every It respects not himself but his Church Member thereof on earth When he was on earth he many times prayed for his and for himself but being now in heaven and glorified he prayes not for himself but only for his on earth For as their Intercessor he takes upon him their persons and their cause and their condition as Paul intreated for Onesimus and Judah for Benjamin unto his Father You read of the High Priest that when he went into the Sanctuary he went in with the names of the twelve Tribes upon his breast So Jesus Christ when he went up to heaven he did as it were carry up
all men would believe Either God did really intend to give this condition to all i. e. to work so effectually upon all that they might believe through his grace or he did not so intend to work on them If he did not intend effectually to give faith unto all men then questionlesse he never did intend that all men either should or could partake of that universal redemption by Christ for no man either doth or can partake thereof without faith and of that faith no man neither doth or can partake thereof unless God be pleased to give it unto him Faith being the gift of God If he did intend effectually to give faith unto all men then all men have been are or shall be Believers for what God will effectually give of that shall we partake c. Object God intends to give faith to all men but it is in his own congruous way unto which all men submit not Sol. But this comes not home to the Argument for I do not argue of the congruity and fitness of wayes to work faith and whether men may resist these wayes or not or whether God will give saith upon another condition if they will have faith This I insist upon that if God intends effectually to give faith unto all then all shall eventually have that faith To give saith effectually is not a meere command to believe nor is it to present unto sinners media sufficientia only but it is by the Almighty operation of the Spirit of God to create and work in or infuse the grace of faith into the heart of a sinner 3. If there were such an universal Impetration of Reconciliation andremission and salvation for all and every man by the death of Christ then the love of God and the love of Christ are of equal respect to all alike All are alike in the love and intention of God who gave Christ and all are alike in the love and death of Christ who upon one and the same account died alike for all whether believers or unbelievers whether those that shall be saved or those that shall be damned there was no difference and no inequality of love towards sinners God did not look more on one than on another neither did Christ regard one more than another in his death But that any one speeds better than another this depends on himself because he will believe the other will not but all are alike objects of the same degree of love with God and Christ The Arminians blush not to say that thus it is Gods love in the giving of Christ and Christs love in giving himself Antecedently was alike to all no more to Peter than to Judas and as much to Pharaoh as to Moses though the consequent love indeed after men do believe is not alike But for the Antecedent love that was alike to all and the death of Christ was the effect of that his great and equal love unto all Antecedently Sol. But this is a grand mistake and Error and that I shall briefly demonstrate by Scripture and Reasons The Antecedent love not alike to all appears by The Antecedent love not alike to all Proved By Scripture these Scriptures 1. Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes verse 26. Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight The matter of which Christ there discourseth was the Mystery of Redemption and Doctrine of salvation this same Christ saith that his Father did hide from the wise and prudent and so he did because it seemed good unto him so to do And for this differential pleasure and work of God Christ gives thanks unto his Father Now if God did love all alike so as to will all their salvation alike why would he have hid the Doctrine and way of salvation from any and had the love of Christ been alike to all in the desire and purpose of their salvation would he have thanked and blessed his Father for hiding and not revealing of that universal salvation Can any man reasonably make Christ thus to expresse himself Father thou didst seriously will the salvation of all alike and so did I my self and nothing is wanting on thy part nor yet on mine that all sinners might enjoy the same Nevertheless I thank thee who didst thus love all alike and intend the salvation of all alike that thou hast hid the Doctrine and knowledge of this universal Salvation from the wise and prudent Do you call this an equal love to all Object Nor will the corrupt gloss of Corvinus the Arminian help him at all who would make Christ to give thanks to his Father q. Those things which were hidden to the wise he had revealed to babes Sol. The Text voides that shuffle plainly for it saith because thou hast hid these things from the wise not They had hid them from themselves but Thou hast hid them Not So it seemed good unto them But it seemed good in thy sight II. I will give you another place against this equal love of God to all which I believe is unanswerable Rom. 9. 11. The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth verse 12. it was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger verse 13. As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Let Esau and Jacob be Examples or Types it matters not much to the Point in hand here it is said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Is this a love alike to both Nor will that distinction of a consequent love of God which they make to be after faith and repentance and to be unlike to men or of an Antecedent love of God which is before faith and repentance and is alike to all I say this distinction failes them here Sol. For the Apostle speaks of that Antecedent love which yet is not alike to all The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil yet Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated III. If the love of God and Christ were Antecedently alike to all men in this business of universal salvation Then when Christ died for all sinners he loved them all with such a love as greater could not be Joh. 15. 13. Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friend If one be an enemy you cannot shew greater love than to lay down your life for him or if he be a friend greater love cannot be shewen than this to lay down your life for him Now did Christ love all men with so great a love as greater cannot be shewen to any If so why is it that the effects of this love never reach many men so greatestly loved and yet they reach others even because they were
sinner who hath no part in Christ no hope nor plea by him Fourthly The unforgiven sinner is obnoxious to the severe Authority of an He is obnoxious to an awaking guilty conscience awakning guilty conscience and unto all the powerful workings of it Indeed whiles the conscience remains stupid and seared although sins be unforgiven there is a quietnesse in the soule like a sick man asleep Simile But when God irresistably awakes conscience by effectual light and gives it a charge to act its office of accusing and condemning O Lord in what a case will the unpardoned sinner now be now the man must see all his sins and now he must see them in all their offence and provocations and deserts and now he must see them all as unforgiven and himself therefore obnoxious to death and wrath and curse and hell and conscience sets on all these with a strong conviction and with such piercing woundings and with such continual terror and horror that the unpardoned sinner is at his wits end A wounded Conscience or Spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. He is like Pashor-Magor-Missabib a terror round abount unto himself the guilt of his unpardoned sins works on his soul and on his body his soul hath them now before it and the thoughts of his soul are perplexed and astonished what shall I do and what will become of me And his afflictions are breaking with fears and with despaires his eyes are rolling his feet and joynts shaking and his body trembling he knows not what to do with himself nor how to fly from himself Conscience still cries and still pursues and still wounds and still gnaws and still flames and burnt and still condemns him thou hast destroyed thy self thou art lost for ever God is thy Judge thy sins are unforgiven and thy portion is damnation the poor wretch of times cries out O Conscience be quiet spare me a little give me a little space a minute an hours rest I can allow thee no Interim saith Conscience how can I thy sins are not forgiven and God hath given me a charge against thee and therefore how can I be quiet or how can I speak to him unto whom God saith there is no peace but wrath Isa 57. 21. Fifthly The unforgiven sinner must meet with death and death must meet with He must meet with death as a king of terrors him as a king of fears and as armed against him with the guilt of his sins the sting of death is sin saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 56. death is no great matter but the sting of death that is terrible that is like the sting of a Serpent or of the Scorpion piercing poysoning enraging and killing Luther professeth that there were three things which he durst not think of without Christ viz. 1. Of his sinnes 2. Of death 3. Of the day of judgement why what is death to an unpardoned sinner I will tell you what it is 1. It is a full period to all comforts and delights the unpardoned sinner shall never taste of delight more to all Eternity when a justified person dyes he shall never see any sorrow more and when an unpardoned sinner dyes he shall never see delight in any kind more 2. A full period to all Reprieves and Bayles the sinner during life may be Reprieved from many an Execution of wrath and judgement but when he dies there is no longer reprieving he must now appear in person before the righteous God answer for himself and give up his account and to receive according to what he hath done Now how dreadful will this be to the unpardoned sinner on whose soul and conscience the guilt of all his sins is engraven O saith he I cannot live and I must die I have not a day longer nor an hour longer and then must I appear before Gods Judgement seat and what will become of one who never repented who never believed who never had part in Christ who never had his sins forgiven to him Sixthly the unpardoned sinner must receive that just and irreversible sentence of He must receive the irreversible sentence of condemnation condemnation from God Beloved there is a twofold sentence which God will pronounce at the last day 1. One is of comfort and absolution Come ye blessed inherit the kingdom prepared for you Matth 25. 34. 2. The other is of terror and condemnation Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels and both these sentences are already notified unto us in this life He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. How dreadful this sentence of condemnation will be I pray God that none of us may find but certainly all unpardoned sinners shall find it God will pronounce it against them how can it be otherwise if sinners be not pardoned if sinners be not pardoned then the sinner is not absolved and if he be not absolved he must be condemned Object But God may forgive him in that day Sol. No no that day is not a day of forgiving though it be a day of publication who hath been forgiven c. Seventhly Upon this sentence immediately follows execution God condemns And execution immediately follows To all eternity these sins and they shall be condemned he adjudgeth them to hell to be tormented with the Divel and his Angels and thither they go to suffer that wrath which their sins have deserved Eighthly And this poenal endurance of wrath it must continue to all eternity As long as God is God so long must the wrath of God abide on them the worm never dies and the fire of hell never goes out And if these things be so then by the way learn four things 1. Come off speedily from your sins by true repentance 2. Slight the Gospel as you have done no more stand no longer against the offers of Jesus Christ 3. By all means yield your selves to be the people of God 4. Whatsoever you make sure of make sure of Christ and of the forgiveness of your sins and the salvation of your souls SECT VI. Vse 2. DOth God promise forgiveness of sins unto his people Is it one of the first mercies by him promised unto them Then let us every one be exhorted to get a capacity of the forgiveness of our sins Get a capacity of forgiveness Beloved it is true that God can and doth forgive sins and will do so but yet he will do this in that way and in that order which he hath prescribed in his own Word we may not say Why I am a sinner and therefore God will forgive me as if one should say I am a debtor therefore the Creditor will release me and I am an offender and therefore the Judge will absolve me Nor may we say absolutely God is a merciful God and therefore he will forgive me for as God is a merciful God and may therefore forgive so he is a
righteous God and therefore he may condemn Nor may we say that God promiseth forgiveness of sins therefore our sins are forgiven for as God promiseth mercy he contracts that promise of mercy unto his own people and as God saith he will mercifully pardon so he saith likewise that he will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59 5. And he will not spare the audacious sinner who promiseth peace unto himself though he adds drunkenness to thirst Deut. 29. 19 20. Now because this Use is of the greatest consequence and necessity for us who stand in need of this vital and soveraign mercy the forgiveness of sins therefore I will discourse of three positionâ— concerning it 1. Some sinners do erroneously make and take some things for a certain capacity of forgivenesse of their sins which absolutely is not so 2. Some sinners do certainly put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness 3. Some sinners are in a right capacity of Gods promise of the forgiveness of their sins Some plead for a capacity of pardon upon false grounds As Gods mercifulness First Some sinners do erroneously take these things for certain grounds that they are in the list and compasse of forgiveness of sins which absolutely considered cannot be so e. g. First God is of a very merciful nature ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works and he will not destroy his creatures he did not make us to damn us therefore my sins shall be forgiven Answered Sol. This cannot be a sure ground to build on that we are within the compass or capacity of forgiveness of sins because 1. By this Reason the Divels also may conclude the forgiveness of their sins for God is of a merciful nature and ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works 2. By this ground no sinner should be damned but every sinner should be saved For if every man hath his sins pardoned then no man shall be damned to have sins pardoned is to be discharged from condemnation but if this were a strong and sufficient inference Sins are pardoned because God is of a merciful nature then every sinner should have his sins pardoned 3. Though mercifulnesse be natural to God yet the dispensation or collation of mercy is voluntary and Arbitrary forgiving acts of mercy do not flow from God in that way as effects do flow from natural Agents in a way of necessity as the Sun necessarily gives out light and fire necessarily breaths out heat But as effects flow from voluntary and free Agents Rom. 9. 15 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion So then it will not follow Your sins are forgiven because Gods Nature is mercifull for forgiving mercy is not a necessary effect of that Nature but a voluntary effect thereof 4. Besides Justice is as natural to God as mercifulnesse is he is Essentially as just as he is merciful and he doth intend the gloryfying of his Justice upon sinners as ceâ—tainly as he doth the glorifying of his mercifulnesse Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long â—uffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Ver. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Here you plainly see a will and purpose in God to set up the glory of his Justice in the destruction of the vessels of wrath as well as the glory of his mercifulness in the salvation of the vessels of mercy Exod. 34. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guiliy Here also you find that mercifulness is so attributed to God as that justice likewise is preserved in him though his merciful nature in forgiving doth extend to thousands yet it doth not extend to all For he likewise professeth that he will by no means clear the guilty Mercy hath a double consideration First as in the nature of God Secondly As in the promise of God which sheweth whom he will forgive and therefore 5. It would be your wisdom not absolutely to sit down with this notion that God is merciful but respectively to search out unto what sorts of persons he doth promise himself to be a merciful God in forgiving their sins For in his promises you may as certainly discern the will and extent of his mercy as in his threatnings you may espy the purpose and intent of his wrath and if you did so you should presently find that forgiving mercy is promised and intended only for believing and repenting sinners Prov. 28. 13. Isa 55. 7. Acts 3. 19. Acts 10. 43. Object And whereas it is objected that Psal 145. 9. the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Sol. This place is not for your purpose for 1. When he saith that the Lord is good to all this is spoken only as to his general Providence whereby he doth good to all sorts of creatures man and beast in their sustentation and preservation 2. When he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works if you take all his works for the whole Creation and his tender mercies for forgiveness of sins unto which forgiveness is ascribed Psal 51. 1. then it cannot with any sense he affirmed that forgiveness of sins extends to the whole Creation for this were to make beasts and trees and the elements and heavens to be sinners but when he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works either this is spoken in an absolute sense that all his works do taste of his kindness bounty and pity or in a comparative sense that of all the works of God his mercies are the highest and chiefest they are above or over all of them none like to them Object But God did not make us to damn us Sol. No nor yet to sin against him but to serve him Secondly A second ground upon which some do conclude that they are within the compass and capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins is this that God is a gracious God forgiving sins freely so indeed doth that word signifie Colos 2 13. Gods graciousness Having forgiven you all trespasses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely forgiven and Luke 7. 42. He freely forgiveth them both Hence they conclude that God stands upon nothing requires nothing but without any more ado will forgive the sins of men as it were of course Answered Sol. And yet by your favour God in his Word doth say Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Gal. 2. 16. We have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ But consider First The graciousness of God in forgiving of sins stands in opposition not to the means which God hath prescribed to enjoy forgiveness
because of the ordinary self-deceit of men contenting themselves with a false faith and because of the dreadful hazard and loss upon such a mistake Therefore rightly to state out unto you this great Point upon which our life or death depends lend me your patience and attention while I briefly discourse upon four Conclusions 1. All men have not faith 2. All faith brings us not to a certain remission of sin although there is a faith which doth so 3. Some men may think they have that faith which doth entitle them unto remission of their sins but yet they are deceived 4. That faith which is necessary unto the remission of sins and infallibly attains it may be clearly made evident unto us for the truth of its presence in us First All men have not Faith So the Apostle expresly 2 Thes 3. 2. Who hath believed our report So the Prophet Isa 53. 1. He came amongst his own All men have not faith and his own received him not Joh. 1. 11. Though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him Joh. 12. 37. And there are four things do demonstrate this Four things demonstrate this The ignorance in many men 1. The ignorance in many men the know not Christ the Lord of glory How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Rom. 14. So say I how shall they believe on him whom they have not known though knowledge may be without Faith yet it is impossible there should be Faith without knowledge 2. The carelesnesse in many men about the offer of Christ and the invitations of Christ they make light of them Matth. 22. 5. an know not the day of Their carelessness about the offer of Christ their visitation Luke 19. 44. And follow their worldly pleasures and profits neglecting Christ and the great things of Christ Luke 14. 18 19 20. 3. The opposition of Jesus Christ We will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19. 14. Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from The opposition of Jesus Christ us Psal 2. 3. All day long I have stretched my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. 4. The obstinate perversenesse of will in the refusing of Christ ye would not Matth. 23. 27. Ye will not come to me Joh. 5. 40. They have both seen and hated both me and my Father Joh. 15. 24. Secondly Though some men have faith yet all Faith doth not bring us to All Faith doth not bring us to remission of sins A Diabolical Faith the certain remission of sins There are five sorts of Faith which may be had and yet no remission of sins is annexed to any one of them 1. A diabolical Faith The Divels believe and tremble Jam. 2. 19. They believe that there is a God and that that wrath which he hath threatned them shall inevitably befall them and thereupon they tremble such a kind of Faith many have who do utterly despair of mercy and are without hope 2. A meerly Historical Faith which is an assent unto the Word of God as true and there it rests many do firmly believe revealed truths who yet never A meer Historical Faith embrace the goodness of those truths they doe believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that he was sent into the world to save sinners that he died for sinners that he made peace by his blood that there is remission of sins to be had by him that whosoever believes and repents shall be saved All these Points they do believe to be certain truths because the Word of God saith so and yet for all this their hearts are not drawn to receive Christ nor to love him nor to serve him without which there is no benefit to be had from Christ 3. A temporary Faith Luke 8. 13. They on the Rock are they which when they hear receive the Word with joy and they have no root which for a while believe A temporary Faith and in time of temptation fall away Luke 8. 13. A man may go far as to hear the Gospel and to receive it to own it in some sort and that with joy he may be somewhat taken with the newness of it or with the sweetness of it and he may thereupon believe that it sets out the true way of life and thereupon may make a profession of Christ and the Gospel and come into an outward communion in the Gospel and yet this mans faith may not be sound which Christ shews in two particulars 1. It wants a root and it is but superficial it doth not root in the heart in Christ nor doth it flow from Chrisi as a Root or living Principle 2. It wants constancy or duration it is not fixed on Christ for Christ alone but for some self advantages and therefore in time of temptation it withers and falls off Now that Faith which neither roots us nor ingraffs us into Christ nor keeps us faithful and steadfast to Christ is false faith and therefore shall miss of the forgiveness of sins 4. There is a verbal Faith a Faith which conâ—â—sts only in profession and words A veâ—bal Faith without any vital fruits and manifestations of truth and power Jam. 2. 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man saith he hath Faith and have not works can Faith save him The Apostle in that place taxeth the vanity of empty and boasting Professors who talked much of their Faith and trusted for great matters by it alas saith he you deceive your selves much in your Faith there is a Faith which will indeed profit and save but the faith of which you boast will not do so for your faith is but a dead faith If it were true it would appear in love and good works as the living Tree doth in fruits but there is no such working faith in you 5. And lastly there is a presumptuous Faith which is nothing else but a phantastical A presumptuous Faith faith The simple believeth every word Prov. 14. 15. Ver. 16. The Foole rageth and is confident So is it with the man who hath presumptuous faith he believeth every word Christ is his and died for him and his sins shall be forgiven and his soul shall be saved and yet the foole rageth and is confident He is a wicked man and lives wickedly swears and lies and whores and breakes the Sabbath and derides holiness and will not obey the Gospel of Christ and yet he is confident he hath no Scripture grounds at all for his confidence nay there is clear ground for him to believe the wrath of God if he repent nor c. Thirdly Some men do think that they have that true Faith which doth entitle to Some men think they have true Faith but â—e deceâ—ved remission of sins but they are deceived Beloved self-deceit is very natural and common that a man may think himself to be
appear and no Use private helps of Conference and Prayer with godly and experienced Ministers and Christians special workings yet arise and no hope of mercy then let him conferre with some godly and well experienced Ministers and Christians if there be a messenger with him an Interpreter one among a thousand Job 33. 23. to pity his soul and to shew him his way and to open counsel unto him and to poure out his heart in prayer to the Lord for him The fervent prayers of the Righteous are effectual and prevalent Jam. 5. 16. and should be called in for help in such a case And when all of them joyn together and cry mightily unto God O Lord in the midst of judgement remember mercy Lord deal not with this sinner according to his sinning against thee Lord do not forsake him and leave him Lord return in mercy to his soul aâ—d renew him again unto repentance for thy Name sake for thy Christs sake do not abhor him but heal his back-slidings and be merciful unto his back slidings I teâ—l you that such joynt and earnest prayers of the people of God are seldom denyed by God Fourthly If yet no spiritual working can be revived but his heart like the Shunamites Repair to some soul-searching and quickning Ministry child which for all that Gehazi could say or do still remained dead so this mans heart for all that private helps can do still remains hard and unaffected then let him think on and repair to some soul-searching and quickning Ministry which God doth ordinarily bless to break down a presumptuous heart and to lift up a contrite heart to pierce and wound a hard heart and to comfort and revive a troubled heart Who can tell what the Lord will or may do in and by his own Ordinance especially when a poor â—â—nner comes directly for that end to receive impressions from God and renouncing all his own power as well he may for it utterly fails him offers up his heart such as it is unto the Lord to be created as it were again and new mouâ—ded and formed and quickned O Lord I doubt I have lost all since my sinning against thee oh that sinning against thee I can neither find thee nor my self Repentance seems to be dead O I cannot grieve or mourn and Faith seems to be dead and I cannot believe or trust Lord may I come to thee may I look up to thee may I call upon thee may I hope in thee thou canst yet do me good wilt thou so O that thou wouldest make thy power to appear if yet thou wilt not make thy grace to appear I have cast my self down and I cannot raise my self I have hardened my heart and I cannot soften it I have weakened every grace and I cannot quicken any one again yet O Lord thou canst do all this thou canst convince and humble and turn and raise and renew I bring my heart to thee do with me what seemes good in thine eyes only take not thy Spirit from me by thy Spirit breathe some life into this dead heart I have lived a presumptuous sinner yet O Lord let me not dye an hardened and impenitent and unbelieving sinner Fifthly If after all this nothing appears of change in thy hard heart then set Set some time apart for fasting and prayer somesolemn time apart for fasting and prayer to humble thy soule and to seek the face of God And indeed this is convenient and necessary in this case for extraordinary sinnings do require extraordinary humiliations and God gives in and comes unto us upon such extraordinary seeking when he holds off upon ordinary and common addresses The Word of God tells us so much and experience seals and bears witness thereunto And therefore let nothing hinder or divert thee from this work not that this kind of service hath any kind of merit in it but that 1. God expects it if we would have peace after great sinnings And 2ly it shews how much the heart is displeased with itself and truly longs to be raised and reconciled And 3ly God is usually found in this way and returns again and shews compassion and forgives sins and subdues iniquities And withall remember three things about this work 1. Be not discouraged though at the beginning thou findest thy heart very hardened and dull and straitned yet still hold on and before the end of it thou shalt find it altered into some mournings and meltings and hopes of mercy and gracious answers 2. Fasten all thy hopes on the Lord Jesus pray and ask in his Name and trust in his Name for thy pardon and for thy recovery and resolve plainly to wait and hearken what the Lord in his time will speak to thee and do for thee 3. Apply those promises which do especially respect thy â—ad condition What are those will you say They are 1. the promise of softening a hard heart 2ly The promises of healing a back-sliding heart 3ly The promises of pardoning great transgressions you have them all expressed in the Word Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the heart of stone and will give them an heart of flesh Hose 14. 4. Isa 1. 18. I will heal their back slidings Though your sins be as scarlet I will make them as white as snow EZEK 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean c. YOU have heard already from this Verse two things One was the Quality of the mercy promised by God unto his people and that was the forgiveness of their sins The other was the Quantity of that promised mercy respecting partly the multitude of their sins and partly the magnitude of their sins From all your filthiness and from all you Idols will I cleanse you Now there remaines yet a little more which God doth promise about the forgiveness of the sins of his people and that is expressed in the words which I have read unto you I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean Object For it might be objected How it is possible that our sins which are so many and which are so great should be forgiven us what can be found to appease Gods justice for them and to take them away so that they shall never be imputed unto us and how may we be assured or ascertained concerning this Sol. The Answer is made in the Text I will sprinkle clean water upon you and What is meant by sprinkling clean water upon them The blood of Christ The particular application of his blood you shall be cleaâ—â—â— by which expression two things are meant 1. The blood of Christ which is the effectually meritorious reason of the forgiveness of the most and of the greatest of the sins of the people of God 2. The particular application of the blood of Christ unto them with an assurance that it was shed for their sins Both these doth the sprinkling of clean water import You read in
heard thee preach in our Synagogues Have we not eat and drunk in thy presence c Luke 13. 26. There is not any one hypocrite there is not any one formal Professor but he doth deceive himself with a false opinion of his estate and with a false assurance And there are four great Reasons why these men do thus delude themselves 1. One is Pride of heart and vain-glory they will appear not to be inferiour to any and therefore will deceive themselves to deceive others and will boast of what they have not 2. Another is the reach of common gifts which may give them a taste of Christ and of the good Word and of the Powers of the world to come Hebr. 6. 5. A taste makes them think it is assurance 3. A third is the neglect of self-examination they take things upon trust and will not search their hearts and try their ways and bring them to the light to the rule to the touch-stone to the Word they will not try their hearts by the Word nor their supposed graces by the Word nor their comforts nor assurances by the Word and therefore they deceive themselves 4. A fourth is the just iudgement of God upon them to send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye because they received not the love of the ruth 2 Thes 2. 10 11. Only a notion of it but not the love of it only the form but not the power of godliness Thirdly As many have deceived themselves with a false assurance so Many still deceive themselves How one may know he hath a false assurance many still do deceive themselves with a false assurance instead of a true assurance Quest But will some of you say that is the question unto which we desire you to speak a few words what are the discoveries of a false assurance or how one may know that the assurance or perswasion which he hath if the forgiveness of his sins is false is but a delusion Sol. For your help in this I will present unto you six infallible discoveries of a false assurance First The first is When it is a seal without any date my meaning is when a person When it is a seal without a date always hath had assurance never was there any time when he doubted of this point he was never troubled concerning it but always believed and his heart hath always been confidently perswaded that Christ dyed for him and that his sins were pardoned Why this alone may convince thee that thy assurance is but a delusion Mark the Apostle a little in Rom. 8. 15. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Ver. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Here the Apostle lays out three works of the Spirit with the order of his workings 1. First He is efficientè operativè the spirit of bondage to fear i. e. making us rightly sensible of our sinful and miserable condition which makes our hearts to fear what the Lord will do against us 2. Secondly Hereupon in time he is the Spirit of Adoption working faith in us by which we become the children of God and look on him as a Father with love and without any servile fear 3. Thirdly After both these he is the Spirit of assurance bearing witness with our spirits that we are the children of God This is the last work of the Spirit it is not the first nor the only work of the Spirit it comes after the Spirit of Adoption as that comes after the spirit of bondage to fear From this place thou mayst evidently discern the assurance of which thou boastest to be false to be no work of the Spirit who begins in a work of conviction and humiliation and ends in a work of testimony and assurance begins in bondage and ends in liberty begins in fear and ends in peace and comfort the Spirit never begins but ends in comfort Secondly The second discovery of a false assurance is this that as it hath It hath not the Spirit of God for the Author of it not the Spirit of God for the Author of it so it hath not the Word of God for the Instrument and means of it Beloved the Word of God is the Organ or Instrument which the Spirit of God doth ordinarily use for the forming of all his gifts and graces and comforts upon the soul of man I hardly know any one of them for which he doth not employ the Ministry of the Word when the Spirit 1. Enlightens the soul he makes use of the Word to convey and let in light into the soul Psal 19. 8. It enlightens the eyes 2. Humbles the heart he makes use of the Word to break the heart and to lay it low Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts 3. Converts and calls the soul he calls it by the Word and converts it by the Word 1 Thes 2. 19. He called you by our Gospel Jam. 1. 18. 4. Brings in a soul by faith unto Christ he doth this by the Word Rom. 10. Ephes 1. 5. Raises and comforts when he strengthens and assures the soul he doth quicken it by th◠Word and comforts it by the Word and strengthens it by the Word 〈◊〉 assures it by the Word yea and recovers by the Word assurance when it is lost Ephes 1. 13. In whom we also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of salvation In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise 1 Thes 1. 5. Our Gospel came unto you not in word only but power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance Here you see the Word to be the means of believing and so making way for sealing and assuring Psal 119. 50. Thy Word hath quickned me but now a false assurance was never wrought by the Word which will appear plainly if you do consider three things that are usually found in men presumptuously and deludingly assured 1. They care little for the Word especially for that Word of God which doth powerfully search and prepare the heart and fit it for the assuring work of the Spirit 2. They have most peace and assurance when they keep them most from the faithful and powerful delivery of the Word and their assurance is never more interrupted and shaken and dashed than under the soul searching and convincing Ministry of the Gospel it cannot stand before it nor abide the tryal of it 3. Notwithstanding all their seeming regards unto the Word yet never is there any thing contributed by the Word unto their assurance nor further confirming or strengthening or enlarging all which doth evidently demonstrate that a false assurance was never wrought by the Word but is the fruit of fancy and a dream of our own hearts only Thirdly A further discovery of a false assurance is
as well as Justification II. That God himself doth undertake to sanctifie or to renew the hearts of his people III. That a new heart and a new spirit God will give unto all his people in Covenant SECT I. Doct. 1. THat Sanctification is promised unto the people of God as well as Justification Sanctification is promised as well as Justification or with Justification God doth promise not only to pardon the sins of his people but also to sanctifie and renew the hearts of his people a new heart also will I give you For the opening of this precious Truth I will shew unto you 1. The distinction or difference between Justification and Sanctification for the word also imports as much 2. The Connexion between them both 3. The Reasons why God promiseth the one with the other First The distinction or difference 'twixt Justification and Sanctification for they The difference between Justification and Sanctification are promised as two distinct or several gifts I will also c. which could not be spoken if they were both of them one and the same thing They differ thus First There is in Justification a change of the state he who was in the state They differ in six things of death and wrath being justified is in the state of life and love he is passed from death to life but in Sanctification of the heart he who was unholy is now made holy his heart is changed Secondly Justification looks at the guilt of sin and frees us from condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. But Sanctification looks at the filth of sin and frees us from the dominion of sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. Thirdly In Justification there is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us for which God accounts us righteous but in Sanctification there is grace infused into us by which we are made conformable unto the image of Christ that depends upon the merit of Christ and this depends upon the Spirit of Christ Fourthly The matter of â—â—â—â—â—ification is perfect and without any defect and exception the justice of God cannot finde any want in the obedience of Christ which was full and compleat and perfectly satisfied the Law of God but the matter of our sanctification is imperfect and weak and we cannot stand before Gods Judgment-seat with it Fifthly All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst believers as to their Justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst believers every one is not sanctified alike but some are stronger and higher and some are weaker and lower in grace Sixthly In Justification there is nothing of sin remaining which hath any cotrariety to the justified estate but in Sanctification there is something of sin remaining in the sanctified person which is contrary to that grace which is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other c. 2ly The Connexion of Sanctification with Justification You may read in The connexion of Sanctification with Justification Scripture of a four-fold conjunction of these two great gifts of God unto his people First In the promises of the Covenant they joyn hand in hand come forth like A four-fold cennexion In the promises twins out of the womb of grace Jer. 33. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Here you see them both expressed together in the same deed I will cleanse them from all their iniquity there is our sanctification promised And I will pardon all their iniquities there is justification promised Mich. 7. 19. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea Here you finde them again in promise He will subdue our iniquities this is sanctifying and he will cast all c. there is justifying Heb. 8. 10. I will put my Laws into their mindes and write them in their hearts there is the promise of sanctification Ver. 12. And I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more there is the promise of justification Rev. 2. 17. I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written c. Secondly In people of the Covenant All who are effectually called and In the people of the Covenant brought into Covenant they are justified and they are sanctified they partake of mercy and they partake of grace If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. He is made holy so 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And in 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye all in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification So Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins Chap. 2. 1. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Thirdly In the desires of the people of the Covenant Their hearts are drawn In the desires of the people of the Covenant forth with the desires of both Psal 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Here is earnest prayer for mercy to pardon sin Ver. 10. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me here is earnest prayer for grace to sanctifie Fourthly In the Mediatour of the Covenant who is the Head of his Church as well In the Mediatour as the Saviour of his body Ephes 5. 23. And gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Ver. 26. as well as to wash it from its sins in his own blood Rev. 1. 5. And gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 19. And bare our iniquities in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness by whose stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2. 24. He was anointed not only to be our Priest to take away our sins by his body but also to be a Prophet to reveal unto us the whole will of God And this is the will of God even our sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. 3ly The Reasons why God doth promise
of sin and Satan nor send out such high works of services as it doth 2. That it doth conferre an ability or power on the soule to what end else is it given unto us if by it we have no more power than what we had before in our natural condition When we are renewed by grace we are said to be quickned who were dead which necessarily implies that there is a power imprinted in us when we are renewed Now there is a two-fold power given when renewing grace is given 1. One is to do such things which no natural or unregenerate person ever did or could do 2. Another is to do such things which we our selves were not able to do before God did renew our hearts by grace First take me the bravest Heathen that ever was or the most accomplished Hypocrite that ever was and consider what they have done how far they have gone if you are not able to go beyond them in doing some things which they could not rise unto assuredly your hearts were never renewed by grace As Christ spake Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5. 20. So say I except you be able to do more than the choisest Heathen or exquisite Hypocrite or any unregenerate person in the world your hearts were never changed by renewing grace Object Will some say unto me what do you mean for many unregenerate men have gone very farre and so high that it is a question whether some of the people of God have risen so high Sol. First Let them go as farre as unregenerate men may or can go yet every regenerate or renewed person goes farre beyond them and the demonstration of it is this renewing grace is the highest elevation and perfection of mans nature common gifts with which alone unregenerate men are possessed are farre below and behind it in excellency and abilities Secondly But plainly to open my mind unto you there are six things unto which renewing grace doth enable a man and unto which no unregenerate person could ever attain 1. Self-denial in a mans opinion and affections and worth and ways and ends 2. Sincere love of Jesus Christ and of all that do belong to Christ 3. A cordial compliance with the whole revealed will of God 4. A submission of the whole heart to Christ in all his offices and with all his conditions 5. An unfeigned hatred of every sin 6. To live by faith upon the promises of God in all the contingencies and occurrences of the world No unregenerate person ever did or could in that estate rise unto any one of these things and every renewed person doth attain unto them in the truth of them therefore if you find a power to do those things assuredly your hearts are renewed by grace Secondly Moreover you may discern the presence of renewing grace by that power and ability to do such works as you your selves were never able to do before Heretofore you were not able to shed a tear for sin to forsake any one beloved sin to send up an affectionate prayer to God to prize Christ above all and to thirst after him to take any delight in God to suffer any reproach for Christ But now ye are able to mourn for your sins and to abhor them 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds To forsake the dearest lusts and to cry mightily to God and to take delight in him and in his will and ways and to prize Christ above all and to hunger and thirst after him as the only chiefest good and happiness and you can do for Christ and you can suffer for Christ c. Do you find it thus with you then are your hearts renewed by grace Seventhly You may know whether God hath given a new heart by the By new works new works and the new means of working We say that ut res se habent in essendo sic se habent in operando All works and operations are answerable to the nature in us the old nature finds out old works and the new nature finds out new works Before the Prophet healed and seasoned the spring of water it did send out bitter and unwholsome water but afterward the waters the spring being healed were sweet and wholsome 2 Kings 2. 21 22. So before the Lord doth heal our old hearts the works flowing from them are bitter corrupt vile abominable that which is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3. but when he heals the heart by renewing grace there are new works of holiness and righteousness answerable to a renewed heart whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit Now then take a survay of your former Works and of your former Conversation and compare them with the present works and course of life and be your selves the Judges what newness you find in them Have you left your former works of uncleanness of drunkenness of profaning the Sabbath of scoffing at holiness of mispending your precious time in gaming 's and in vain pleasures Are you not still to be found in the same paths and ways and works of wickedness Are there not still the same fruits growing out of the old root and the same stream flowing out of the same corrupt spring How can ye say that you have new hearts when still you live old lives and go on in the old course of sin Beloved this is most true that a new life ever attends a new heart if the heart be changed the life will be changed newness of heart will appear in newness of Conversation Did Paul did Mary Magdalen did Zacheus did any of whose Conversion you read in Scripture lead such lives as formerly Did they not put off concerning the former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. Have they not had their fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. Therefore let no man deceive himself saying though I walk as in former times and live still as I have lived yet my heart is as good as the best thou dost but delude and destroy thy self in this vain boasting for the Tree is known by his fruits it is impossible that thy heart should be a new heart as long as thy Conversation remains a wicked Conversation Object But you may say Do you not see that hypocrites do appear in good works and yet they are wicked persons and good men sometimes appear in evil works and actions and yet they are not wicked Ergo. This appearance in new works cannot be a sure sign of a new heart Sol. To this I answer First Whatsoever the good works may be which a wicked man may do I shall not at this time dispute but this may suffice you that where there is no newness of life there is no newness of heart Secondly It is not this or that particular
no good on your child If a Master hath a Servant or an Apprentice who after all his care and pains to instruct him in his Trade yet remains unapprehensive and stupid and perhaps vicious he longs to be rid of him If a Parent hath a childe that is naught and stubborn and will not hearken nor be reclaimed the Parent is weary of him and casts him out of doors or sends him into another Countrey Thus none but God will bear with a hard and stubborn heart God I say who is most provoked by it therefore unquestionably his patience is exceeding great it is wonderful towards sinners Vse 3 Is there a stony heart in every man this may then informe us of three things Informs us The conversion of a sinner is a miraculous work First That the conversion of a sinner is even a miraculous work We wonder that so few persons are converted by the Word nay but we should rather wonder that any person is converted by it because there is such a stony and hard heart in every person which is so unsensible of its own miserable condition which is so uncapable to be taught the knowledge of the matters of salvation which is so opposite and averse and unyielding and resisting as to all the means and ways of grace where there is a blind and proud judgement that will not be perswaded whereâ—â— there is such a stubborn will that will not be made willing and whereâ—â— there are so many vile affections which wâ—ll not be tamed and awed and subdued It is matter of greater wonder that any one sinner is brought in by grace than if all sinners should fall into hell Secondly That it is from grace and from that alone if any sinner be converted â—â— is from grâ—â—e that any are converted it is from the freeness of Gods grace and from the power of Gods grace not from any thing at all in the person converted And my reason is this because the heart of every sinner is naturally a stony heart a hard heart and a stony heart is not only an impotent heart but also a resisting heart to grace Verily the best man may and must confess that it is only of the Lords mercy that he was not consumed and that his present life and estate in grace was never of himself who is called but only from the favour and power of the grace of God who did call him What I am I am by the grace of God said Paul 1 Cor. 15. 10. Our hearts were hard hearts and therefore contradicting and opposing untill beaten down and conquered by the love and might of divine grace Thirdly That God is most righteous in all his judgements here on earth God is righteous in all his judgements and in all those future and eternal punishments of sinners in hell for sinners have hard and hardned hearts Why if sinners will not hearken to God if they will not obey his voice if they will stop their ears and withdraw their shoulders if they will not receive his Laws if they will not receive instruction and take warning if they will not know the day of their visitation if they will not know the things which concern their peace but harden their hearts it is righteous with God to reject them who do reject him to cast them off who do cast him off to abhor them who abhor him to punish and plague and destroy them who harden their hearts against him Object We have many amongst us who do wonder at Gods judgements abroad in the world and at all the changes and miseries which they have seen and perhaps felt Sol. And why do ye wonder at them rather wonder at the hardness of your own hearts which under all the judgements of God continue so proud and so scorning at holiness and so hating to be reformed and so manifestly irreligious and profane it is righteous with God to punish hard-hearted sinners Who ever hardened his heart against him and prospered Job 9. 4. If we will never be instructed to repent God will certainly destroy us Prov. 29. 1. SECT III. Vse 4 IS the heart of every man a stony or hard heart then let every man as he loves his soul Strive all that he can to be cured of the stone in the Labour to be cured of this hard heart heart i. e. to use all spiritual means to be delivered from hardness of heart And for this let me propound unto you 1. Some Motives which possibly may work on you Secondly Some means for the cure of it 1. The Motives to look after the cure of a stony or hard Motives heart are these First The Consideration of those sins which are included in this one sin of hardness From the sins included in hardness of heart Stupidity of heart which make it to be exceeding sinful What sins will you say There are three sins in this sin 1. Stupidity and senslesness of spirit O how dangerous there are three very dangerous qualities A Seared Conscience this is the worst of all Consciences A Reprobate Mind this is the worst of all Minds A Sensless Heart this is the worst of all Hearts tanto pejior quanto insensibilior This is to be at the farthest distance and hope of conversion Vicinior saluti dolor poenitentis quam stupor non sentientis saith Austin Simile This is a condition worse than that of Judas who was sensible and cryed out I have sinned nay in some respect worse than that of the Divels who do believe and tremble Isa 6. 9. Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see you indeed but perceive not Ver. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed Contempt of God 2. Contempt of God O what a child is he who will not hearken to his father and what a sinner is he who will not hearken to his God Simile yet every hard heart refuseth to hearken unto God and what is this but to displease the Lord and scornfully to set him at naught q. d. What tell you me of God or of his will I care not for him what care I what he saith I will follow mine own hearts lusts I will not be guided and commanded by him 3. Desperate wickedness I will be sinful still and I will go on in my Desperate wickedness sinful ways though I lose mercy and heaven yea though I shall be damned for ever O Lord What a condition is this yet this is the condition of hardness of heart Secondly The Consideration of the Losses unto which you will certainly The losses you are exposed to expose your selves if you get not the cure of your hard and stony heart There are six losses which do and will befall you by it 1. You lose the benefit
shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever He will be mortifying your sins perfecting your graces conquering your temptations subduing your corruptions helping your weaknesses comforting your consciences leading you on in your journey untill you come to the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls As Jesus Christ accomplished all the works for which the Father sent him he gave not over untill he had finished all of them so doth the Spirit of God who is sent and given unto us he proceeds and goes on with all the works for which he is given unto us and that is to communicate and apply unto us all which Christ hath purchased for us even grace and glory even life and eternal life Thus have you heard 1. The Discoveries of the presence of the Spirit 2ly The Benefits and blessedness in the enjoyment of that Spirit SECT IV. 3. Vse I Now proceed unto a third Use which shall be of relief to tender and Reliefe to weak Christians weak Christians who are full of tears and sadness because they can find no discoveries of the presence of Gods Spirit within them or at most very weak and feeble pulses and appearances thereof That which I would say for the support of those weak persons I shall set down in five Conclusions First One may have the real presence of the Spirit and yet sometimes The spirit may be really present and yet not discovered It s in desertions have no sensible discoveries of his presence as to his own apprehension As 1. In the time of desertions when the Lord hides himself from the soul and draws off and leaves it a while to sit in darkness and in silence in such a case though there be actings of the Spirit and puttings forth tears and groans and complaints Will the Lord cast off for ever will he be favourable no more Psal 77. 7. yet the deserted soul discerns them not in a Relative way as working testimonies of the presence of the Spirit 2. In time of great transgressions Then the Spirit as is it were in a swoon and the light appears not and confusion and darkness rise upon our graces David In great transgressions in his great transgressions looks upon all as lost and therefore prayes that the Lord would not take his holy Spirit from him Psal 51. 11. Secondly One may have the Spirit of God within him and yet sometimes as to his own thinking the discoveries may be rather that he hath not the spirit than that he hath Job saith of God he holds me for his enemy Job 13. 24. And David saith cast me not off Psal 43. 2. And the Church saith my God hath forsaken me Isa 49. 14. This is our condition in the times of vile temptation and in the time of sad melancholy and there is no grace in me no faith no love softness of heart no ability to pray all was but hypocrisie there was never any thing in truth wrought within my soul Thirdly There are comforting discoveries of the presence of the Spirit and Other effects of the Spirit there are proper and respective discoveries of this presence as to our present ways and works and needs Perhaps you have not the manifestations of the spirit in the effect of peace and joy and assurance and yet you may have the manifestations of the Spirit in the effects of mourning for sin and conflicting with it and prayer against it and to walk uprightly Perhaps you find not the presence of the Spirit discovering himself in strong and powerful actings in your souls and yet you may find the Spirit discovering himself in making you to hunger after Christ Perhaps you find not the Spirits presence in raising your hearts with his testimony and yet you find his presence in humbling your hearts for the sins into which you are fallen Perhaps you do not find the presence of the Spirit in delivering you from temptations but yet you find his presence in upâ—olding of you against temptations Fourthly There are many things which may befall us in our Christian race When we may conclude our having of the Spirit not withstanding afflictions and course which yet are not sufficient grounds to conclude that God hath not given unto us his Spirit e. g. 1. Afflictions losses and crosses in outward things you may not from these conclude that God hath not given you his Spirit Because 1. The Lord doth correct every son whom he loveth 2. The most holy persons have been afflicted Job was so so was Jacob so was David 3. These are sent for the tryal of our faith and repentance c. and for the improvement of them 2. Oppositions from wicked men by reproaches and slanders and threatnings and injuriousness these are so far from aproving that we have not the And opposition and reproaches Spirit that they rather do demonstrate his presence and work in us Gal. 4. 28. We brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise Ver. 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now 1 Joh. 3. 12. As Cain who was of that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Pet. 4. 4. They think it strange that you run not with them to the same excesse of riot speaking evil of you 3 Inward motions of sin and outward temptations from Satan They have Inward motions of sin and outward temptations Different temptations in our own hearts and do befall the best of Saints Paul found the one in Rom. 7. and the other in 2 Cor. 12. and who of the people of God is free from them 4. Several diversities upon our own spirits sometimes a lowliness a dulness sometimes great confidence and someties many doubtings sometimes rejoycings sometimes mournings sometimes an enlargedness of heart and sometimes a narrowness and restrainedness sometimes an high elevation of heart and sometimes why art thou cast down O my soul sometimes I do believe and yet sometimes O that I could believe sometimes I will not fear what man can do unto me and sometimes I am affraid and that I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 5. Particular wandrings and sinnings when yet the course of a Christian is Particular wandrings holy and upright in this case we may neither condemn another nor yet our selves as utterly destitute of the Spirit of grace because as a course of sinning ariseth from the want of grace so the particular acts of sinning may arise only from the weakness of grace Fifthly there may be but a very weak measure of grace in a person who yet A weak measure of grace where yet is the Spirit of grace hath the Spirit of grace in truth A Child that is newly born is a living child and yet he is very weak Some Christians are but
will you weary my God also said the Prophet Isa 7. 13. So say I Is it a small thing that you injure another but will you also injure the Spirit of God Simile If a friend should help you out of prison and heal all your diseases and sores and furnish you with clothes and money and house and lands do you not wrong him in saying upon every discontent What hath he done he hath never done any thing for me Why it is the Spirit of God who hath quickned you from the dead who hath delivered you out of the power of darkness who hath renewed and healed your soul who hath begun every saving grace in your hearts who hath been your life and strength and after all this is it meet for you to say What hath he done and he hath wrought nothing for us nothing why how came you to be so sensible of your sins how came your hearts to be broken and mournful whence came those desires after Christ and grace whence came those fervent prayers and importunate cries whence came those resolutions to walk with God and careful endeavours to honour and glorifie him O Christianâ— be humbled for thy rashnesse and for thy unthankfulness and for this injuriousness done unto the good Spirit of God disown him no more and deny not any work of his any more though it be but little yet do not disown it though it be sometimes hidden from thee yet do not disown it though it doth many times work but weakly do not disown it though it be put sometimes to a stand though thou dost not in every particular answer the motions and rules of the Spirit yet do not disown the work of the Spirit condemn every sinful work which is thine own but do not deny or dishonour any work that is his Secondly By not crediting the testimony of the Spirit Beloved sometimes By not crediting the spirit we do bear witness or give testimony for the Spirit as when we humbly and thankfully confess his workmanship in our hearts saying This is the Lords doing this he hath done for my soul c. Sometimes the Spirit bears witness or gives in testimony unto our hearts he bears witness saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 16. that we are the children of God and concerning this he gives in his testimony partly by his works of Faith and Regeneration which are to be found in all and only the children of God And partly by extraordinary assurance letting in such a ligâ—t and evidence and perswasion which abundantly clears up our Relation that without doubt God is our Father and we are his children If now after both these testimonies in assurance of the Spirit in after times of darkness and desertion and temptation we call the testimony of the Spirit into question and charge it for a false delusion do we not exceedingly injure the Spirit of God in some sort to make bim a lyer and a false witnesse Object But we do not do so and we dare not do so his testimony is true only How to know the testimony of the Spirit we fear that the testimony which we have found was not his testimony but a delusion either of Satan or of our own hearts Sol. O but what if indeed that testimony was not the delusion of your hearts but the very testimony of the Spirit which you have challenged and rejected as a delusion are you not then very guilty of great injuriousness unto the Spirit And that it was the very testimony of the Spirit of God may thus appear 1. It was a testimony after deep humblings of the heart for sin 2. It was a testimony after importunate cries and wrestlings for mercy and assurance 3. It was a testimony after your believing and closing which Christ offered and accepted 4. It was a testimony after the matching of the promises with your souls condition 5. It was a testimony that filled your heart with joy unspeakable and glorious and with a love most dear and superlative and with most humble and serious care and diligence how to walk more exactly and chearfully to the praise and honour of this most gracious God If it was thus it was no delusion it was indeed the testimony of the Spirit and you have dealt unkindly and unworthily thus to requite him and thus to disgrace his precious testimony Thirdly By disregarding and slighting the Ordinances of Christ Some people do think that because they have the Spirit therefore there is no need of Ordinances By slighting Christs Ordinances at least for them perhaps they hold that the Ordinances may be useful for others who as yet have not received the Spirit but yet they are needless for them who have received the Spirit And three places of Scripture they alledge for this Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them saith the Lord. 1 Joh. 2. 27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a most sure Word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts With your favour I will speak something in 1. Opposition to this Opinion it is the Opinion of the Libertines of old and of some now amongst our selves The Libertines answered who desire and endeavour to subvert the Ministry and the Ordinances of preaching 2ly In resolving the true meaning of those places of Scripture First I affirm that Gods giving of his Spirit unto his people was never intended by him to put a period unto any Evangelical Ordinance or to render them useless unto any of his people this may be demonstrated thus First From the scope of the Scriptures All Scripture saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 16. is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Iâ—struction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works ver 17. If the Word of God be given for these ends For Doctrine to teach us the matter of faith for Reproof to convince errors for Correction to condemn sin for Instruction to shew us our duties and to make us perfect To beget us Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth To build us up Acts 20. 33. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified then certainly the presence of the Spirit and the Ministry of the Word are not
works 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness 6. That his obedience unto the Law is propounded as a pattern for us to imitate 1 Joh. 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himsel to walk even as he walked Lastly The Covenant-Faith which is in every one of the people of God as it And so doth the Covenâ—nt faith carries them out to an election of God to be their God so it carries them out unto subjection to God unto obedience Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain Ver. 8. By faith Abraham obeyed God Faith eyes the Word of God for a Rule and warrant and faith propounds unto us the encouragements of the word to quicken our obedience and faith fetches strength from Christ to enable us in all our works of obedience Having spoken these things for the demonstration of the Assertion I shall now speak unto three Questions 1. How this walking in Gods statutes and keeping of his judgements and doing of them may be fixed upon the people of Gods Covenant seeing they are all of them believers and being so are no longer under the Law but are freed and delivered from it 2. What manner of obedience or kind of obedience that is which is required and to be performed by the people of Gods Covenant 3. Why these are in such a special manner thus charged with walking in Gods statutes c. 1. Quest How this walking in Gods statutes c. may be forced upon the people of Gods Covenant seeing they are all under grace and believers and not under How Gods people being not under the Law are bound to obedience the Law as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Sol. For a clear Answer unto this Question I will briefly deliver my thoughts in these distinctions First Concerning the Law of God you know there were some of them 1. Ceremonial which consisted in Rites and Ordinances and Shadows typifying Jesus Christ in his sufferings unto which there was a full period put by the death of Christ 2. Judicial which respecteth the Jews as a peculiar Nation and Common-wealth being made and fitted for them as in such a particular polity And all those Judicial Laws especially these de jure particulari are ceased by the cessation of that Nation and polity 3. Moral which are these set down in the Decalogue and are called the ten words or Commandements which God spake and delivered Of the ten Commandements which we call the Moral Law is the question to be understood whether believers or the people in the New Covenant are bound unto them Secondly This Moral Law may be considered either 1. In the Substance of it Or 2ly in the circumstances of it If you consider the Moral Law in the substance of it so it is 1. An eternal manifestation of the mind and will of God declaring what is good and what is evil what we are to do and what we are not to do what duties we How the Moral Law never ceaseth do owe to God and what duties we do owe to our neighbours what worship God requires and what worship God forbids In this consideration the Moral Law never ceaseth in respect of any person whasoever 2. It discovers sinne For Rom. 3. 19. By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin And the Apostle in Rom. 7. 7. I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet In this respect likewise the Law is still in force even unto the people of God it is the glass which shews them unto themselves and the light which manifests the hidden things and works of darkness in them 3. The Rule of life For as the Gospel is the Rule of faith teaching us what to believe so the Moral Law is the Rule of manners teaching us how to live and as to this directing power it is still of force and use unto believers Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Ver. 133. Order my steps in thy Word But then secondly the Law may be considered in respect of its circumstances not as it is a Rule of obedience but as it is a condition of life and as thus considered How it ceaseth 1. It requires a personal and perfect obedience and that under a curse Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all that is written to do it Here now it ceaseth unto the people of God the cursing and condemning power is abrogated Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. 2. It requires an exact obedience as a reason of Justification Do this and live Here likewise the people of God are freed from it who as Luther well speaks shall not be damned for their evil works nor yet shall be justified for their good works but are justified by faith in Christ and the matter of their justification being not inherent righteousness in themselves but only the imputed righteousness of Christ Thus you see in what respects the people of God are freed from and in what respects they are still obliged by the Law The Law hath not power to condem or justifie them and yet it hath a power to direct and instruct them And that it hath such a power unto which we are to conform our selves in obedience may appear thus First By that forementioned place in Matth. 5. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill And in Why the Law hath still a power to command us that Chapter he doth both interpret the Law and commend and command unto his Disciples the duties of the Law And surely it is no way probable that Christ would by his own authority so have confirmed the Law had it been his purpose and business to have cancelled the Law Secondly Paul in Rom. 13. 8. that he might shew and clear that in that one precept of love He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law produceth several precepts of the Law in ver 9. For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet And if there be any other Commandement it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self All which were a fruitless proof if the Law had nothing to do with the people of God but utterly ceased to them as to point of obedience In like manner in that place of James 2. 8. If ye fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ye do well but if the Royal Law were abrogated certainly
my song he also is become my salvation Isa 25. 4. Thou hast been a Experience proves it so strength to the poor a strength unto the needy in his distress God is your God and he is your strength and you have found him to be so when being sensible of your own weakness you have cast your selves upon him How did his strength beat down strength before you and how did his power make it self manifest in your weakness O Christians you have experience on all sides 1. When you have trusted upon your selves how barren and dead have your hearts been like Sampson c. 2. When you have trusted on your God how able how full quick and enlarged hath your heart been and with what life and alacrity hath the work of God prospered in your hands It s our priviledge Fourthly Priviledge It is not only your duty to go to God and to trust on him to help and enable you to walk in his Statutes and to do them but it is also your priviledge which you enjoy by vertue of the Covenant Is it not a priviledge which a Son enjoys and which a Wife enjoys that the one may confidently go to his Father and the other may confidently go to her Husband to help them in their necessities Why you who are in Covenant with God you are the Sons of God 2 Cor. 6. He is your Father you are married unto him Thy Maker is thy Husband Isa 54. 5. you may therefore go unto him and rely on him 1. Your God knew long ago all your necessities and self-weaknesses or insufficiencies and therefore at the very first he engaged himself to be yours in love and mercy and help and strength 2. It is no more than he is resolved for he is resolved and willing and ready to help you and do you good with all his heart and with all his soul 3. And it concerns his glory to cause you to walk in his Statutes and to do them Quest 2. When especially the People of God should by faith depend upon God for his gracious help and strength to cause them c. Sol. There is no duty or work which we are to do upon Gods Command at any time but we should by faith depend upon God for his strength to enable and cause us to do it Nevertheless we should in eight Cases express a more special care to depend upon him for his assisting and supplying strength e. g. 1. When we are most apt to think that we stand in least need of his strength In what cases we should depend upon him and presence 2. When we find the greatest strength of opposition to the performing of any work 3. When we are most sensible of our own indisposition and inability to the doing of such good works 4. When any work we are called to perform hath a greater Concernment and Respect to Gods Glory his Churches good and our own salvation 5. When the Work is extraordinary and universal 6. When near great and sudden Changes do befall us 7. When we have made solemn vows to God in the days of our distress for Reformation or better walking 8. When it is such a work wherein we have miscarried and have longer stuck at it and cannot get it forward 1. When we are most apt to think that we stand in least need of his strength and presence That our mountain is strong that we are increased that we can go alone and are now sufficient Object But will some of you say When are we thus apt to think c Sol. In three Cases 1. When the works or duties seem unto us little and common and easie not In what cases we are apt to think well of our selves needing any singular presence of Gods Grace As the Israelites thought about the taking of Ai it was but a small City and a few men would serve the turn and there was no need to trouble all the host But they found it otherwise c. so when any duty seems but ordinary a small work and we need not call in for the help of God it is but to meditate it is but to pray it is but to read the Word but to hear a Sermon but to resist a temptation but to deny a very light occasion of sinning but to bear an ordinary Cross or affliction Now we are apt to think we can do these ordinary works and we can pass these ordinary crosses and are not very importunate with God to assist and enable us But what comes of this why either we can do nothing at all or else what we do is but superficial and cold or that little temptation or occasion of sin is too hard for us and that little Cross filâ— us with impatience and vexation and discontent c. Therefore I beseech you who are the people of God Learn to go out of your selves Learn to depend on Gods strength even for the least Duty that you are to perform there is in the least duty whether Active or Passive enough to exercise your Faith Though the greatest work be not above Gods strength yet the least is above your strength If you can do nothing without Christ then you cannot do the least good work without him If the Apostles were not sufficient of themselves to think any thing much less are we able of our selves do any thing Nay and you may observe it That the failings of the people of God are usually about ordinary duties They do carry on their difficult works better than they do their ordinary works what is the Reason of this because in them they look up more to God but in these they look more at themselves Secondly When we have found more than ordinarie enlargments in Communion with God that our hearts have melted in the confession of our sins and that our hearts have wrestled with God in Prayer and our resolutions have been exceedingly strengthened and sharpned O now beware of thy self and now have a special care to make God alone thy strength why because now thou shalt through subtiltie of temptation be inclined to think too highly of thy self and of thine own strength and that this may last long and theâ—eupon thâ—â—â— wilt slack that earnestness of Communion and thou wilt be venturing and hazarding upon the account of thy own strength and God will leave thee and humble thee Thirdly When we have tasted of the wonderful goodness of God in high and rich experiences nay in the very healings and assurances of his own spirit that we have heard the voice of joy all is pardoned God is reconciled Hereupon our hearts ar exceedingly raised to God in blessing and praising and saying What shall I do for this good God O but remember to raise your hearts in a careful and watchful depending on Gods strength and sufficiencie still to enable you to walk with him and to do for him You think you can do much more and I do verily believe you would