The Sound Believer, Chapter 1 · Section 5

The Sound Believer · Chapter 1 · Section 5

p. 155SECT. 5. The fourth and last act of Christs power, is the worke of Faith.

THe Lord having wounded and humbled his elect and laid them downe dead at his feet, they are now as unable to beleeve as they were to humble their owne soules, and therefore now the Lord takes them up into his owne armes, that they leane and rest on the bosome of their beloved by faith. After Ioseph had spoken roughly to his brethren, and thereby brought the blood of their brother to remembrance, and so had humbled p. 156them; then he can containe no longer, but discovers himselfe to them, and tells them, I am Ioseph whom you wickedly sold, yet feare not; so doth our Saviour carry it towards his elect, when he laid them low: now is the very season for him to advance the glory of his grace, he cannot now containe himselfe any longer; but having torne and taken away that vaile of sinne and of the law from off their hearts, now they see the Lord with open face, even the end of that which was to be abolished, 2 Cor. 3. The explication of this great work, is of exceeding great difficulty; nothing more stirring then faith in a true Christian, because hee lives by it, yet it is very little known; as children in the wombe, that know not that navill-string by which they principally live: I shall therefore bee wary, and leaving larger explications, acquaint you with the nature of Faith, in this brief descrip…ion of it. Faith is that gracious work of the Spirit, whereby an humbled sinner receiveth Christ; or whereby the whole soule cometh out of it selfe to Christ, for Christ and all his benefits, upon the call of Christ in his word.

Before I open this particularly, give me leave to premise some generall considerations; Faith is the complement of effectuall vocation, which begins in Gods call, and p. 157ends in this answer to that call; the Lord prevents a poore humbled soule, with his call, either not knowing how, or not able, or not daring to come; and then the soule comes, and hence men called, and beleeving are all one, Rom. 9.24. with 33. Many a wounded sinner will be scrambling after Christ from some generall reports of him, before the day and houre of Gods glorious and gracious call. Now for any to receive Christ, or come to Christ, before he is called, is presumption; to refuse Christ when called, is rebellion; to come and receive when called, is properly and formally Faith, and that which the Scripture stiles, the obedience of Faith, Rom. 1.5. And now Christ at this instant is fully and freely given, on Gods part, when really and freely come unto and taken on our part.

This receiving of Christ or coming to Christ are for substance the same, though the words be diverse; the holy Ghost useth to expresse one and the same thing in variety of words, that our feeblenesse might the better understand what he meaneth. And hence in Scripture, beleeving, coming, receiving Christ, rolling, trusting, cleaving to the Lord, &c. set out one and the same thing; and therefore it is no wonder if our Divines have different descriptions of faith in variety of words, which if well considered d…e p. 158but set out one and the same thing: and I doe conceive they doe all agree in this description I have now mentioned; I know there are some who tread awry here, whom I shall briefly note out, and so passe on to what we intend.

1. The Papists, with some others of corrupt judgements, at least of weak apprehensions among our selves, describe Faith to be nothing else but a supernaturall assent to a divine truth, because of a divine testimony: Ex. gr. to assent to this truth, that Christ is come, that he is the Sonne of God; that hee was dead and is risen againe, that he is the Saviour of the world, &c. and to confirme this they produce, Mat. 16.16. 1 Ioh. 4.3.

Answ.It is granted that this assent is in Faith, for Faith alway hath respect to some testimony, for man by his fall hath lost all knowledge of divine and supernaturall truths; hence God reveales them in his word; hence faith sees them and assents to them, because God hath spoken them: to see and know things by vision, is to see things in themselves intuitively and immediately; but to see things by Faith is to see them by and in a testimony given of them. Iohn 20.20. Blessed is he that hath not seen, (i. e. Christ immediately) but beleeved, i. e. his testimony, and on him in it; this assent therefore is in Faith (for we must beleeve Christ before p. 159we can beleeve in him) but this comprehends not the whole nature of faith, I meane of that faith we are now speaking of, viz. a… it unites us to Christ, and possesseth us with Christ. For,

1. This description placeth Faith onelyonly in the understanding, whereas tis also in the will, as the words trusting, rolling, &c. intimate.

2. This assent is meerly generall, without particular application, which is ever in true faith, Gal. 2.20.

3. This is such a faith, as the devils may have, Iames 2.19. and reprobate men may have, 2 Pet. 2.20, 21. Heb. 10.26. There is a wilfull refusing of the known truth.

4. It is the Papists ayme to vilifie faith hereby, by describing it by that which is one ingredient in it, but excluding that which is principall; those phrases therefore of beleeving Christ to be come in the flesh, 1 Iohn 4.3. and that he is the Sonne of God, Mat. 16.16. as if this were the onelyonly object of faith, are not to be understood exclusively, excluding other acts of faith, which the Scripture in other places sets downe clearly; but inclusively, as supposing them to be contained herein: for as we in our times describing faith by relying upon Christ for salvation, do not exclude hereby our beleeving that he is the Messiah; but we include it, or suppose p. 160it, because that is not now questioned, the truth of the Gospel being so abundantly cleared; so in those times, they described Faith by one principall act, to beleeve that he was the Sonne of God, and come into the flesh, because this was the maine and principall thing in question then: and if the Lord had not set out faith by other acts in Scripture, we should not vary from our compasse in such expressions in the Word in these dayes, for their faith then, is exemplary to us now; but because the Word doth more fully set it out in more speciall acts, hence we set it out also by them; for tis evident, as the Jews did beleeve in a Messiah to come, so they did also beleeve, and look for all good from him, Iohn 4.25. He will teach us all things when he comes; and therefore their faith did not confine it selfe to that historicall act that a Messiah should come, or that this was the Messiah, but they did expect and look for all good from him; And hence the Apostle expounding this saying, viz. beleeving that Christ is dead and risen againe, wee shall hereby be saved:Rom. 10.9, 10.Rom 10:9Rom 10:10 If thou beleevest (saith he) with thine heart this truth, thou shalt be saved. Now to beleeve with the heart as it doth not exclude assent, so it necessarily includes the acts of the will and affections in relying upon him, and comming to him. And hence, when Peter had made that confession, p. 161Acts 16.16. Christ tells him Thou art Peter; i. e. a stone resting upon the rock, (as some good Interpreters expound it) and therefore Peters faith did not exclude these principall acts of resting on Christ, cleaving to Christ, but did include and suppose them.

2. Some run into another extreame, and make faith nothing else, but a perswasion or assurance that Christ dyed for me in particular, or that he is mine. That which moves some thus to think, is the universall redemption by the death of Christ, they know no ground or bottome for faith but this Proposition, Christ dyed for thee, and hence make Redemption universall: And hence the Arminians boast so much of their Quod unusquisque tenetur credere, &c. But

1. This is a false bottome, for Christ hath not dyed for all, because he hath not prayed for all, Iohn 17.

2. Tis a sandy bottome and foundation, which when a Christian rests upon, it shakes under him, when the soule shall think, though Christ hath dyed for me, yet no more for me then for Iudas, or thousands of reprobates now in hell. Indeed after faith, a Christian is bound to beleeve it, as Paul did, Gal ▪ 2.20. 1 Cor. 15.1, 2.

I conceive therefore those holy men of ours who have described Faith by Assurance, have not so much aymed at a description of p. 162what Faith is in it selfe, as it possesseth us with Christ; but of what degree and extent it may be, and should be in us; they describe it therefore by the most eminent act of it, in full assurance: and therefore consult with the Authors of this description, and enquire of them, Is there no doubting mixt with faith? Yes, say they, mans doubtings sometimes are even unto a kind of despaire, but then (say they) it should not be thus. The Papists commend doubtings, and deny assurance, place faith in a generall assent; our champions that were to wrastle with them, maintained it to be a particular application, (and not onelyonly a generall assent) and that with a ful assurance of perswasion, which being the most eminent act of faith, excludes not other inferiour acts of it, which as they are before it, so may possesse the soule with Christ without it. Although withall, it is certaine, that there is no true faith, but it hath some assurance of which afterward.

Let me now come to the explication of the description given, where note these five things.

1. The efficient cause of Faith, it is a work of the Spirit.

2. The subject, or matter in which it is seated, viz. the soule of an humble sinner.

p. 1633. The forme of it, viz. the comming of the whole soule to Christ.

4. The end of it, viz. for Christ and all his benefits.

5. The speciall ground and means of it, viz. the Call of Christ in his Word.

1. The efficient cause of Faith.

Faith is a gracious work of the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit therefore is the efficient cause or principall workman of faith; the Spirit doth not beleeve, but causeth us to beleeve; tis not principium quod, the principle which doth beleeve, but principium quo, the principle by which we doe: the soules of all the elect (especially when humbled) are, of all other things, most unable to beleeve: nay look as before compunction and humiliation, Satan held the soule captive chiefly by its lusts and sinnes; so now when the Lord hath burnt those cords, and broken those chaines, all the powers of darknesse strengthen themselves, and keep the soule under mightily, by unbeliefe; What doe you tell me of mercy? (saith the soule) tis mercy which I have continually resisted, desperately despised; why doe you perswade me to beleeve? Alas! I cannot; tis true, all that which you say is true, if I could beleeve, but I cannot see Christ, I cannot come at Christ, I seek him in the meanes, but he forsakes p. 164me there, and I am left of God desolate: and here beloved, the soule had not formerly so many excuses for its sinne, as now it hath clouds of objections against beleeving; the Spirit therefore takes fast hold of the soules of all the elect, drawes them unto Christ; and therefore it is called the spirit of faith, 2 Cor. 4.13. and that by an omnipotent and irresistable power. Esay 53.1. Who hath beleeved? and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed? that the soule must and shall beleeve now. Compell them to come in, saith the Lord of the Supper, Luke 14.23. This the Arminians will not beleeve, for (say they) the Question is not, Whether we are enabled to beleeve by grace? but, Whe…her it be after this manner, and by this meanes, viz. modo irresistibile? Consider therefore these Reasons, to cleare this point.

1. Whence doth our call, and comming to Christ arise, but from Gods immoveable and unchangeable purpose?Rom. 8.28.Rom 8:28 the Lord therefore must either alter his purpose, or prevail with the soule to beleeve, and over-power the heart thereunto.

2. Is not Christ Jesus bound by office & promise to his Father to bring in all his lost scattered sheep, that so the Father and he may be glorified in them? Iohn 10.16. Other sheep I have, those I must bring home, and they shall heare my voice. You that complaine p. 165you cannot beleeve, nay that you have no heart to beleeve, the Lord must fetch you in; and you shall heare the Bride-groomes voice with joy.

3. Is not the act of beleeving wrought by a creating power? Eph. 1.9. Eph. 2.10. Esay 57.18, 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace, peace to him that is near, and a far off: and is not a creating voice irresistible, though there be nothing for it to work upon? so though you have no ability, heart, head, or strength to beleeve, yet the Lord will create the fruit of the lips of Gods messengers Peace, Peace.

4. Doth not the Lord let in that infinite and surpassing sweetnesse of grace, when he works the soule to beleeve, standing in extreame need of that grace, that it cannot but come and cleave to it? Psal. 63.2, 3. I long to see thee, saith David, for thy loving kindnesse is better then life; is it possible for a man not to cleave to his life? much more to that which is better then life: the light is so cleare, it cannot but see and wonder at grace, the good is so sweet, it cannot but tast and accept what God so freely offers;Ps. 36.7.Ps 36:7 and therefore the poor Canaanitish woman, Mat. 15. could not be driven away, though Christ bid her in a manner be gone; but she made all the objections against her arguments for her (as usually faith doth, when p. 166under this stroake of the Spirit) The violent take the Kingdome of heaven by force; the Spirit puts a necessity upon them, and irresistibly overpowers them, and this is the cause of it.

And is not this matter of great consolation to all those who feele themselves utterly unable to beleeve? you think the Lord would give peace and pardon, life and mercy, if I could beleeve; oh consider the Lord hath undertaken in the Covenant of Grace to worke in all his the condition of the Covenant, as well as to convey the good of it. Ier. 31.31, 32, 33, 34. He hath done this for others by an irresistible power, Heb. 12.1, 2. Look up to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith, he came out of his Fathers bosome not onelyonly to give life by his death, but to enable his to eat and close with him by Faith, that they might never dye, Iohn 6.50. so that the Lord may work it in thee; it is true also, he may not, yet it is unspeakable comfort to consider, that if the Lord had put it over unto thee to beleeve, it is certaine, thou shouldst never have beleeved, but now the work is put into the hand of Christ; that which is impossible to thee, is possible, nay easie, with him; hee can comprehend thee, when thou canst not apprehend him: this is exceeding sweet when thy body is sick▪ and soule is deserted, incredible things p. 167to be beleeved are propounded, an impossible work to thy weaknesse urged, upon paine of Gods sorest and most unappeasable wrath; to consider it is not in me, but in the Lords owne hand, and it is his office, his glory to work faith, and as the Apostle speakes, to shew mercy unto them that are shut up, not onelyonly under sinne, but also unbeleefe; Rom. 11.32. But why hath the Lord made thee feele thy inability to beleeve? truly the end of our wants is not to make us sin and shift for our selves, but to aske and seek for supply, and the end of the continuance of those wants is, that we should continue to aske and seek. And dost thou thinke thou shalt seek to the Lord by his owne hand to create faith and fetch thee in, and will not the Lord take his time to work it? He that beleeves, saith the Apostle, Rom. 10.11. shall not bee ashamed; why so? because the Lord, saith he, who is over all, is rich unto all that call upon him, verse 12. If thou hast not a heart shut up from asking of it; the Lord who hath power, hath not a heart shut up towards thee from working it.

But withall be thankfull exceedingly, all you whose hearts the Lord hath drawne and overcome; he came to his owne people the Jewes, and would oft have gathered them, but they would not, and therefore he forsook them, and left their habitations desolate; p. 168oh how oft would the Lord have gathered you, and you would not! yet the Lord hath not forsaken you, but called you in whether you would or no; the Lord hath taken many a man at his first word, and left him at the first repulse, shaken off the dust of his feet against him presently, Mat. 10.14. without any more intreaties to accept of him; yet though thou hast not only refused, but even crucified the Sonne of God, yet hee hath not been driven from thee, but his bowels have been oft kindled together, when he hath been ready to give thee up: when thou hast been under the hedges, and in the high-wayes that lead to death, & didst never think of him, nor didst desire him, yet hee hath compelled thee to come in; hee hath made thee feel su…h an extream need of him, and made himselfe so exceeding sweet, that thou hast not been able to resist his love, but to cry out, Lord thou hast overcome me with mercy, I am not able to resist any more; nay which is more wonderfull, when thou hast been gathered, and gone from him, and lost thy selfe and him also againe, and it may be hast bin offended at him; yet he hath gone before thee into Galilee, and gathered thee up when thou hast been as water spilt upon the ground; what should be the cause of this, but only this? the work of faith lies upon him, both to begin and finish; he must gather p. 169in all his lost sheep, and therefore hee hath put forth an irresistible power of his Spirit upon thy heart, which must carry thee captive after him.

I am afraid my faith hath been rather presumption,Object. a work of my owne power, then faith wrought by the Spirits power; how may I discerne that?

If you are wrapt up in Gods Covenant,Answ. 1. if any promise be actually yours, it is no presumption to take possession by faith of what is your owne; dost thou seriously will Christ, and resolve never to give the Lord rest, untill he give thee rest in him▪ then see, Rev. 22.17. Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life. Dost thou thirst after Christ? then read Esay 55.1, … Iohn 7.37. If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. When Christ saw their faith▪ Mat. 9.1, 2. what said he? Sonne, be of good cheere, thy sinnes be forgiven, the word signifies, be confident. It is no presumption to beleeve pardon of sinnes now thou art come unto me, not onelyonly for the healing of thy body, but especially for pardon of sinne. It is the great sin of many Saints, when they doe thirst, and beleeve, and come to Christ, and so are under the promise of grace; yet they think it presumption now to believe and take possession of all those treasures that be in Christ, but look that the Lord should first make them p. 170feele, and then they will beleeve; whereas faith should now receive and drinke in abundantly of the fulnesse of Christ: shall it be accounted presumption for any man to eat his owne bread, and drink his owne drink, and put on his owne cloathes? the promise makes Christ and all his benefits your owne, therefore it is no presumption to apply them.

2.Suppose you cannot find your selfe within any promise, and you see no reason to beleeve, onelyonly you have the Lords call and command to beleeve▪ doe you now in conscience and obedience to this command, or to Gods invitation and intreaty in the Gospell, beleeve, because thou …rest not dishonour God by refusing his …? thou dost therefore accept o… it, this is no presumption, unlesse obedience be presumption; nay the most acceptable obedience, which is the obedience of Faith, Iohn 6.38. For what was the ground on which those 3000 beleeved? Acts 2.38, 39. &c. Peter said, Repent that you may receive remission of sinnes; now what followes? they that gladly received the word, were baptized: Oh that word, repent, i. e. as Beza expounds it, return to God and come in, was a most sweet word to them, and therefore they received it; this was no presumption, either for Peter to exhort them to repent, or for them to take the Lord p. 171(as that godly man said) at his first word. I know there is a subjection to the Gospell arising only from slavish fear and carnall hopes, Psal. 66.3. Psal. 18.44. this may bee in presumptuous reprobates, but there is a subjection arising from the sense of the sweetnesse and exceeding goodnesse of Gods call and promise, Psal. 110.2, 3. As a woman that is overcome with the words of her loving suitor, the man is precious, and hence his words are very sweet, and overcome her heart to think, why should such a one as I be lookt upon, by one of such a place? it is no presumption now, but duty to give her consent: so it is here; when the Lord is precious and his words [oh accept me, oh come to me] are exceeding sweet; and hereupon out of obedience gladly yeelds up it selfe to the Lord, takes possession of the Lord, this is no more presumption, then to sanctifie a Sabbath, or to pray, or heare the word, because the Lords commands are herein very sweet.

If Repentance accompanies Faith,3 tis no presumption to beleeve; Many know they sinne, and hence beleeve in Christ, trust to Christ, and there is an end of their faith; but what confession and sorrow for sinne, what more love to Christ followes this faith? truly none; nay their faith is the cause why they have none; for they think, p. 172If I trust to Christ to forgive them, he will doe it, and there is an end of the businesse. Verily this hedge faith, this bramble …aith that catches hold on Christ, and pricks and scratches Christ by more impenitency, more contempt of him, is meere presumption, which shall one day be burnt up, and destroyed by the fire of Gods jealousie. Fie upon that faith that serves onelyonly to keep a man from being tormented before his time. Your sins would be your sorrowes, but that your faith quiets you. But if faith be accompanyed with repentance, mourning for sin, more esteem of Gods grace in Christ, so that nothing breaks thy heart more then the thoughts of Christs unchangeable love to one so vile, and this love makes thee love much, and love him the more; as thy sin increaseth, so thou desirest that thy love may increase, and now the stream of thy thoughts runne, how thou mayst live to him that dyed for thee. This was Maries faith, who sate at Christs feer weeping, washing them with her teares, and loving him much, because much was forgiven; who though shee was accounted a presumptuous woman by Simon, and Christ himselfe suffered in his thoughts, for suffering of her to come so neare unto him; yet the Lord himselfe cleares her herein, and justifies her before God and men: many a poor beleever thinks, if I should beleeve, I should p. 173but presume, and spin a spiders web of Faith out of my owne bowels: and hence you shall observe, this not beleeving stops up the work of repentance, mourning and love, and all chearfull obedience in them; and on the contrary, if they did beleeve, it would be with them as themselves think many times, if I knew the Lord was mine, and my sins pardoned, oh how should I then blesse him, and love him, and wonder at him! how would this break my heart before him! &c. now I say, let all the world judg, if that which thou thinkest would be presumption, be not rebellion, because it makes thee worse; and stops up the Spirit of grace in thee. Whereas that Faith which lets out those blessed springs of sorrow, love, thankfulnesse, humblenesse, &c. what can it bee else but such a saving faith as is wrought by the Spirit, because it lets in the Spirit more abundantly into a dry and desolate heart?

2. The subject or matter of Faith.

This is the second thing in the description of Faith, the soule of an humbled sinner is the subject or matter of Faith. I doe not meane the matter out of which Faith is wrought, (for there is nothing in man out of which the Spirit begets it) but that wherein Faith is seated; I meane also the habit of Faith, not the principle of it; for that p. 174is out of man in the Lord Jesus, who is therefore called our hope, as wel as our strength; the soule therefore is the subject of Faith, called the heart, Rom. 10.9. compared with Mat. 6.21. for we cannot goe or come to Christ in this life with our bodies, we are here absent from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. but the soule can goe to him, the heart can bee with him, as the eye can see a 1000 miles off, and receive the species or image of the things it sees into it, so the soule inlightned by faith, can see Christ a farre off, it can long for, choose, and rest upon the Lord of life, and receive the lively image of Christs glory in it; 2 Cor. 3. ult. If Christ were present upon earth, the soule (not the body) onelyonly could truly receive him; Christ comes to his elect only by his Spirit, and hence our spirits only are fit to receive him and close with him; thousands heare Christ outwardly, that inwardly are deafe to all Gods calls, their spirits see not, tast not, feel not; it is therefore the soule that is the subject of Faith: and I say it is an humbled empty soule which is the subject; for a full, proud, nbroken spirit cannot, nay will not receive Christ, as wee have proved; and therefore Luke 14. the servant is commanded to bid the poore, halt, and blind, and lame, to come in; they would not make excuses as others did: they that were stung to death with fiery p. 175Serpents, were the only men that the brasen Serpent was lifted up for them to look upon, and so be healed, Iohn 3.14. and therefore the promise doth not run, If any man have wisdome let him aske it, but if any man want wisdom, Iames 1.5. so if any man want light, life, want peace, pardon, want Christ and his Spirit, let them aske and the Lord will give, away with your mony if you come to these waters to buy, and take freely; If any man would be wise, let him be a foole, (saith the blessed Apostle) an empty nothing; a soule in a perishing, helplesse, hopelesse condition, is the subject of faith; such only feele their need of Christ, are glad at the offer of Christ, and therefore such only can and will receive Christ, and come unto Christ by faith: and truly if we had but hearts, the consideration of this might be ground of great comfort & confidence unto all Gods people, whose soules come unto Jesus Christ; for that which was in Thomas, Iohn 21. is in all men naturally, if we could see Christ with our eyes, and feel him with our hands, and embrace him (as Mary did) with our arms, if we could heare himselfe speake, we could then beleeve; as they said, if he will come from the Crosse, so we say, if he will come downe from heaven thus unto us, we will then beleeve; if we want this we fear we may be at last deceived, because we want sense, and p. 176cannot come to close with our eyes and hands the objects of our faith; but oh consider this point, we are made partakers of Christs life,Acts 10.43.Acts 10:43 and salvation by him, only yet certainly by faith. Now this faith is not by seeing him with our eyes, comming neare to him with our bodies, but comming to him with our soules; the soule is the seat of faith. Now this you may doe though you never thus saw him, whom though you see not, yet beleeving you rejoice: 1 Pet. 1.8.1 Pet 1:8this comming of the soule to Christ, doth make a firmer union between thee and Christ, then if thou wert bodily present with him in heaven. For many touched and crowded him, that never were truly united to him, or received vertue from him. If our soules were in the third heaven with Christ,John 6.64.65.John 6:64John 6:65 who of us would then doubt of our portion in him? I tell you if your soules goe out of sinne and selfe, unto Christ Jesus, and there rest, this makes you nearer to him, then if your soules were under his wing in the highest heavens. The poore Sea-man when hee is neare dangerous shores, when he cannot goe downe to the depth of the Sea to fasten his ship, yet if hee can cast his anchor twenty or forty fathom deep, and if that holds, this quiets him in the sorest stormes; when we are tossed and cannot come to Christ with our bodily presence, yet if our soules can come, if our p. 177faith our anchor can reach him, and knit us to him,Heb. 4.18, 19, 20.Heb 4:18Heb 4:19Heb 4:20 this should exceedingly comfort our hearts.

How,Object. and where should my soule come to Christ, who is now absent from me?

Christ comes to you in his Word and Covenant of Grace,Answ. there is his Spirit, his truth, goodnesse, love, faithfulnesse; receive this, you receive him; embrace this, you embrace him; as among our selves, we see great estates are conveyed and surrendred by Bond and Writings. Act. 2.41. When they received the Word, they received Christ. Ioh. 15.7. If my words abide in you, i. e. if I abide in you by my words, you shall be fruitfull.

By the Word let thine eye pitch upon the person; doe not onelyonly account the Promise true, but with Sarah, Heb. 11.11.Heb 11:11account him faithfull who hath promised, and then let thy heart roll it selfe upon that grace and faithfulnesse revealed in this word; leane upon the breast of this beloved: and thus the soule by the chariot wheeles and wings of the Word, is possessor of Christ in it, and carryed up to Christs crosse, as dying, Gal. 3.1. and from thence to his glory in his Kingdo… by it, Heb. 10.19, 22. As a man that gives a great estate by some writing to us, we beleeve it as if he were present; and by this we doe not onelyonly beleeve the writing to …e true, but the man to be be faithfull and loving p. 178to us; and hereupon our hearts are carryed after the man himselfe, though afar off from us. Thus we ascend to Christ in the cloud of faith; as Iacob, though he could hardly beleeve, yet as soone as he was perswaded Ioseph was yet alive, his spirit presently revived, and it was immediately with him, before his body came to him: so tis with faith; the soule goes unto Christ, before our bodies and soules both together shal have immediate communion with him.

3. The forme of Faith.

This is the third thing in the description of Faith; the comming of the whole soule out of it selfe unto Christ, is the forme of Faith, and that wherein the life and essence of it consists, and which doth difference it from all other graces of the Spirit. The first act of Faith, as it unites us to Christ, is not assurance that he is mine, but a comming to him with assurance, that hereby he is become mine.Esay 55.1, 2.Isa 55:1Isa 55:2 Come unto the waters, and so buy wine and milke, i. e. now make them your owne.Mat. 21.28Matt 21:28 The weary and heavy laden shall not have rest, unlesse they come to Christ for it. Faith doth nothing for life, (for that is the Law of Works) it onelyonly receives him who hath done all for it, it comes out of all it hath or doth, (like Abraham, that left his servants behind him, when he went up to p. 179God in the mount) unto Christ for life. Conceive it thus; Adam had a principle & stock of life in himselfe, in his owne hand, and therefore was to live by this, to live of himselfe, and from himselfe, and therefore had no need nor use of faith; he lived by the law of works, which the Apostle sets in a direct opposition to the Law of Faith; but Adam being now falne, hath lost his life, and became not like the man that fell among theeves betwixt Jerusalem and Jericho, stript, wounded, and halfe dead, but wholly dead, Ephes. 2.1. so that let any man seeke life from himselfe, its impossible he should live: for if there had been a Law that could have given life, our righteousnesse should have been thereby, Gal. 3.21. Hence it followes, if any man will have life, he must goe out of himselfe unto another, viz. the Lord of life for it, Iohn 5.40. Iohn 6.27, 28, 29.

Now observe it, this very comming, this very motion of the soule to Christ, (a grace which Adam neither had, nor had power to use) is Faith; the Spirit of Christ moving or drawing the soule, the soul is thence moved, and so comes to Christ, Iohn 6.64, 65. The soule by sinne is averted from God, and turns his back upon God; the turning or comming of the soule (not unto duties of holinesse, for that is obedience properly, but) unto God p. 180in Christ againe, is properly and formally Faith. All evill is in mans selfe, and from himselfe; all mans good is in Christ, and from Christ. The soules of all Gods elect, seeing these things, forsake and renounce themselves, in whom and for whom is all th…ir evill, and come unto Christ, in whom and from whom is all their good. This motion of the soule betweene these extreames, through that vast and infinite distance that is betweene a sinfull wretched man, and a blessed Saviour, is faith; for by faith principally we passe from death to life, Iohn 5.24. The soule of a poore sinner wounded and humbled, sometime knowes not Christ, and then cryes out as those, Act. 2.37. What shall I doe? Whither shall I go? sometimes dares not, sometimes cannot, it hath no heart to stir or come; it therefore looks up, and longs, and goes unto the Lord to draw it, like poore Ephraim, Ier. 31.18. Oh turne me Lord, and then I shall be turned. Lam. 5.21. and this is the lowest and least degree of faith. But at some other time, the soule mourning for want of the Lord, the Lord comes unto it with great clearnesse, glory, and sweetnesse of grace and peace; & hence the soule cannot but come and close with him, and cry Rabboni, and say, Oh Lord, is it thy good pleasure to have respect to such a clod of earth, to tender such riches of grace p. 181to one so unworthy, and to bid, nay to beseech me to come and take? Lord behold I come: This is faith. Would you have proofe of it? Consider therefore these particulars.

1. Consider these Scriptures: Iohn 6.35. I am the bread of life, he that commeth to me shall never hunger, and he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst. Where you see comming to Christ and beleeving in Christ are all one. So Iohn 7.37. In the last day of the feast the Lord Christ cryrs out with much vehemencie, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. Now in the next ver. 38. our Saviour expounds this comming; for, saith he, He that beleeveth on me, out of his belly, &c. So to come to Christ, as upon this to drink in of Christs fulnesse, is beleeving in Christ. So Heb. 11.6. the Apostle saith, Without faith it is impossible to please God; and then in rendring the reason of this, explaines what he meant by faith, viz. to be our comming unto God, upon a double testimony, beleeving f…st that he is, secondly, that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently: or (which is all one) who doe come unto him. So Iohn 1.12. So many as received him, (which is all one with comming) he adopted them as sons, even to them that beleeve in his Name. And hence we shall observe, that the Scripture doth not attribute our righteousnesse and life p. 182to our beleeving of Christ, but to our beleeving on Christ in Christ, (a phrase peculiar to heavenly language, & therefore not found in any Humane Writer) because it is not the bare beleeving of a testimony that save thus, unlesse we so beleeve it, as to beleeve in Christ, which cannot be but by comming to him, and as it were in him, or into him, our union with Christ being made compleat hereby.

2. That upon which the Lord promiseth life, and salvation, and mercy, cannot be works, but faith, Gal. 3.21. Heb. 11.6. but throughout all the Old and New Testament, the Lord promiseth life and salvation to commers, or to them that returne, Ier. 3.12. Ezek. 33, 10. Ioel 2.12, 13. Heb. 7.25. Iohn 5.40.

3. If unbeliefe be nothing else but a departing from God, faith can be nothing else but a comming unto God, but that is the nature of unbeliefe, Heb. 3.12. Heb. 10.38. Iohn 6.64, 65, 66, 68, 69. Iohn 12.37, 38, 39, 40. The Lords great plot is to gather all his elect under the wings of Christ, Mat. 23.37. Eph. 1.9, 10. and therefore calls them to come under them by the voice of the Gospel. The comming under them therefore can be nothing else but faith, the proper obedience to the Gospel, as works are unto the voice of the Law.

p. 183Thus faith is the comming of the soule to Christ. But you will say, Did not many come to Christ that were never saved by him?

Yes, many came to him with their bodily presence, that were excluded from him, Iohn 6.36.

But you will say, Doe not many mens soules come, are not many mens hearts moving towards Christ, and yet excluded from Christ? doe not many cry Lord, Lord? are not many inlightned and tast of this heavenly gift, and yet fall away?

I confesse tis very true; and therefore it is set downe in this description of Faith, that it is the comming of the whole soule unto Christ. Never did any yet come to Christ and receive him with their whole souls, with all their hearts, but they had fruition of him, and blessednesse by him; faith therefore is not the coming of the soul, but the coming of the whole soul unto Jesus Christ: and this you may be establisht in upon these grounds.

1. The Scripture expresly calls for this, Prov. 3.5. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, Act. 8.37. If thou believest with all thy heart thou shalt be saved, Ioel, 3.13. Turn unto the Lord with all your hearts, Ier. 29.13. You shall finde the Lord when you seek him with your whole hearts. As when we have a great gift to bestow, and we ask a p. 184poor man to whom we intend to give it, whether he wil accept of it or no? Yes, saith he, with all my heart; so tis here, the Lord askes those he intends to bestow his Son upon, and saith to them, You have lived thus long without him, and thus long abused him, will you now have him, and accept of him? Yes Lord, with all my heart; This is all the Lord requires. Doth the Lord require no more of me, but to come? Lord, this voice is most sweet to me, I come, with all my heart I come.

2. Because Christ is worthy of the whole heart; all must be sold away to buy this field, this treasure, Mat. 13.44. He that loveth father or mother more then me, is not worthy of me. A filthy lust, a base harlot hath had thy whole heart, and dost thou think the Lord Christ will have it divided? is not one heart too little for him? are not ten thousand souls too few to embrace him, or cleave to him?

3. Because without this your comming to him is but faigned. Ier. 3.10. They return to me not with their whole heart, but faignedly. To cleave to Christ and a lust, to Christ and a proud heart, cannot be unfaigned faith; to goe to your lusts in time of peace, and fly to Christ in times of extremity, is damnable hypocrisie. When conscience troubles you, you then goe to Christ to ease you; and when p. 185your unruly wills and lusts trouble you, you goe to the world to ease you, and so your hearts are divided, and you come not wholly and onelyonly unto Christ for rest. Beleeve it, it is such a faith by which you may as Samuel did on Sauls garment, take hold of him, but the Lord will never take hold of you. Set a branch in the stock, if it stayes loosely in it, and is not set very neare to it, it will wither in time; and this is the great cause of withering Christians, and of so many Apostates in these evill times. Those that came to Christ, Iohn 6. and followed him for a time, but afterward fell away, v…se 66. what was the reason of their fall? viz. when they were offended at Christ, they knew whither to goe from Christ; but what saith Peter? Lord, Whither should we goe? ver. 68. If you lay the pipes that are to convey water from a full fountaine, but one foot or one inch short of it, there cannot be any water derived from thence. Oh beloved, what is the reason that many a mans faith doth him no good, derives no life, spirit, blood, efficacy, peace, power from the Lord Jesus? is it because Christ is a dry Christ, and unwilling to communicate? No, no, the wound is in their faith, that pipe is laid but halfe way to him, they fall one foot short of him, their soules come, but their whole soules doe not come to him, and hence they never reach p. 186Christ, they lye not in Christ, and therefore receive not from Christ. Christ is precious, (here their soule comes) but not exceeding precious, preciousnesse it selfe, as the word is, 1 Pet. 2.7. (here the whole soule doth not come) they cleave to Christ, and rest upon Christ, (here their soules come) but they cleave not to Christ onelyonly,Psal. 62.5.Ps 62:5 (thus their whole soules doe not come.)

4. If the whole soule by unbeliefe departs from God, then the whole soule must return and come again unto God.

5. If the want of this be the great cause why men are rejected of God, then the whole soule must returne to him: but this is the cause why all men under the meanes are rejected of God.Psal. 81.12, 13.Ps 81:12Ps 81:13 Israel would none of me, i. e. would not be content alone with me, would not take quiet contentment in me, (as the Hebrew word signifies) the Lord was not good enough for them; but their hearts went out from him to other things, & therefore the Lord gave them up to their own hearts lust, and they walked in their owne counsels. The woman that forsakes the guide of her youth, and sets her heart as much upon other men as her husband, is an Adulteresse, for which onelyonly shee shall have a bill of divorce.

6. Because as the Gospel first reveales Christ to the mind, and then offers him to p. 187the will; so Faith which runs parallel with the Gospel, first sees Christ, (there the mind, one part of the soule, goes out) then receives Christ gladly, (there the other part, the will, goes out) and so the whole soule comes to Christ. The Gospel comes to all the elect, first, in great clearnesse and evidence of the truth of it, 1 Thes. 1.5. to which the understanding assents, and is perswaded of; secondly, in great grace and goodnesse, surpassing beauty and sweetnesse, Lam. 3.24. with which the will is drawn, and so the whole soule comes unto Christ: for the Gospell is not onelyonly true, but glad tidings to all the elect, especiall when humbled at Gods feet, 1 Tim. 1.15. in whom, saith the Apostle, Eph. 1.12, 13. you beleeved, after that yee heard the word of truth, (there is the object of the understanding) the Gospel of your salvation, (there is the goodnesse of it, the object of the will) so that the whole soule is drawne to Christ in the work of faith. Hee that understands how liberum arbitrium may be in two faculties, must not wonder, if one grace be seated in both faculties of understanding and will; no grace can bee compleatly seated in divers faculties, but gradually and imperfectly it may; the work of faith is not compleat, when the understanding is opened onelyonly to see and wonder at the mysterie of mercy in the Gospel; but p. 188when the will adheres and claspes about that infinite and surpassing good it sees; then it is perfected and not before, Iohn 6.40. And this is the reason why saving Faith (as it is called) doth not look only to a bare testimony and assent unto it, as humane faith doth; because in the Gospell not only divine truth is propounded to the mind to assent unto; but an infinite and eternall good is offered to the heart and will of man to embrace, and thence it is that it is not sufficient for a christian to beleeve God or to beleeve Christ, but he must also believe in him, or else he cannot be saved; the object of believing of him being verum, or truth; the object of the second, bonum, or good: take heed therefore a poore lost sinner, undone in its owne eyes for ever, not knowing what to doe, unlesse it be to lye downe, and lye still at Gods feet as worthy of nothing but hell; what doth the Lord now doe? the Lord Christ by his Gospell first lets in a new light, and it sees the Lord Jesus there bleeding before its eyes, and held forth as a propitiation to all that believe, to all that come to him; the mind sees this mystery, this exceeding rich grace and free mercy, and thinks happy are they that share in this mercy, but will the Lord look upon such a nothing as I? can such infinite treasures be my portion? the Lord therefore calls and bids him come away p. 189and enter into the possession of it: Thy sins indeed are great, saith the Lord, yet remember blood-thirsty Manasseh, persecuting Paul was pardoned; nay remember my grace is free, for whose sake I invite thee; I beseech thee to come in, thy wants indeed are many, yet remember that thou hast therefore the more need and more cause to come, and that it is I that have made thee empty and poore on purpose, that thou mightest come: it is true, I have an eternall purpose to exclude many thousands from mercy, yet my purpose is unchangeable, never to cast off any that doe come for it; I never did it yet, I will not doe it unto thee, if thou dost come: it is true, many may presume, yet it is no presumption, but duty to obey my great command; and it is the greatest sin that ever thou didst, or canst commit, now to reject it, and refuse this grace; come therefore poore, weary, lost, undone creature. Hereupon the heart and will come, and rest, and roll themselves upon these bowels, and there rest; thus the whole soule comes, and this I say againe is Faith. Iust as it is with the loadstone drawing the iron, who would think that iron should be drawn by it? but there is a secret vertue comming from the stone which drawes it, and so it comes and is united to it; so who would think that ever such an iron, heavy, earthy heart should be p. 190drawne unto Christ? yet the Lord lets out a secret vertue of truth and sweetnesse from himselfe, which drawes the soule to Christ, and so it comes.

May not the consideration of this be of great consolation to those that want assurance, and therefore thinke they have no faith? oh remember that if thou commest unto Christ, as that poor woman of Canaan, she had no assurance she should be helped of Christ, nay Christ tells her to her teeth, that he would not cast childrens bread to such dogs, yet she came to him, and looked up to free mercy, and claspt about him and would not away; you will say, Was this faith? yes, our Saviour himselfe professeth it before men and Angels, Oh woman, great is thy faith, Mat. 15.28. So I say unto all you poor creatures whom the Lord hath humbled, and made vile in our own eyes, unworthy of childrens bread as dogs; yet you look up unto, and rest upon mercy wi…h your whole heart; this is precious faith in the account of Christ.

Quest.But how shall I know when the whole soule comes to Christ?

Answ.When the eye of the soule so sees Christ, and the heart so embraceth and resteth upon Christ, as that it resteth in Christ, as in its portion and all sufficient good: many rest upon Christ that doe not rest in him, that is, p. 191that are not abundantly satisfied with him; and hence their soules goe out of Christ to other things to perfect their rest, and so their hearts are divided between Christ and other things;Heb. 4.1.Heb 4:1 oh feare this, saith the Apostle, lest there being a promise left us of entring into his rest, any of you fall short of it; for (saith he) we that have beleeved doe enter into rest, verse 3. so say I to you; of all delusions, fear this, lest when you come to Christ, and rest upon Christ for life and salvation, that you rest not in Christ: I tell you, saith Christ to those that came to him, and were constant followers of him, Iohn 6.53. except you eat the flesh and drinke the blood of the Sonne of God, you have no life in you; what is this eating and drinking? verily, sipping and tasting is not properly eating and drinking, tasting your meat will not satisfie you, and therefore will not nourish life in you; to eat and drink Christ is so to receive him, as to satiate and satisfy the soul with him: to quench all your desires, your hungring and thirsting in him; untill thy soule saith, as he said in another case, it is enough that Joseph lives, so Lord I have enough now I have this love, this grace of Christ to be my portion; now you rest in Christ. For if there be some great good a man enjoyes, if there bee any good wanting in it, it is not possible that his whole heart should be set upon it: Ex. gr. p. 192a man hath food, but if hee wants clothes, and his bread will not cloath him, his whole heart will not be set upon his food, but upon that which may cloath him also: so on the contrary if there bee an eminent good, wherein he finds all in one, no good out of it, that is wanting in it; it is certain that the whole soule is carried after this good: so it is here, when the soule so comes to Christ, as that it comes for all good to him, and so finds all good in him, that he now only supports the sinking soule, verily the whole soule is now come, because as it felt before it came all wants and evills out of him, so now it finds all fulnesse in him, and whither should the whole soule be carried but after such a good? when the Lord calls to the soule to come and take all with nothing, take all or nothing. And hereupon it comes and drinkes, as it is Iohn 7.37. satisfying it selfe there, and professing, Lord I now desire no more, I have enough. Oh brethren, what faith there is among men at this day I cannot tell, but this I am sure was Abrahams faith, Gen. 17.1. and Davids faith, 2 Sam. 23.5. and Peters faith, Iohn 6.68. and Pauls faith, Phil. 3.8, 9. Gal. 6.14. When the soule thus rests upon the rock Christ, the gates of hell may availe, but never prevaile against such a one: he that hath set the whole world at his heeles, and sold himselfe out of p. 193all for this pearle, and this abundantly recompenceth all his losses, such a one hath Christ his owne, and shall never be deprived of him againe; the Lord never gives his elect any rest out of Christ, that they may find rest at last in Christ. When thus the soule is entred into rest, the whole soule is drawne here, and this is the great reason why many men famous in their generations and times in the eyes of others for Faith; yet rotten at the heart and thence turne Apostates, one proves covetous, another ambitious, another voluptuous, another growes conceipted, another growes contentious, another growes formall. What is the reason of this? verily, they did rest upon Christ, but did never find rest in Christ, and therefore their whole soule never came to him; Christ after some time of profession grew a dry and common Christ unto them, though at first they wondred at him, and he was very sweet unto them; and hence they departed from him, as from an empty dry pit in Summer time where they found nothing to refresh them: but the Lord Jesus carries it towards all the faithfull, as Elkanah did toward Hannah; though she was in a fit, much vexed and troubled for want of children, yet because he loved her exceeding dearly, he quiets her againe with this, Am not I better unto thee then ten sonnes? so though they may be unquiet p. 194for some odde fits for want of many things, yet because Christ loves them, hee brings them back unto their rest, saying, Am not I better then then all friends, all creatures, all abilities, all spirituall created excellencies? and hereby they find rest to their soules, in him againe.

Object.But is there any beleevers heart so knit unto Christ, but that there is a heart also after other vanities? doe they find such rest in him, as that they find no disquietnesse? is there not an unregenerate part and much unbelief, remaining? is any mans faith made perfect that the whole soule must come, or else there is no true faith?

Answ.It is true, there is an unregenerate and a regenerate part in a godly man, but not a heart and a heart (the note of a wicked man in Scripture phrase) there are disquietings in the hearts of Saints after that they be in Christ, even Solomon himselfe may sometime seek out of Christ for rest in his orchards and gardens, knowledge and wisdome; yet there is a great difference between these that are in the Saints, arising from the unregenerate part, and those that be in the wicked, arising from a heart and a heart, or a double heart: and this difference is chiefly seen in two things.

1A double minded man who hath a double heart makes not a dayly warre against that p. 195heart which carries him away from resting only in Christ: for Christ quiets his conscience, and the world comforts his heart. Christ gives him some rest; and because this is not full, his heart runs out to the creature, and to his lusts for more; and so betweene them both hee hath rest, and hee is quieted with this, because he feeles what he sought for: and therefore he must needs have Christ, else his conscience cannot be quiet, and hee must needs have his lusts, his ease, and this world too, else his heart is most unquiet; but let him have both, he is now quiet. Micah 3.11. The Priests teach for hire, (there the world quiets them) yet they will leane upon the Lord too, because this also comfo…ts them; what doe they now? doe they make war against this wofull frame? No, no, but …lesse themselves in it, saying, No evill shall come to us; but a poore bel…ver whose heart is upright, it is true, there are many runnings out of his heart after other vaniti…, and much unquietnesse of spirit, yet the regen… rate part makes warre against these, … Gods enemies, and the disturbers of the peace of Christs Kingdome; Psalme 42. David professeth, his teares were his meat day and night, verse 3. and his heart was wofully sunke and fallen, yet what doth hee? first hee chides himselfe, Why art thou cast down, oh my soule? and then secondly he makes his mone to the p. 196Lord of it, verse 5, 6. Lord my soule is cast downe, oh Lord pity me; you shall see also, Psal. 73.2. his eyes were dazled with the glory of the world, and the wicked in it, that he had almost forsaken God; yet within a little while after he gets into the Sanctuary of God, and then loaths himselfe for such foolish and bru…ish thoughts; and closeth with God againe, saying, Whom have I in heaven or earth but thee? verse 25.

2All the out-runnings of the hearts of the faithfull and their disquietnesse of spirit thereby, make them to returne to their rest againe, and give them the more rest in the conclusion:Ps. 116.7.Ps 116:7 David was a Bird out of his nest for a time, and therefore when he considered how the Lord had saved his eyes from teares, his soule from hell, returnes againe, and saith, Return to thy rest oh my soule; Psal. 25.13. it is said, his soule shall dwell at ease, or (as the word signifies) shall lodge in goodnesse; some hard work full of trouble, some strong lust, or sad temptation, desertion, affliction, the Lord exerciseth the soule withall for some time, and so long the soule is in heavinesse and much wearinesse of spirit, as it is 1 Pet. 1.6. yet when this dayes work is done, when the sin is subdued, and the temptation hath humbled him, then a beleevers soule shall lodge in goodnesse; he shall have an easie bed, and a soft pillow p. 197to rest on at night; When have the faithfull sweeter naps in Christs bosome then after sorest troubles, longest eclipses of Gods pleased face? when doe their soules cleave closer to the Lord, then when they are ready to forsake the Lord, and the Lord them? Certainly fire is wholly carryed upward, when that which suppresseth it, makes it at last break out into greater flame; Peter falls from Christ, yet he is Peter, a stone cleaving most close unto Christ, above all other the Apostles; because his fall being greater, his faith clave the closer to the Lord Christ for ever after it: Solomons heart certainely never clave so unseparably unto the Lord, as after his fall, wherein he did more experimentally find and feele the emptinesse and vanity of those things, wherein he did imagine before something was to be found; but he that hath a double heart, never enters into rest, but the longer he lives the more common Christ, his truth, and promises grow; they are but fading flowers, whose beauty and sweetnesse affect him for a time; but they wither before the Sun set: and therefore the longer he lives, the lesse savour he finds in these things, and therefore takes lesse contentment therein; the Lord Jesus and all his ordinances grow more flat and dry things to him, and therefore though at first he might rejoyce (as Iohns hearers, Iohn p. 1985 35.) in these burning and shining lights, yet it is but for a season; at last he discovers himselfe, not by a renewed returning to his rest, but by a wearyish forsaking of it. The Raven never returned to the Arke againe, because it could live upon the floating carrion on the waters; whereas the Dove finding no rest there, returns againe.

Fourthly, the end of Faith.

This is the fourth particular in the description of Faith: The whole soule commeth to Christ, For Christ and all his benefits; and this is the end of Faith, or of a beleevers comming unto Christ: the end of faith is sometimes exprest by a generall word Life, Iohn 5.40. but you must remember that hereby is meant the Lord of life first, and so all the blessings of life. The falsnesse and hypocrisie of Christs followers appeared in this, Iohn 6.26. you seek me, saith Christ, for loaves, that was their end; as many a one in these dayes if they be in outward misery seek unto Christ for outward mercy, corn in time of famine, health in time of sicknesse, peace upon any termes in time of warre; and if they be in any inward distresse, now they seek to Christ for comfort and quiet, and so like many sick patients desire the Phisitian, not to have him married to them, but for some of his physick only, to be healed by p. 199him; but what saith our Saviour to these persons? verse 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth, what should be the end of their labour then? he tells them, but for that bread that endures to everlasting life; what is this bread? see the 33. and 35. and 48. verses, he tells them, I am the bread of life; seek for me therefore, come for me; and look as none can have life from the bread, unlesse he first feed upon the bread it selfe, so none can have any life or benefit from Christ that comes not first to Christ for Christ. Conceive of this thus: God in Christ is the compleat object of faith under a double notion; First as sufficient, in being all we want unto us; Secondly, as efficient, in communicating all to us, and doing all for us. In the first respect, he is Elshaddai, in his promis…; in the second respect he is Iehovah, Exod. 6.3. in making good his all-sufficient promise; hence faith comes to him for a double end, first that he would give himselfe and be all to it, Secondly, that he would communicate all his blessings and benefits also, and so doe all for it. For in the covenant of Grace, the Lord doth not onelyonly promise a new heart, pardon of sinne, with the rest of those spirituall benefits, but, also himselfe, I will bee their God, and they shall be my people. H…nce Faith comes first for that which the Lord principally promiseth, viz. God himselfe, p. 200and then for all the rest of those heavenly and glorious benefits; and hence it is, if any man come for Christ himselfe without his benefits, and regard not the conveyance of them, as the Familists at this day doe, who abolish all inherent graces, and some of them all ordinances because Christ is all to them; or if any come for the benefits of Christ without Christ himselfe, as many among our selves doe, who never account themselves happy in him, but onelyonly by some abilities they receive from him; neither of these come with a single eye, nor fixe a right end in their closing with Christ: you must first come for Christ himselfe, and so for all his benefits.

For establishing your hearts in which truth, consider these things.

1. Consider what drives any man to Christ. Is not sense of wants one main thing? now what are a christians wants, when the Lord hath humbled him? are they not, first, want of Christ; and secondly, of all the benefits of Christ? viz. righteousnesse, peace, pardon, grace glory, Iohn 16.9. If therefore the soules of all the elect feel a want of both, doth not Faith come to Christ for both? Iohn 4.10. If thou knewest the gift of God, (i. e. the worth of him, and thy want of him) thou wouldest aske, and hee would give thee water of life.

p. 2012. What doth the Lord offer in the Gospell? is it not first Christ himselfe, and then all the benefits of Christ? Isay 9.6, 7. To us a Sonne is borne, to us a Sonne is given; in the receiving therefore of Christ by faith, what should the soule aime at, but that it may have the Sonne himselfe, and so all his benefits with him?

3. Can any man have eternall life, that not only hath not the benefits flowing from the Sonne, but that wants the Son himselfe? I am sure the Apostle expressely affirmes it, 1 Iohn 5.12. He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son hath not life; Faith therefore must come for Christ himselfe: as in marriage the woman consents first to have the man, and so to have all other benefits that will necessarily follow upon this.

4. The happinesse of all the Saints consists in two things: First, union to Christ; Secondly, communion with Christ. Faith therefore pitcheth first upon Christ himself, that it may have sure and certaine union to him (for our union is not unto any of the benefits flowing to us from Christ; we are not united unto forgivenesse of sinnes, nor peace of conscience, nor holinesse, &c. but unto the person of the Son of God himselfe) and then secondly commeth, for the communication of all the benefits arising onelyonly from union; as Paul, Phil. 3.9, 10. esteems p. 202all things dung and losse, first, to be found in him, that so he might have his righteousnesse in justification, and feele the power of his death and resurrection in sanctification, &c. in one word, Faith first buyes the pearle it self, and then seeks to be inriched by it; it finds the treasure of grace, glory, peace, mercy, favour, reconciliation in Christ, but then buyes the field it selfe, that it may have the treasure also, Mat. 13.44. the Lord Christs great desire is, that all his might be with him to see his glory, Iohn 17.24. and Faith desires first to have him, and be for ever with him, and so to partake of that glory: the Lords great plot is first to perfect the Saints in Christ, Col. 2.10. yee are compleat in him; then to make them like to Christ by communicating life, grace, peace, glory from him: Col. 3.3, 4. 1 Iohn 3.1, 2. Faith therefore first quiets it selfe in him, then seeks for life from him; it comes first for Christ, and then for all the benefits of Christ.

Oh that this truth were well considered, how would it discover abundance of rotten counterf…it faith in the world, some seeking for peace and comfort, and ca…ching at promises without seeking first to have the person of Christ himselfe, in whom only all the promises are Yea and Amen. Others despising the benefits of Christ, especially grace, holinesse, and life from him; because (say p. 203they) Christ is all in all to them. Ask them, Have you any grace, change of heart, &c.? tush! what doe you tell them of repentance, and faith, and holinesse? they have Christ, and that is sufficient; they have the substance, what should they doe now with shadowes of Ordinances, Ministeries, or Sacraments? they have all graces in Christ, why should they look either for being of, or evidence from any grace inherent in themselves? they have a living holy head, but Christs body they say is a dry Skeleton, a dead carcase, and they are but dry bones: & is it so indeed? then look that God should shortly bury thee out of his sight, assuredly you that want and d…spise the b…n…fits comming from him, shall never have part nor portion in him at the great day of Account; Christ is a Saviour to save men from their sins, not to save men and their sins; Christ is King and Priest of his Church, holy and separated from sinners, Heb. 7.26. and if you have any part or portion in him, he hath made you Kings and Priests also to God and his Father, and hath not left you in your pollution, but washt you from it in his owne blood: Rev. 1.5, 6. The law of God is written on the heart of Christ, Psal. 40.8. with Heb. 10.5, 6, 7. and if ever hee wraps you up in the covenant of grace, he will write his law in your hearts also, Heb. 8.10.

p. 204Let all deluded Familists tremble at this, that in advancing Christ himselfe, and free grace, abolish and despise those heavenly benefits which flow from him unto all the elect. Let others also mourne over themselves that have with much affection been seeking after Christs benefits, peace of conscience, holinesse of heart and life, promises to assure them of eternall glory, but have not sought first to embrace and have the person of the Lord Jesus himselfe.

Oh come, come therefore unto the Lord Jesus for Christ himselfe, and for all his benefits; I say for All his benefits. This is that which the Apostle prayes for with bended knees for the Ephesians,Eph. 3.14, 18.Eph 3:14Eph 3:18 that they might (not take in a little, but) comprehend the height, depth, length, bredth of Christs love, that so they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God. This is that which our Saviour expresly with much vehemency calls for, Iohn 7.37. Let all that thirst come unto me, and drinke; not sip and taste a little, as Reprobates and Apostates doe, Heb. 6.4, 5. but drinke, and drinke abundantly, as it is Cant. 5.1. And observe it, that upon these very termes the Lord tenders grace and mercy, Rom. 5.17. the Apostle doth not say, They that receive alittle, but abundance of grace, shall reign by righteousnesse unto eternall life. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it, Psal. 81.11, 12. p. 205And most certainely this is one principall difference between the faith of the Elect and Reprobates, (and if I mistake not, the principall) the elect close with Christ for that end, for which the Father offers him, which is, that they might possesse his Sonne, and all his benefits, and therefore come poore and empty, for all; the reprobate come not for all, but for so much and no more then will serve their owne turne; in misery they would have Christ to deliver them, but what care they for spirituall mercies? in trouble of conscience, or after their foule falls into filthy lusts and sins, they come to Christ to forgive them and comfort them, but what care they for holinesse and a new nature? some sinnes they would have Christ save them from, but they regard not redemption from all; they cannot come to Christ, that all the powers of darknesse may be perfectly subdued, that their owne sinnes, and selves, conceits, and wills, may be led away captive by this mighty Conquerour; that Christ in all his authority, grace, peace, life, glory, might be for ever advanced in them and by them.

It was Austins complaint in his time of many of his hearers, that Christum assequi, to have Christ was pleasing to them; but sequi Christum, to follow Christ, this was heavy. To close with Christs person, is sweet p. 206to many; but to close with his will, and to come to him that he would give them a heart to lye under it, this benefit they desire not. All Christ is uselesse and needlesse; but something from Christ is precious to them: for the Lord Iesus sake beloved take heed of this delusion; if any thing hath been bought for us at a deare rate, and cost much; if the man should offer to hold any part of it backe, we will not abate him any thing, we will have it all, because it cost deare; I tell you pardon of sin, peace with God, the adoption of sonnes, the spirit of grace, perseverance to the end, the kingdome of glory, the riches of mercy, have beene bought for you by a deare and great price, the precious blood of Christ; and therefore if the justice of God should hold back any thing, or thy owne unbeliefe tell thee these are too great and many for so vile a creature as thou art to enjoy, yet abate the Lord nothing; say thou art vile, yet Christs blood that bought not some, but all these, is very precious, and therefore take them all to thy selfe, as thy portion for ever, and blesse the Lord, as David doth, Psal. 16.7. that gave thee this counsell. Whiles you are in peace, it may be you may neglect so great salvation; but the time of distresse and anguish may come wherein you may feel a need of all, even of those hidden depths of mercy above your reach and p. 207reason; and therefore, as bees, gather in your honey in summer time, and with Ioseph lay up in these times of plenty, wherein the exceeding riches of grace is opened, and poured out at your heeles, for those times of approaching famine, and for those many yeers of spirituall desertion and distresse, wherein you may think, Can it stand with the honour of God to save such a poore sinfull creature as I am? what iron heart is not drawn by this love, for the Lord to invite you to possesse … or nothing? Dives in hell was desirous of a drop to coole his tongue, and behold the very depths and seas of grace are opened for thee to come in and partake of, if the Lord Jesus should be offered unto thee to pardon some sinnes, but not all; to pardon all sinnes, but not to heale thy nature also; or to heale some back-slidings, but not all; to supply thy spirituall wants, but not outward also, as may be best for thee; or to supply outward, but not inward and spirituall; if he should offer to doe thee good in this life, but not in death nor after death, you might refuse to come in; but when all is offered, all that mercy, which no eye ever saw to pitty thee; all that love, wherewith Abraham, David, Paul, &c. were embraced, now to refuse to come up and possesse these; how can you escape the sorest vengeance of a jealous God, that neglect so p. 208great salvation? Oh Lord! what extremity of anguish and bitternesse wilt thou one day be in, when the contempt of this grace, glowing upon thy conscience, shall presse thee downe with these thoughts; I am now under all misery, but I might have had all Gods grace, all Christs glory, but wretch that I am I would not? Me thinks if your owne good hereby should not draw you, yet the exceeding great glory the Lord shall have hereby, should force you to accept of all this grace; for if thou didst receive a little grace, beleeve a little mercy toward thee, this makes thee sometime exceeding thankfull, doth it not? and the very hope of more makes thy heart break forth into a holy boasting and glorying in Christ, Who is a God like unto thee? Suppose therefore you drank in all, and received all that which the Lord freely offers, should not the Lord be exceedingly magnified then? couldst thou containe thy selfe then, without crying out, Oh Lord now let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seene, and my soule hath now possession of thy salvation? wouldst not call to the hills, and seas, and earth, and heavens, and Saints, and Angels, to break forth into glorious praises, and blesse this God?

Object.But what have I to doe to come, that am so poore, and empty, and full of woes, and wants, and sinnes? never was any so miserable, p. 209and blind, and naked as I.

If Faith commeth for all to Christ,Answ. and fetcheth all from him, then never be discouraged because thou hast nothing to bring unto him; let all thy wants and miseries be arguments and motives therefore to come unto him, Revel. 3.17, 18. Because thou art poore and naked, nay because thou knowest it not, and art not affected with it, therefore come unto me, and buy eye-salve, and gold, and white rayment. Lord pardon my sinne, saith David, Ps. 25.11. & 31.9.Ps 25:11Ps 31:9because it is great: have mercy upon me, for I am consumed with griefe, and am in trouble. Psal. 40.11, 12.Ps 40:11Ps 40:12Let mercy and truth continually preserve me, for innumerable evills have compassed mee round about. Hos. 6.1, 2Hos 6:1Hos 6:2Let us returne unto the Lord, because hee hath wounded us. I am a dogge, therefore let me have crums, said the woman of Canaan: oh this is crosse to sense and reason, and we cannot beleeve while we are so exceeding poore, empty, vile, that the Lord should look upon us; but beloved, you little think what wrong you doe to your selves, & the Lord Jesus hereby: for by this means Christ is not so much exalted, nor the creature humbled, both which concurring in faith, make those acts of faith most precious; for while you stand upon something, and would have something to bring to Christ, you hereby exalt your selves; but when you come with sense of nothing p. 210else but woes and wants, and see Christ now making of you welcome, oh this is not only mercy, but ravishing mercy. If you should come with sense of somewhat to Christ, and to see his love to you; you might glorify mercy in the height, and length, and breadth of it, but not in the depth of it, unlesse you see it reaching its hand to you, when you are fallen into so low and poor a condition as nothingnesse and emptinesse, and misery it selfe. And therefore doe not come to Christ only for the benefits of the covenant, but for the condition of it also, when you feele a want of faith it selfe; as Hezekiah did, Isay 38.14. Lord I am oppressed, undertake for me. 1 Kings 8.57, 58. Doe not undertake to fulfill any part of the covenant or any condition in it, or any duty required of thee, of thy selfe, but goe empty to Christ, and say as David, Lord I will run the wayes of thy salvation, if thou wilt set my heart at liberty. Psal. 119.32, 33. Quicken me, and I will call upon thy name. Psal. 80.18. Be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might, but not of thine owne.

Obj. 1.But I come for all, and am never a whit the better, but as poor and miserable still as ever I was.

Answ.If the Lord keeps you poor and low, yet the same motive that made thee come, let it p. 211make thee stay; it may be the Lord sees thou wouldst grow full and lifted up if he should give thee a little, & therefore keeps thee low; better be humble,Hos. 6.2, 3.Hos 6:2Hos 6:3 then full and proud. Let us goe unto the Lord, because hee hath wounded, broken, and slaine us. But they might object, we doe come, but find no help, no cure. It may be so; yet it is said, After two dayes he will revive us, and the third day wee shall live in his sight, and we shall know him, if we follow on to know him, verse 6. His goings forth are prepared as the morning, it may be night for a time, but the Sun of righteousnesse will arise gradually and gloriously upon thy soule.

Truly brethren, when I see the curse of God upon many christians that are now grown full of their parts, gifts, peace, comforts, abilities, duties; I stand adoring the riches of the Lords mercy to a little handfull of poore beleevers, not only in making them empty, but in keeping of them so, all their dayes; and therefore come to the Lord, poore, empty, naked, nothing, cursed, in the sense of thy want of all things, for all things, and then receive with gladnesse, yet boldnesse and holy confidence, not only pardon of some sins, but of all; beleeve, answer not to some prayers, but all. Embrace in thy bosome not some few promises, but all. It is a great case of conscience, When may a christian take a promise without presumption, p. 212as spoken to him, and given to him in particular; and the rule is very sweet, but certaine: when hee takes all the Scripture and embraceth it as spoken unto him, hee may then take any particular proper promise boldly; my meaning is, when a Christian takes hold and wrastles with God for the accomplishment of all the promises of the New Testament, when he sets all the commands before him, as his rule and compasse and guide to walke after; when he applyes all the threatnings to drive him nearer unto Christ the end of them; this no hypocrite can doe, this the Saints should doe, and by this may know, when the Lord speaks in any particular unto them; go I say again therefore unto the Lord for all, and in the sense of all your emptinesse be abundantly comforted, that though you doe not find supply from Christ, yet you come unto the Lord Christ for it: it is a certaine rule, you shall not alway want that good which you come to Christ to supply, nor alway be mastered with that sinne which you come to Christ with, to take away: only then be sure you come for all; otherwise you doe not come truly: come first for Christ himselfe, and then (as I said) for all his benefits.

To conclude; this is the direct and compendious way of living by Faith, so much urged and pressed of Gods servants, for to live p. 213by faith properly is to live upon the promise in the want of the thing, or to apprehend the thing in the promise, Heb. 11.1. now the promises are not given to the elect immediately without Christ, but first Christ is given, i. e. offered in the Gospell and received by Faith, and then with him all things also; and therefore the Scripture runs thus, Isay 55.1, 2, 3, 4. Come unto the waters and drinke, and then, I will make an everlasting Covenant, (which containes all the promises) even the sure mercies of David: the Apostle expressely disputes the case, and saith, Where there is a Testament, (containing Evangelicall promises) there must first bee the death of the Testator, Heb. 9.15, 16. to whom we must first come by Faith, before we can have right to any promise; Heb. 7. 22.25. and 10.16, 17, 18.22. Being justified by Faith, now we have peace with God, nay, we have accesse to God, nay now we are sure of standing, now we hope in God, and glory to come; Rom. 5.1, 2, 3, 4. all followes the first.

How shall a Christian therefore live by Faith? truly, first receive Christ and come to him for the end I mention; and then thou maist be sure all other things shall be given to thee. As for example: dost want any temporall blessing? suppose it be payment of debts, thy dayly bread, provision for thy p. 214family, a comfortable yoake-fellow, &c. look now through the Scripture for promises of these things, and let thy faith act thus; If God hath given me Christ, the greatest blessing, then certainly he will give me all these smaller matters as may be good for me; but the Lord hath given me Christ, and therfore I shall not want: Psal. 23.1. The Lord is my shepherd, saith David, what follows? I shall not want; there is the like reason in all other things, suppose it be in case of protection from enemies, if the Lord hath given me Christ to save me from hell, then he will save me from these fleshly enemies much more: you shal see, Isa. 7. a promise given that Syria should not prevaile against Iudah: they doubted of this, how doth the Lord seek to assure them? you shall see, verse 14. it is by promising a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne, and his name shall be Emmanuell; this is a strange reason, (yet you may see the reason of it if you consider this point) so Isay 9.5 6. The oppressors rod shall be broken. For unto us a Sonne is borne, a Sonne is given. By Faith they put to flight the Armies of Alients, brake downe the walls of Jericho, did wonders in the world. What did they chiefly look to in this their faith? you shall see, Heb. 11.39, 40. it was by respecting the promise to come, and that better thing Christ Jesus himselfe, which we now see p. 215with open face, and therefore he concludes, Heb. 12.1, 2, 3. Having such a cloud of witnesses, that thus lived and dyed by faith, let us look unto Iesus the Authour and finisher of ours. The Prophet Habbakuk, Hab. 2.5. affirmes, that the just shall live by Faith; What faith is that? consult with the place, you shall see it was in the promise of deliverance from the Chaldean tyranny, yet the Apostle Paul applyes it to faith in Christs righteousnes,Rom. 1.17.Rom 1:17 and that truly, because if their faith had not respected Christ himselfe, in the first place, they could never have expected any deliverance by the promise of deliverance from the Caldeans, but thus they might.

5. The speciall ground of Faith.

The last thing in the description of Faith is, that the soule thus comes upon the call of Christ in his word, and this is the speciall ground of Faith; wherefore the soule comes to Christ: take a sinner humbled and broken for sin, he cannot prevent the Lord by comming of himselfe unto Christ, and therefore the Lord prevents him, by his gracious call and invitation to come in;Rom 8.30.Rom 8:30 Whom God hath predestinated, them hath he called; our translation from darknesse into Gods marvellous light is by being called. 1 Pet. 2.9.1 Pet 2:9The soule is lost in humiliation, the Lord Jesus who is p. 216come to save that which is lost, seeketh it out in vocation, or calling: Sanctification is the restoring of us to the image of God we once had in Adam, as corruption is the defacing of that image; Vocation is the calling of the soule unto Christ, this voyce Adam never heard of; he did not need any call to come to Christ, and therefore was immediately sanctified, as soone as he was made: but wee need Vocation unto Christ, before we can be sanctified by Christ; we need this call to make us come to Christ, to put us into Christ, and therefore much more before we can receive any holinesse from Christ; the ground of our coming by faith is Gods call, 2 Thes. 2.13, 14. chosen to salvation through sanctification (the remote end of Vocation) and beleefe of the truth, (the next end of it) whereunto he hath called you; there is the ground of it. The explication of this call is a point full of many spirituall difficulties; but of singular use, and comfort to them that are faithfull and called; I shall omit many things, and explicate only those things which serve our purpose here in these three particulars.

1. I shall shew you what this call is, or the nature of it.

2. The necessity of it.

3. How it is a ground of coming, and what kind of ground for Faith.

p. 2171. The nature of this Call I shall open for your more distinct understanding in severall Propositions, or Theses.

Our Vocation or Calling is ever by some word or voyce, either outward, or inward, or both; either ordinary or extraordinary; by the ministery of men, or by immediate visions and inspirations of God. I speak not now of extraordinary call, by dreames and visions, and immediate inspirations, as in Abraham, and others, before the Scriptures were penned and published; nor of extraordinary call, by the immediate voyce of Christ: as in Paul and some other of the Apostles: for these are ceased now, Heb. 1.1. unlesse it be among people that want ordinary meanes, and elect infants, &c. whose call must be more then by ordinary meanes, because they want such means; we speak now of ordinary call by the ministery of men.

2. This voyce in ordinary calling home of the elect to Christ, is not by the voyce of the Law, (for the proper end of that is to reveale sinne and death, and to cast down a sinner) but by the voyce of the Gospell bringing glad tidings; written by the Apostles, and preached to the world.2 Thes. 2.14. Joh. 20.31. 1 Cor. 1.21. with 262 Thess 2:14John 20:311 Cor 1:21 He hath called you by our Gospell. These things are written that you might beleeve. By the foolishnesse of preaching, the Lord saves them that beleeve. I meane, preaching at the first or second rebound, p. 218by lively voyce, or printed Sermons at the time of hearing, or in the time of deep meditation, concerning things heard; the Spirit indeed inwardly accompanies the voyce of the Gospell, but no mans call is by the immediate voyce of the Spirit without the Gospell, or the immediate testimony of the Spirit breathed out of free grace, without the word. Eph. 1.12, 13. And therefore, that a Christian should be immediately called without the Scripture, and the Scripture only given to confirme Gods immediate promise, as a Prince gives his letter to confirme his promise made to a man before; (as Valdesso would have it,) is both a false and dangerous assertion.

3This voyce of the Gospell is the voyce of God in Christ, or the voyce of Jesus Christ, although dispensed by men, who are but weak instruments for this mighty work sent & set in Christs stead; but the call, the voice is Christs; its the Lords call: Rom. 1.6. it is certaine some of the messengers of Christ called the Romans by the Gospell, yet Paul saith, they were called of Christ Iesus, the dead heare his voyce and arise and live;Joh. 5.29.John 5:29 and when the time of calling comes, they listen to it as his call:2 Thess. 2.12, 13.2 Thess 2:122 Thess 2:13 and hence it is styled, Heb. 3.1. because the Lord Christ from heaven speakes, takes the written word into his owne lips, as it were Cant. 1.1, 2. and thereby pi…rc…th p. 219through the eares, to the heart, through all the noyse of feares, sorrowes, objections against beleeving, and makes it to be heard as his voyce; the bowels of Christ now yerne toward an humbled lost sinner bleeding at his feet, therefore can contain no longer, but speaks and calls, and makes the soule understand his voyce: so that this call is not a mean businesse, because the Lord Jesus himselfe now speaks, whose voyce is glorious.

The substance of this call, or the thing the 4Lord calls unto, is to come unto him: for there is a more common calling (or as some tearme it, a particular calling) of men, as some to be Masters or Servants, 1 Cor. 7.24.20, 21. or to office in Church or Common-wealth, as Aaron, Heb 5.4. and the voyce there is to attend unto their work to which they are called. There is also a remote end of vocation, which is to holinesse, 1 Thes. 4.7. and unto glory also, 2 Thess. 2.14. Phil. 3.14. but we now speak of more speciall calling, the next end of which is to come unto Christ, the soule hath lived many yeares without him, the Lord Jesus will now have the lost prodigall to come home, to come to him; the soule is weary and heavy laden, and the Lord Jesus could easily ease it without its comming to him: but this is his will, he must come to him for it: Mat. 11.27. Ier. 3.7.22. I said after shee had done these p. 220things turne unto me; come unto me ye backsliding children, Ile heale your back-slidings, Jer. 4.1. If thou returnest, returne unto me. This voice, Come unto me, is one of the sweetest words that Christ can speak, or man can heare, full of Majesty, mercy, grace, and peace; a poor sinner thinks▪ Will the Lord ever put up such wrongs I have offered him, heale such a nature, take such a viper into his bosome; doe any thing for me? if there be but one in the world to be forsaken, is it not I? the Lord therefore comes and calls, Come unto mee and I will pardon all thy sins, I will heale all thy back-slidings; I will be angry no more. Jer. 3.12.13. Though thou hast committed whoredome with many lovers, yet returne unto me saith the Lord. Ier. 3.1. Though thou hast resisted my Spirit, refused my grace, wearied me with thine iniquities, yet come unto me, and this will make me amends; I require nothing of thee else but to come:Isay 55.1, 2.Isa 55:1Isa 55:2 for Gods call is out of free grace, Gal. 1.6. and therefore calls for no more but only to come up and possesse the Lords fulnesse, Luke 14.17. 1 Cor. 1.9.

5This call to come, is for substance all one with the offer of Christ; which consists in three things.

1. Commandement to receive Christ as present and ready to be given to it: as when we offer any thing to another, it is by commanding p. 221them to take it: 1 Iohn 4.23. and this binds conscience to beleeve, as you will answer for the contempt of this rich grace, at the great day of account.

2. Perswasion and intreaty to come and receive what we offer:2 Cor. 5.19, 20.2 Cor 5:192 Cor 5:20 for in such an offer wherein the person is unwilling to receive, and we are exceedingly desirous to give, we then perswade; so doth Christ with us.

3. Promise: to offer a thing without a promise of having it, if we receive it, is but a mock-offer; and hence you shall find in Scripture some promise ever annexed unto Gods offer, which is the ground of faith, Ier. 3.22.

This call or offer hath three speciall qualifications: 6first, it is inward as well as outward, for the Lord calls thousands outwardly who yet never come, because they want an inward call to come; an inward whispering still voyce of Gods Spirit: and therefore it is said, He that hath heard and learned (not of man only, but) of the Father commeth unto me, Iohn 6.45. The Lord doth not stand at the outward doore only and call to open, but the Lord Jesus comes in, he comes neare unto the very heart of a poor sinner & makes that understand, Hos. 2.14. and the Lord makes his grace glorious, and his mercy sweet unto the hearts of his Elect; Look (saith the Lord Jesus) how I have left thousand thousands in the world, and have had p. 222greater cause so to have left thee; but behold I am come unto thee, oh come thou now unto me.

2. It is a particular call; for there is a generall call and offer of grace to every one. Now though this be a meanes to make it particular,Mark. 16.15.Mark 16:15 yet the Spirit of Christ which is wont to apply generalls unto particulars particularly, makes the call particular, that the soule sees that the Lord in speciall means me, singles out me in speciall to beleeve; otherwise the soules of the elect will not be much moved with the call of God, so long as they think the Lord offers no more mercy to me then to any reprobate; and therefore the Spirit of Christ makes the call particular. Esay 43.1. I have called thee by name: Iohn 10.5. He calleth all his sheep by name; not that the Lord calls any by their christen name (as we say) as the Lord did extraordinarily call Samuel, Samuel, and Paul, Paul; but the meaning is, look as the Lord from before all worlds writ down their names in the book of life, and loves them in speciall, so in Vocation, (the first opening of Election) the Lord makes his offer and call special, and so speciall as if it were by name; for the soule at this instant feeles such a speciall stirring of the spirit upon it which it feels now, and never felt before; as also its particular case so spoken unto, and its particular objections p. 223so answered, and the grievousnesse of its sinne in refusing grace so particularly applyed, as if God the onelyonly searcher of hearts onelyonly spake unto it, and so dares not but thinke and beleeve that the Lord meaneth mee.

3. It is effectuall as well as inward, and particular. Luk. 14.23. Compell them to come in. Iohn 10.16. Christs other sheep shall heare Christs voice, and those he must bring home; for every inward call is not effectuall. There came a man in without his wedding garment, Mat. 22.6, 7, 8. whence our Saviour saith, Many are called, but few chosen; but this I now speak of, is a calling out of purpose, Rom. 8.28. and therefore never leaves the soule, untill it hath reall possession of Christ, and rests there; this call falls upon a sinner humbled, not hard hearted; & hence the call is effectuall, Mat. 9.12, 13. 2 Chron. 30.10, 11. it is such a call as was in creation, Rom. 4.17. And hence the soule cannot but come, and when tis come it cannot depart, like Peter, Lord, whither should we goe? and therefore though it hath never so many objections in comming to Christ, never so much weaknesse or heartlesnesse to close with Christ, yet the Lord brings it home, and there keeps it, and now it infinitely blesseth God that ever the Lord gave it an eye to see, an heart to come and seek after Jesus Christ.

p. 2242Thus much of the nature of this Call, now follows the necessity of it, which appears in these three particulars.

1. No man should come unlesse first called; as it is in calling to an ordinary office, so tis in our calling much more unto speciall grace; the Apostle saith, Heb. 5.4. that No man takes this honour, but he that is called of God; so what hath any man to doe with Christ, to make himselfe a sonne of God, and heire of glory thereby, but he that is called of God? what have we to doe to take other mens goods, unlesse called thereto? what have we to doe to take the riches of grace and peace, if not called thereto? tis presumption to take Christ whiles uncalled, but not when you are called thereunto.

2. Because no man would come without the Lords call. Mat. 20.6, 7. Why stand you here all the day idle? The answer was, No man hath hired, or called us thereto. When there is an outward call onelyonly, yet men will not come in, Mat. 23.37. and therefore there must be an effectuall call to bring men home, Esay 55.5. and therefore you shall see many, let there be a legall command, suppose to sanctifie a Sabbath, or to speak the truth; they have no objections against obedience unto this: but presse them to beleeve, shew them Gods call for it, they have more feares and objections rising against this then p. 225there be haires on their head, because the soul would not close with this.

3. Because no man could come unlesse called. Iohn 6.44. No man can come to me, unlesse the Father draw him; and how doth the Father draw any man, but by this call? if the Lord should not come and speak himselfe, and make his call the most joyfull tidings and the sweetest message that ever came to it, it would say, I have no heart, I cannot, I am not able, for Rom. 11.32. wee are shut up under unbeliefe; and therefore the Lord Jesus, Luke 15.5. must bring his sheep home upon his shoulders, else it will dye in the wildernesse of its own droopings; whereas when the Lord effectually speaks, the soul cannot but come.

Lastly, how this call is a ground of faith, 3and what ground of faith.

For answer hereunto, I doe not make this call considered without the promise, the ground on which Faith rests, (for that is Gods free grace in the promise) but the ground by which it rests, or wherefore it rests upon the promise. The mind sees (1.) the freenesse of mercy to a poore sinner in misery, and this breeds some hope the Lord may pitty it. (2.) The fulnesse and plenteous riches of mercy, and this gives very great encouragement to the soule to think, The Lord (if I come to him) surely will not deny me a p. 226drop, Psal. 130.7, 8. The Prodigall comes home because of bread enough in his fathers house, though he was not certaine he should have any. (3.) The preciousnesse and sweetnesse of mercy makes the soule long vehemently for it, Psal. 36.6, 7. and makes it set all other things at a low rate, to enjoy it; but when unto all this the Lord sends a speciall commandement, a speciall message on purpose, and calls it to come in, and accept of it, and take mercy as its own, and that for no other reason, but because it is commanded and called to accept of it; this puts an end unto all doubts, all feares, all discouragements, and the soule answers as those, Ier. 3.22. Behold, we come, for thou art the Lord our God. As a man in great want of bread, one comes and freely offers him bread to preserve his life, the man takes it; if you aske him, Why doe you take it? you are a poore fellow, unworthy of it, never did yet one houres work for it: he answers, Tis true, I am unworthy, but yet because it is offered to me to preserve life, I gladly take it; the man doth not promise absolutely to me, that this bread is mine, and shall feed me; but he tels me, if I doe receive it, it shall certainly be mine to feed me; and this is the main ground of his receiving of it. Just so it is in Faith; Aske an humbled sinner, Why doe you beleeve? Why doe you take Christ as your p. 227owne? Hath the Lord said absolutely that he is yours? No, saith the soule, but the Lord freely offers himselfe unto me, who am undone without him, and saith, if I doe receive him, he shall be for ever mine, to give life to me, and therefore I thankfully accept of him; this is the ground of Faith. The Scripture sets out this in a lively similitude of a great Supper, to which many were invited; what was the ground of their comming to it? Behold, all things are ready if you come and eate, they are not yours if you doe not come; but if you come at my call and invitation, then all things shall be yours.Luc. 14 17Luke 14:17 And hence it is that they that came not, were excluded; they that came were received with welcome.

I know tis a question of some difficulty among some, viz. Whether an absolute testimony of actuall favour and justification be not the first ground of Faith? They that make Faith to be an absolute assurance of Gods favour, must of necessity maintain this assertion, and then these things will follow.

1. That a Christian must be justified before he beleeve; for the cause of Faith must goe before Faith. This proposition, Thou art justified, reconciled, is according to this assertion the cause of faith; for no proposition can therefore be true, because we are perswaded that it is true; but it must be first true, p. 228before I am perswaded of it; the wall is not white, because my eye sees it so, but it must first be white, and then I see it so. Now to make actuall justification before faith, is crosse to the whole current of Scripture. We beleeve that we might be justified, Gal. 2.16. we are not justified that we might beleeve. We passe from death to life by faith, Iohn 5.24. we are not in a state of life before faith. When the Lord Iesus saw their faith, Mat. 9.2. he then said, Be of good comfort, thy sinnes are forgiven thee. The Word saith, He that beleeveth not, is condemned already, Iohn 3.18. and therefore (unlesse the Spirits witnesse be crosse to the Word) it doth not say to one that beleeveth not, that he is absolved already. To be justified by faith, and to be justified by Christs righteousnesse is all one in the Scriptures phrase and meaning, Gal. 2.16, 17. Add therefore we may as well say that we are justified before and without Christ, as before and without faith. And indeed this doctrine of being justified by faith, and by this meanes to have remission of sinnes, the Apostle Peter affirms to be the doctrine of all the Prophets, Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witnesse, that whosoever beleeve in him, shall receive remission of sinnes: not that they had remission of sinnes before they did beleeve. I know not any one Protestant Writer that maintaines p. 229our justification before and without faith, except learned Chamier; who not knowing how to avoid the blow of Bellarmines horned argument, that if Faith be an assurance of our actuall justification, then we are first justified before we beleeve; he affirmes we are justified before faith: and therefore that when the Scripture saith we are justified by faith, the reason of that (saith he) is not because our faith doth efficere justificationem, i. e. is a cause (meaning instrumentall) of our justification; but because efficitur in justificato, i. e. is wrought in a justified person: but if that be the reason of the phrase, we may affirme our justification to be as well by love, and sanctification, and holy obedience, as by faith, because these are wrought in a justified person also.

Then no mans ministry nor the doctrine delivered 2by the faithful Ministers of Christ frō out of the Scriptures, can be any ground of faith, for before faith no Minister of Christ can say to any man in particular, or any men in generall, that they are already justified, and reconciled, and therefore beleeve it; but, to deny that doctrine which is opened out of the Scriptures by the Ministers of Christ, to be the ground of Faith, is expresly crosse to the testimony of Scriptures, and the end of the Ministery, and of the messengers of Christ, who have the keyes of office given p. 230to them, that what they bind on earth, is bound in heaven; what they loose on earth, is loosed in heaven; whose sins they remit, they are forgiven, whose sins they retain, they are retained. Mat. 16.16. Ioh. 20.23. Most excellent for this purpose is the Apostles dispute, Rom. 10. You need not go up to heaven, nor down to hell, to fetch Christ himselfe to tell you whether you shall be justified and saved. ver. 6, 7. For the word is nigh them, verse 8. that opens Christs heart unto thy heart. But what word might some say is this? Is it not the internall word of the Spirit onelyonly? The Apostle answers, It is that word which we preach: hereby you shall know whether you shall live or no; but what is that word Paul preached? is it not an absolute testimony that all your sins are already pardoned by Christ, and therefore beleeve it? No, but If thou beleevest with thine heart that God raised up Christ from the dead, thou shalt be saved, vers. 9.11, 12. What can be more full? yet consider t…at one place more, Iohn 17.20. I pray for all them that shall beleeve on me, through their word. What is the ground or meanes of beleeving in Christ? It is said here expresly, Their word: Is it not the word of Christ, rather then the word of the Apostles and of their successors, in the doctrine they delivered, is it their word? Truly that which th…y delivered, was the word of Christ, and that which is opened p. 231from their doctrine in the Scriptures is the word of Christ, yet as they open it, and apply it, so tis their word: and this Word is the ground by which all that Christ prayes for, doe beleeve in Christ; the bare Word I grant cannot perswade without the Spirit, yet the Spirit will not give ground to Faith without the Word, but as by it, so upon it, will build the souls of all the elect, who are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Iesus Christ being the chief corner-stone, Eph. 2.20. How can they beleeve without a Preacher? Rom. 10.14.

3. Then when wicked men and reprobates are commanded to beleeve, (as they are commanded, Iohn 3.19. Luk. 14.17. Iohn 6.38. Heb. 4.2.) they are commanded to beleeve a lye, viz. that their sinnes are pardoned, and they actually justified; for if this testimony be the ground of faith, then when they are commanded to beleeve, they are commanded to be perswaded of this testimony. But the sinnes of wicked men, especially Reprobates, are not nor never shall be forgiven, and therefore this cannot be the ground of Faith.

4. Then the Spirit of adoption, which witnesseth that God is our Father, and that we are his sonnes reconciled to him, goes before faith; but the Apostle expresly denyes this, Ye are the children of God by faith, p. 232Gal. 3.26. And because ye are sonnes, he hath sent unto you the spirit of sonnes, crying Abba, Father, Gal. 4.6.

5. If such a testimony should be the first ground of faith, then no man should beleeve but he that hath such a testimony antecedent to his faith; but this is crosse to the Scripture; Esay 50.10. He that sits in darknesse, and sees no light, let him stay himselfe upon his God. When Ionah is cast out of Gods sight to his owne feeling, yet he is bound to look againe unto the Temple.

6. This absolute testimony is either the testimony of the Word, or of the Spirit; Not of the Word, as is proved; If of the Spirit, then let it be considered, whether that can be the testimony of the Spirit which is not according to the Word, nay cont…ary to the Word, for the Word to say none are justified before faith; for the Spirit to testifie some are justified before faith. If it be said, that the Spirit doth not witnesse these to any man before and without faith; but yet it is without respect unto, or shewing a man his faith, (for those that exclude Sanctification from being any evidence, they meane Faith as well as any other renewed work of holines, and so exclude that also) then I say the testimony of the Spirit (which of it selfe is exceeding cleare) is an obscure and dark testimony, because it cleares up the praedicate of p. 233this Proposition, thou beleever art justified, it witnesseth to a man thou art justified; but cleares not up the subject of it: viz. thou beleever, it makes a man beleeve a testimony without understanding the full meaning of it; for the Spirit testifying to any man thou art justified; his meaning is, thou beleever art justified: and I doe beseech the God and Father of all lights, that his poore people may be led into the truth in this particular; for want of establishment here, you little think how many delusions you may fall into about your spirituall condition; I remember that when Satan came to overthrow the Faith of Christ in his second temptation, Mat. 4.6. he brought a promise out of the Scriptures to him, because he saw hee held close to them, verse 4. and by this promise sought to lead him into temptation, how so? observe the text, and see if it was not by hiding part of the meaning of the promise from him, and in speciall, that very condition required in the person to whom the promise is made; for he tells him, that if he cast himselfe downe headlong, the Lord hath not only said it, but writ it; He shall give his Angells charge over him, to keep him from dashing his foot against a stone: whereas if you consult with the place whence it is cited, viz. Psalme 91.11. The condition is set downe, in all thy wayes, which hee purposely p. 234hides from our Saviour as much as in him lay.

Oh take heed therefore of receiving any testimony from Word or Spirit without the meaning of it, without knowing the person thus and thus qualified, to whom it belongs; otherwise Satan will hurry you headlong to a world of delusions; and you shall find the word of God appointed to direct you, (through your mis-application of it) the word of Satan, to deceive and damne you: doe not think that this is building faith upon works; but to beleeve, that they that believe in Christ are justified, reconciled, and saved, is building faith upon Gods promise; yea, and his free promise too: for saith the Apostle, It is of faith that it might be of grace, Rom. 4.16. It is believing to have the end by the meanes, not the end without the mean of Faith. It is true, we may see Gods favour and love to us in the cause as well as in the effects of sanctification; but what is that cause? the meritorious cause is Christs righteousnesse, and the instrumentall cause of applying this, is our Faith; so that as we are justified by faith, so seeing this, we may say assuredly with Paul, Being justified by faith, wee have peace with God. Rom. 5.1. It is true, we cannot see our justification by saith, nor the work of Faith, without the shining of the Spirit into p. 235our hearts; but the question is not whether the Spirit helps us to see our justified estate, but by what meanes; by what Proposition in the word wee come to see it; which we say is not by any such absolute testimony: thou art justified already, and therefore believe; but if thou believe and come to Christ, here is then pardon of sinne, peace with God, yea all the blessings of Christ ready for thee, which God intends to give and never to take away, if thou thankfully receive what God freely offers, and as it were layes downe at thy feet. The call of Christ therefore is the ground by which wee first believe; and that you may be confirmed farther herein, doe but consider the glory and excellency of this ground.

It is a constant ground of faith, for if you 1come to Christ because you have assurance, or because you feel such and such graces, and heavenly impressions of Gods Spirit in you, you may then many a day and yeare keep at a distance from Christ, and live without Christ; for the feeling of graces, and assurance of favour are not constant; but this call is alway sounding in thine yeares, oh come, not only because thou feelest holinesse in thee, but come, because poore, hungry, empty, naked, lost, blind, cursed, forsaken, full of sin; there is not one moment of the day of grace, but the Lord beseecheth thee to receive his p. 236grace, 2 Cor. 6.1, 2, 3. this is an open door to Christ at all times, an open harbour to put in at in all storms, a heart-breaking word; oh thou tossed with tempests and not comforted, come unto me and thou shalt find rest to thy soule. Many aske, how should I come to Christ, seeing that I have no promise belonging to me? what have dogges to doe with childrens bread? be it so, yet Gods call, command, beseechings, to come in, should be ground unto thee, to come; as a poore begger, that hath no promise absolutely given him of reliefe, yet if a rich man sends to him, and bids him come to his doore and wait, he thinks he hath good ground and warrant to come.

2It is a sure ground against all feares, all doubts of presumption, all sense of unworthinesse, and of the greatnesse of the good promised, &c. For the Saints have many fear…s whereby they dare not come, they feare they may presume, they see themselves most vile, and unworthy of the least smile; the benefits are so exceeding great, to which they are called, that they think it is too good for them, &c. but beloved, when the soule sees evidently, the Lord invites me, perswades me, commands me, waits for me, strives with me that I would come in, and because his grace is free, therefore requires no more but only to come & take, come p. 237and drinke: this forceth the soul to confesse, I am sure it is no presumption to obey the call of Christ; and what though I am unworthy, and this good is exceeding great and precious, yet if it be the Lords grace to call such a poore wretch to receive and accept of it, why should I not rather thankfully receive it, then out of my own head superstitiously refuse it? but this I am sure and certaine of, the Lord calls me, thus to doe; if God should speak from heaven to you to come unto his Sonne, it is not so sure a ground as the call of God from out of the Ora…le of his word, in the blessed Gospell of his deare Sonne.

It is a strong ground, and of great power 3and efficacy to force the soule to come; for you may object, no man can believe, or should believe, and come of himself. I say so too; but how would you have the Spirit of Christ enable you to come? verily, it is by this call; and therefore, Ier. 3.22. when the Lord said, Returne ye back-sliding children, they presently answered, Lord we come, the dead shall heare this voyce of the Sonne of God, and live; Iohn 5.25. thou saidst, Seeke ye my face, my heart answered, Lord thy face will I seeke. Oh iron, stony, Adamantine heart, that canst heare so sweet a voyce as this word come, and yet not be overcome!

This call honours grace most, for what p. 2384more free then for the Lord to say, Come and take of the water of life freely? what more free, then for a rich man to require of his debtor only to receive so many thousands of him to pay his debts, & to set him up again? Verily brethren, as the Lord honors his grace by commanding us to come, so we honour it, when through the mighty power of the same call we doe come.

Thus much for Explication of this call, now let me put an end to it in a word of Application.

Vse.Let this perswade all sorts of persons, young and old, one and another to whom the Gospell is sent, to come in to Jesus Christ; for those that God calls should come: but the Lord calls (at least outwardly) all sorts of persons; nay every individuall person to come in: Marke 16.15, 16. Paul told the stout Jaylor, If thou beleevest thou shalt be saved: and look as the Law speakes particularly to every man, Thou shalt have no other Gods, &c. so doth the Gospell also, Rom. 10.9. that so every man might look upon himselfe as spoken to in particular. And indeed if there were not such a particular call, then men should not sin by refusing the Gospell, nor should the Lord be angry for so doing, but their sin and condemnation is great that so doe, Iohn 3.19. And the Lord is more wroth for this sin then any p. 239other; Ps. 2.12. Luk. 14.18. Heb. 3.10.11.19 In one word, either the Lord would have thee (who …ver thou art) to receive Christ, or to reject, and so despise Christ; and if the Lord would have you reject him, he would then have you sin, and continue in it, which cannot stand either with the honour of Gods holinesse, or of his rich grace; I shall here therefore open two things.

1. Set downe means to enable you to come.

2. Shew you how and in what manner you should come.

The meanes.

1. Consider, who it is that doth call you; is it Man or Ministers think you? you might never come then; no, it is Jesus Christ himselfe that calls you by them: Why doe many discouraged Spirits refuse to come? it is because they think deceitfull man, or charitable men call them, but the Lord hath no respect unto them; Oh foolish conceipt! I tell you their Ministery is not an act of their charity, wishing well to the salvation of all, but it is an act of Christs love and soveraigne authority: Mat. 28.18, 19, 20. So that what they doe, it is in Christs stead, 2 Cor. 5.19, 20. if Christ was present, he would call thee to him with more bowels then any compassionate Minister can: & I assure you, to receive them, is to receive Christ; to despise them, is p. 240to despise Christ, Iohn 13.20. and therefore Eph. 2.14. although the Apostles preached to the Ephesians, yet it is said, that Christ came and preached to them. If any Minister preacheth any other doctrine of grace then what Christ hath delivered, let him be accursed: But if they publish his mind and his call, look upon them as if the Lord himself called unto you, lest the Lord accurse you, and all their Ministery to you: the Lord Jesus did not cast off the Jewes for crucifying of him and shedding his blood, untill the Gospell of grace published by his messengers, came to them, and that was rejected; then Paul waxed bold, and said, because you put away the word from you, wee leave you; Acts 13.46.

Oh beloved, if you did beleeve Christ called you poore prodigalls (that have run riot, and sinned against him as much as you could) home unto him; suppose Christ was present, would it not draw you in? suppose he was with thee in the chamber, where thou art crying after him, or in the Church, where thou art waiting for him, and he should appeare visibly before thine eyes, opening his bosome, and bowels, and blood before thee, and calling unto thee to this purpose, I doe beseech thee and intreat thee by all these teares I have shed for thee in the dayes of my flesh, by all those bitter agonies I have suffered p. 241for thee, by all these tender bowels which have been rowled together toward thee, come unto me, embrace me, lay thy wearied head in this blessed bosome of mine, crucifie me no longer by thy sins, tre…d me not under foot by thy unbeleef any more; and I will pardon all thy sinnes though as red as crimson, I will heale thy cursed nature, I will carry thee in my owne bowells up to glory with me, where all si…s and teares and sorrowes shall be abolished, &c. who would not now come in to him? let me see the man that hath a heart of Adamant that would not melt and come in at this; Oh my beloved, this very call is done as really by Christ in his Ministers now, though not so visibly and immediately as I now describe: and therefore take heed how you refuse to heare him that speakes from heaven, Heb. 12.25.

Consider whom the Lord calls, and that is 2thee in particular, who ever thou art, to whom the Gospell of Christ is sent: for if you think Christ calls some only that are so and so deeply humbled only to come, and not unto you in particular, you will never come in; but we have proved this, that the Lord calls all in generall, and consequently each man in particular; the consideration of this may bring you in; Men fear to commit murther and steale, &c. but you feare not unbeleefe; p. 242but the Apostle bids you feare that; for the Gospell is preached (sayth he) unto you, as well as unto those that fell by unbeliefe: Heb. 4.1, 2. doe not say, he calls me indeed, but it is no more then what he doth to reprobates; true, in the outward call it is so, yet upon this ground you may think the Lord commands not, calls not you, to sanctifie a Sabbath, or to honour Gods name, because this is as common to reprobates as unto you; doe not say, I am not able to come, and therefore I am not called; no more are you able to attend the rules of the morall Law: yet you look upon them as appertaining to you, and because you cannot doe them, you intreat the Lord to enable you, and so because you cannot come, you should looke up to the Lord to draw you: and verily many times the great reason why the Lord doth not draw you, is, because you doe not deeply consider that he doth really and affectionately call you: doe not say, I am a dry tree, the Lord cannot look upon me, whose condition is worse then ever I heard or read of, yet remember what the Lord speaks to such; Isay 56.3, 4, 6, 7. Look not thou to thy barren & dead heart, but give glory unto God, as Abraham did, Rom. 4.19, 20. and receive his grace with more thankfulnesse then any else, because none ever so miserable as thy selfe; you young men heare this, though p. 243you have spent the flower of your yeares in vanity, madnesse, and filthy lusts, yet the Lord calls you in to him; you old men grown gray-headed in wickednesse, though it be the last houre in the day of your life, yet behold the Lord would hire you, and calls you to come in, before the …orest wrath of a long provoked God break out upon you; you that have despised Gods messengers, crucified the Lord Jesus afresh, embrued your hands in his blood, scorned and hated the Saints, and the word of Gods grace; hear what wisdom saith, Prov. 1.22, 23. Return yee scorners; oh consider, you that are ignorant of Christ, that never sought after Christ many a yeare together, that have continually provoked him to his face, how the Lord calls you, Isay 65.1, 2, 3. you, even you, are those the Lord calls, and will you not come?

Consider why the Lord calls thee, is it because hee hath any need of you to honour 3him? I tell you, he could have gone to others that would have given his Gospell better welcom th…n it hath had from you; he could have gone to many Kings and Princ…s, and out of that golden mettle have made himselfe vessels of honour, rather then out of such base mould as thou art made of; hee could have honoured himselfe in thy ruine, as in many millions of other men, and lose p. 244nothing by thee neither: he could have been blessed without you in the bosome of his Father; or is it because thou hast done any thing for him? alas! thou hast not returned him thy nutshells, thou hast not had so much as a forme of Religion, thou hast done as much mischiefe to him as thou couldst, Ier. 3.5. thou hast wearied him with thine iniquities, and made him serve with thy sins, and hast sadded his heart exceedingly by strange impenitency; Isay 43.24. The only reason that hath moved him to call to thee, hath been pity to thee, seeing thee running to the fire that never can be quencht, without stop or stay; 2 Chron. 36.15, 16. and because thou art fallen by thine iniquities, Hos. 14.1. And shall not this bring you home?

4Consider for what end the Lord calls thee; is it not to come and take possession of all the grace of Christ, Gal. 1.6. nay of all the glory of Christ, 1 Thess. 2.12. nay to a most neare, sweet, and everlasting fellowship with Christ himselfe? 1 Cor. 1.9. and can I say any more? can you desire any more then this? if the Lord should say unto any of us, Come into the garden, and there watch and pray with me, sorrow and suffer with me; who of us would not account our selves unworthy of such honour? but for the Lord to say, Come and enter into your rest, the land, the kingdome of grace and glory is before p. 245you, goe up and possesse it, oh where are our hearts, if this call will not draw? if the Lord should say at the day of judgement, when the heavens and earth shall be on a light fire, and the Lord Jesus set upon the throne of his glory, admired of all his Saints and Angels; Come you blessed and take the kingdome prepared for you, would you not gladly come at that call? oh beloved, the Lord Jesus now in the throne of his glory in heaven, behold he calls you unto a better good then that kingdome; he calls you to come and take himselfe and all his precious benefits, prepared for you, though in thy selfe accursed; and would he have you take possession of all this? is it not the praise of the riches of his grace? Eph. 1. If this be his end, then if thou wilt not come for thy own good, yet for his sake, his grace sake come in.

How long the Lord hath called thee, how 5oft he would have gathered thee; he hath stood so long untill his locks are wet with dew of the night: Cant. 5.1, 2. It may bee you are afraid, it hath been so long, that now time is past; oh no, for whiles the Lord calls by his word and spirit, now is the acceptable time, 2 Cor. 6.2. I confesse there is a time wherein the Lord will not be found, but whiles the Lord is neare unto thee by his Ministery, by his Spirit, convincing, affecting, p. 246stirring, knocking at thy heart, the time is not yet past, the Sun is not yet set, so long as those beames appeare, Isay 55.6. those thoughts which discourage thee from coming to Christ, whiles the voyce of his call is heard, cannot be of Christ but Satan, whose principall work is to lay such stumbling blocks in our way to him.

6Consider the greatnesse of your sinne in not coming to him.

1. This is the condemning sin; for no sin should condemne thee, if thou didst come to him, Iohn 3.17, 18, 19. thou shouldst please him, and as it were make him amends for all the wrongs thou hast done him, by coming to him; Heb. 11.5, 6, 7.

2. This aggravates all other sins; If I had not spake to them, (saith Christ) they had had no sin; Joh. 1….22.John 1:22i. e. comparatively; but now they have no cloak for their sin: can the sin of devills be so great as thine, that n…ver had a Saviour sent unto them? yet thou hast one sent and come out of heaven to thee, calling to thee from heaven, and yet thou despisest him.

3. This provokes the Lord to most unappeasable & unquenchable wrath, Heb. 3.11. I sware in my wrath they should not enter into my rest; after sins against the Law, the Lord did not sweare that man should dye, (for that notes an unchangeable purpose) but let Christ be despised, the Lord now sweares in p. 247his wrath against such a one: he that drawes back, my soule shall take no pleasure in him, Heb. 10.38. after sin against the law, the Lord took pleasure in glorifying his grace upon man fallen, but if you draw back from the grace of Christ in the Gospell, the Lord will take no pleasure in you.

4. It provokes the sorest and most unsupportable wrath, Take heed you despise not him that speaketh, for if they did not escape who refused him that spake on earth, much lesse shall we that despise him that speakes from heaven; Heb. 12.25. Take heed therefore you despise not him that speaketh; the word despise signifies in the originall to despise or refuse upon some colour of reason: every man hath some seeming reason against beleeving; one thinks time is past, another thinks he is excluded by some antecedent d… cree of election, another thinks he is not humbled, nor holy enough, another makes excuse not by pretending his Ale-house and Whore-house, but his Farme and Merchandize, Mat. 22. another thinks he is well enough without Christ, &c. Oh take heed, for the wrath of God most intolerable is your portion, the lowest dungeon of darknesse is t…y place in hell for this sin; Hear ye despisers and wonder, for I will worke (saith the Lord) a worke in your dayes, which you shall not beleeve though it be told you, Acts 13.41. I p. 248pray you what is this worke? certainly a work of wrath and vengeance; but what is it? you will not beleeve though you be told of it, oh you secure sinners; but what is it that they will not beleeve? nay truly the Lord himselfe is silent there, and saith nothing, as if it was so great and dreadfull, that the glorious Lord himselfe is not able to expresse it; and truly no more am I: oh therfore, be not worse then that generation of Vipers that cam… in to Iohn because some had forwarnd them to escape the wrath to come, Mat. 3. but come unto a Saviour, that you may be ever blessed with him. But you will say,

2How should we come to him?

Answ. 1.Come to him mourning and loathing your selves for your long continuance in refusing of him, Ier. 31.9. Ezek. 6.9. come mourning for all thy sinnes, but especially for this, that thou hast slighted him and not sought him, shed his blood, rent his bowels; and if thou canst not come, yet come to him and make thy moane to him of thy unbeleefe and inability to come.

2.Come with confidence that they that doe come he will never cast away, and that thou being come he will never cast thee away, Iohn 6.37. Heb. 10.22.

3.Come gladly and willingly, glorifying his grace,Act. 2.39. & 13.47.Acts 2:39Acts 13:47 but abasing thy selfe, With gladnesse shall they be brought and enter into the p. 249Kings presence, Psal. 45.15. doe not receive Gods grace as a common thing, but thankfully and with all thy heart: for the end why the Lord gives Christ to any man is the glory of his grace, if the Lord attaines this end, he desires no more, for why should he, when he hath his end?

Doe not come and tast,4. but come and drinke; Iohn 7.37. you may famish to death and pine away in your iniquities, and prove Apostates, even to commit the impardonable sin, if you doe but tast of him, as those did, Heb. 6.4, 5. but drinke abundantly, Oh ye beloved of the Lord, Cant. 5.1. If you cannot satisfie your soules by what you feel already received from him, then satiate your soules by what you may find in him; Isay 45.24. take possession of all the grace, glory, peace, promises of the Lord Jesus, and leave not a hoofe behind thee; and be for ever refreshed and comforted therein.

So come to him,5. as that you keep your confidence, and keep your savour of him and joy in him, Heb. 3.14. with 6. let the word that called you be ever sweet & precious, as David said, Psal. 119.53. I will never forget thy Precepts, for by them thou hast quickned me. Let the Lord Jesus be ever fresh, Heb. 3.6. and as an oyntment powred out; take …eed that the blood wherewith you are sanctified, doe not grow a common thing, and promises p. 250withered flowers, and Sermons of Christ and his grace (unlesse there be some new notions about them) as dead drinke, for this is the great sin of this age; the old truths about the grace of Christ, and the simplicity of the Gospell is as water in mens shoes; Ministers must preach novelties, and make quintessentiall extracts out of the Scriptures, and it may be, presse blood out of them sometime rather then milke, or else their doctrines are to many as Almanacks out of date, or as newes they heard seven yeares since; and they knew this before: Oh the wrath of God upon this God-glutted, Christ-glutted, Gospell-glutted age; unlesse it be among a very few poore beleevers, whose soules are kept empty, poore, and hungry by some continuall temptations or afflictions, and they are indeed glad of any thing, if it be any thing of Christ! Verily I am afraid such a dismal night is towards of spirituall desertions, and of outward, but sore afflictions of famin, war, blood, mortality, deaths of Gods precious servants especially; that the Lord will fill the hearts of all Churches, families, Christians, that shall be saved in those times, with such rendings, tearings, shakings, anguish of spirit, as scarce never more in the worst dayes of our fore-fathers; and that this shall continue, untill the remnant that escape shall say, Blessed be he that commeth in the name of p. 251the Lord; bessed bee the face and feet of that Minister, that shall come unto us in Christs name, and tell us, that there is a Saviour for sinners, and that he calls us for to come.

And thus I have done with this Divine truth, viz. That the Lord Jesus in the day of his power, saves us out of our wretched and sinfull estate; by so much conviction, as begets compunction; so much compunction, as brings in humiliation; so much humiliation, as makes us to come to Christ by Faith.