Christ Crucified, Sermon 8
SERMON VIII.
ISAIAH LIII.I.
Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
IT's a great encouragement and delight to the Miniſters of the Goſpel, and it's comfortable and refreſhing to Hearers, when the Meſſage of the Goſpel is received, and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt is welcomed; but on the contrary, it's burdenſome and heavy when there are few or none that believe and receive the Report, when their labour and ſtrength is ſpent in vain, and when all the aſſemblings of them together that hear the Word of the Goſpel, is but a trading of the Lord's Courts in vain; if there were no more to prove it, this Complaint of Iſaiah, ſpeaking in His own name, and in name of all the Miniſters of the Goſpel, is ſufficient; for as comfortable Meſſages as he carried, (and He carried as comfortable Meſſages as any that we hear of,) yet there was a general non-profiting by the Word of the Goſpel in his Mouth; when we meet with ſuch words as theſe, our Hearts ſhould tremble, when we conſider how general and rife an Evil Unbelief and the not receiving of Chriſt is, how horrible a Sin, how abominable to God, and how hazardous and deſtructive to our ſelves it is, and how rare a thing it is to ſee or find any Number believing and receiving this Meſſage of the Goſpel.
We ſpoke from theſe words to theſe Doctrines. First, That where the Goſpel comes, it makes offer of Jeſus Chriſt to all that Hear it. Secondly, That the great thing called for in the H…arers of the Goſpel, is Faith in Him. Thirdly, That yet notwithſtanding, Unbelief is an exceeding rife Evil in the Hearers of the Goſpel. Fourthly, That it's a very ſinful, heavy, and ſad thing not to receive Chriſt and believe in Him, all which are implyed in this ſhort, but ſad Complaint, Who hath believed our report?
We would now proſecute the Uſe and Scope of this. The laſt Uſe was an Uſe of Conviction of, and Expoſtulation with the Hearers of the Goſpel, for their being ſo Fruitleſs under it, ſerving to diſcover a great Deceit among Hearers, who think they Believe and yet do it not; whence it is that ſo many are miſtaken about their Souls S…ate, and moſt certainly the generality are miſtaken, who live as if Be…ieving were a thing common to all Profeſſors of Faith, while as it is ſo rare, and there are ſo very few that Believe.
The next Uſe is, an Uſe of Exhortation to you, That ſeeing Unbelief is ſo great an Evil, ye would by all means eſchew it; and ſeeing Faith is the only w…y to receive Chriſt, and to come at Life through Him, ye would ſeek after it to prevent the Evil of Unbelief: This is the ſcope of the words, yea, and of all our Preaching, that when Chriſt, and Remiſſion of Sins through Him, is preached to you, ye would by Faith receive Him, and reſt upon Him for obtaining Right to Him and to the Promiſes, and for preventing of the Threatnings and Curſes that abide Unbelievers. We ſhall not again repeat what Faith is, only in ſhort it comes to this, That ſeeing Chriſt hath ſatisfied Juſtice for Sinners, and His Satisfaction is offered in the Goſpel to all that will receive it, even to all the Hearers of the Goſpel, that Sinners in the ſight and ſenſe of their loſt condition would flee unto Him, receive and reſt upon Him and His Satisfaction, for Pardon of Sin, and making of their Peace with God: Is there need of Arguments to perſwade you to this? if ye be convinced of your ſinfulneſs, and of your loſt eſtate without Chriſt, and that there is a Judgment to come when Sinners muſt appear before Him, and be judged according to that which they have done in the Body, and if ye have the Faith of this, that Sinners that are not found in Chriſt, cannot ſtand; (as by the way, wo to that Man that is not found in Him, if it were a Paul, for even he, he is only happy by being found in Him not having his own Righteouſneſs but Chriſts,) and withall, that there is no other way to be found in Him but by Faith, (which is that which Paul hath for his main ſcope, Phil. 3.9, 10.) Then to be found in Him by Faith, ſhould be your main work and ſtudy; this is it that we ſhould deſign and endeavour, and to this we have acceſs by the Goſpel; and it is in ſhort, to be denuded of, and denied to our own Righteouſneſs, as to any weight we lay upon it for our Juſtification before God, and to have no other thing but Chriſt's Righteouſneſs offered in the Goſpel, and received by Faith to reſt upon for Juſtification, and making of our Peace with God: This is it that we command you to flee to, and by all means to ſeek an Intereſt in, that when the Goſpel makes offer of Chriſt, and Righteouſneſs through His Satisf…ction, and commands you to Believe on Him, when it lays Him to your Door, to your Mouth and Heart, that ye would roll, and lay your ſelves over on Him for the making of your Peace, and the bearing of you thorow in the day of your reckoning before the Tribunal of God.
That we may ſpeak the more cle…rly to this Uſe, We ſhall ſhortly ſhew you, 1. What Ground a loſt Sinner hath to receive Chriſt, and to lippen to Him. 2. What Warrands and Encouragements a Sinner hath to lean and lippen to this Ground. 3. We ſhall remove a Doubt or two that may ſtand in the way of Sinners reſting on this Ground. 4. We ſhall give ſome Directions to further you to this. And. 5. We ſh…ll give you ſome Characters of one that is tender…y t…king this way of Believing: And becauſe this is the way of the Goſpel, and we are ſure there is not a word ye have more need of, or that through God's Bleſſing may be more uſeful, and there is not a word more uncontravertible, which all of you will aſſent to the truth of, to wit, that there is a great good in Believing, and a great evil in Unbelief, we would exhort you the more ſeriouſly to lay it to Heart; O! think not that our coming to Speak and Hear, is for the Faſhion, but to Profite; Caſt your ſelves therefore open to the Exhortation, and let the word of Faith ſink down into your Hearts, conſidering that there is nothing ye have more need of, than of Faith, and that ye will not find it ſafe for you to hazard your Souls on your own Righteouſneſs, or to appear before God without Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, and that the only way to come by it is Faith; This may let you ſee the neceſſity of Believing, and that it is of your concernment to try how it is with you as to that; and therefore again and again, we would exhort you in the fear of God, that ye would not neglect ſo great a Salvation, which through Faith is to be obtained, but lay it to Heart, as ye would not have all the Servants of God, who have preached the Goſpel to you, complaining of you; It is our Bane that we ſuſpect not our ſelves, and indeed it is a wonder that theſe who have immortal Souls, and profeſs Faith in Chriſt, ſhould yet live ſo ſecure, and under ſo little care, and holy ſolicitude to know, whether they have believed or not, and ſhould with ſo little ſerious concernedneſs, put the Matter to a tryal: But we proceed to the Particulars we propoſed to ſpeak to.
And firſt to this, That ye have a good ſolid Ground to Believe on; for clearing of which, we would put theſe three together. 1. The Fulneſs and Sufficiency of th… Mediator Jeſus Chriſt, in whom all the Riches of the Goſpel are treaſured up, in whom, and by whom our Happineſs comes, and who wants nothing that may fit Him to be a Saviour, who is able to ſave to the uttermoſt all that come unto God by Him. 2. The well-orderedneſs, freeneſs, and fulneſs of the Covenant of Grace, wherein it is tranſacted, that the Fulneſs that is in the Mediator Chriſt, ſhall be made forthcoming to Believers in Him, and by which loſt Sinners that by Faith flee unto Him, have a ſolid Right to His Satisfaction, which will bear them out before God; by which tranſaction, Chriſt's Satisfaction is made as really theirs, when by Faith it is cloſed with, as if they had ſatisfied and payed the Price themſelves, 2 Cor. 5.21. He who knew no ſin, was made ſin for us, that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in Him; and this Conſideration of the legality and order of the Covenant, ſerves exceedingly to clear our Faith as to the Ground of it, becauſe by this Covenant it's tranſacted and agreed upon, that Chriſt ſhall undergo the Penalty, and that the Believer in Him ſhall be reckoned the righteous Perſon; if there be a reality in Chriſt's Death and Satisfaction to Juſtice, if He hath undergone the Penalty and payed their Debt, there is a reality in this Tranſaction, as to the making over of what He hath Done and Suffered, to Believers in Him; and the Covenant being ſure and firm as to His part, He having confirmed it by His Death, it is as ſure and firm as to the Benefite of it to the Believer in Him. 3. The nature of the Off…r of this Grace in the Goſpel, and the nature of the Goſpel that makes the Offer of the fulneſs that is in Chriſt by vertue of the Covenant; It is the Word of God, and hath His Authority when we preach it according to His Command, as really as when He preached it Himſelf in Capernaum, or any where elſe, even as the authority of a King is with his Ambaſ…ador, according to that, 2 Cor. 5. penult verſ. We are ambaſſadours for Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you by us, there, is the Father's Warrand and Name interpoſed, and for the Son's, it follows, We pray you in Chriſts ſtead be ye reconciled to God; add to this, the nature of the Offer, and the terms of it, there is no condition required on our part, as the preciſe condition of the Covenant, but Believing; Now, when theſe are conjoined, we put it to your Conſcience, if ye have not a good Ground to lippen to, and a ſufficient Foundation to build on? and if ſo, it ought to be an powerfully attractive Motive to draw you to Believe in Him, and to bring you to reſt on Him by Believing.
Secondly, We have alſo many Warrands and Encouragements to ſtep forward, and when Chriſt in His Fulneſs lays Himſelf before you, to roll over your ſelves on Him, and to yeeld to Him; If we could ſpeak of them ſutably, they are ſuch as may remove all ſcarring that any might have in coming to Him, and may ſerve to leave others inexcuſable, and unanſwerably to convince them that the main obſtruction was in themſelves, and that they would not come unto Him for Life, He called to them but none would exalt Him. 1. Do ye not think that the Offer of this Goſpel is a ſufficient Warrand, and ground of Encouragement to Believe on Him? and if it be ſo to others, ought it not to be a ſufficient Warrand and Encouragement to you? when He ſays, Pſal. 81.10. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it, what excuſe can ye have to ſhift or refuſe the Offer? if ye think Chriſt real in His Commands, is He not as real in His Offers? 2. He hath ſo ordered the Adminiſtration of this Goſpel, as He hath purpoſely prevented any ground that Folks may have of ſcarring to cloſe with Chriſt; He hath ſo qualified the Object of this Grace in the Goſpel, that theſe in all the World that Men would think ſhould be ſecluded, are taken in to be Sharers of it, for its Sinners, loſt Sinners, Self-deſtroyers, Ungodly, the Sheep that have wandered, the Poor, the Needy, the Naked, the Captives, the Priſoners, the Blind, &c. according to that of Iſa: 61.1, 2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, He hath ſent me to preach glad tydings to the meek or poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the priſon to them that are bound, &c. and Iſa. 55.1. Theſe who are invited to come to the cryed Fair of Grace, are ſuch as are thirſty, and ſuch as want money; who among Men uſe to be ſecluded, but in Graces-Mercat they only are welcome, it's to them that Grace ſays, He come, and Rev. 22.17. Whoſoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely, it's not only, to ſay ſo with reverence, theſe whom He willeth, but it's, whoſoever will; and ſo if thou wilt come, Grace puts the Offer into thy Hand, as it were, to carve on; to let us know that He allows ſtrong Conſolation on Believers, and that either the Hearers of this Goſpel ſhall Believe, or be left without all excuſe; He hath it to ſay, as it is, Iſa. 5. what could I have done to my vineyard that I have not done; If ye had the Offer at your own carving, what could ye put more in it? it cannot be more free than without money, it cannot be more ſeriouſly preſs'd than with a Ho, and Oyes, to come; Sometimes He complains, as John 5.40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have life, and ſometimes weeps and moans becauſe Sinners will not be gathered, as Luk. 19.41, 42. and Matth. 23.37. can there be any greater evidences of reality in any Offer? A third Warrand is from the manner and form of Chriſt's Adminiſtration, He hath condeſcended to make a Covenant, and many Promiſes to draw Folks to Believe, to which He hath added His Oath, ſwearing by Himſelf, when He had not a greater to ſwear by, for our Confirmation and Conſolation, as it is, Heb. 6.16, 17. And among Men, ye know, that an Oath puts an end to all Contraverſie, and what would ye, or could ye ſeek more of God, than His Saying, Writing, and Swearing? He hath done all this, that the heirs of Promiſe may have ſtrong conſolation, who are fl…d for refuge to the hope ſet before them; O! will ye not trow and credit God when He ſwears? Among other Aggravations of Unbelief this will be one, that by it ye make God not only a liar, but perjured, a heavy, hainous, and horrid Guilt on the ſcore of all Unbelievers of this Goſpel. 4. To take away all Contraverſie, He hath interpoſed His Command, yea it's the great Command, and in a manner, the one Command of the Goſpel, 1 John 3.23. This is his commandment, that ye believe on the Name of his Son Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore the Offer of the Goſpel and Promulgation of it, cometh by way of Command, Ho come, believe, &c. whereby the Lord would tell the Hearers of the Goſpel, that it is not left to their own option, or as a thing indifferent to them to Believe or not to Believe, but it's laid on them by the neceſſity of a Command to Believe; and if ye think ye may and ſhould Pray, ſanctifie the Sabbath, or obey any other Command becauſe He bids you, there is the ſame Authority enjoyning and commanding you to Believe, and as great neceſſity lyeth on you to give obedience to this Command as to any other, do not therefore think it Humility not to do it, for Obedience is better than Sacrifice.
For your further Encouragement to Believe, I would ſay three words which ye would alſo look upon as Warrands to Believe, and by them know that it is a great Sin not to Believe. 1. Ye have no leſs Ground or Warrand than ever any that went before you had; David, M…ſ…s, Paul, &c. had no better Warrand; my meaning is, ye have the ſame Covenant, the ſame Word and Promiſes, Chriſt and His Fulneſs, God and His Faithfulneſs offered to you, the ſame Warrand that God hath given to all His People ſince ever He had a Church; and do ye not think but it will be a ſad and grievous ground of Challenge againſt you, when ye ſhall ſee others that believe on the ſame Grounds that ye have, ſit down in the Kingdom of Heaven, and your ſelves as proud Rebels ſhut out? what ever d…fference there be as to the main Work of Grace, and of God's Spirit on the Heart in the working of Faith, yet the Ground of Faith is the Word that all hear who are in the viſible Church, and ye having the ſame Ground and Object of Faith in your offer, there will be no excuſe for you if ye do not Believe. A ſecond Encouragement is, That the Ground of Faith is ſo ſolid and good, that it never diſappoints any one that leans to it; and count the Goſpel a feckleſs and inſignificant thing who will, it ſhall have this Teſtimony. which damned Unbelievers ſhall carry to Hell with them, that it was the power of God to ſalvation to them that believed, and that there was nothing in the Goſpel it ſelf that did prejudge them of the good of it, but that they prejudged themſelves who did not lippen to it; Therefore the Word is called Gold tryed in the fire; all the Promiſes having a Being from Jehovah Himſelf, on jot or one title of them cannot fail nor fall to the Ground. 3. If ye were to carve out a Warrand to your ſelves, as I hinted before, what more could ye deſire? what miſs ye in Chriſt? what Clauſe can ye deſire to be inſert in the Covenant that is not in it? It contains Pardon of Sin, Healing of your Backſlidings, and what not? and he hath ſaid, ſealed, and ſworn it, and what more can ye require? Therefore we would again exhort you in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, and in His ſtead, not to neglect ſo great a Salvation, O! receive the Grace of God, and let it not be in vain.
In the third place, Let us ſpeak a word or two to ſome Objections, or Scruples, which may be moved in reference to what hath been ſaid. And, Firſt, It may be ſome will ſay, that the Covenant is not broad enough, becauſe all are not elected, all are not redeemed nor appointed to be Heirs of Salvation; upon which ground Temptation will ſometime ſo far preva…l, as to waken up a ſecret enmity at the Goſpel: But, 1. How abſurd is this Reaſoning? Is there any that can rationally deſire a Covenant ſo broad, as to take in all as neceſſarily to be ſaved by it? there is much greater reaſon to wonder that any ſhould be Saved by it, then there is if all ſhould Periſh; beſide, we are not now ſpeaking to the Effects, but to the Nature of the Goſpel, ſo that whoever Periſh, it is not becauſe they were not elected, but becauſe they believed not; and the Bargain is not of the leſs worth, nor the leſs ſure becauſe ſome will not Believe; and to ſay, that the Covenant is not good enough becauſe ſo many Periſh, it's even as if ye ſhould ſay, it's not a good Bridge becauſe ſome will not take it, but adventure to go thorow the Water and ſo drown themſelves. 2. I would aſk, Would ye overturn the whole Courſe of God's Adminiſtration, and of the Covenant of His Grace? did He ever à priori, or at firſt Hand, tell Folks that they were elected? who ever got their Election at the very firſt revealed to them? or, who are now before the Throne that ever made the keeping up of this ſecret from them, a Bar or Impediment to their Believing? God's Eternal Purpoſe or Decree is not the Rule of our Duty, nor the Warrand of our Faith, but His revealed Will in His Word; let us ſeek to come to the knowledge of God's Decree of Election à poſteriori, or by the Effects which is a ſure way of Knowledge; our thwarting with His Word to know His Decree, will not excuſe, but make us more guilty; He hath ſhewed thee O man, ſaith Micah, chap. 6.8. what is good, and what doeth the Lord require of thee; and if any will ſcruple and demur on this ground to cloſe the Bargain, let them be aware that they provoke Him not to bring upon them their own fears, by continuing them under that ſcrupling and demurring condition; Ye cannot poſſibly evite hazard by looking on only, and not making uſe of Chriſt; therefore do not bring on your own ruine by your fear, which may be by Grace prevented, and by this way of Believing ſhall be certainly prevented.
But ſecondly, Some may object and ſay, I am indeed convinced that Believing is my Duty, but that being a thing that I cannot do, why ſhould I therefore ſet about it? Anſw. 1. This is a moſt unreaſonable and abſurd way of Reaſoning, for if it be given way to, what Duty ſhould we do? we are not of our ſelves able to Pray, Praiſe, keep the Lord's Day, nor to do any other commanded Duty, ſhall we therefore abſtain from all Duties? Our ability or fitneſs for Duty, is not the rule of our Duty, but God's Command; and we are called to put our Hand to Duty in the ſenſe of our own Inſufficiency, acknowledging God's Sufficiency, which if we did, we ſhould find it go better with us, and may not the ſame be expected in the matter of Believing as well as in other Duties? 2. None that ever heard this Goſpel ſhall in the Day of Judgement have this to Object, none ſhall have it to ſay, that they would fain have believed, but their meer Infirmity, Weakneſs, and Inability did imped them; for though it be our own Sin and Guilt that we are unable, yet where the Goſpel comes that is not the Contraverſie; But that Folks would not come to Chriſt, would not be gathered, that when He would, they would not; for where there is a will, to will and to do go together; But it's Enmity at the way of Believing, Security, Stupidity, Senſeleſneſs, and Careleſneſs what become of the Immortal Soul, that ruines Folks; for the Soul that would fain be at Chriſt, ſhall be helped to Believe, the reaſon is, becauſe the nature of the Covenant of Grace, and of the Mediator thereof, is ſuch, that all to whom He gives to will, He gives them alſo to perform, and His Faithfulneſs is engaged ſo to do: It muſt therefore return to one of theſe two, That either ye will not receive Him, or elſe ye are willing though weak; and if ye be willing, Faithful is He that hath called you, who alſo will do it; but if it halt at your Perverſneſs and wilful Refuſal of the Offer, there is good reaſon that in God's Juſtice ye ſhould never get good of the Goſpel; nay, there is never one to whom the Goſpel comes, and who doeth not Believe, but formally, as it were, he paſſeth a Sentence on himſelf, as the word is, Act. 13 46. Ye judge your ſelves unworthy of eternal life, which the Apoſtle gathers from this ground, that they did not, neither would accept of Jeſus Chriſt offered to them in the Goſpel; as the event is that follows on the Offer, ſo will the Lord account of your receiving of it.
Fourthly, As for Directions to help and further you to Believe, it's not eaſie, but very difficult to give them, it being impoſſible to ſatisfie the curioſity of Nature; neither can any Directions be preſcribed that without the ſpecial work of God's Spirit, can effectuate the thing; the renewing of the Will, and the working of Faith being Effects and Fruits of omnipotent Grace; yet becauſe ſomething lyes upon all the Hearers of the Goſpel as Duty, and it being more ſuitable and congruous, that in the uſe of Means, then when Means are neglected, Believing ſhould be attained; And becauſe oftentimes theſe that deſire this Queſtion to be anſwered, to wit, how they may win at Believing? are ſuch as have ſome beginnings of the work of Grace and of Faith. We ſhall ſpeak a few words to ſuch as would be at believing and exerciſing of Faith on Jeſus Chriſt; And, 1. Folk had need to be clear in the common fundamental Truths of the Goſpel, they would know what their Natural Eſtate is, what their Sin and Miſery is, and they would know the way how to win out of that State; Ignorance often obſtructs us in the way of Believing, How ſhall they believe on Him of whom they have not heard? Rom. 10.14. when Folks Believe not, it is as if they had never heard. 2. When ye have attained to the knowledge of the common Truths of the Goſpel, as of your Sin and Miſery, the nature of the Covenant, the Mediator and His Fulneſs, &c. Labour to fix well the Hiſtorical Faith of them, we are ſure that many never come this length to believe the Hiſtory of the Goſpel, and till that be, they can advance no further; for as the word is, Heb. 11.6. He that comes to God, must believe that He is, and a rewarder of them that diligently ſeek Him; I ſay, theſe common ſimple Truths of the Goſpel would well be fixed by a Hiſtorical Faith; and yet this would not be reſted on, becauſe though they be excellent Truths, yet they may be known and hiſtorically believed where Saving Faith and Salvation follow not. 3. Be much in Thinking, Meditating, and Pondering of, and on theſe things, let them ſink down into your Hearts, that the Meditation of them may fix the Faith of them, and that they may deeply affect us, we would ſeek to have a morally ſerious feeling of them, as we have of the common works of the Spirit; But there are many like the Way ſidehearers, who, as ſoon as they hear the Word, ſome Devil, like a Crow, comes and picks it up; therefore to prevent this, ye would ſeek to have the Word of God dwelling richly in you, ye would meditate on it till ye be convinced of your hazard, and get the Affections ſome way ſtirred according to the nature of the Word ye meditate upon, whether Threatnings or Promiſes; the moſt part are affected with nothing, they know not what it is to tremble at a Threatning, nor ſmile as it were, on a Promiſe, through their not dwelling on the thoughts of the Word that it may produce ſuch an Effect. 4. When this is done, Folks would endeavour a full up-giving with the Law of Righteouſneſs as to their Juſtification, that if they cannot ſo poſitively and ſtayedly win to reſt on Jeſus Chriſt and His Righteouſneſs, yet they may lay the weight of their Peace with God on no other thing; they would lay it down for a certain concluſion, that by the works of the Law they can never be juſtified, and would come with a ſtoped Mouth before God; thus tender Chriſtians will find it ſometimes eaſier, to give up with the Law, then to cloſe with the Goſpel, as to their diſtinct apprehenſion of the thing. 5. When this is done, Go as it were to the top of mount Nebo, and take a look of the pleaſant Land of Promiſes, and of Chriſt held out in them, and let your Soul ſay, O! to have the Bargain well cloſed, to have my Heart ſtirred up to love Him, and to reſt upon Him, O! to have Faith and to diſcern it in its actings; for when the Life of Faith is ſo weak that it cannot ſpeak, yet it may breath; and though ye cannot exerciſe Faith as ye would, ſo as to grip to, and catch faſt hold of the Object, yet eſſay ſeriouſly to do that far, as to eſteem, love, and vehemently deſire it; In this reſpect the Will is ſaid to go before the Deed, though as to God's begetting of Faith there be a contemporarineſs of the Will and the Deed, yet as to our ſenſe the Will outruns the Deed, even as in another ſenſe (though it makes well for this purpoſe,) the Apoſtle ſays, To will is preſent with me, but how to perform that which is good, I know not; for we ought to have our Will running after Chriſt, and Believing on Him when we cannot attain to the diſtinct actings of it.
But it may be here objected and ſaid, Is not this Preſumption? Anſw. If this were Preſumption, then all we have ſaid of the Warrand of the Goſpel to Believe, is to no purpoſe; Chriſt never counted it Preſumption to deſire and endeavour in His own way to believe on Him for attaining of Life through Him; To deſire Heaven and Peace with God, and to miſken Chriſt and paſs Him by, were indeed Preſumption, but it is not ſo, to deſire theſe through Him. 6. When ye have attained to this Heart deſire, if ye cannot diſtinctly to your ſatiſfaction act Believing on Chriſt, ye would firmly reſolve to believe and eſſay it, and ſay, This is the way I will and muſt take, and no other, as David ſaith, Pſal. 16.2. O my ſoul, thou haſt ſaid unto the Lord, thou art my Lord; Hence the exerciſe of Faith is called a chooſing of God, Deut. 30.19. and Joſh. 24. and ſeriouſly, ſincerely, and firmly, to reſolve thus, is our Duty when we can win to do no more; and it is no little advancement in Believing, when ſuch reſolution to Believe, is deliberatly and ſoberly come under. 7. When this is done Folks would not hold at a reſolution, for to reſolve and not to ſet forward will be found to be but an empty reſolution; therefore having reſolved, (though ſtill looking on the reſolution as his gift,) we would ſet about to perform and believe as we may, and when we cannot go, we would creep, when we cannot ſpeak words of Faith, we would let Faith breath; when it can neither ſpeak nor breath diſtinctly, we would let it pant: In a word, to be eſſaying the exerciſe of Faith, and often renewing our eſſays at it, which if we did, we ſhould come better ſpeed in Believing then we do; thus though ye were walking under a Conviction, that ye would do no more at this then a Man whoſe Arm is withered can do, to ſtreatch it forth, yet as the Man with the withered Hand at Chriſt's word of Command eſſayed to ſtreatch it forth and it went with him, or as the Diſciples when they had toiled long, even all the Night, and caught nothing, yet at Chriſt's word let down the Net and incloſed a multitude of Fiſhes; ſo, though ye have eſſayed to act Faith often, and yet come no ſpeed, yet eſſaying it again on Chriſt's calling to it, it may, and will through Grace go with you. 8. When yet ye come not ſpeed as ye would, your ſhort-coming would be bemoaned and complained of to God, laying open to, and before Him the Heart, who can change it; and ye would have it for a piece of your weight and burthen, that your Heart comes not ſo up to, and abides not ſo by Believing; I would think it a good Frame of Spirit, when the not having of the Heart ſtanding ſo fix'd at Believing, is an Exerciſe and a Burthen. 9. When all this is done, in ſome meaſure, ye would wait on in doing thus, and would continue in this way, looking to Him who is the Author and Finiſher of Faith, for His influence to make it go with you, to look to Him to be helped, is the way to be helped to Believe, or to Pray to Him to better and amend Faith, is the way to have it bettered and amended; it's ſaid Pſal. 34.5. They looked to him and were lightened, and their faces were not aſhamed: And if it be ſaid, How can one look that ſees not? It's true, blind Folk cannot look, yet they may eſſay to look, and though there be but a glimmering, as the looking makes the faculty of Seeing the better and more ſtrong, ſo the Exerciſe of Faith makes Faith to encreaſe, this is it that the Pſalmiſt hath, Pſal. 30. v. laſt. Be of good courage, and he ſhall ſtrengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord; that is, if ye be weak, wait on and He ſhall ſtrengthen you, Believe, and give not over, though to your Senſe ye come not ſpeed: Beginners that are looking conſcienciouſly to their way, though they have but a glimmering weak ſight of Chriſt, and be as the Man that at firſt ſaw M…n walking as Trees, yet if they wait on, they may attain to a more diſtinct ſeeing, and to a more cloſe and firm gripping of Chriſt.
We cloſe with this word of Advertiſement, That as we ſpeak not of theſe things as being in Man's power to be performed, ſo neither can they be gone about to purpoſe, but where there is ſome Faith and Love; yet when they are at firſt looked on, they are ſome way more within our reach then the diſtinct Exerciſe of Faith, which is a great Myſtery. The Lord bleſs His Word, and make it uſeful to you.